Help me buy a DVD burner please.

[scottrempel]

Hey guys....haven't been here in ages but I'm finally finally making the jump to a DVD burner and I'm way out of the loop. Normally I'd spend days reseaching on my own but I really don't have the time these days.

I was planning on grabbing the NEC 2510A cause it looks like a good price, is 8x, and DL. However, just in the first few minutes I've been here I seem to be seeing lots of problems with it not reading discs it burns. Is this something to be concerned about?

What I'm looking for is a burner to backup DVD movies and new PC games that are now on DVD....as well as using it for storing lots of files. I figure I might as well grab the newer 8x drives and get DL while I'm at it as I will have this drive for a while.

If you guys could give me your opinion on this drive and possible alternatives that would be awsome! Enough of this xVCD crap lol.

Scott

P.S. I'll eventually find this out but if someone wants to tell me thats great. When backing up a DVD with the DVD burner will I retain the 5.1 sound and the menus...something that was not possible with the xVCDs really?

[redwudz]

You'll get opinions here more than recommendations. So my favorite DVD burner is a Pioneer 107, and yes, you will retain 5.1 audio, depending on what software you use. Just my opinion, but Pioneer seems to accept more brands of media.

[edlav]

My vote goes to the Pioneer. I have a 105 that is a 4X and if it ever needs to be replaced I will buy another Pioneer. I would not worry about DL yet until it has been out for a while and prices start to fall.

[Shocker Milwaukee]

I have a LiteOn 401s & my friends have Pioneers (104 & 107). I would recommend Pioneers for two reasons: they seems to be less picky with media & their Kprobe scans put mine to shame.

[QuaiBoy]

I've burned over 1000 discs with my Pioneer 106. Absolutely no problems that weren't due to the media used. Ritek G04s are a great match to the writer and can be had for less than $65/100pk online. Lots of bad press lately, but I'll be damned I have a perfect record with G04s thus far.

Best of Luck,
-Evan-

[andyp1]

Another vote for Pioneer here . I have the 106 and it has been great.

[Kamran]

Well I Had the NEC 1300A and I can honestly say it was the worst decision I made! It just wouldn't read or write to cheap media at 4x only 2x and at that time it was hard to find Ritek GO4's so after a month i finally gave up and went and swapped it for a Pioneer 107D and everything i throw at it, it burn perfectly then the hacked firmware came out and it was burning all 4x media at 8x! What more can i ask for? The Pioneer writes on cheap media perfectly I honestly cannot recommend anything else!

[handyguy]

Try reading the dvd writer column on left column & also let us know what kind of computer you have so we can suggest something.

[scottrempel]

wow...thanks for all the replys. I'll go look myself when I get time....but what is the newest Pioneer? Sounds like its the 107? Is it a full 8x drive or does it need a firmware upgrade to be 8x..and if so is that an official firmware? Is there a newer drive coming out from Pioneer that will support DL? I know its not practical now..but like I said I plan to keep it for a while so I figure it should have the DL in case I want it later...especially if it only costs a few more bucks and I only have to wait a bit.

Anyways I'm off to check the price on the Pioneer . Thanks alot for all the help guys...glad to see this place is still as good as ever.

[Kamran]

Its 8X out of the box however i would advise updating the firmware. used the hacked one if u wnat 8x burning on 4x discs but it does void ur guarantee. DL wont be out from pioneer for atleast another to 2months i thinkmight bewrong though. IMO i would say buy the pioneer 107d u cantgo wrong with and who knows someone might bring out a hacked firmware that will even let u burn dl.. but its a big IF

[pippas]

I've had a Pioneer 105 for about a year -brilliant

just tried an NEC 2500 - won't play a single disc i've burnt (3 different burning progs, 3 different media) on either of my standalone players.

It's going back!!

Think I'll try the 107

[scottrempel]

ok...I think you guys have me convinced....I just won't worry about the dual layer as I won't buy the media till its cheap anyways. Play it safe and get myself a good reliable burner like the Pioneer 107 and be done with it.

Anybody trying to sell one?

Also, if someone would like to point me in the direction of a some good media (for cheap) and a place to buy it in Canada that'd be great. What should one pay for good DVD media nowadays.....can it be had for less then $1/disc CND? Oh...and what's with the +/- format...I mean which is the one to use, primarily for backing up movies?

Thanks...fill me full of info ...man do I got a lot of reading to do!

[Sam Ontario]

BenQ DW822A is upgradeable to write DL by September 2004, just an economical alternative!

I am waiting to flash my BenQ DW800A to DW822A and then DW830A by September, 2004.

[aero]

Well I Had the NEC 1300A and I can honestly say it was the worst decision I made! It just wouldn't read or write to cheap media at 4x only 2x and at that time it was hard to find Ritek GO4's so after a month i finally gave up and went and swapped it for a Pioneer 107D and everything i throw at it, it burn perfectly then the hacked firmware came out and it was burning all 4x media at 8x! What more can i ask for? The Pioneer writes on cheap media perfectly I honestly cannot recommend anything else!

I have had a nec 1300A for a year now and have burned over a 1000 dvd's and perhaps 300 cd's. I have never had any such problem. I have used almost every kind of media from ultra cheap to the best.