DVD Burner Recommendations II

sechs

sechs

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My Plextor drive has developed the dreaded "two blinks" issue. It did a great job, but I ran it pretty hard in the last six months, and it no longer does it's key function -- burning DVDs.

I'm looking for cheap (<$50), burns CD-R at least 40x, CD-RW at least 12x, and DVD+/-R at least 8x; and does other functions at reasonably modern speeds. I don't expect to want to seriously use dual-layer media, so abilities there aren't relevant. Although I still have my trusty SCSI Pioneer, whatever drive I get will get main read duties, as well as writing. It would be nice if the drive was black... but not necesary.

In this thread from almost a year ago, folks here seemed to have high praise for NEC models. I've heard the same from elsewhere.

Right now, I'm looking at two models: BenQ DW1640 and NEC ND-3540A. Both are cheap and have positive feedback from users. I'm leaning towards the NEC, as it's cheaper, and the aforementioned praises.

What say people?
 
sechs said:
BenQ DW1640 and NEC ND-3540A.
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When I needed to decide between those same two models when I was provisioning my SN25P I chose the DW1640 due to it's better review ratings at a few different sites. It's been great so far.

Whichever you choose, I'd also recommend modded firmware by The Dangerous Brothers to make the drive region free and also get rid of the Rip Lock in the case of the NEC.
 
We have had a bad batch of Lite-On drives. (Yup, just after posting to say how 100% reliable they are.) Out of a box of 10, we have had 4 or 5 bad ones. Haven't bought any Lite-Ons since then. Probably just a bad batch, but we switched brands anyway.

First to Gigabyte. The Gigabytes are working fine. Rebadged BTC drives, but who cares?

More recently to LG. The LG drives have several advantages:

1: $2 cheaper. (Not that the price matters too much, but it's still worth having.)
2: Better software - i.e., you don't have to key in the stupid PowerDVD serial code anymore, it just installs without bothering you. I like that. Secondly, it all comes on one CD, so youi don't have to swap discs or fiddle around, pretty close to a one-click install, in fact.
3: A proper colour! Yes, real beige instead of this pox-ridden black crud with swappable covers we get from most of the other manufacturers. I'd gladly pay extra for this.
4: OEM packaging. I dislike the retail-box-everything mentality the computer industry has. Phenomenal wastage and environmental damage results. The LGs come in a plain plastic bag with a CD in a paper sleeve. Perfect!
 
You can get by just fine with an NEC 3540A. It fits all your requirements and is inexpensive for what it offers IMHO. If it were to only last a year you could probably argue it was only $40 (my pioneer 106 was $200 back in the day and I think it has paid for itself already).

I don't see any obvious reasons not to buy the NEC. Had I not been donated a DVD-R drive, I would have likely bought that NEC or the Pioneer DVR-10D.

The NEC hasn't been out long enough to know if these units will die pre-maturely. If you wait a year to find out, you'll be faced with this same situation when the NEC 3650 (or what have you) comes to the market. It's a chance to take, but at least the price keeps it at a low risk.
 
sechs said:
time said:
What was wrong with DVD Burner Recommendations I?
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Nothing... just no solid conclusion.
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Speaking of no solid conclusions, my suggestion in the Feedback forum for a "Recommendations" category never went anywhere. (Or was the best conclusion to just add them to the Toolbox category?) I sure do wish we had one though. I hate asking for new recommendations when I'm sure they've been offered somewhere else in a buried thread.
 
As fast as the hardware changes, you almost have to check every 90 days. Of course by then, the hardware you were considering is obsolete :o

Bozo :mrgrn:
 
Sure. But at least you'd know in which discussion to find updated opinions. I didn't expect a recommendation discussion on, for example, DVD writers would just suddenly come to a halt. :)
 
Handruin said:
The NEC hasn't been out long enough to know if these units will die pre-maturely.
Click to expand...

Actually... looking at "reviews" at Newegg, it seems like there are a number of these going bad fairly quickly. Maybe it's just a bad batch, but it doesn't make me feel good.

Based on Groltz's recommendation, I looked more closedly at the BenQ drive. For the ~$4 difference in price, it may be the better choice.

Both drives seem to be difficult to find in retail box from reputable sources at reasonable prices. Does everyone buy OEM these days?
 
