What is the best overall value in DVD Burners today?

[markrb]

I am looking to get a DVD burner for Christmas and I am starting from about zero. I have been reading around here to try and pickup on any sort of pattern and I really can't. I really want one of the new Sony's, but my budget and some incompatibility issues I have read about are keeping this out of my computer for now.

I have been searching like crazy, but cannot find a simalur post. Please direct me to it if one exhists that is current.

I know that the Cendyne's are mostly repackaged Pioneers and I have no problem with that.

I mostly want to stay in the -r -rw camp because of cost of media, not so much DVD compability since both my players can play either format.

Maybe this could be the start of a thread for more then just me. I am sure many around here would like to know your feelings on the best current value.

Is the Pioneer A05 worth $100 more then the A04? For instance.

If I have less then $200 to spend what drive is the best in the catagory?

Even more important are there drives to stay away from?

Thanks,
Mark

[orbit-r]

hi mark,
formeits that,actually i wouldn`t buya"only -burner"anymore,i know the -media is some cheaper today,but the +discs should reach this level very soon...
cause you have take into account that the 2x -media,is nearly the same price as 2.4x speeded +media..
the next dvd burner i will buy,is the nec -\+ drive

Is the Pioneer A05 worth $100 more then the A04? For instance.

don`t think so,when willing to stay in the -section,i suggest you the a04

[destemido]

hi there...

i happen to have a sony writter, DRU-500A and i don't have a problem with compatibility. i'm currently recording @ 1x because there is now other media in my contry, at least cheap media!!! :P

by the way this drive is also -rw/+rw it can write -r's at 4x, although i haven't tested that yet!!!

[EcchiNut]

due to my area always behind the times in market prices(oh canada :p), the A04 hasnt dropped here in price. Mainly why im considering to go to the A05, is that its only 35$ U.S. more (as i said the A04 hasnt dropped in price yet here to justify ). The Sony one, i would have liked, but that was about 50$ U.S. for the Sony over the A05. Im still flipping the coin here, but i will probably cave in for the A05.

[sarahjh69]

lets cut all the rubbush out shall we

the ao5 and the sony both have huge media problems
hardly any media works at 1x
and I'm not seeing many posts with successful 2x burns
NO ONE has burnt anything at 4x cos the media don't exist.

almost everthing that can read dvd-r can read dvd+r
so what format it writes in is irrelavent

the only things that count are
1:- media price and availability
2:- write speed

the ao4 can write at 2x on a $1 dvd-r
the a05 can write at 2x on a $2 dvd-r
the sony 500 can write at 1x on a $2 dvd-r

maybe the a05 and sony will get their firmware sorted out one day
(i hear new f/w releases for the sony have improved slightly)
I wouldn't buy any new dvd recorder at the moment
(I have an a04 at the moment and it works fine but I wouldn't
buy an a04 cos thats old tech now)

Maybe you should wait a few months, things will change when LG and
Liteon jump into the market.

[alexnoe]

@sarah: I hope you can read German. Get the latest c't.

Writing to some "better 1x" media at 2x speed increases the error rate far beyond specifications, by a factor of 5x-25x.
This is not what I would call "can burn at 2x".

E.g. Ritek at 2x had an error rate 50x higher than Verbatim media.

The only media which gave acceptable results on error rates in DVR-A04 are the media which Pioneer lists as 2x compatible, except CMC (which is :scared: although it is 2x certified for some strange reason)

And as long as I can get high quality Maxell media (it works on a DVD player which even pukes on Verbatim/TDK) for 3 Euro each, I'm using these.

4x media is abvailable. One SMS and I get as many of them as I want till Friday. They're just useles for me, since I have an DVR-A03.
Verbatim 4x media is in beta state at the moment, but already performs better at 4x than crap media at 1x.

[markrb]

I came within seconds of buying an AO5 yesterday. It was $219 after the coupon I had. I am going to wait to see if I can get it cheaper.
Oh the Pain, The Pain. I really want one of these things.

Mark

[RadicalEd]

Ditto, I've been looking for a burner too. I was going to get the A04, then I rounded up a few extra bucks and figured I might as well just go for the A05. In fact I probably wouldve gotten it by now if I wasnt such a slacker ;P however I'm not so sure after reading sarah's post
so either wait or just go for the A04, is that the best plan of action thus far?

[Octagon]

I don't agree about what this guy said about hte Ao5. My freind has one and he ONLY uses >1$ media AKA generic. They all work fine and burn at 1x. This guy is like the only guy I know saying AO5 has problems. I haven't even seen anything negetive posted about this anywhere. IM OFF to read some reviews ala Cnet or what not to see what I can learn. But trust Pioneer, they won't do you wrong.

[ccsint]

sarahjh69,

Let's get your story straight.

I have the DRU500a and almost every brand of media that I have tried has burned successfully with no problems. I initially had problems with most of the media working in my set-top, but then I went to the store and picked up a new DVD player...every brand of media works perfectly..

DVDPro, Meritline, Meritline 2x, Rico, ACER..

My coworker picked up the burner himself and had issues with burning to -R discs - it turned out to be a hardware compatibility issue in his box, which i bet others are having as well.

DRU500a is a complete success in my book!

Phil