I need a DVD burner, please suggest best kind for the money

[Bruiser]

Hi, I decided I am going to buy a DVD writer so I can make copies of movies and record home videos onto DVDs. Since I have no clue which ones have what abilities I thought I would ask people who do know.

I want to be able to take a movie DVD and be able to copy it to a blank DVD and I also want to be able to make VHS to DVD if that is possible. Thank you for all the help and just so you know I am only 17 so it needs to be a reasonable price for the DVD writer.

[Faustus]

You can get a Pioneer DVR-105 for about 180ish shipped. Its a DVD-R. The Sony Dual format also seems to be a good burner but it ranges higher in prices. I think the one shipped I saw was over at newegg.com for the pioneer.

[Northstar]

What country are you from first of all?

Then people could give you ideas on where to buy online

[vric]

the LG 4020B Drive can be found at 225$Canadian (165$US) great drive for the price.. burned over 50 dvd-r in 1 month and no coaster

[Bruiser]

I am in the United States. Will these burners burn DVD movies and make VHS to DVD transfers?

[Bruiser]

Also, can you make straight copies like you can with CDs? Some said you can and others told me it is much more complicated than that.

[ZippyP.]

I am in the United States. Will these burners burn DVD movies and make VHS to DVD transfers?

Any DVD burner will burn DVD movies. You will have to do the VHS capture with your computer either to DVD format or in another format then convert to DVD compliant. Once you have a compliant mpeg file you can author and burn to disk. So it's capture, convert if necessary, author then burn, there are guides to all of these on the left hand margin.

[ZippyP.]

Also, can you make straight copies like you can with CDs? Some said you can and others told me it is much more complicated than that.

You cannot make straight copies of commercial DVD's, they are encrypted. You can make straight copies of your own home-made DVD's. Commercial DVD's can be copied (back-up copies of your own disks!) by several different methods and with several programs, it's not as simple as just copying but some software programs make it quite easy. I advise you to look around the site to get familiar with the methods of DVD back-up.

[handyguy]

depends if you have a PC or a mac computer, what speed is the computer? what operating system? etc.

[overloaded_ide]

To capture VHS you need to somehow connect the vcr to the computer, several type of devices are available, I use a ATI All in Wonder video card. It has the capture feature (tv tuner) built in. So I bought it when building my system since it wasn't much more than just a good video card. But I'm not a gammer. Other things are avaible if you don't want to change video cards.

So you capture to a file. I capture to mepg 1 format, I have a bug in the system I can't use mpeg2 right now, but that seems preffered by most.

Then their are many programs many people use to edite and manipulate the file in various ways for size and quality concerns. I don't do that myself for now though.

Then you need a program to convert your file/s to the dvd files. you Need a video_ts folder with .ifo .bup files and .vob files which are the actuall movie. You use some type of DVD program to make these files. I use Tempenc DVD author program for now, it works fully for 30 days free, then not too much to buy, like $60 I think. You may get software with your drive that will do it.
I set a few things in the program and click go and it does all the work creating the needed files to the hardrive.

Then you need to burn to the DVD disk. Most recorders come with Nero I think, that's what I use though I have a full version.

It can be fairly simple, or very confusing. Depends on the software your trying to use and the indevidual.

As for Copying a dvd, if it's one you made not much more problem than doing a cd, but it is is a real movie DVD then you have to do whats reffered to ripping first to get it off the DVD to your Hard drive.

Plenty of guides to help you along.

If you want to make DVD back ups of your comercail VHS tapes you probably will need a device to clean the signal or you will have copy protection errors.

So you need, capture device, signal booster cleaner, cables, capture device, large hard drive with lots of empty space, and DVD burner.

Software for all the steps. Some including with hard ware normally, some you can get free, some you can buy cheap or expensive, it's all a matter of choice

Lots of time!

Although DVD burners ae nice to have I woulds suggest doing alot of reading here before buying it. Lots to choose from!

[Bruiser]

Right now I am leaning towards a TDK IndiDVD and the Pioneer A05. One is like $200 and other is $300 in stores but it is available for $250 somewhere.

What would you suggest? I am willing to pay more if it is simpler and comes with the nescessary software that I need to do what I want to do.

ThanksMy computer is around 2.5 ghz, like 120 gigs, etc. I am not sure of the specs as my dad got it custom made but I heard some things and those are the specs I just listed.

[TBoneit]

Just a thgought, I haven't installed one yet here at work, But the Optorite 4X + & - R/RW burner covers all the bases the SOny does. Plus it has what they cal HD Burn that lets you put more data on a CD blank. I hear it is a Sanyo Made drive.

