Need a new DVD-RW drive

[tribalwind]

i been outta the loop for a bit iwth regards to pc components and need to get up to speed on what to look for now in a new dvd burner.

for one they sure dropped in price!, most of them i saw on newegg with stellar reviews were 40 or 50 bucks,even with the dual layer and lightscribe etc..
seems the higher ranges are : 18x, 8mb cache now and that = about x3 the price.

any recommendations on a 16x dual format,dual layer combo unit under 70 or so?
hoping i can forgo reading 500 newegg reviews this time!

[DUD]

Go to pricewatch.com and look around there for prices. I do most of my pricing there. Bill

[tribalwind]

thanks bill , i use PW also, use to be great,i see its changed alot
was wondering more what brand or specs to look for nowadays

[DaveW]

I have one of the NEC ones - 8x, but you can get the 16x for cheaper now

http://www.meritline.com/nec-nd-3550...vd-burner.html

(as an example - I haven't shopped at meritline before, but that link came from www.techbargains.com at http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayitem.cfm/61118)

The thing I like about the NEC (compared to my old one - I think that was a Cendyne) is that it's much quieter.

[sacherjj]

I watch slickdeals.net and hotdealsclub.com and find good prices on computer related things. The price of dual layer disc has come down enough that it makes sense to get those. I burn around 1000 DVDs a year and use whatever name brand I can get for $50. I get 2-3 years out of them and then get another.

[Tom Slick]

I just bought a lite-on that will burn anything and has lightscribe for $50. so far it works great! I like newegg, they are no BS and cheap. I have used pricewatch in the past but I have had problems with unknown vendors.

[sacherjj]

Here is a heck of a deal: NEC 16x and DL for under $40

[tuttlejr]

Get one that will read and burn DVD's as well. Then you will be ahead of the curve. That is where technology is going now.

[scorrpio]

When looking for a DVD writer drive, there are 4 things to consider, in general (not necessarily in that order of importance)
1. Speed.
2. Compatibility.
3. Reliability.
4. Longevity.

Speed is sure nice. Who likes to wait? Most DVD burners on the market today claim 16X burn speed, and 16X media is widely available. 18X is ain't worth paying extra $ for, difference is negligible, and media availability is questionable. Also, see my comments below. The speed rating is also like HP rating on tools - look for caveats. The 'X' rating generally refers not to rotational speed, but to data transfer rate. For CDs, 1X is ~150KB/sec. For DVDs, 1X is ~1.3MB/sec. A multi-laser drive can spin the disc slower, resulting in more reliable reads/writes, yet achieve same data transfer speeds. Speed rating on cheaper drives often refers to their peak speed - usually seen only at outer edges of the disc. Better drive speed ratings might indicate sustained edge-to-edge.

Compatibility has two parts to it. First is media compatibility. My present DVD writer is a Sony DRU-710A (8X), and while it had no problem burning to 8X Sony media, it just can't seem to recognize Memorex printable 16X, and would burn them no faster than 2.4X, and often produces bad disks. I might just need a firmware update, did not check yet.
Another part to compatibility is how well recorded DVDs will fare in other DVD players. For example, my Sony would easily read Sony DVDs it burned at 8X, but my DVD player had frequent problems with these. The theory is that the faster the writing speed, the less exposure each pit gets, the harder it is for a reading laser to 'see' the pits. and indeed, reducing max speed to 4X allowed me to produce DVDs that were consistently readable elsewhere. Of course, various drives may utilize various intensity lasers to produce better results at higher speeds.

Reliability issue is ability of the drive to consistently produce good disks. It is very closely related to compatibility. What good is having a 16X drive if most discs written at 16X turn out to be coasters? A good feature is variable recording speed. At same rotational speed, data surface moves past laser a lot faster when writing outer regions of the disc, often leading to inconsistent results there. A drive that slows down towards disc outer edge can produce better quality discs.

Finally, longevity. For example, Plextor drives like PX-716A are considered by magazines and by people who recently got them to be the absolute best, but Amazon reviews by people who had those for a while tell a different story - the drive apparently starts failing within several months, and Plextor tech support/warranty department is not held in high regard.

Lightscribe who? Now here is a useless feature. Sacrificing a bunch of data surface just to etch some barely visible text on it? No thanks. I'll just go with printable DVDs/CDs.

I am presently assembling a PC for a friend, and I decided to go with Sony DRU-810A, I personally think it is a good choice.

[Wood_workur]

Okay, here is the scoop:

If you do read reviews, only read ones not at 5-stars, and try to keep the average rating in mind

Get a NEC beige. best band for your buck on newegg

Get one with DVD +/- R(W) and DL

[tribalwind]

thanks alot for all the good advice
i did end up deciding on the NEC at newegg.black to match my case, should be here today. also got a 50pk of 16xdvd+r with it for $9.