foobar2000 v0.9.2
Due to id3v2.4 standart date tags (in particular TDRC) could have formats. But foobar supports only first one, i.e. yyyy.
That means it saves yyyy type DATE in TDRC tag and other types in TXXX DATE tag.

Sorry to raise this topic back from the dead but I had the exact same problem a few days ago.
What is the reason foobar starts using the TXXX frame as soon as more than the year gets added to the DATE frame? I like the fact that foobar is trying the use the tags in a strict manner, shouldn't this behaviour be changed to follow the specs?

I am just guessing: perhaps the reason is compatibilty with other players/tools who can't read more than 4 numbers? Am i wrong?

I wrote a date tag (yyyy-mm-dd) in the TDRC frame and indeed: Winamp (can read ID3v2.4 tags) is even not able to read the year. But that doesn't mean that this is the reason of using the TXXX frame inside foobar.

I also would appreciate to store the date tag inside the predefined field to keep compatibilty to programs like Helium Music Manager and others wich are also installed in our multiuser enviroment. Also it would be great if foobar would support the TDRL frame. I know that some other programs use instead that TDRC but then it would be the decision of the user wich programs he likes to be compatible with foobar.

a) If you like Winamp to be compatible then you can store just the four digit year in the TDRC

b) If you like compatibility with Helium Music Manager f.e. you could store the complete date tag in the TDRL frame wich is the predefined frame for the release date.

There are not only these socalled "Greats" like Winamp and iTunes but also a lot of shareware tools wich respect the standards and who are worth their price.