cd-r recognized as cd-rw

i've been testing some cheap cds (for non-important data) and i got some trouble recently.

my system:
pentium iii 1ghz 256mb
hp cd-writer plus 8200 internal (24x-4x-2x)
windows 2000


my friend came here a month ago and we tried to burn some cds. i got surprised when i noticed i could record the cd-r only at 2x speed, no matter what program it was (tested eac, nero and easy cd). so i checked the cd-r out and (again, no matter the program - eac, nero, easy cd, cdr identifier) it was recognized as a cd-rw.

currently i don't have the info about those cds, but it was a pack of 50 700MB maxell cds:


if i am not wrong the disc manufacturer was ritek.


i thought the problem could be my recorder (since it's damn old - i bought it in 1999). but i tested recording some cds i bought one/two years ago and the result was fine. here are their info by the way:

SKYMEDIA
ATIP: 97m 32s 19f
Disc Manufacturer: Prodisc Technology Inc.
Reflective layer: Dye (Short strategy; e.g. Phthalocyanine)
Media type: CD-Recordable
Recording Speeds: min. unknown - max. unknown
nominal Capacity: 702.83MB (79m 59s 74f / LBA: 359849)

TDK (not so cheap)
ATIP: 97m 15s 17f
Disc Manufacturer: Ritek Co.
Reflective layer: Dye (Short strategy; e.g. Phthalocyanine)
Media type: CD-Recordable
Recording Speeds: min. unknown - max. unknown
nominal Capacity: 702.83MB (79m 59s 74f / LBA: 359849)


more recently i bought some really crappy cheap cds-r. surely they are the crappiest cds-r i've ever bought. i don't even know their brand. on their centre there's something i can't understand -- it's like "apati 90 min", "apa+i 90 min" or "epe+i 90min"...

anyway, these cds-r are recognized as rewritable also:

ATIP: 96m 43s 37f
Disc Manufacturer: Unknown Disc Identification Code
Reflective layer: Phase change
Media type: CD-ReWritable
Recording Speeds: min. unknown - max. unknown
nominal Capacity: 702.83MB (79m 59s 74f / LBA: 359849)


i don't if it has something related with some new media out there or it's only a coincidence the more recent cds-r were recognized as cds-rw.

hope someone can help me, i'm getting crazy with this issue.

thanks in advance.

_X_X_X_X_X_[small]help me! [/small]

 

i couldn't test them on other machine yet.
i just checked the atip code at www.cdr-forum.de and it returned me the following information:

brands with cds using this atip code are conmark (conrad), okano (karstadt), parrot (care4data), philips, platinum, primedisc and primeon.

is it possible to say this is a crappy cd just considering the number of entries found in that database? (nevertheless its manufacturer is ritek.) i mean, 21 is a very low number of entries for an atip code. and some popular cds returns more than a hundred entries.

or there is no way to make a connection between the number of entries and the quality of the cd?

 

sorry if i am being annoying. just updating here.

i just tried to record an audio cd with those crappy cds. no problems occured on the recording process. but the cd can't be listened in any way i try.

the cd-recorder drive can recognize all the tracks (i.e. list them on windows explorer) but even it can't play the audio.

the "normal" cd drive and other systems i tried (including those that can read cd-rw audio) couldn't read the cd.

i'm getting insane

gotta try some more tests this weekend.

 

thanks for the tip, guys. i was actually planning to get a new drive. anyway all these problems got on my nerves...