Why are dual layer DVDs still so expensive?

[LazyLion]

seriously they have been on the market for ages now, in fact they are ready to be surpassed by BD discs. So why are they still so flipping expensive? It's cheaper to buy a hard drive for back-up purposes.

Anybody know where to get them cheaper?

Makro = R139 for 5 discs Verbatim.

 

[mercurial]

I usually buy a 10 pack for R200 at Makro, but yes, it's ridiculous that it's still so expensive.

 

[Sting]

Buy directly from suppliers? Eurobyte, Esquire, Pinnacle, Rectron, DriveControl, etc?

What's you failure rate? Will tell you an amusing tale later....

 

[D4N]

Take2: R89 for 5

 

[labratza]

that is still expensive should not be more than double the cost of 2 single layer disks

 

[Stickfigure]

Why would you need dual layer? Burning those downloaded xbox games to disc hey Gary

 

[BlackJack1301]

Yes Gary man, why you need em hey? But um... i would also like to know please

 

[chickenbeef]

Or if he's "backing up" movies, try DVD Shrink

 

[boramk]

Well, one can assume that Dual Layer discs will increase piracy as they are of "perfect" uncompressed size of many DVD movies, Xbox games etc.
Therefore they are produced much less (If you go in a shop, you see ratio of 50:1 for single vs dual layer), demand is also not that great, therfore, higher prices?

 

[TheRift]

You'll notice that some of those cheap DL discs have dodgey edges or where the 2 layers switch. Quality costs, I reckon. I used to buy DL discs from TVR and lost just about everything. Now I'd rather pay for the Verbatims or better since they're just made better.

Perhaps it's just one of those supply-and-demand based markets. More people opt for the single layer 4.7GB discs, leaving the expensive duals behind. Snowball forms, rolls and the DLs wind up not being sold hence pricing remains high.

 

[milomak]

i often wonder this myself. may as well pickup an external drive.

 

[RSkeens]

Old stock I guess?

 

[AirWolf]

To decrease piracy of movies.

 

[LazyLion]

Why would you need dual layer? Burning those downloaded xbox games to disc hey Gary

Yes Gary man, why you need em hey? But um... i would also like to know please

Or if he's "backing up" movies, try DVD Shrink

somebody on this forum asked me to DL something for them and to mail it to them in CT. I tried to do it using two DVDs, but that turned out to be an abortion so Dual Layer is the only way to go for him. The file is 5.6 Gb.

 

[Gradius]

u can't use Alcohol 120% to split the image into 4.4gb each?

 

[Sting]

Anybody know where to get them cheaper?

Makro = R139 for 5 discs Verbatim.

My usual shop in PE sells a Verbatim spindle of 25 for R465.

 

[LazyLion]

u can't use Alcohol 120% to split the image into 4.4gb each?

I probably could... theoretically. I was trying to do something like that but gave up after wasting 4 DVDs.

 

[TheRift]

ZIP it. Make 2 zip or rar files, split on 4GB then let them put some effort in putting it together.

 

[Asha'man X]

Sometimes it is useful to have a DL dvd, whether making a legit legal backup copy of a DVD movie, or backing up an important software dvd. Microsoft Exchange 2007 for example is 5 point something gigs, so you need a DL disk to back that up.

Granted, that is an exception, but sometimes it is needed. Just hate the high prices still.

 

[LazyLion]

Well, the DL disc burned like a dream first time no problems. Was interesting to see IMGBurn logs telling how it was switching from one layer to the other. Nice.

Wish I could use these for backup all the time.