Which Burner Should I Get?

[TommyR1]

Ok, I finally talked the wife into a new toy for me. So now with cash in hand I have to decide what to get. I want to use it to transfer my home movies to DVD, backup data and DVD movies.

I've been looking at the following burners and they all seem to have very similar specs but what I don't understand is the great price difference.

Teac DVD -/+ RW DVW50D002 - $190
PIONEER DVD -/+ RW A06USPK4 - $230
PIONEER DVD -/+ RW DVR-106D - $170
Plextor DVD -/+ RW PX-708A - $260
LiteOn DVD -/+ RW LDW-401S - $140

What do you guys think of these? What would you recommend? Or is there a different burner that you would suggest?

[dvd_maniac]

the great price difference is because some of these dries are OEM versions(repackaged by another distribuor). They usually have cheaper software suite if any at all, shorter warranty period and could be made with inferior manufacturing standards. This is not to say that oem's are not good deals though. Just compare all aspects of your purchase b4 you buy. not just the burner.

[TommyR1]

I'm aware that some of the drives are OEM but usually with OEM you maybe see a $10-$15 price difference on the same model.

What I want to know is which burner is the best. Giving me trouble free burns on a wide range of media.

[dvd_maniac]

PIONEER DVD -/+ RW A06USPK4 - $230
PIONEER DVD -/+ RW DVR-106D - $170

that's $60
Also My personal favorite is pioneer "A05" if you plan on backing up your dd's, with the speed hak firmware it rips faster than any other burner I know. If you need a multi burner than I'd go with 106. ut I lke the Pioneers better, I also own the Nec 1300a and for $170 it was a pretty good deal.

[downloada]

hi,

i would get the pioneer dvr-a06 (or if you don't need the software, save some bucks and get the dvr-106d). i bought the dvr-106d and it works perfectly, not a single coaster up until now.

cu

[windtrader]

I am very happy with the Pioneer DVR-105 and if I needed another burner today, I would buy the 106 without hesitation.

[maa]

I have a NEC 1300a and although it refuses certain disks it has never produced a coaster.

[2COOL]

HP DVD Movie Writer dc3000 (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60183). I don't have one but it's a first of its generation. You said you wanted to transfer your movies to DVD and also backup your other DVDs.

[Topaz]

Well if you already have or can fix a good burning program then go for the pioneer 106D.

Got one a few weeks ago myself and no coasters with it!

:)

[Gil T Pleasure]

Tigerdirect.com is selling the Ultra DVD+RW Burner (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=619249&Sku=U10-9010) for $99.99. This drive writes to DVD+R and DVD+RW at 4x max speed.

They're also selling the NEC ND1100 DVD+RW Burner (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=610057&Sku=C147-2006%20P) for $119.99. The drive, which writes to DVD+R at 4x and DVD+RW at 2.4x, also comes with a coupon to download DVD X Copy for only $29.99.

[TCCK]

PLEXTOR !!!!

Nothing else to be said other than this:


I told everyone 1 year ago today that DVD +RW format would win out and that the 8X DVD burners were being tested and rocked.

No one believed me! Ha! If you only saw what I am testing right now for SONY, Plextor and Lite-On you would crap yourselves and beg for one today.

Trust me it will be one year or maybe a tad less.

Once again there are those that will beg me to tell but I have a signed contract of non-disclosure and they would not believe me anyways.

Ask Doom9 if he would trust what I say about new "DVD writer" hardware!

But in the mean time buy Plextor even if it costs a few bucks more as it is worth it!

[erbuk]

Agree, looks like the minus format is doomed now when all new burners are either plus or combo. I don't know if that is good or bad but it was bound to happen sometime.

Regarding what burner is best a little study of the electronics industry is a good idea. That would tell you that the manufacturers are much fewer than the brands and if you go down to the component level they are even fewer. There are no Plextor or Iomega burners, those are just brands. Some of them use modified products from for example NEC or LiteOn and some of them just put their own front bezel on a existing drive (Plextor PX504 (=NEC 1100) is a good example).

