Would a separate DVD player increase lifespan of DVD burner?

[kozara]

If I don't usually use the bruner to play DVDs, does it increase the life of the burner? I'm thinking yes, but I want to know if experience or fact agrees.

[fk]

No, it certainly shortens (not increase) the life of the burner to use it to playback DVDs. How much, I think, is only academic.

[jman98]

The original question was not really stated in a good way. As a native English speaker, I understand it. fk's answer, though correct, was also not stated in a good way in relation to what the original poster is asking.

Bottom line - the less you use a drive, the longer it lasts. So by not using the burner for playback, you make it take longer for the burner to wear out, but it will eventually wear out anyway. Nothing you can do technically can "increase the life of the burner". What you meant to ask is this -
"If I don't use the burner to play DVDs, will it make the burner last longer than if use it for burning and playback?"

[pepegot1]

For me, a burner is just for burning. I use a separate DVD player for viewing.

[oldandinthe way]

As I see it burners are cheap enough to be disposible. I get about a year out of a burner with heavy use. Its unlikley I'd get two years if I bought a second drive. And if I did I would have the added hassle of firmware updates for new media, and a drive whose maximum speed is lower than the latest models.

I pay my 30 bucks, use the drive until it dies and buy another.

[somebodeez]

I have an old burner that can't give reliable burns anymore but I use it to do the ripping and playing and use my Plextor (AKA BenQ 1640 which, AFAIK isn't manufactured anymore ) for burning in the hopes that will extend the life of my really good burner.
It must be helping because my burner is still going great! (knock on wood)

As always, YMMV.

[bevills1]

I've had a LiteOn LVW-5005 recorder for 3 to 4 years used for recording only that's still recording with no problems while my son's 5005 recorder used for recording and play back lasted only 6 months before needing replacement. However, for PC burners I think I'd just replace the burner since they are so inexpensive instead of getting a DVD ROM drive for the PC.

[kozara]

Good point that I could've phrased my question better, but the responses are helpful.

I currently have a new and one-year old DVD burner, the older one starting to give me errors when burning but which still plays DVDs fine mosttimes. Is there a significant chance the old burner can harm the DVDs in playing them?

If not, I'll keep the old burner as a player. If there's a chance, I'll look for a good primary player.

[bevills1]

It shouldn't hurt DVDs, but I'd play only backup copies just in case. I once had a CD shatter into dozens of pieces during burn in a CD writer which exhibited no problems prior to this incident. I don't know if that was a bad CD or a drive problem, but it won't hurt to err on side of caution. Actually this is good practice for any drive IMO.

[jman98]

Is there a significant chance the old burner can harm the DVDs in playing them?

If not, I'll keep the old burner as a player. If there's a chance, I'll look for a good primary player.

Significant? Not at all. The odds of what happened to bevills1 happening to you are quite low. I've never heard of this kind of thing happening to anyone I know and I have no fear of it happening to me, but I suppose somebody could get unlucky and it could happen to them.

[oldandinthe way]

I've had a LiteOn LVW-5005 recorder for 3 to 4 years used for recording only that's still recording with no problems while my son's 5005 recorder used for recording and play back lasted only 6 months before needing replacement. However, for PC burners I think I'd just replace the burner since they are so inexpensive instead of getting a DVD ROM drive for the PC.

I have had a Lite-ON LW5005 for a few years now. In my opinion the actual drive in it is a piece of crap mechanically. Obviously the less you use it for any purpose the longer it will last. Typcial problems include the drawer sticking. Fortunately the drive can be replaced with a variety of vendors PC compatible drives. I have not had similar mechanical problems with any other vendor's CD or DVD drives be they players or burners.