How many burns can one get from a DVD +- RW drive on average

[jtoolman2000]

Have any of you actually determined how many actual burns can be obtained from any of the popular drives most of us use. Sony DRUs - NEC ND 1300A - Pionner 106 and simmilar drives.

My last drives lasted about 500 burns and I ended up with a dead laser. I was under the impression that lasers on these unit wouold last atleast a couple of thousand hours. Am I way off, or is that time only for the CD laser.

Is there any particular make that has be documented as lasting longer than another. Is there such data published such # of hours a laser will last. If the life measure in acutal time so if one burns at 4x ( 15 min ) versus 1x (60 min ) or is it per burn cycle. I have noticed that the better DVD duplicators seem to use Pioneer 106 and now some with the 107
( 8x )

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[handyguy]

Using the right media & not hacked firmware they should last a long time.

[DTSL06]

ooops wrong answer....delete admin if possible...

[lordsmurf]

I've burned at least 5,000 discs total on the 3 burners I've had (BTC1004, Pioneer 105, gave 103 away) and others I know that do more have burned probably 10,000 on a single burner (Pioneer 104 is his).

My BTC has probably seen the most discs of them all.

[Supreme2k]

over 1,500 on my pioneer 104. 623 on my optorite dd0201. Both are still going strong

[indolikaa]

Smurf is being far too modest. I think he missed a zero.

I don't even have a clue. I'd have to figure that out. My guess is at least 1,500 CDs and DVDs, and probably double that many erase/rewrite cycles on ±RW media.

[freak_in_cage_10k]

Using the right media & not hacked firmware they should last a long time.

im using hacked firmware for unlimited ripping speeds & allowing me to burn 8x on 4x media, do you think doingthis will reduce the life time of my burner??? its a pioneer 107 btw

[Gazorgan]

Improper cooling will shorten your drive's life by a LOT. I bet 90% of the users on this forum have their DVDRW wedged into a mid-tower in between a DVDROM drive and a harddrive.

When my drive first overheated (Ritek #13 on the first Saturday I got it) it stopped writing at 4x, could only burn at 2x. This was never an issue with a CDRW drive, but I've seen it happen more than once.

If you don't have any airflow, you can have problems. I barely do 2 burns in a row anymore (everything is all backed up), usually just TV captures. I now have open slots above and below my DVDRW, and it has airflow keeping it cool.

[maartena]

It all depends on the environment, the quality of the media that is used, the temperature etc....

If you live in a dusty house, you smoke, and the computer is always in a hot room which is not ventilated properly you will get a lot less life out of your burner then if it was in a clean, cool room - and no smoking

I have managed to "salvage" my old 2x CD/RW drive after about 800 burns and the lens was filthy by my smoking habits - by carefully cleaning the lens. I got it to burn at least 150 more cd's before it totally gave out. I quit smoking not long after that (not for that reason of course) but I do know that the fine density of smoke is futile for lenses overtime.

Temperature can be another problem. If your case is cooled improperly, your drive may give up quicker. Since the drive itself generates heat by itself by spinning so damn fast it really needs a proper airflow inside the case to get rid of all that heat.

Using cheap media may also cause a problem. The cheaper discs are often not balanced quite as well as more expensive ones, thus making more noise. In reality, a non-balanced disk puts a strain on the motor thats spinning it around.

In short: IT DEPENDS! :P

[Kingnog]

If you live in a dusty house, you smoke, and the computer is always in a hot room which is not ventilated properly you will get a lot less life out of your burner then if it was in a clean, cool room - and no smoking

Yes...secondhand smoke not only kills people, but kills computers, too! LOL!

The 'truth' commercials about smoking should start advertising that way....a lot of people would quit

[jtoolman2000]

Thanks you all. The reason I ask if because I had an NEC ( rebagged in a drive called Backpack ) the only lasted about 400-500 burns. I had flashed it so it would write to Optorite 4x disk. I downloaded the firmware from the site I purchaced the disks from. It was working 100% well until it just up and died a premature death.

[winxp]

Thank all of you for reply in this thread .this is the thread that i really want to find how many bunrs can one dvd burner burn
Please give more reply
thanks in avance

[Kingnog]

What are you talking about? This isn't your thread, and it's over a year old....

<-- confused

EDIT: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

[Bodyslide]

I have burned over 3000 Prodisc and Riteks DVD-R's and atleast 1000 CDR's (Mixed Brands)on my Old Pioneer 105. Still going strong in a backup PC.

I also have had over 2000 burns on Pioneer 108 using Prodisc media(DVD-R's). 500 CDR's (mixed brands). Still going strong as an external drive now.

New burner has burned 1000 TY's and 300 CDR's (mixed brands).

I clean the burner about once a month. No issues on any of the list burners above. And before any wacky questions. I have a small business converting Home Movies to DVD's.

[winxp]

What are you talking about? This isn't your thread, and it's over a year old....

<-- confused

EDIT: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Because I found this thread was very useful .I can estimate the depreciation of my DVD burner
thanks Boyslide for replying