Which drive is better: NEC ND3520 vs NEC 3500?

[peggypwr1]

Hello everyone, between the NEC 3520 and NEC 3500 what would you guys pick? Is the speed ripper unlocker availiable for both models? What NEC model would give me the least trouble? Thank you for your time.

[lordsmurf]

The 3520 does DVD-R DL

If you need a high speed ripping drive, get a DVD-ROM, don't prematurely kill the burner from overuse.

[peggypwr1]

Oh ok, as you can tell I'm a noob at this. But riddle me this, is there such thing as a firmware or patch that can increase the recording speed of the dvd burner? And it does, are they availiable for the NEC models?

[Bodysurf]

The 3520 does DVD-R DL

If you need a high speed ripping drive, get a DVD-ROM, don't prematurely kill the burner from overuse.

I used to recommend that, but...

With relatively high-speed ripping DVD burners for ~$50, does it really make sense to buy a DVD-ROM drive anymore???

I don't think so. YMMV.

[rfielder]

If you need a high speed ripping drive, get a DVD-ROM, don't prematurely kill the burner from overuse.

That sounds great, in theory, but so far the faster DVD for ripping I have tried is my Plextor PX-712 DVD-RW drive.

Which DVD-ROM do you reccomend? What speed may be possible?

[ntscuser]

My NEC 3520A plays badly scratched and difficult discs which my DVD-ROM (andother burner) can't handle so it's now my main drive as well.

[Poppa_Meth]

You might want to look into the 3540. Its relatively new on the market but it's already a solid choice. The firmware is newer than the 3500 or the 3520 but from what I've heard it's had less initial issues than either of them did in their early days.

[Bodysurf]

That sounds great, in theory, but so far the faster DVD for ripping I have tried is my Plextor PX-712 DVD-RW drive.

Which DVD-ROM do you reccomend? What speed may be possible?

The Pioneer DVR-A08XLA will rip DVD-Video SL/DL at 11.80X and 9.38X respectively.

[QuaiBoy]

Another thing to consider... buy a DVD-writer and a DVD-ROM. Then you are increasing your ripping speed two-fold (if ripping two discs at once). I have a machine with three DVD-ROMs and a writer. I set four discs to rip and leave the room for an hour or whatever. Come back and it's done. It's a great alternative to speed wars between drives, budget permitting.

Best of Luck,
-Evan-