I figured I would right up quick pros and cons of my experience with both the new inkjet printable Taiyo Yuden's Watershield DVD-R versus Verbatim's Glossy DVD-R discs. This is not a comprehensive review.

Taiyo Yuden Watershield

Pros
- Stunning image quality. Nothing beats it.
- Waterproof surface (I actually tested it.)
- Available in CD-R format also.

Cons
- Only available as -R DVD only.
- Although it is hub-printable, you cannot actually print on the entire surface of the label. For some reason there is a small area on the outer and inner edge of the white label that cannot be printed on. You'll see dots instead of the actual image.
- My Canon IP5200 creates light scratches on the surface of the label. The watershield gloss surface is very sensitive to scratches. I can only see it when I tilt the label and reflect light off of it. You cannot see it when you look directly down on the label. This is caused by the top rollers that feed my CD Tray. Not sure if this happens on Epson printers. It is minor but a little annoying.


Verbatim Glossy Discs (Hub-printable Jewel Case Version)

Pros
- Image quality better than traditional matte inkjet surfaces.
- Can print the entire surface of the label.
- Available in CD-R, DVD-R or DVD+R formats

Cons
- The glossy surface is not Waterproof.
- The surface is also very sticky which is sensitive to humidity and mositure. I was able to get two stuck together. Verbatim sells them in individual jewel cases and they cannot be stored in a binder, paper sleeve, or stacked with each other. The non-hub glossy printable spindle version solves the issue with how you can store them, but the surface still has a very sticky feel to it.


Recommendation:

Taiyo Yuden Watershields. Although you cannot print from edge to edge on the label, and my printer rollers feeding the disc causes light scratching to the gloss of the label. You simply cannot beat these for inkjet printing. The image quality is really amazing and we now have discs that are waterproof.

Good info - thanks.

BTW, do you have a link where we can purchase the Watershields? Like maybe a Newegg, Zip Zoom Fly, Mwave, Amazon, CDW, PC Connection or something?

It would be appreciated.

I bought some here...

http://www.burnsmart.com/ty-52x-iwhub-ws.html

Cool - thanks. I'll look for the DVD models with that feature.

BINGO:

http://www.burnsmart.com/ty-16x-ws-iwhub-dvdr.html

Is Burnsmart a reliable place to buy?

I do wish Newegg had 'em I guess...

Anyway - thanks again - very much.

You can make all your discs waterproof with a clear coat of Acrylic spray which you can buy in all crafts stores for around $5. I haven't found the surface of the verbatim's to be sticky, however the spray will solve that problem as well.

Why would you want to "stack them with eachother"? You should keep them in a case for the best protection. However, after they dry, I'm sure you could stack them together if that's what you want.

Sorry if I am misunderstanding what you mean by "stacking them with eachother".

The stacking comment was due to the fact you cannot buy the hub-printable version in a spindle format. Only individual cases. This means you are paying more per disc versus the spindle. The reason for this (which Verbatim has verified) is because the hub area will stick to a disc that is directly placed on top of it even if dry. You can still purchase the NON-HUB printable glossys in a spindle.

Also, it isn't about just stacking. Verbatim recommends right on the box that you cannot store the disc in paper sleeves or even in a binder. You run the risk of the surface sticking to whatever you are putting it in. This limits your storage abilities.

There are currently questions about the behaviour of so called Acrylic sprays or waterproof making cd-r/dvd-r sprays. People are experiencing faster degradation after ussing these the correct way. So I wouldn't touch them untill more is known.
So for water resistant media you probably have to stick with TY (glossy) or the Imation aquagard disc's (matte surface)

I really like the idea of the built-in coating on the disk being waterproof/smudge resistant from the get go instead of applying after market spray. I'm hoping that more vendors come out with waterproof/smudge resistant coatings that really work. The Verbatim Glossy still smudges like crazy, sadly.

Do these discs burn at 16x only or are they "up to 16x"?

They burn "up to 16x".

Imation AquaGuard is out too - 8x.

Burnsmart.com is reliable. Check their bizrate and BBB rating. Regarding the Imation discs, I don't like them. Not the glossy surface of the TYs.

The ty watershield looks so good. They come out exactly like if you were printing on glossy photo paper. Highly recommend these discs

Could you provide a link where you purchased them from?

Thanks

Here you go man. And its on sale too

http://www.burnsmart.com/ty-16x-ws-iwhub-dvdr.html

Oh and as far as not being able to print the entire surface of the label. It's not true. I print on the whole label all the way to the center. My print settings when I use my Epson r220 printer are

Inner diameter = 23mm
Outer diameter = 117mm (just a little bit of white left on the outer edge. You could try 118mm to cover the white but I'm not sure if it'll be going past the printable area)

Try it out man. I chose priority mail for shipment and it came in 2 DAYS from where they are in Cali to me in HAWAII!!!! it came in pretty quick. Burnsmart.com is an awesome company to order from. Hope this info helped and answered any questions you had.

Thank you much!

The TY Watershields are simply AWESOME. I used to spray the discs I printed on my Epson R200 with Acrylic sealer, but no more. The Watershields are truely waterproof.

I bought my from Rima.com

The settings I use to print them are: 25mm and 117.

Agreed.

I also HIGHLY recommend them!!

Awesome. I wonder how they compare to the Imation AquaGuard?

I am very confused at what you are experiencing here?

I, for the first time, just purchased the Verbatim White Glossy Hub printable DVD's and printed a label on it from my Epson Stylus Photo R320.
They aren't the least bit sticky, nor do they take on fingerprints!
They printed out superbly! No smudging either.

Could your problem be the type of ink you use? I used the genuine Epson ink.
Also, did you wait 24 hours before touching or using the disc? I give it plenty of time to dry.

I only handle discs by the edges so would never get prints on them in the first place. But I touched the printed surface to test it.

I just tried out the Taiyo Yuden DVD-R Watershield discs. I concur with N3X6, including his findings for the Verbatim glossies!

The Taiyo Yuden's don't read as well (higher PIE and PIF errors - but not too bad either, avg PIE of 3.8 and PIF hit a high of 4 only once in my single sample), but the water-proofing and high-gloss are a bonus. Unfortunately, it does scratch - be careful if you clean the edges with a tissue paper - it WILL scratch but will only be noticeable if you look at the disc from off-angle.

Also, you can't print to the very edge. The ink won't adhere to the white stuff on the outer edge and can be wiped off easily. It will dot, just like the OP said. Be careful when you wipe though - try not to touch the actual printable part or it will scratch a tiny bit.

I use Epson Print CD, and an inner diameter of 23 mm seems to work - no dotting in the middle, so I think the ink can safely cover the inner white area. You can't use more than 117 mm on the outter though, or it will be dotted and may smear when wiped. I did a first test with 118mm, and used a tissue to wipe away the excess ink, leaving a white outline. Unfortunately, I was a bit careless on one edge and there are tiny scratch marks there. Can't see it though unless I look at it from a funny angle.

Good follow up info. Thanks much.

Update: My friend has an Epson R800 and he has problems with the Taiyo Yudens - roller marks! We haven't figured out a solution yet.

I don't recommend the use of those watershield discs - what a load of hype.

I have used the regular Taiyo Yuden printables with EPSON R800 + high gloss ink, and the result is a water proof disc. No roller marks

Gotta try those AquaGuard ones instead, I think.