I've read that it's the OEM NECs that are dying; apparently the retail versions are ok. I bought a retail NEC ND-3540A Black from Newegg on 08/31.
 
I've got two NEC 3540A's that haven't failed. Of course I haven't installed either of them yet... :oops:

:wink:

s
 
sechs said:
Handruin said:
The NEC hasn't been out long enough to know if these units will die pre-maturely.
Click to expand...

Actually... looking at "reviews" at Newegg, it seems like there are a number of these going bad fairly quickly. Maybe it's just a bad batch, but it doesn't make me feel good.

Based on Groltz's recommendation, I looked more closedly at the BenQ drive. For the ~$4 difference in price, it may be the better choice.

Both drives seem to be difficult to find in retail box from reputable sources at reasonable prices. Does everyone buy OEM these days?
Click to expand...

I didn't spend a lot of time on the newegg reviews, but you're right, there are several complaints. However, there are a hell of a lot of positive reviews.

CDRinfo has a positive review on the BenQ DW1640. For the price, you probably can't go wrong with that one either. I've also read good reports on the Pioneer DVR-110D. Was it you who doesn't like Pioneer or am I thinking of someone else?

To answer your question, aside from my Pioneer DVR A06 retail kit bought a couple years ago, I've only been buying OEM these days.
 
my NEC DW3540 is all right. it's been with me for 3 months.

well, sometimes it does not respond when I press the button, but it usually does after a try or two.
 
should have posted this with the previous one. always late. but never mind.

my NEC 3540 was bought retail by a friend from Hongkong at a cost of P3,500. That's USD 64.00 quite expensive. but they weren't available here in the Philippines, then. and they are just appearing here, OEM at a higher price.

Whatever failures I've had would be due to the cheap blanks I use. They cost USD 0.11. They are painted over blanks but I can discern the markings, "Memorex" they say, rated at 8X but my NEC burns them at 12X. The Nero info tool identifies the blanks as ProDisc RO3.
 
I finally got the drive into my machine today. It works.

I spent about two hours trying to flash the firmware. Turned out to be a bug in the Microsoft foundation classes library (thanks Microsoft!) that I was eventually able to work around. It burns my Ritek 8x discs at ~16x, which is pretty swift. I won't have time to put it completely through its paces until late in the week.

Thanks everyone for your input. If something breaks, it'll be your fault 8)
 
I haven't had problems with LiteOn drives (well, once), but a couple of my students have, after I talked them up. Makes me wonder if their QA has gone to pot. :(
 
The last batch we got was bad, Merc. New model with bad kharma? Bad batch? Dunno: I switched over to LG anyway. Besides, you don't have to change the poxy fron cover with the LG drives, and the software is better.
 
Lite-on just doesn't seem to have DVD burner design and production perfected yet. They seem to get better with every model, but they're not where other manufacturers already are.
 
It's not a "just yet" thing, Sechs, it's a "mastered it ages ago but now they have screwed up" thing. It turns out that my "bad batch" is not an isolated incident. Lots of people hre in Oz are suddenly having trouble with Lite-On DVDRs now, after years of trouble-free product. I guess they will fix whatever the problem is soon enough, but meanwhile I've gone with LG and Gigabyte. Lite-Ons are being sold off very, very cheaply in Melbourne by the bottom of the market shops, I'm told.
 
I disagree. DVD burners haven't been around for "ages," and Lite-on started behind the curve in design. The vast majority of people have prefered other companies for their designs and quality.
 
Huh? You are talking about the best-known and best-selling brand there is - certainly in this country, and elsewhere around the world as well if the number of Lite-On recommendations in forums are any guide. One of the best-respected too. Lite-On remains an instant brand-recognition sell (similar buyer recognition to, for example, Pioneer or Panasonic), where by contrast people need some persuasion before they buy a less well-respected brand (for example, A-Open, BTC, Gigabyte, BenQ, and so on). Unfortunately, their latest product seems to have slipped off the usual standard.
 
I don't think that you're reading what I'm writing, as it seems like you're talking about some other subject.
 
Aw sh*t. I broke moy NEC 3500A. It was a nice drive that I disd not expect to replace anytime soon, but you know what a full I am with teh daamges. :( Is the NEC 3550A any good?
 
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