Good DVD Burner?

[RWIndiana]

What's the best brand and/or model of DVD-RW drive?

I just bought a Lite-On SHW-160P6S, which for around 20 bucksa (newegg), I was pretty pleased with when I tested it out. It was better than my old one for sure.

So, didn't use it for a while (although the computer it was in is used almost on a daily basis), maybe a week or two, popped in a CD and it refused to read. It doesn't even recognize that there is any media in the drive. Same deal with any and all CDs and DVDs. I cleaned it, tried it in other computers and, well, I'm pretty sure it's gone unless this is a common problem with some kind of easy fix (the latter seeming unlikely).

It rather irritates me that I'll have to wait on another one.

 

[timwhit]

What do you expect for $20?

I have not had the best of luck with Lite-On either. Though, my sample size is small I am going to avoid them from now on, if possible.

 

[Buck]

Ironically, S*ny DVD/CD RW drives are rebadged Lite-On things. I have been very satisfied with the NEC ND-3550A series, and I know a good place to buy them. <cough>

 

[Mercutio]

I had good luck with LiteOns for a very long time. At the beginning of this year I got two bad batches of drives in a short period of time so I dropped them for NEC.

I will also say that quality control on DVD burners in general is in the toilet.

 

[RWIndiana]

What do you expect for $20?

Yeah, I know. Thought I was lucky, while it worked . . .

I had the idea that Lite-On was pretty good. Glad I got set straight.

I got one of those drives, Buck. It even supports dual-layer. Cool.

 

[Brown_Sugar]

I never have any problem with my optical drives. I use NEC ND3550 for my computer and Sony D30A for my sister's desktop. Both are 16x Dual Layer. I want to try pioneer for next time but i don't think i need it for quite awhile.
One thing you should know about electronics especially the one that comes in bulk/oem, the manufacturer always mix the class A and Class B quality product in a batch. So i guess we need a little luck when buying bulk/oem product. That's what i think, Correct me if i'm wrong!

 

[Mercutio]

OEM devices are the same thing as retail minus packaging. NEC or S*ny or Samsung or whichever company is not going to piss off a channel partner by putting substandard parts in bulk packaging. After all, they want to be the supplier on the next go-round as well.

The only exception to this I'm aware of is monitors. As I understand it, most of the top-grade Samsung LCD panels stay in Korea.

 

[Buck]

Also, the commonly used description "OEM" is often used incorrectly. If a product is OEM, then it is designed with a direct customer in mind - often with specific alterations (hard drive manufacturers do this because the request for a different LBA count or acoustic level needs to be met). Typically, the non-retail packaged components are just that, generic components that have been put in plain packaging. Retailers and distributors should refer to most of these items as what they really are, plain packaged items -- not OEM.

 

[mubs]

As I understand it, most of the top-grade Samsung LCD panels stay in Korea.

Why is that? I'd think the voild's biggest / most important market would be the US of A.

 

[paugie]

I have a NEC ND3540 going on a year now, still is working well. Had it purchased for me by a friend in Hongkong. They are not available here.

Here, the rage is LG, cheap and quite reliable, model numbers are H10N, H20N or H10L, H20L. The L models are lightscribe capable. They seem to be slow in acknowledging when a disc is inserted, but are otherwise OK.

Other popular DVD burners here are BenQ but the reviews say they are finicky with blanks.