New Cendyne +/- Burner!

[whoster69]

Costco is selling a new Cendyne +/- burner for $229 (internal). They also have the external for $289.

Has anyone used one of these yet?

Anyone have an opinion on Cendyne?

Here's the link: http://www.costco.com/frameset.asp?trg=subcat%2Easp&catid=84&subid=1333&hierid=1373&log=&NavTop=

Any/all info on this drive/company appreciated!

[Tommyknocker]

I just got a CenDyne A04. It works fine. Someone should have told me the blank disk you get with it was not a DVD-RW but a DVD-ROM.

[ROBERT BLACK]

I'm curious as to what rebadged make, they're selling for the +/- internal burner?

[gcutler]

Cendyne takes alot of other drives and just puts their own box on it (they buy alot of drives and give little support and minimal SW) so they can sell less than the original manufacturer. So this drive may not be their own brand but another brand in a Cendyne Box.

Many-Many people including myself are very happy with the Cendyne Boxed products because the Original Equipment is can be very good, but each Cendyne model is a different animal.

Here is a link to the internal model...I don't see if it is a OEM or a new drive actually produced by Cendyne.
http://www.cendyne.com/Products/product.asp?Product_part_number=CDICD00208

According to http://www.twice.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleId=CA288312&pubdate=03/27/2003&disp...=searchResults

The -/+ RW PC drive will carry a $299 suggested retail price. It will sell under the Verbatim brand, which CenDyne licenses from blank media maker Verbatim/Mitsubishi Chemical.

$229 for a dual media is one of the best deals you can get, question is "Is the Verbatim based model any good?". You may want to search for the model in these forums under Verbatim or Cendyne to see what people think of them. Ignore any reference to the Cendyne 104 or 105 "-" only drives as that is a different model.

[LanEvo7]

Looks like the end of the +/- war is comming.

[gcutler]

Looks like the end of the +/- war is comming.

Well there still might be a battle between which media type is better, but soon it won't make a difference as everyone will probably end up with an inexpensive dual media drive and will probably just go with what media is cheapest (or easiest to find)

[LanEvo7]

Thats basically what I meant. If you buy a dual drive. +R and -R won't matter anymore.

[MachineMan]

The Cendyne is probably a re-packaged Pioneer.

[timmmay]

I doubt it's pioneer, unless pioneer just came-out with a newer model than the A05?

[-jsl-]

No Pioneer has not released a dual format drive yet, but I've heard rumours that the Pioneer DVR-A06D/DVR-106D (retail/OEM) is going to be a DVD±R/RW writer and will be released this summer.

The Cendyne/Verbatim DVD±R/RW drive is likely a rebadged NEC ND-1300A.

Edit: But when I checked the specifications I realized that the CD-R/RW write speed (24x/8x) and the access times (200/180 ms) are not the same as the ND-1300A (16x/10x and 140/120 ms)so either they're wrong or it's another drive.

[Timoleon]

I've got a Cendyne (Pioneer 105) minus, which compliments my TDK IndiDVD 4X plus. Both have been very well-behaved for the past couple of months

Haven't seen any firmware upgrades available lately --- maybe because there is no need? Anyway, I bet the Cendyne +/- is a both a good buy and a wise choice.

[vric]

look like a Verbatim to me

[txpharoah]

Didn't TDK get into the +/- arena now? I'd put my money on that deal. I don't see Sony or Verbatim licensing out their drives. After all, Sony doesn't usually make anything themselves anyway. I'm still wondering who made their drive.

[-jsl-]

Sony makes its own DVD writers (the DRU-500/510).
TDK does not make any DVD writers. TDK 440N is a rebadged NEC ND-1300A.

Verbatim PGI (Peripherals Group, Inc) does not make any DVD writers. Verbatims DVD±R/RW writer is a rebadged ND-1300A.
Cendyne does not make any DVD writers, its dual format writer could be a ND-1300A too and the specifications @Cendynes site are in that case just wrong.
Verbatim PGI is a subsidiary of Cendyne or in practice Cendyne use the name "Verbatim" (licensed from Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.) for some of the drives they sell. Previously they sold rebadged DVD+R/RW drives (Ricoh and NEC) under the Verbatim name and rebadged DVD-R/RW drives (Pioneer) under the Cendyne name but obviously they now sell DVD+R/RW and DVD±R/RW drives under the Verbatim name and DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW and DVD±R/RW drives under the Cendyne name.

[whoster69]

Sony makes its own DVD writers (the DRU-500/510).
TDK does not make any DVD writers. TDK 440N is a rebadged NEC ND-1300A.