I would go for the lowest price and use the money saved to buy a new one next year when the 8x prices have gone down. Then you will have a new 8x-burner and an old 4x-burner (that's 12x ;) ) for the same money as one 8x-burner today.

[Topaz]

I told everyone 1 year ago today that DVD +RW format would win out and that the 8X DVD burners were being tested and rocked.

Sure. That must be why we can buy dvd -r/-rw so much cheaper and the reason they have a higher volume of production. When all burners are going dual the media with the lowest price will continue to sell more and that is obviously the dvd -r/-rw format.

[TommyR1]

Thank you for the help guys!!!

I think I'm going to go with the PIONEER DVD -/+ RW DVR-106D. The price is right, the features are there and most importantly I did not hear a bad thing about it.

THX Again...

[TCCK]

@Topaz

Yes you can buy -R media cheaper right now (I buy +R for exactly the same price as -R though, so I don't know where you are!)

BUT

as the -R drives become the one that is selling less (as anything past 8X is looking like it will be only +R, that is a free bit of advice for you!) then the +R media will more than likely drop even more!

Go ahead and stay with your -R drive and I will laugh 1 year from now when you are paying the premium on discs.

Trust me it is going to happen!!!

(Sneak peek 27Gb, 24X writing!! nothing else said or I will get my butt kicked!)

[erbuk]

Exactly. Imagine yourself beeing a discmanufacturer about to invest in new machinery for dvdr production. Would you chose machinery for the format that all new burners support and that also is a little bit cheaper to manufature. Or would you chose the format that some new burners do not support and that is a little bit more expensive to manufacture?

[biffy40]

As long as the majority of the compality with players out in the market is with dvd-r, a person would have to be a fool to hold all his eggs in the DVD+r format.

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Articles/Specific.asp?ArticleHeadline=DVD%20Media%20Format%20Compatibility%20Tests&Series=0



DVD Media Format Compatibility Tests

Executive Summary
DVD-R is
The Most Compatible DVD Format

Compatibility results: DVD-R=96.74% DVD+R=87.32%
Click here to link to full results

CDR-Info, has determined that DVD-R is clearly the most compatible DVD recording format on the market. To assess the compatibility level of DVD Formats we created video content on a DVD writer using DVD-R/RW and +R/RW media. These discs were then played back in other DVD players and DVD-ROM drives -over a 1,000 combinations of drive, media and player were tested.

The content created on a DVD-R/RW writer using a write once DVD-R disc played back in virtually all (96.1 percent) of the DVD players and DVD-ROM drives used in the research. DVD+R discs played back in 87.6 percent of the devices tested.

Since the market for recording to DVD has developed, and different formats have emerged, consumers have been concerned about the compatibility of their DVD recording devices with DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. The findings suggest that for customers who wish to create content on a DVD writer and interchange this with other PC drives and consumer DVD players, DVD-R is the clear format of choice.

[erbuk]

This has been up before in several forums. They only used two brands of discs for each type and only 20 players with a majority of the players from Pioneer and other companies that supported the minus format. So that test is quite worthless when it comes to tell the difference in compatibility between the two formats. The fact that the difference is only 10% rather suggests that there is no real difference at all.

And my own experience tells me that this is only a theoretical problem. Very few players have any problems with R-discs.

But this is becoming a bit too off-topic. I suggest we continue this eternal discussion somewhere else.

[TCCK]

9% difference and all NEW DVD players are being created with high compatibility standards so that number for DVD+R discs should hit the same amount if not higher!

Also take a DVD that you have recorded with you to the store when you go to buy a DVD player and test it!

I also agree with the off topic.


BUY PLEXTOR! (and no I don't work for Plextor!)

