confused which burner to choose

[BV2001]

Should I buy Pioneer AO5 or AO4????
Please give me advice, I am buying it tommorrow

[yg1968]

The A05 is better than the A04 but why not get the Sony DRU500A?

[musher70]

Go to OFFICEMAX, get the cendyne 105, still had em at $!69
after $100 in rebates...My own personal advise is, the 104/A04
is much better though, cause of the firmware updates out
there...its very reliable, both can read anything, no longer
a sony guy, cause i bought a sony desktop(VAIO)that died
after 24 hrs...

[yg1968]

It's probably not a good idea to judge the quality of a Sony through its computers. Sony only assembles these computers and buys different parts from different manufacturers. It doesn't even use its own product in its computers. My Sony Vaio came with a Pioneer DVD-ROM drive! Anyways, my Sony Vaio has been pretty reliable (except for my ethernet card that died a couple of months ago) but, like, I said I would not judge Sony based on its computers.

[crimpshrine]

It's probably not a good idea to judge the quality of a Sony through its computers. Sony only assembles these computers and buys different parts from different manufacturers. It doesn't even use its own product in its computers. My Sony Vaio came with a Pioneer DVD-ROM drive! Anyways, my Sony Vaio has been pretty reliable (except for my ethernet card that died a couple of months ago) but, like, I said I would not judge Sony based on its computers.

I would agree, and to add..

Just like babies die during birth we have a sort of "infant mortality" among computer equipment. (All equipment is made up of the same stuff pretty much)

I am sure they try and test everything to the best of their ability but regardless you can get defective equipment from ALL makers.

Take a look at Hard drives. You have people that say, I only buy Western Digital because I bought a Maxtor that died after 4 days. Then you got a guy saying the same exact thing except the opposite, I only buy Maxtor because I bought a Western Digital drive that died on me. I would not hold anything against Sony, all of these makers have problems. I myself have had NO issues with ANY sony DVD +/- drive. I have bought 2 internal and 1 external model. Only one was for my personal use and I already have a couple hundred burns on it with no coasters with Ritek and Princo media.

When it comes to flexibility you cannnot beat the Sony. Nothing currently can. If you want to be able to burn both media types and not have to worry about what media will be the cheapest down the road get a Sony or wait and get another makers + and - supporting drives.

The argument has been made over and over again what media will win in the end. It doesnt matter to me, what matters is what is more inexpensive. - media is now, who knows a year from now could be plus. All the articles I have read lead me to believe + media in the end is the cheapest to produce in quantity since each disk does not need to have a section burned on it like minus media.

One thing I remind myself of is also the fact that it's not just the DVD recorder for PC market that will have an effect on the outcome of all this. Think of the settop DVD recorders you see for home systems at the popular electronic stores. At least by me, all I see are + based recorders. (5 - 6 different makers) So if all the "Mass Consumers" are buying + enabled recorders that I think will have way more of an impact then computer users DVDR purchase.

Good luck with whatever you buy.

[jacknjt]

get the verbatim dvd+r burner at office max. price should be da same as the a05 or less. it works great.

[thxkid]

want a trouble free burner that works with any programs and 95% of Standalone DVD players, go with the HP DVD200i, burned over a 100 DVD+R's without a hitch and they have played in any DVD players I have tried them in.

[VEFF]

I have the DRU-500A (got a hot deal for $228 shipped) and the A05 ($143 after rebate, tax included).

Unless you want to burn DVD+R/+RW, save yourself some money and get the A05 for $143ish after rebate, instant discount, PriceMatch and instant coupon.

The A05 doesn't have the great media compatibility with the smaller brands or 2X writing on 1X DVD-R media capability that the DRU-500A has, but the 2X DVD-Rs I tried (already had them) worked fine. They are only $78 + shipping & handling for 100...

[musher70]

OK, are ya ready, these are recent SONY products that i got...

Sony trinitron monitor 32inch, get rap station thru speakers
Sony am/fm cd cassette player, tape player eats my tapes now
Sony Super-Betamax player, audio was broken day i got it
Sony Vaio system, critical error first day
Sony high-end vhs recorders(three of those)with flying eraser heads
they last about a year, just like apex dvd's
Sony car-cd thingie,disc player broke too...

Many other sony products, they just dont live up to the hype.
They're cool when ya first get em, but then they break,very
unreliable shit...

[WeedVender]

Well you must have some very bad luck........

[crimpshrine]

OK, are ya ready, these are recent SONY products that i got...

Sony trinitron monitor 32inch, get rap station thru speakers
Sony am/fm cd cassette player, tape player eats my tapes now
Sony Super-Betamax player, audio was broken day i got it
Sony Vaio system, critical error first day
Sony high-end vhs recorders(three of those)with flying eraser heads
they last about a year, just like apex dvd's
Sony car-cd thingie,disc player broke too...

Many other sony products, they just dont live up to the hype.
They're cool when ya first get em, but then they break,very
unreliable shit...

Recent Betamax, where you located? I am wondering if this is a location related issue or something since I thought at least here in the USA you cant recently have bought a betamax Sony unless it's used. I don't think I have seen one since the 80's.

Yea you sure must have bad luck, I don't buy much sony equipment, but what I do have, a 21" Monitor for 4 years, and whatever TV's Ive owned have all been trouble free, Couple DVD players, did once have a DVD player from Sony that the laser went out on. But then again have had other DVD players with issues also..

Either way we are comparing apples to oranges. Like the guy said above, if you buy a Sony computer, most of it is not made directly by Sony and actually consists of Non Sony hardware, and if it is Chances are it's not made by the TV people, or the people that make their Betamax players, etc..

Check out Consumer reports some time, Sony has a pretty low service rate based on their surveys. (For the US)

[rcb3n474]

I have to agree with musher. I was a loyal Sony customer, until I bought a 53" XBR 'top of the line' tv. Paid almost 5 grand for this hunk of shit. Had to have it repaired 3 times, and now the picture is so bad it's almost unwatchable. I bought an HP 9510 cd-burner. Had to return it 3 times before I got one that worked. Read the forums. Turns out it's a Sony burner re-badged. That explains it. I also had a receiver a while back that had to be sent in for repairs. Needless to say, I don't buy Sony anymore.

Long ago Sony ruled for quality. I have a Sony 27" tv in my basement. One of the first stereo tv's made, so you know how old it is. It still looks and works like brand new, except the remote, it crapped out. I do have the Sony 7000 dvd player, which I bought about the same time as the XBR tv. It stills works great. Must have gotten lucky on that one.

[Heywould3]

I have the DRU-500A (got a hot deal for $228 shipped) and the A05 ($143 after rebate, tax included).

Unless you want to burn DVD+R/+RW, save yourself some money and get the A05 for $143ish after rebate, instant discount, PriceMatch and instant coupon.

The A05 doesn't have the great media compatibility with the smaller brands or 2X writing on 1X DVD-R media capability that the DRU-500A has, but the 2X DVD-Rs I tried (already had them) worked fine. They are only $78 + shipping & handling for 100...

Dude. Where did you find the A05 for 143ish? i looked all over the place.. even with rebates its 200+ if you wouldnt mind could you post the place you got that deal? or send me PM.. thanks a bunch

[Coop]

Despite a few headaches with instability due to crappy bundled software, I will vouch for the DRU500A based upon it's ability to record to both DVD formats AND for it's burning stability and speed.

[soundforbjt]

My advice....Wait for the Lite-On 4x +R\-R burner that will released in the 2nd quarter of this year for a targeted retail of $199.00 U.S. Lite-On always has great support and is trouble free. I personally called Lite-On to confirm this info.