Best DL burner with book type adjustment?

[redlester]

I will probably taking the plunge with a DL burner sometime soon, and was just wondering if there is a model available in the UK which is perceived to be the "best" with the proviso that I want to be able to adjust book type when burning +R/RW discs?

I will do a search through the list and sift through all the user comments when I have time, but just thought someone might be able to make a recommendation based on experience? I've read good comments about the Pioneer 108, but does it allow book type setting?

Edit: would also prefer one which can be converted to multiregion if possible.

[StudeBarc]

NEC ND 3500, with OEM firmware (TDK) or The Dangerous Bros RPC1 version provides bit-setting to +R SL media. Excellent quality burner, more than rivalling the Pio 108. The Pio will likely NEVER be able to bit-set +R media, it's against Pio's religious beliefs.

Check out more info at CDFreaks and other forums. You would not be disappointed with the 3500.

Regards
Studebarc

[RabidDog]

Is book type settimg still an issue?? even on DL media? And isnt it better to get a tri-Format burner ..plus minus and ram (5x).

[StudeBarc]

LG 4120B (or 4160B) is a very capable "triple format" burner. LG in their wisdom "officially" support bit-setting to both SL and DL +R media also.

Bit-setting +R is only an issue if you wish to have the most compatible media for further distribution to possibly unknown players ie small scale DVD conversions of home movies/school plays etc. While use of -R media may well satisfy 95% of requirements, for your own back-up purposes, the use of rom set +R will reduce the possibility of grief from playback equipment, at least that has been my experience.

The great unknowns such as burning software, media quality, PC set-up etc have been largely reduced these issues are still cause for concern when burning DVD discs. Burn quality testing programs have also contributed to the "knowledge base" when talking about playability of burned DVD's of -R or +R types.

The NEC 3500 offfers very good quality burns to -R or +R media and offers bit-setting via OEM firmware. From my own tests and others the 3500 is in front of the 4120 in terms of write quality but not burn speed ie 12x burn in 3500 (~7min 30s) v 12x burn in 4120 (~6min 30s). BOTH burners have the option to set ROM booktype to +R DL media for the best possibility of playback. Even so it appears some work is required by burning software to meet the very strict requirements of writing DL media and it's never going to be a "given" that DL as ROM will work.

Regards
Studebarc 8)

[redlester]

Thanks for the tips. The reason I want book type setting is because of possible compatibility problems with older DVD players (my best friend, for example, has a Sony DVD player which won't play +R discs). When geared up with DL capability I want to start archiving my old VHS tapes, as well as home camcorder stuff, and I'd like to ensure as much compatibility as is possible. I know it'll never be 100% guaranteed, but one can only try...

[StudeBarc]

NEC now also support bit-setting SL and DL media in standard firmware version 2.27.
It seems the majority of manufacturers of DVD writers for PC's are providing "bit-setting" as an in-built feature. Excellent, if you wish to use such then do so, if not then don't.

Regards
Studebarc

[dmagic1]

The Benq 1620.

Even OC-Freak over at cd-freaks forum feels its better than the NEC 3500.

[redlester]

LG 4120B (or 4160B) is a very capable "triple format" burner. LG in their wisdom "officially" support bit-setting to both SL and DL +R media also

So how do I do it? I've gone for the 4160B because it also works with DVD-RAM, so I've now got a blank DVD+RW disc loaded...and can't for the life of me work out how to change book type! There is no option in Nero to do so... what software do I need?

[StudeBarc]

redlester,

I hope I haven't led you up the garden path on this one. It seems that the 4160 may NOT support book-type setting.....yet. Keep an eye at CDfreaks in this thread:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=91

I have the 4120b and bit-setting in Nero is possible for +R as SL or DL is supported. Not sure about +RW though. The settings are found in "Recorder"... "Choose Recorder".. (select 4160) then "Options" in the window. An option gadget for booktype settings is available (for the 4120 at least).

Please advise if the option is not there, perhaps further questions at the CDfreaks forum may well bear fruit.

Regards
Studebarc

[ccbadd]

I would get a drive that has support for the features you want coming from the manufaturer. The NEC bitsetting for SL media is actually and OEM firmware from Maddog, I have not seen anything about SL bittsetting from NEC for NEC labeled drives, but I could be wrong. I have 2 Benq 822a's and they just added support for +r dl, has ANY other manufacturer done that to an older generation drive. I also have an NEC 2510 and support for it has all but dissapeared. It doesn't even support Ritek DL media and its 3 months old. I do appreciate the firmware guys out there like herrie, but as soon as a new drive comes out you are left which an unsupported drive just like the 2500 and 2510. Benq has proven to me at least that they will support there drives for much longer than most manufacturers and add new features as they improve performance ( PI/PO testing, -R/RW capabilities, and +R DL capabilities to name a few).

