how many rips/burns do you think you get?

[Boondock]

i have heard that it is not best to rip with a dvd burner. ideal would be to rip with a dvd rom and burn with a burner. that said
assuming you have a decent burner and you are really anal about your equipment and take good care of it like i do, how many rips and burns do you think you could get off of 1 dvd burner before it starts ro fritz out?
i know this is vague and it can't be answered properly but take a wild guess stab in the dark. i'm just curious.
also, for christmas my wife is sending me on a spree. i'm updating my ram from 512 to 1 gig and i have a free bay so i am getting another duel layer burner. i will use the burner i have now strictly for ripping and the new one for burning only

[Bodysurf]

i have heard that it is not best to rip with a dvd burner. ideal would be to rip with a dvd rom and burn with a burner.

That was said when DVD-ROM drives cost $40.00 and DVD burners cost $300 (on sale).

Now that a 16X burner doesn't cost much more than a DVD-ROM drive, I say -- for 99% of people out there -- get TWO 16X DVD-burners rather than a seperate DVD-ROM drive for ripping.

that said assuming you have a decent burner and you are really anal about your equipment and take good care of it like i do, how many rips and burns do you think you could get off of 1 dvd burner before it starts ro fritz out?

Don't know -- and at $50.00, I don't worry enough about it to care.

i know this is vague and it can't be answered properly but take a wild guess stab in the dark. i'm just curious.

Ok, twist my arm and demanding an answer, huh?

I would expect about the same, or not much less, than a standard DVD-ROM drive.

So what does that mean? I'd say under "normal use" certainly you should expect to get one year's usage out of it. So what does THAT mean? I would expect to easily be able to rip 400-500 DVD-Video, but that is a total guess and it could be as high as 5,000 -- or even more.

As I've said here and in other threads, this question had a lot more importance and practical (read: $$$) reasons for needing to be answered a couple years ago than in 11/2005.

also, for christmas my wife is sending me on a spree. i'm updating my ram from 512 to 1 gig and i have a free bay so i am getting another duel layer burner. i will use the burner i have now strictly for ripping and the new one for burning only

Smart move.

[greymalkin]

You will get about the same amount of rips/burns as the number of licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop.

[Skith]

A few things to consider: The motor, the tray (some are flimsy and the belt inside used to open/close it can break), and heat.

It is hard to predict the life of the motor, most drives should be about equal, letting the drive cool a bit between rips/burn sessions will prolong the life of the motor (and laser). LiteON drives (in the past) have had some problems with the tray belt breaking (rare), I have not heard of any recent problems though.

Ripping (16x) and burning can heat up the drive, heat kills electronics, so after a few rip/burns, let the drive cool for a bit, and your drive should last a long time.

[Noahtuck]

You will get about the same amount of rips/burns as the number of licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop.

Well, that's what Mr. Owl say's anyway's

[jbelder]

It depends on what burner you buy, I have a Plextor 712A that has 400-500 under its belt and still burns flawlessly.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

About a year and a half after I got my burner, I bought a (supposedly MUCH faster) DVD-ROM to help save wear and tear on my burner.
The read speed on the DVD-ROM is supposed be dramatically faster than that of the burner, but the burner still rips faster than the DVD-ROM does.
Regardless, I still use the DVD-ROM for the majority of ripping (except in the case of mutilated discs, which the burner handles much more easily)

[TBoneit]

A few things to consider: The motor, the tray (some are flimsy and the belt inside used to open/close it can break), and heat.

It is hard to predict the life of the motor, most drives should be about equal, letting the drive cool a bit between rips/burn sessions will prolong the life of the motor (and laser). LiteON drives (in the past) have had some problems with the tray belt breaking (rare), I have not heard of any recent problems though.

Ripping (16x) and burning can heat up the drive, heat kills electronics, so after a few rip/burns, let the drive cool for a bit, and your drive should last a long time.

I actually fixed several DVD/CD-Rom drives with broken tray belts by using a rubber band

Cheers

[ROF]

I actually fixed several DVD/CD-Rom drives with broken tray belts by using a rubber band

How did you notch the rubberband so it would grip the pulleys? All the belts I've replaced have had "teeth" on one side similiar to car belts only much smaller.

I'd say how long a burner lasts depends on it's construction and use. Heat is the main culprit for disaster. Some burners use heatsinks to distribute heat, others use the outershell as a heatsink, while still others use an exhaust fan and/or combination of these. If your using you burner extensively that's wear and tear on all the parts. Just like turning your computer on and off produces alot of stress, listen to your burner as it starts the burn process. Extensive ripping is the reason I fix most drives. When a disc has errors, scratches, or other problems the ripping software continually stresses the laser. Ever notice that some discs rip in minutes while others take a half hour or better? That's the usual reason for difference in ripping times excluding different capacity discs and the time relative to those.

You can save wear and tear on your burner by purchasing a ROM, but in most cases of those who plan to use their drives alot I tend to recommend a good low cost burner as a secondary. That way while I repair their broken burner they can still continue on with their burning activities.

[GullyFoyle]

Ever notice that some discs rip in minutes while others take a half hour or better? That's the usual reason for difference in ripping times excluding different capacity discs and the time relative to those.

Rip?
Where is the RIAA rip bad buy multiple copies good stance?
You sir are an imposter!
You are not ROF.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

so very BUSTED!!

[handyguy]

Sometimes you just need to clean your laser.

[ROF]

This is very true especially when ripping or reading alot of dirty or dusty media. A manual cleaning is best.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

do the laser cleaner discs wit the little brush on them actually work?
I really don't want to take my drive apart...

[ROF]

In most cases, I recommend against using these. After a few uses, far less than recommended, these bristle discs actually cause more damage then they help.

[GullyFoyle]

In the end what does it matter? By the time most presently owned burners die out Blu-Ray HDDVD or those Holographic disks will be on the market.
Most of us will have moved on immediately, or thereabouts. The rest will move on within a couple of years.
For those that don't burners and standalones will continue to drop in price.
Time makes all things inexpensive.

[TBoneit]

ROF, I didn't notch the rubber band.... They seem to workfine as is. I just triedto find one with a good grip. Some have a better grip than others. I also told the customer no guarantee on longevity and I also hold olddrives that have died for the odd part, then I get in a spring cleaningmood and out they go.

Amazing how many work again after pulling apart and cleaning the laser too.Usually drives from smokers.

[garryheather]

I haven't seen anyone mention the convenience aspect yet... I use the most cost effective media I can get my hands on for storing the photos off my digital camera since that gets updated quite frequently, and it's so much easier to put my last disc in one drive, a blank in the writer and just write to that disc directly from the ROM drive and a temporary folder on the hard disk (with the latest pictures).

In that sense alone you're also reducing the number of tray cycles and wot-not.