[Topaz]

Yes you can buy -R media cheaper right now (I buy +R for exactly the same price as -R though, so I don't know where you are!)

I live in Sweden and here the prices on +r media is 50-100% more expensive than the -r media. And the -r dvd also has most of the market. I have heard the same from other countries but perhaps in America that is the opposite ?!

Go ahead and stay with your -R drive and I will laugh 1 year from now when you are paying the premium on discs.

I thought I said that I bought the Pioneer 106D which of course if a multi format one.. Though I buy 90% -r media because of prices and compatibility issues. It is true that most new dvd has no problems with either format but not all of my friends have new dvd players and some have older ones that don't like +r media.

BUY PLEXTOR! (and no I don't work for Plextor!)

Well if he was buying a cd-burner I would say the same with no hesitation but when it comes to dvd burners.. HELL NO.

[Kedirekin]

@TCCK

I saw this back in February (in this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43769) thread).

Just wait a few more weeks and you will get a shocker from SONY!

I don't recall seeing anything shocking from Sony. Did they ever make their announcement?

PS. I did buy Plextor, and so far I'm quite happy with it.

[carthoris]

Pioneer DVR-106 185 or less shipping included and no tax. Livewarehouse a yahoo store. The Plextor is 260+ and brand new from a great company. Its only advantage is dvr+ at 8X. Where can you find these disks and how much do they cost. You can get Ritek DVR- at 4X for less than 1.50. thats 15 mi vr 8 mi

The Sony burner uses a blue laser and has a max capacity of 27 gig.
It is available in Japan now for over 4,000 US dollars. Don`t ask how much the Disks cost.
Their is competion for this burner from Toshiba which is working with two other companies.

No standard has yet been set. They do not want another +/- war due to cost of manufacturing the disks.Thats why the burners are a year away from entering the US market. Sony has been falling behind in new technology so they let the info out early. It was first noted in PCWORLD

This format will be for future High Density movies on DVD. Or 5 or 6 movies In mpeg-2 standard DVD, Or 30 movies in MPEG-4 (Divx).

Have fun with this info its not secret

Carthoris

[erbuk]

..it's not very new either ;)

[Kedirekin]

Really? The news from Sony was that they were building a high capacity blue laser burner?

Well that's not very shocking. No wonder I didn't even notice.

[jsl]

Originally posted by Topaz
I live in Sweden and here the prices on +r media is 50-100% more expensive than the -r media. And the -r dvd also has most of the market. I have heard the same from other countries but perhaps in America that is the opposite ?!


I live in Sweden too and I don't know where you buy media but if you don't buy Princo media or some other crap 1x DVD-R then the price for DVD+R and DVD-R are the same.

[Topaz]

I live in Sweden too and I don't know where you buy media but if you don't buy Princo media or some other crap 1x DVD-R then the price for DVD+R and DVD-R are the same.

Well last time I bought at multidirect.se but also at almost all other online stores here in sweden the prizes on -r media is much lower (jme, datorbutiken, komplett and so on..).

I do buy Princo and have never had a single coaster with their latest generation of discs.

[Gil T Pleasure]

Originally posted by carthoris
The Plextor is 260+ and brand new from a great company. Its only advantage is dvr+ at 8X. Where can you find these disks and how much do they cost. You can get Ritek DVR- at 4X for less than 1.50. thats 15 mi vr 8 mi

The Plextor drive will be able to burn at 8x (http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7799) on some 4x DVD+R media.

Not only that, we're going to be seeing 8x DVD+R media sooner than you think:
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/News/Details.asp?RelatedID=4070
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/News/Details.asp?RelatedID=4074

[Topaz]

There are burners coming now that also burns -r media at 8x so I think we can kill that theory of 40x +r burners and 4x -r burners :sly:

NEC announced surprisingly the new DVD burner ND-2300A, which describes DVD+R and DVD-R with 8X. Although by the DVD forum still no 8X specification has been discharged, NEC already plans the introduction of the plus minus burner before Christmas. In ten minutes it is to record a complete DVD. These data speak for the fact that the equipment starts the writing process at six speed and only at the external area the maximum burning speed is reached. In the internal area hardly more than 6X can be attained, since in addition the blank would have to also rotate over 10.000 revolutions per minute, which would bring large problems with itself.