[redlester]

Please advise if the option is not there, perhaps further questions at the CDfreaks forum may well bear fruit

No the option is definately not there, and the info at CD Freaks confirms that book type setting is not available on the 4160. I'm not ready to burn any DL discs until they are down to around 25% of their current price, so its a way off yet and hopefully new firmware will come along before that... anything else in the meantime will be on -R discs so its not an issue just yet.

[StudeBarc]

Work on bit-setting for 4160b here:
http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?t=30174&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Regards
Studebarc

[Vanderlow]

Get the BenQ DW1620. A future firmware will up the speed from 2.4x DL to 4x. It overspeeds alot of 8x + media to 12x and 16x and it defaults booksetting to DVD-ROM for r+ and rw+. It will also have PI/PIF/jitter testing with CD Speed this next week. All with official firmware.

61 pounds vat included.

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=2438104806&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdW...duct_uid=75719

for multi-region just use anydvd.

[budz]

Hehehehe.....Plextor's newest 716A has booktype and Plextools to do PI/PO scans. Check Plextor's site: http://www.plextor.com/english/products/716A.htm

[Vanderlow]

Yeah, but not at the price of a BenQ.

[budz]

Yeah, but not at the price of a BenQ.

As the old saying goes, "You pay for what you get".

[RickTheRed]

Thanks for the tips. The reason I want book type setting is because of possible compatibility problems with older DVD players (my best friend, for example, has a Sony DVD player which won't play +R discs). When geared up with DL capability I want to start archiving my old VHS tapes, as well as home camcorder stuff, and I'd like to ensure as much compatibility as is possible. I know it'll never be 100% guaranteed, but one can only try...

If you just want the bitsetting for DL disk, you may also consider the Pioneer 108. (DL +R bitsetting = yes, Single +R bitsetting = no).

[Tidy]

Actually the Pioneer 108 does book setting automatically on DL. You do not need any software or a firmware change to do it.

[Heff]

Budz,

You get what you pay for is normally true, but not always true. Just ask 2 years ago if a Lite-on for half the price wasn't as good or better as a CD-RW then a Plex. And now Liet-on and Plextors are trading on their reputations as far as DVD burners go. Plextors are very picky about media.

[budz]

Heff wrote:

Plextors are very picky about media.

To Heff: Plextor isn't picky about media, it just recommends good quality media. Other brands of dvd burners will burn cheap media at faster speeds but the end result is will those dvds be able to be read in years to come? Hmmmmms.....some cheap brands crap out in a few months because they can no longer be read in a standalone dvd player or in a pc dvdrom/dvdburner. In my opinion why pay for cheap crappy media when prices are decent and cheap in retail stores and online stores. To each's own.

[ccbadd]

but the end result is will those dvds be able to be read in years to come? Hmmmmms.....

What evidence do yo have to support this insinuation? How do you know your "quality" media will work in a couple of years?

I have some fairly poor Princo media that I burned nearly 2 years ago that work just fine. I have yet to see any wide sread proof of disc "rott" as some refer to it.

I would simple go to cdfreaks and look in the media forum and find some scans where the drive you have has been used and judge for yourself using facts not ego. I personlly believe that a consumer drive should be able to produce good burns on common media sold in the community. When I go to Bestbuy, Office Depot, CompUSA, ect..., and pick up common brands like Maxel, Memorex, Imation, Sony and so on I expect good results. This is not the case with some lesser brands such as Starlogic, CompUSA house brand, Khypermedia, Liquid Video and other generics and I think you should live with the problems you get. But when I here people refer to Memorex CMC's, for instance, as crap media because there wonderful whatever drive can't burn them I have to just shake my head. The only drive I have that has trouble with these is my BTC 1004 IM. If your Plextor can't but my $40.00 NEC 2510 can then I have to say your Plextor is of lesser quality.

By the way, my Benq 822a used with practically any +r media set to -rom is my favaorite.

[Capmaster]

will those dvds be able to be read in years to come?

Probably from 100 to 200 years to come:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=878017#878017

The article I link to in that post says that disc rot is something that happens to the reflective layer of commercial pressed DVDs. In fact, DVD recordables will likely last longer than commercial pressed DVDs because of an oxidization problem the commercial discs are more likely to develop. All the details are in the article.

some cheap brands crap out in a few months because they can no longer be read in a standalone dvd player or in a pc dvdrom/dvdburner.

A rumor started by some semi-anonymous moron in the media reviews here at Videohelp. He didn't substantiate his claim of "media fade" by linking to any test or otherwise empirical data, or even mentioning if he had left the thing on his car dashboard in the summer. He was putting forth his own misguided views as being factual.

Once the rumor started spreading, people believed it because they had heard it repeated on this forum so many times. It's complete crappola.

In reality, if a burn is good at the time the burn is finished, it will remain good.

Read some of the research our own Lordsmurf has invested in providing a great resource site for media:

www.nomorecoasters.com

The risk in buying cheap media lies in the likelihood of getting a good burn, not in data retention.