Do i need A Dvd-Rom to Burn Dvds

[IllMarsh]

I just bought a burner and want to know if i need to have a dvd-rom to back up dvds before i open it.

[drewson99]

If it is a DVD burner then no, you can use the burner as a reader too. (all DVD writers double as DVD-ROM)

edit - if it is a CD burner then no, you cannot read DVDs with it unless it is a CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive.

[Will Hay]

I wouldn't recommend you use a DVD burner for ripping DVD's.
DVD-roms cost £20.00 over in the UK, and well worth preserving the life of your burner.
Will

[dafoe]

Get a DVD Rom drive made by Lite-On. Most DVD drives (in all probability your DVD burner is too) are locked a 2x which means it will take you 60-90 minutes to rip a DVD. A drive that is not locked will do it in 15-20 minutes.

Also, as others stated you really shouldn't put wear and tear on your burner when you can get a Lite-On drive for aprx $40 USD

Good luck

[PJGS]

I use my 4040b to rip dvd's. It's no locked and in +/- 1 year time I'll buy a faster dual layer burner with new capabilities, and in 1 year time my 4040b won't be worth half the money I paid for it so I think a dvd-rom is a waste of 35€ unless u don't have enough space on ur HD to temporarily store the ripped files!

[dafoe]

Well, I guess it's a matter of preference. However, If his burner is locked then he will have to buy another drive to rip with or rip at 1.9x.

Furthermore, a lot of people don't upgrade that often and would like for thier stuff to last. I bought my first DVD burner at the end of 2000. It was a 1x and cost over $400. I used it until last Thanksgiving when I bought a 4x at the Staples sale. I'll probably use the new drive until the dual layer drives become affordable and they find a way around the second layer must be smaller than the first layer BS.

Hell, I might just wait until the Blue Ray burners come out. Point is, I'd much rather replace a $40 drive than a $150 drive.

But I can see your point..If you have a burner that isn't locked I guess you only need one.

I'd rather not put that kind of wear and tear on a drive. But to each his own.

[PJGS]

Well, I guess it's a matter of preference. However, If his burner is locked then he will have to buy another drive to rip with or rip at 1.9x.

Furthermore, a lot of people don't upgrade that often and would like for thier stuff to last. I bought my first DVD burner at the end of 2000. It was a 1x and cost over $400. I used it until last Thanksgiving when I bought a 4x at the Staples sale. I'll probably use the new drive until the dual layer drives become affordable and they find a way around the second layer must be smaller than the first layer BS.

Hell, I might just wait until the Blue Ray burners come out. Point is, I'd much rather replace a $40 drive than a $150 drive.

But I can see your point..If you have a burner that isn't locked I guess you only need one.

I'd rather not put that kind of wear and tear on a drive. But to each his own.

I do understand ur point too but unlike cd-r technology, dvd writer technology is sitll in its infancy.
there's not much difference between a 24x cd writer and a 52x one. U only burn a cd a few seconds faster but dvd writers still have to make a huge jump. In, let's say, 1 1/2 year dual layer writers will be +/- affordable,
u will be able to burn a dvd in a few minutes or so while it takes 15-20 min. to burn a dvd today. Plus other improvents that can be reached due to faster processors, SATA HD, fast memory. Besides, by that time my outdated dvd writer will be worth a few € so I plan to make the most out of it today.