Although when you read this it seems like 8x might be the end of the road for the old dvd format..

8x media is coming this autumn.

[erbuk]

Just to return to the original topic for a while: The Lite-on burner is now so cheap that I can get two of them for the same price as one Plextor 8x burner and then I will still have some money over for discs. For me that's a much more interesting alternative. But of course; it's always fun to try the latest and fastest :cool:

Originally posted by Topaz
Well last time I bought at multidirect.se but also at almost all other online stores here in sweden the prizes on -r media is much lower (jme, datorbutiken, komplett and so on..).

Well, I suggest you check the prices again. I got my last 100-pack of plusdiscs cheaper than the minusdiscs at multidirect.

Originally posted by Topaz
I do buy Princo and have never had a single coaster with their latest generation of discs.

I don't know much about the cheap minus media cause I only use minus-discs at work (even though I have a combo-burner at home) where I don't have to worry too much about the price. But I doubt that the lack of coasters is the only measure of good quality. From what I've read and heard there are big problems playing them on older (or low-quality) dvd-players. So much for your comaptibility...

This is from the readme file for NEC:s latest firmware for the 1300A:

"Even now the firmware 1.06 accepts Princo 4x DVD-R and MPO 2.4x for writing, our engineers have reported that the disc quality is awful (especially at outer area of the media)and write error could be occured.

We still not recommend to use Princo 4x. (also wont be added to recommend media list!) Customers should try slower speed(i.e. 2x) for better result."

[Barker]

Im wondering if its the dvd\r+\-'s or the burner in that last post, the nec +\- burners have been known to have problems with certain discs, even with the latest firmware update...

Regards,
Barker

[erbuk]

The problems seems to be there with the Pioneers and Sonys too so I don't think so. And since most +/- burners are NEC:s or Sony:s under the hood it wouldn't be less of a problem if it was.

[Topaz]

Well, I suggest you check the prices again. I got my last 100-pack of plusdiscs cheaper than the minusdiscs at multidirect.

right...

perhaps you should check again (http://www.multidirect.se/)

they charge 119kr for 10 dvd-r and 305kr for 10 dvd+r :rolleyes:

When it comes to Princo and problems being with old dvd players I can say that they play on my friends old dvd player which was one of the first EVER released (I mean that sucker he got is oooooooooold)and this without any problems :D

Perhaps there is a problem with princo on a nec burner as you say but I don't have that problem myself with a pioneer burner and have no plans on ever buying a dvd burner from nec.

---

they don't even have any 4x dvd+r listed on their homepage dude :confused:

[erbuk]

That's old 2x media with you won't be able to buy at all in a few months. How that media works or costs is quite irrelevant. I (and NEC) was refering to the current standard, 4x. I paid 1520kr for 100 bulkpaq plus-discs. The minus-discs at Multidirect costs 1600kr.

But I'm sure that they can sell you a 486-computer much cheaper than those pentium-4 and Athlons :p

[TCCK]

@Kedirekin

As carthoris pointed out that was what Sony announced but they are way behind like he says. "Someone" else is doing something else with a different color laser, still 27Gb, way faster, cheaper discs, and skip protection!

I will say no more. Just watch and remember I said so first because I have all the equipment in my lab to test!!!

[paridot]

Originally posted by erbuk
There are no Plextor or Iomega burners, those are just brands. Some of them use modified products from for example NEC or LiteOn and some of them just put their own front bezel on a existing drive (Plextor PX504 (=NEC 1100) is a good example).

