What is the Difference between these two Buners???

[DoGGx23]

Looking for a new DVD burner and I narrow down the search to Pioneer DVR 104 and Pioneer DVR A04. What is the difference between these two burners? Which one is faster? I am planning on purchasing this burner from newegg.com Thank you

[snowmoon]

DVR A04 = Pioneer branded drive / Pioneers retail kit
DVR 104 = OEM drive.

Technically the ony physical difference between these two drives is the sticker on the box and the firmware string. Generally you will get a few extras in the box with the A04 than with most OEM 104 drives.

Also the CenDyne DVD-RW drive is just the DVR 104 in a box with a blank DVD-RW, and some software. I picked it up from office max for $199, not a bad deal.

[DoGGx23]

ok So should I go with the 104? Since I don't care about retail. What do retail come with that I might need to use? I heard from somewhere that you can upgrade these Pioneer burners and burn at 4x is that true? Is this where you upgrade the firmware?

What do you mean by firmware string? Is that the software that runs the burner? Thanks

[snowmoon]

If you just care about the hardware then they are, in hardware term equivilent. The firmware string is just so when your PC reads the drive itentifier it says DVR-104 vs DVR-A04 in placed like bootup and hardware manager.

4x burning, no. A firmware upgrade will allow you to USE 2x and 4x media without damaging the drive.

[medievil]

DVR A04 = Pioneer branded drive / Pioneers retail kit
DVR 104 = OEM drive.

Technically the ony physical difference between these two drives is the sticker on the box and the firmware string. Generally you will get a few extras in the box with the A04 than with most OEM 104 drives.

Also the CenDyne DVD-RW drive is just the DVR 104 in a box with a blank DVD-RW, and some software. I picked it up from office max for $199, not a bad deal.

Just a correction. ALL A03/A04 drives are listed in firmware as 103/104 The only difference in the drives if the face plate A03/A04 say Pioneer. 103/104 do not.