I suspect you can get it in the $200 to $250 price range online as we are selling it for $249 retail.

If my Sony ever blows up while it is being Warranteed I'd buy this one to replace it for what that is worth.

I bought a Plus/Minus (+/-) format burner to be sure my players would have the best chance of playing what I burned.

Cheers

[darklowasia]

Bruiser,

Meritline.com offers the Pioneer DVR-105 4x DVD-RW EIDE drive for $167.99 via coupon code "deal-m101h2".

Here is the link: http://store.yahoo.com/meritline/nece4xdvdvdb.html

Hope this is what u r looking 4 .

[vric]

Futureshop today have the LG 4020B for 199$CND, which is onlu 145$US ! that is cheap ! piss me off a bit since I payd mine 290$CDN 2 month ago

[krudco]

Hello
I too am in the market and have been looking at the LG GMA 4040B.
I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with this unit, it seems to be the one to get due that it supports quite a few dvd fromats for writing.
Please correct me if I'm wrong

[vric]

Hello
I too am in the market and have been looking at the LG GMA 4040B.
I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with this unit, it seems to be the one to get due that it supports quite a few dvd fromats for writing.
Please correct me if I'm wrong

I don't think the 4040B multi format is released yet

[krudco]

You are correct I only found it on some German Electronic site.
thanks

[MachineMan]

I bought a Cendyne dual format (+/-)drive at Costco for $230. Its really a repackaged NEC ND-1300A.

It came with software: Nero Xpress, WinDVD4, and myDVD.

You will still need a analog capture card and you can download some freeware like TMPGenc or something to convert to DVD format.

I think that your project will be painful at first becuase of all the multiple steps involved and software hassles. I have found this website and forum a life saver for many of my projects. There should be some VHS to DVD guides on this site to help you.

The easiest way would be to buy a stand along DVD burner and connect your VCR to it, but that costs big $$$ and offers no editing features.

[atb]

I bought a Cendyne dual format (+/-)drive at Costco for $230. Its really a repackaged NEC ND-1300A.

It came with software: Nero Xpress, WinDVD4, and myDVD.

You will still need a analog capture card and you can download some freeware like TMPGenc or something to convert to DVD format.

I think that your project will be painful at first becuase of all the multiple steps involved and software hassles. I have found this website and forum a life saver for many of my projects. There should be some VHS to DVD guides on this site to help you.

The easiest way would be to buy a stand along DVD burner and connect your VCR to it, but that costs big $$$ and offers no editing features.

Totally Agree, even i use SONY DRU-500AX, Just go with Dual format drive like NEC 1300A (which is way cheaper than sony's) and there is nothing to worry about which format would win the war such things, and you can always switch media that more suitable for you.
DUAL FORMAT ROCKS!

[Bruiser]

I think I may get the A06 on Friday.

[Ducatti20]

Flame war Flame war!!!
+R sucks!!

JK....
Go dual, no risk involved and you will have your choice in any cheap media..

[vric]

Flame war Flame war!!!
+R sucks!!

JK....
Go dual, no risk involved and you will have your choice in any cheap media..

except if you have the NEC drive

[Bruiser]

The thing is I can get 40% off next Friday on the A05. I think I should take the deal, shouldn't I?

[kamberk]

A question you need to answer, is who is going to be viewing your transferred DVD's?

My sister and my Dad are going to look at our home video, and when I pulled up their DVD players compatability list, they only support DVD+R. My DVD player supports both, but since I want to share, I will either buy a DVD+R, or a combo drive.

- Kirk

[mysterio1]

I got my cendyne for $169 after rebate(already recieved rebate back) Its the best money i ever spent, The Pioneer(cendyne) works flawlessly.

Get it even if you have to spend a few more bucks its worth every penny.

[Network Enforcer]

I have both a Pioneer A05 and a Toshiba SD-R 5002. To me they both do a great job. As for the VHS to DVD, I bought a ATI All-In-Wonder card and had to got through the process......

Good luck with whatever you decide to buy, the research will payoff.

Enforcer

[elmostro]

NEC1300A no coasters yet even using cheap princos DVD-R media,I'm very happy with this drive and is dual also +- drive I pay $193.00 for it

[vric]

I just saw a Dual format 4X drive for 249$CND. Don't know the brand and it don't look like a NEC (or verbatim or cendyne which are all the same anyway) and it's too cheap to be Sony... i'm confuse a bit

[MrSnake]

Sony or Pioneer all the way, costs more, but you get what you pay for.

A cheaper drive, well everything works great when it's new, but there are reasons WHY some things are cheaper than others.

You pay for support, reliability, compatibility and endurance.