Has anyone here tried out some of the higher quality CD-Rs?
After seeing some visible defect marks (form, not function) at the bottom of my Ritek DVD-R spindle, I'm getting worried that
my DVD-R and DVD-RW masters may not last.

Has anyone here tried more durable (better plastic) DVD-Rs or longer-life (gold, silver) CD-Rs ?

Thanks to Mitsui's patented organic Phthalocyanine dye, the most technically advanced dye in the world and to the Gold reflective layer, MAM Gold CD-R gives an optimum recording quality and an unequaled precision. These characteristics make MAM Gold the ideal professional CD-R for mastering and professional archiving. Unlike CD-Rs containing Cyanine, which lose their characteristics more quickly from exposure to light and heat, MAM Gold CD-Rs ensure stability, exceptional longevity and durability as well as added protection from the reinforced Diamond Coat protection layer. Accelerated aging tests show that MAM Gold can be used as a reliable storage media for more than 300 years. All of the main components in the MAM Gold CD-R are very stable in the environment; plastic (polycarbonate), Phthalocyanine dye and gold (it NEVER oxidizes).

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http://store.mam-a-store.com/standard---archive-gold.html
http://store.mam-a-store.com/silver-cd-r.html

Will these DVD-Rs actually last longer than DVD-RWs?

http://store.mam-a-store.com/dvd-r-media.html

Who really knows for sure? I check my disks (mostly DVD-R's), every year and make copies of the important ones every 2 to 3 years. I have too much at risk to trust a bunch of marketing hype.

Anyone ever try these to see if they are actually harder to scratch?

http://store.yahoo.com/meritline/tdk-dvd-r-2x-armorplated.html

Enter TDK's Armor Plated DVD
- Carefree Handling of Optical Disc with its Super Hard Coat!

What makes it different?

100X more scratch resistant than conventional DVD media
Hi-resistance to finger prints, easily wipes clean of smudges, inks and other contaminants
Superior anti-static & anti-dust properties
Ideal for Important Home Videos, Digital Photos & Data

i seem to recall someone posted on this in the past, you might want to do a search on this topic.

Here's another article on TDK's armor coated disks. The coating
may be used in Blu-ray disks :

"Try scratching this DVD"

http://news.com.com/Try+scratching+this+DVD/2100-1041_3-5455621.html?part=dht&tag=ntop&tag=nl.e433

Their are some cd's made by verbatim that haev a plastic cover on them replicating a record, and their are some dvd's out now with a reel image on them, they might provide a little bit more protection.

I have the cd's with the vinyl replica on them and i love them! They really are resistant.

here's a pic http://www.verbatim.com.au/productimages/215/94439_0.jpg Though it might be chopped, though its just a pic, no commercial intent.

THread for the dvd's.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34559