What is a WaterShield DVD?

WaterShield
Discs

WaterShield
DVD-Rs

WaterShield
CD-Rs

A: The JVC/Taiyo Yuden WaterShield CD-Rs and DVD-Rs are discs that repel water so that your inkjet printed disc art can resist smudges and smears. The added bonus was the protective surface also created a super-glossy look. In essence, they leveled the playing field by creating an inkjet printable disc that was an affordable and viable competitor of thermal printed discs.

Since the introduction of Watershield, other disc makers have created water resistant inkjet printable discs. In addition, JVC/Taiyo Yuden and other manufacturers have created new finishes that are either glossy or water-repellent in an effort to create more (and more affordable) options for today’s professional disc duplicator.

Here are some of the new WaterShield alternatives that are available:

• JVC/Taiyo Yuden “PrintPlus!” What can I say about PrintPlus! media? It’s water resistant. It’s JVC/Taiyo Yuden. And it’s got a matte finish.
• PrintPlus! DVD-Rs, starting at $.426/ea. Order here.
• PrintPlus! CD-Rs, starting at $.433/ea. Order here.
• Falcon “Smart Guard.” These feature a water-resistant, inkjet glossy surface.  The Smart Guard layer offers a superb bright photographic finish, excellent ink absorption. It is also resistant to smudges and bleeding due to moisture and humidity.
• Smart Guard DVD-Rs, starting at $.701/ea. Order here.
• Smart Guard CD-Rs, starting at $.595/ea. Order here.
• Falcon Glossy Inkjet. If you like the super glossy look of Smart Guard but want something that’s more affordable (and the whole, water-resistant thing is unimportant to you), Falcon’s Glossy Inkjet discs are a good alternative. Glossy Inkjet printable offers a high gloss finish with superior color contrasts reproducing true-to-life glossy photo quality printing at an affordable price.
• Glossy Inkjet DVD-Rs, starting at $.264/ea. Order here.
• MBI AquaShield. Water-resistant and glossy, plus the benefits of MBI’s Professional Select Discs (like a hub center that doesn’t show tonal variations when you use edge-to-edge printing).
• AquaShield DVD-Rs, starting at $.546/ea. Order here.
• AquaShield CD-Rs, starting at $.503ea. Order here.

Why are CDs made from petroleum?

CDs are made from polycarbonate,  which is made from petroleum.

The simple truth is that, right now, most of our plastics (including the plastics in CD-Rs and other optical media) are made from petroleum.

What type of plastic is used in CDs?

The plastic used in CDs, DVDs and even Blu-ray discs is polycarbonate: the same plastic used in prescription eyeglass lenses. It's an unbelievably strong and lightweight plastic. (Seriously, they actually make bullet proof windows out of this stuff!)

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What is the Difference Between 48X and 52X CD-Rs?

Q: I noticed that some of your newer CD-R brands (like Falcon Pro) have write speeds of 48X, but other CD-R brands have write speeds of 52X. When is Falcon Pro coming up with a 52X speed disc?
A: The short answer is that 48X and 52X, in terms of media, are really the same thing. But, for the specifics, I turned to Fred Perez, National Sales Director, for Falcon Technologies International, makers of Falcon Pro media. Perez told me that the maximum speed of Recordable CDs, according to the Orange Book specifications, is 48X. "Originally, we decided to stick with this specification and only market our Falcon Pro as 48X certified," he said.

How Do I Stop My Discs from Sticking Together?

Q: I am a high school teacher and I run multiple copies of DVDs for the football coaches and for my TV Production class projects. It appears that [brand name deleted] discs seem to jam up our automated robotic feed duplicator. I have tried manually separating them and writing titles on them with felt tip markers PRIOR to duplication, hoping that this would cause them to stick together less, but nothing has helped.

Which type of discs would you recommend to solve this stickiness issue? Or is there a certain manufacturer or brand that you would recommend that stick together less than others?

A: First, I'll address the question about which disc you should buy. You should always try to use the brand of disc that was recommended by your equipment manufacturer. Some discs are thicker or heavier than others – the difference in size can be measured in microns, but it can affect your results. For example, we've learned that heavier discs usually perform better than lighter discs in gravity-fed printers.