How much does this cost?

[Devanshu]

I currently have a cd burner and want to purchase a DVD burner...I was curious on the prices. I dont want to spend a ton but I will if I have to. Also, are they easy to install(considering I have no previous experience in hardware)?

[Conquest10]

they are a lot cheaper compared to what they were a little over a year ago. but still a little too expensive for me. installing one is just like installing a regular dvd or cd drive.

[Baldrick]

I'm moving you to the dvd writer forum.

[Will Hay]

I currently have a cd burner and want to purchase a DVD burner...I was curious on the prices. I dont want to spend a ton but I will if I have to. Also, are they easy to install(considering I have no previous experience in hardware)?

Little hard to help on prices without knowing where you are in the world.
In the UK they're around the £120 mark now.
Will

[Gazorgan]

You can cahnge to the DVDRW quite easily. It's pretty simple,a nd the drive has idiot proof directions :P

[Devanshu]

Little hard to help on prices without knowing where you are in the world.
In the UK they're around the £120 mark now.
Will

Whoops...I'm from the US.

[Conquest10]

its basically the same. £120=$190 roughly. though you can get a few that are a little cheaper with rebates.

[g_shocker182]

Install is easy, pretty much just IDE and power.

[leebo]

I've seen then for as little as $150 (DVD-R), and expect $125 by the end of the year.

If you can screw a screw and follow directions, you should have no problems. Just be careful of static. Don't work on a carpet and unplug the computer from the wall.

Oh, also be sure to floss at least once a week!

[Vejita-sama]

I've seen the NEC 1300a online for ~$130 (US) and most places seem to be moving the Pioneer DVR-A06 for a little under ~$180. I'm sure you could do better than that if you looked around.

My personal bias is to by OEM without any software as you can get freeware to cover all that, and the bundled stuff is almost always crap anyway. Mine came with Nero Express but I refuse to use it, I normally author, use IMG Tools on the VIDEO_TS folder, and burn with DVD Decrypter.

[lgmayka]

If you can live with slower (2x) technology, you can get a DVD-R/RW/RAM writer for $70 after rebates and coupon:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10339074&loc=19062

The drive has a $90 rebate and a $20 rebate. Use of this coupon

http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=89103636&dcaid=1688

should give you another $10 off.

For $70, it's very difficult for any computer owner to say that he can't afford a DVD writer.

[Devanshu]

But with 2X speed...that's kind of slow. I'll stick to burning vcd's until the price drops some more.

[Roundabout]

TigerDirect has a 4X4X12 +r/rw with Nero & windvd for $99.99 : http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/category_slc.asp?CatId=89 on this page. You didn't mention if you wanted a +r or -r unit or a dual format burner.

[Faustus]

If you want justa - drive Pioneer A05 (4x) is like $150 with free shipping at newegg. I noticed you can upgrade the warranty on their equipment now also. I highly suggest it personally as someone who had a burner die on them just out of warranty.

[Gil T Pleasure]

You can get the Sony DW-U10A drive (OEM version of the DRU-500A) for $155 at Livewarehouse.com.

[Faustus]

You can get the Sony DW-U10A drive (OEM version of the DRU-500A) for $155 at Livewarehouse.com.

Now THATS a good price!

[Devanshu]

You can get the Sony DW-U10A drive (OEM version of the DRU-500A) for $155 at Livewarehouse.com.

Now THATS a good price!

You have to realize something though...I'm a college kid who's just starting out so I really dont have that much extra dough in my pocket.

[leebo]

You have to realize something though...I'm a college kid who's just starting out so I really dont have that much extra dough in my pocket.

Then why so picky about the 2X speed???

I bought the Pioneer A-03 when it first came out. 2X -R, 1X -RW. Slow compared to the 4X drives for sure, but I've had two years of burning experience since then.

I woulden't expect to see 4X drives at $100 till Christmas or later. And all your saving is 20-25 minutes of burning time.

By Xmas they'll have 8X drives and you won't be satisfied with 4X.