I would go for the lowest price and use the money saved to buy a new one next year when the 8x prices have gone down. Then you will have a new 8x-burner and an old 4x-burner (that's 12x ;) ) for the same money as one 8x-burner today.

I don't know if Plextor makes thier own or not, I do know that it's the name on the front of the unit that's more important than where it's made. You can have a manufacturer who makes drives for 3 or 4 differant companies, but the quality level will range from primo to shit. What decides the price is the quality control that the buyer demands of the finished product, so that saying that drives made at the same plant are the same quality is silly. Plextor, who has very high quality control won't put thier name on a shit product...remember, you get what you pay for.

As to saving money, no matter how cheap turds are in the end all you have is a pile of shit!!:D

[TCCK]

Originally posted by paridot
I don't know if Plextor makes thier own or not, I do know that it's the name on the front of the unit that's more important than where it's made. You can have a manufacturer who makes drives for 3 or 4 differant companies, but the quality level will range from primo to shit. What decides the price is the quality control that the buyer demands of the finished product, so that saying that drives made at the same plant are the same quality is silly. Plextor, who has very high quality control won't put thier name on a shit product...remember, you get what you pay for.

As to saving money, no matter how cheap turds are in the end all you have is a pile of shit!!:D


Bingo! The Plextor drives have the best of the best in them. (Trust me I know I test the crap out of them!) Also they have very intense firmware compared to the "same" other branded drives.

Many people say if you buy an Lite-On you are getting a Plextor but it is amazing that I have 3 times more disc failures in testing on an Lite-On that is supposedly the same drive as the Plextor version.

Plextor has the lowest failure rate!!!! And why invest in a coaster maker when DVD +/-R discs are not cheap like CD's (under $1).

[natedawg]

I think there is some validity to +R winning out in the end. I know +R is easier (and therfore easier) to manufacture. But I dont think im going to go kill myself when I have to shell out a hundred bucks for a new burner that will likley be a considerable upgrade from my 104. It's not like im stuck with a beta VCR. My DVD's will still work.

As for the lifespan of DVD, I think these companies are overestimating the needs of the public. Anyone that thinks DVD's are going away anytime in the near future needs their head examined. While fitting 2 hours of HD on a single disc is cool (yes, I would want one), try convincing your mom why she needs it. Consumers wont buy it (at least not yet). They dont care that they can fit the entire lord of the rings trilogy on one disc. They care that they just purchased a DVD player and are now being told by a big company that it could be obsolete. Im sure the industry will work on better security features as well (know anyone that can rip a DVD-A disc?). For that matter, know anyone that owns a DVD/SACD player? Wow that sure is taking off.
So unless this burner is released in the next month, costs a hundred bucks, burns discs in 5 minutes and the discs cost a buck each, its a ways off. You heard it hear first.

[rodlane]

I own a Pioneer a04 and am looking at buying the 1300A. What burning software, besides Nero will work with this drive.

I am currently using Primo DVD 2.0, which came with my a04 as it produces disks that are very compatable compared to Nero. Would Primo work with the 1300A?

[zande]

Back to topic...

I've never had a coaster on my Pioneer A05 either.
Have burned 20 Princo4X DVD-R (Whitelabeled), 50 Ritek04 DVR-R (Traxdata branded) and 20 Taiyo Yuden DVD-R (Fuji branded). They all work fine on my PC, my standalone Philips DVD-727 and my friends Onkyo DVD-player.

Only problem I ever had was playback problems on a chipped Playstation 2 but it showed to be a problem with Nero, not the media or burner!

I've done surface scan on the discs that have laid for a while, still works 100%, no missing information/clusters yet.
Surprises me that the Princo ones still work, but I'm NOT surprised if they will be the first ones to stop working!

[Gil T Pleasure]

Originally posted by Topaz
There are burners coming now that also burns -r media at 8x

It's now November and so far no 8x DVD-R yet. Do you think we'll see 8x DVD-R before xmas?