Well, there is not one single answer to your question. You need to try different medias for your different needs. You can find MANY info at
http://www.dvdrhelp.com and
http://cdfreaks.com and right in this forum by searching.
The only single major advise I would give though is ...
UPGRADE YOUR FIRMWARE immediatly after install. It will save you tons of problems.
That is my 2 cents...