Verbatim PGI (Peripherals Group, Inc) does not make any DVD writers. Verbatims DVD±R/RW writer is a rebadged ND-1300A.
Cendyne does not make any DVD writers, its dual format writer could be a ND-1300A too and the specifications @Cendynes site are in that case just wrong.
Verbatim PGI is a subsidiary of Cendyne or in practice Cendyne use the name "Verbatim" (licensed from Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.) for some of the drives they sell. Previously they sold rebadged DVD+R/RW drives (Ricoh and NEC) under the Verbatim name and rebadged DVD-R/RW drives (Pioneer) under the Cendyne name but obviously they now sell DVD+R/RW and DVD±R/RW drives under the Verbatim name and DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW and DVD±R/RW drives under the Cendyne name.

I was told elsewhere (I don't remember the source) that Lite-On makes most of the parts for the Sony. Could the Cendyne be a Lite-On drive?

[-jsl-]

Sony's latest CD-RW drives are made by Lite-On but not the DVD writers (yet). Lite-On LDW-400D DVD±R/RW is actually a Sony OEM DW-U10A. Lite-On's first "own" DVD writer, the LDW-401S, will be available in June/July.

[VinnySem]

I am going to venture a guess and offer that the Cendyne drive is a Pioneer. Pioneer could have modified the A05 to support the +R/RW format. All the other speeds are identical to the A05. Any it is widely known that Cendyne rebadges the other Pioneer drives. $229 for a Pioneer dual format drive? $289 for the external model?

MUST....RESIST... SPENDING....MORE....MONEY...GAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

[whoster69]

I am going to venture a guess and offer that the Cendyne drive is a Pioneer. Pioneer could have modified the A05 to support the +R/RW format. All the other speeds are identical to the A05. Any it is widely known that Cendyne rebadges the other Pioneer drives. $229 for a Pioneer dual format drive? $289 for the external model?

MUST....RESIST... SPENDING....MORE....MONEY...GAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

Hmmm. Maybe you are right. Take a look at this!

http://www.cdrlabs.com/#1

[VinnySem]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1093&ncid=1093&e=3&u=/pcworld/20030519...pcworld/110775

Coincidence? I think not....

[whoster69]

Well it looks like it's the NEC ND-1300A. Take a look the following that I read at CDR Labs...

Ordered the INTERNAL version from costco.com on Sunday. Arrived today:

The drive is NEC ND-1300A.

Source:
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=65760#65760

Anyone read any reviews of this drive?

[whoster69]

I was able to find one review of the NEC ND-1300A. You can read it at: http://www.cdrwcentral.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=61

Also, there is a media compatibility guide at: http://www.necd.de/software/1032_Medialist_ND-1300A.pdf

If anyone finds any more info, please post.

Sounds like a nice drive!

[dcsos]

The PIONEER A06 due out soon is certainly a + and - machine
that's all I can add
newer remarketed drives may be this inside

[twonabomber]

found the Cendyne +/- drive at BJ's Wholesale Club today for $219...

[whoster69]

found the Cendyne +/- drive at BJ's Wholesale Club today for $219...

Where is that?

[whoster69]

And now Costco's raised their price by $10....

[twonabomber]

found the Cendyne +/- drive at BJ's Wholesale Club today for $219...

Where is that?

one of their Cleveland area stores. they don't sell stuff on their website, just a store locator. www.bjs.com i'd bet that not all stores have the same merchandise, so you may have to hunt for it. and don't forget the $40 membership fee, which would put you over the $219...

[whoster69]

found the Cendyne +/- drive at BJ's Wholesale Club today for $219...

Where is that?

one of their Cleveland area stores. they don't sell stuff on their website, just a store locator. www.bjs.com i'd bet that not all stores have the same merchandise, so you may have to hunt for it. and don't forget the $40 membership fee, which would put you over the $219...

Thanks for the info. Sounds like Costco. I'd never heard of them (I live out west). Maybe I can tell Costco about this and they'll lower their price. I wasn't happy to see them raise it before I could buy one...

[ADS Ivan]

Yeah, BJ's is a Costco/Sams Club type Club store where you pay for the membership and so on, but obviously get amazing prices...

Anyone know if Costco has those drives in store? or if they are just online?

[MachineMan]

Didn't see it in the store, (San Jose, CA). Only online.

[ADS Ivan]

I just went to a Costco here in LA (City of Industry), they said that their stores do not offer any of the items that are on their website, however they can accept returns for those items in the stores. I don't know how much validity there is to that, but I can confirm that they did not have product, nor did they have shelf space for any DVD recordable drives.