Input on 8x external burners

[cincy]

Hey All,
Before I ask this completely newbie question, let me clarify that I have checked out the "DVD Writers" feature to the left and I have also done a great deal of research/reading reviews on various sites around the net. However, most people on this site seem to know more about burners than the average Joe Schmoe tech-editor reviewing a burner in his spare time. This being said, I am new to the whole DVD burning thing and I am in the market for an 8x external DVD burner (I know, I know, DL and 12x are just around the corner, but I'm not so patient). I have seen them for as cheap as $180 (NEC) or as much as $270 (Plextor, w/ $30 MI rebate). All I've heard is praise for Plextor, but of course none of the editors are going to risk knocking them when they are supposedly the "leader of the pack" when it comes to storage drives. I am just curious if it is worth the extra money to splurge for a Plextor (or BestBuy has the rebadged Plextor... TDK external for $220 after rebates) or would I be better going cheap with the NEC or some other brand? Again, I know there is myriad information available here on writers, but surprisingly not too much on 8x dual format external burners. So any and all input/advice/suggestions are welcome and much appreciated. And I know it must get frustrating for some of you more advanced members to have to deal w/ newb questions like this all the time... but just take it as a form of flattery that I want to consult with you before I purchase... since I am not one to part so easily with my money.... Thanks in advance!

[firefoxx]

You don't really have to stick to those three choices. You could buy an external enclosure (firewire, usb2, or combo) and put any IDE DVD writer inside. The drives you mention are the same thing, but pre-packaged. Basically, you can read the review for the internal drive and know what the external drive will be like, since they're pretty much the same thing.

I personally have a Plextor, but I don't really know if it's worth 2x the price of the NEC (I would have gone for the NEC but I bought it last year, when the NEC wasn't out yet). Howeve, I do a lot of CDR burns, so Plextor, with its supposed higher reliability, is a good choice for me. If you aren't going to use it heavily, I think the cheaper NEC would be fine. The drive

The idea of eternally waiting for the next best thing around the corner only applies to dreamers. You buy what fills your requirements when you need it and can afford it.

The NEC internal drive is $93 at Newegg, and a combo usb/firewire enclosure is about $50. Installation is no harder than a normal internal drive.