You can always use the drive to make a few bucks from your classmates to offset some of the cost.

[Devanshu]

Good point

[lordsmurf]

If you can live with slower (2x) technology, you can get a DVD-R/RW/RAM writer for $70 after rebates and coupon:
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10339074&loc=19062
The drive has a $90 rebate and a $20 rebate. Use of this coupon
http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=89103636&dcaid=1688
should give you another $10 off.
For $70, it's very difficult for any computer owner to say that he can't afford a DVD writer.

I even pulled out my CC.
But I don't see the $20 rebate.

I see the drive for $200 with free shipping,
with a $90 mail-in
and a $10 coupon you linked.
That's $100 after the coupon/rebate shown.

Where'd you pull that extra $30?
I don't see any more rebate forms or coupons.

Please hold my hand.
I need help finding what you did.
I just don't see it.

[lgmayka]

I'm sorry! You're a bit too late. That extra $20 off was part of a 2-day sale. And besides, buy.com has now raised the price $10.

Alternatively, Tigerdirect has a couple 4x DVD+R burners for $100, but shipping is extra:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=89

If you happen to live near one of their outlet stores, you can save on the shipping:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/retailstores/index.asp

[overloaded_ide]

2x is not that slow guy. For full disks
1x= 1hr
2x= 30 minutes
4x=15 minutes
Kinda close but maybe not exact times! It's not like a 2x cd burner to be sure it that's what you thought. Your talking 4.7 gigs, not 700MBs, so 30 minutes is pretty fast! Also it depends what disks you buy! Buy cheap disks and you may not be writing over 2x anyway. I have a 2x burner, but I just use cheap disks and burn 1x fine.

And your 4x burner only saves you 15 minutes anyway. A drop in the bucket compared to all the time you will spend doing everything else!

Course if you can get the 4x you might as well, I am thinking on one. And the prices aren't that much different unless your getting rebates, sales, or closeouts really.
I am happy with my 2x Toshiba Sd5002, about $120 or there abouts at newegg.com and they have dual formats like 4x NEC1300 for maybe $150?
Just do your homework BEFORE you buy a drive. Decide what you want, +, -, or dual format, read reaviews and comments for the drive you are thinking about, and check for disk compatiblity so you know what types diks it will probably write and any it may have problems with.

DVD R RW is not like CD R RW, not every disk works great in every burner or every set top player after burning.

With Cds you can grab any disk and it works fine in everything, though some may be better than others, I never had a CD r fail!!

[overloaded_ide]

leebo,

By Xmas they'll have 8X drives and you won't be satisfied with 4X.

And everyone else too that might not know,


Plextor 8X DVD-RW +RW DVD Recorder - Model PX-708A/SW-BL Black Retail
Specifications:
Interface: ATAPI EIDE
Data Transfer Rate: Burst (UDMA/33) 33MB/s
Writing DVD+R: 8x, DVD-R: 4x , CD-R: 40x
Rewriting DVD+RW: 4x , DVD-RW: 2x , CD-RW: 24x

Been at newegg.com for several days at least on the home page, $270

Personally I will wait for the price to drop to something reasonable and buy a 4x soon most likely when they drop again!

Don't know who else has 8x's for sale right now.

So now where do you get the disks and for how much???

[leebo]

So now where do you get the disks and for how much???

Well, there are no 8X discs AFAIK. I read a rumor the the 8X burners would possible be able to burn 8X on 4X discs, but haven't confirmed this.

[Gil T Pleasure]

According to these reports, 8x DVD+R will be available by Christmas time (4th quarter of 2003) though I'm sure they'll be super expensive.

http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/News/Details.asp?RelatedID=4070
http://www.cdr-info.com/Sections/News/Details.asp?RelatedID=4074



As far as the rumor goes, the Plextor drive will indeed write 8x to 4x DVD+R media.

See:
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7799

[LanEvo7]

Sorry to inform you that the plextor drive is not TRUE 8x. It is 6x for most of the disc and only hits 8x at the end of the disc.

Supposedly true 8x drives will be comming out during november.