Need a good CD/DVD burner for computer

[Dave N]

I need to replace the optical drives on a couple of work computers and was told to price out some CD/DVD burners. For starters I checked the Best Buy and Circuit City websites and saw that these start around $80 (before rebates). Then, checking CDW and PC Connection, I saw that there were Sony and Hitachi models for as little as $45. There were some other cheaper brands too.



So can someone recommend a good brand or specific model to buy? Are the $45 Sony/Hitachi units worth it?

 

[BobD]

I would go to newegg.com and read the reviews. That is what I have been doing.

 

[TN9thSi]

Check out NewEgg.com . Read the reviews on various units. There are several very good drives for under $40. I've had Samsung, Sony, and NEC. They all work great. Will you need dual layer capability?

 

[gmblack3]

Get the NEC 3550a from Newegg for under $37 shipped. You can read the reviews on the link.

 

[Dave N]

Thanks for all the newegg recommendations. Sounds like this is the place to buy!

 

[SilverLexus]

Plextor is the brand to get. Their burners are the best!

 

[boywonder]

Dave: I will echo the recommendation of Newegg. I bought my Lite-On DVD Burner and Combo drive from them and I do not have any problems whatsoever. In addition, my DVD Burner has LightScribe capability.



The Lite-On Combo Drive (CD-RW and DVD-ROM) is $26.99 at Newegg.

 

[Dave N]

Yeah, I've seen the Light-On brand and it's always priced lower. I just didn't know whether it is as good as Sony/NEC/Hitachi/Etc. Sounds like its working well for you though. We would mainly be using the DVD writers for data backups.

 

[boywonder]

Dave,



I have the Lite-On SHM-165H6S wi9th LightScribe. That burner is remarkably fast for the price. I found it for $36.90 at Mwave.



http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA42240



DVD Family:



Write

DVD+R 16x ( 21600 KB/sec ) maximum by CAV

DVD+R9 8x ( 10800 KB/sec ) maximum by Z-CLV

DVD-R 16x ( 21600 KB/sec ) maximum by CAV

DVD-R9 4x ( 5400 KB/sec ) maximum by CLV

ReWrite

DVD+RW 8x ( 10800 KB/sec ) by CLV

DVD-RW 6x ( 8100 KB/sec ) by CLV

Read: 16x ( 21600 KB/sec ) maximum by CAV

Access time: 160 ms

CD Family:



Write: CD-R 48x ( 7200 KB/sec ) maximum by CAV

ReWrite: CD-RW 24x ( 3600 KB/sec ) maximum by Z-CLV in UltraSpeed disc

Read: 48x ( 7200 KB/sec ) maximum by CAV

Access time: 160 ms



Lightscribe Labeling :

CDR Media 1.6x

DVD+R Media 1.6x



Buffer Size : 2 MB ( Max )



They say it's for a P4 1.5 GHz or better but I have one installed in an AMD K6 750 and it runs with no problems with Nero 7. I also have one on my Opteron 165 based system and I am about to get Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 for it.



Lite-On has a very good reputation for their equipment and they provide the best bang for the buck.



As for media, I have used Memorex LightScribe media with no problem. I also plan to use Verbatim and TDK.