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What's the difference between a normal blank CD and CD's given magazines,etc....

9 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/whats-the-difference-between-a-normal-blank-cd-and-cds-given-magazines-etc.43924/

Ray
Ray Original post #1
Dec 16, 2006 at 12:02 PM
I have seen that normal blank CD's,that we buy like frontech & moserbaer r greenish tinged but original CD's,CD's given by magazines, have a silvery surface.What's the difference between the two where can I buy blank CD's with silvery surface?
K
krazyfrog #2
Dec 16, 2006 at 12:55 PM
The green or golden colour of blank discs is mostly due to a layer of ScratchGuard applied to its surface to protect it from scratches. This layer is found only on blank media. The colour is there to differentiate it from non-ScratchGuard discs. Other discs don't have this layer. So they look silver.
n2casey
n2casey #3
Dec 16, 2006 at 2:47 PM
^^
If that's the truth then we have poor quality CDs from Digit. Right? :D :D
gauravakaasid
Dec 16, 2006 at 2:54 PM
AFAIK the cds given away by magazines are stamped, they are not written to. i guess that may be one of the reasons why they have a silvery surface.
blackpearl
Dec 16, 2006 at 4:17 PM
The greenish color is due to the organic dye used in blank CDs.

Blank CDs are different from the ones given by Digit, the silvery ones. A "real" CD (the silvery CD) contains pits and bumps which corresponds to 1s and 0s. When a laser beam hits a bump it gets scattered and when it hits a pit, it gets reflected back to the lens.

The blanks CDs on the other hand, does not contain pits and bump. Rather they posses a layer of organic dye on the surface which turns opaque when exposed to laser light of a certain wavelenght, just like the dye used in photographic films. The CD writer "burns" this organic dye, i.e. exposes them to a laser beam which turns specific areas opaque. When you read such a CD, the opaque areas does not reflect light and behaves like a "bump" while the unburnt areas reflect light which behaves like a "pit".

The discs given by Digit are the "true" optical discs in the sense they contain real pits and bumps and are called pressed discs. The blank CDs just try to emaluate these optical discs. A special method is used to make pressed discs and such discs usually lasts longer because the pits and bumps are permanently etched into the surface. But written CDs dosen't last long because over time the organic dye detoriates, and the data becomes corrupt. Just like old photgraphs get discoloured and smeared, because home written discs are just a "photographic print" of a real optical disc.
K
krazyfrog #6
Dec 16, 2006 at 7:55 PM
^^ Thanks for the great info mate. Reps added to your account.
shantanu
Dec 16, 2006 at 7:56 PM
blackpearl said:
The greenish color is due to the organic dye used in blank CDs.

Blank CDs are different from the ones given by Digit, the silvery ones. A "real" CD (the silvery CD) contains pits and bumps which corresponds to 1s and 0s. When a laser beam hits a bump it gets scattered and when it hits a pit, it gets reflected back to the lens.

The blanks CDs on the other hand, does not contain pits and bump. Rather they posses a layer of organic dye on the surface which turns opaque when exposed to laser light of a certain wavelenght, just like the dye used in photographic films. The CD writer "burns" this organic dye, i.e. exposes them to a laser beam which turns specific areas opaque. When you read such a CD, the opaque areas does not reflect light and behaves like a "bump" while the unburnt areas reflect light which behaves like a "pit".

The discs given by Digit are the "true" optical discs in the sense they contain real pits and bumps and are called pressed discs. The blank CDs just try to emaluate these optical discs. A special method is used to make pressed discs and such discs usually lasts longer because the pits and bumps are permanently etched into the surface. But written CDs dosen't last long because over time the organic dye detoriates, and the data becomes corrupt. Just like old photgraphs get discoloured and smeared, because home written discs are just a "photographic print" of a real optical disc.

LOVED YOUR ANSWER REPS TO YOU
seriuslyblack
Dec 17, 2006 at 12:23 PM
blackpearl said:
The greenish color is due to the organic dye used in blank CDs.

Blank CDs are different from the ones given by Digit, the silvery ones. A "real" CD (the silvery CD) contains pits and bumps which corresponds to 1s and 0s. When a laser beam hits a bump it gets scattered and when it hits a pit, it gets reflected back to the lens.

The blanks CDs on the other hand, does not contain pits and bump. Rather they posses a layer of organic dye on the surface which turns opaque when exposed to laser light of a certain wavelenght, just like the dye used in photographic films. The CD writer "burns" this organic dye, i.e. exposes them to a laser beam which turns specific areas opaque. When you read such a CD, the opaque areas does not reflect light and behaves like a "bump" while the unburnt areas reflect light which behaves like a "pit".

The discs given by Digit are the "true" optical discs in the sense they contain real pits and bumps and are called pressed discs. The blank CDs just try to emaluate these optical discs. A special method is used to make pressed discs and such discs usually lasts longer because the pits and bumps are permanently etched into the surface. But written CDs dosen't last long because over time the organic dye detoriates, and the data becomes corrupt. Just like old photgraphs get discoloured and smeared, because home written discs are just a "photographic print" of a real optical disc.

whew! never knew this info. thanks man!!:D
JGuru
JGuru #9
Dec 17, 2006 at 12:37 PM
What @Blackpearl said is 100% right.