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What DVD Writer Would You Recommend?

Posted by Cliff on from the obsoleting-plain-CDRs dept.

Artemis Entreri asks: "I've decided that the next paycheck is going to buy me a DVD burner. The storage capacity is sexy, and the ability to make backups of movies and PS2 games is irresistible. I've done some research, but not enough to really reassure me. Between the three technologies (DVD+RW, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM), and the various companies making burners, I'm not sure what to get. Any ideas on which format is going to prevail? Anybody know which burners are the ones-to-get?"

11 of 30 comments (clear)

  1. Pioneer A03 by cymru1 · · Score: 3, Informative

    The pioneer-A03 is very nice, not too extortionate and can burn dvd's that are readable in standalone players

    1. Re:Pioneer A03 by Judg3 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I second that motion. We've used several diffrent DVD burners and by all means the Pioneer DVR-A03 has to be the best of em.

      We where using one of their older drives that required the "DVD Media for Authoring". Those are 4-5 times more expenisve then the "DVD media for general use" the A03 supports. A 4.7GB DVD-RW sells for only 11$ over at CDW versus 25$ for the other, 4.7Gb DVD for Authoring.

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      Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
  2. no to RAM by heliocentric · · Score: 3, Informative

    I have a DVD-RAM drive, and although it's great for my needs (storing mpegs from a survelance camera) the media is locked in what are basically fat 5.25" floppy disk like jackets - read: won't go well in your PS2, etc... Drive works great and the media prices sure have come down, but I don't think this product's feature set intersects your needs.

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    Wheeeee
  3. Region coding with dvd-burners? by inburito · · Score: 2

    How about region coding?
    Are new dvd-burners cursed with this "feature" or could we finally, after paying USD5-600 watch/record whatever we want?

  4. Pirates know Best by TheDarkRogue · · Score: 5, Informative

    Again, i'm not one to advertise, but GameCopyWorld and their daughter sites are imo the best for information on stuff like this. They are the ones that lead me to my decision on which CDRW to buy and I have been nothing but happy with it. You can find a link to a DVD Comparison of theirs Here which gives a comparison between them and different drives and such. They will also give you links and info on DVD Backup software that you can use.

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    (Score:0, Interesting)
    1. Re:Pirates know Best by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 2
      sure wish I could look at that site. it keeps crashing netscape (immediately) upon clicking on that site. I have java and script both disabled AND I use an adblocker.

      I'm sure there's good info on that site, but I tried twice (once from a freshly run netscape) and its just not viewable with ns 4.77, linux version ;-(

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      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    2. Re:Pirates know Best by BroadbandBradley · · Score: 2

      time to abandon the old 4.x ....and run Mozilla it seems to load just fine..(and yes I'm running it on Linux)

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      "The Most Fun Possible on 4 wheels" is at SunBuggy in Las Vegas
  5. GO with the Pioneer or Panasonic (Matsushita) by Llama+Keeper · · Score: 4, Informative

    I consult for a video production company that has 2 DVD-R(W) drives. We test drove 5 different drives and settled on 2. We have a Pioneer DVR-103 (thats the "superdrive" thats in the new Apples) and a Matsushita LF-D310.

    We use the drives for a couple of different things, permament archiving of Data, outputting video when it won't fit on a CD, and we have one in house production that we sell on DVD which we burn in house (1-2 copies a month).

    I like the Pioneer because it burns at 2 speed, and reads and writes DVD-RW. It however is finicky about firmware versions, and doens't like to do more than 3 or 4 multiple copies.

    The Matsushita accepts DVD-RAM and DVD-R (Both formats) and I really like that feature. It however only burns and 1 speed and I always have to do a test burn. I would recomend the Pioneer over the Matsushita for the average person, because DVD-RAM media is so expensive.

    Shop around when looking for DVD-R media, if you buy in bulk (more than 10 units) you can often get media for $6 a piece. E-mail me if you need a link to buy the media.

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    Rule of Life Number 2: Remember, it can all go to hell at any minute. --Jimmy Buffet
  6. NOPE!!! by Llama+Keeper · · Score: 2, Interesting

    DVD-RW doesn't necesarily mean that the drive reads DVD-RAM. There are two drives that handle DVD-R and DVD-RAM, the MAtsishita I posted about is decent the other one is Bloody Crap.

    LLAMA

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    Rule of Life Number 2: Remember, it can all go to hell at any minute. --Jimmy Buffet
  7. Re:DVD-Burners can be region-less by inburito · · Score: 2

    Yeh.. but what about watching dvd's with a 500usd drive? Still region coded?

    Copying dvd's as such is not really that interesting unless you make them divx and fit 20 movies on a single dvd..

  8. This is coming out next year by Qaseem · · Score: 2, Informative

    an article in ZDNET states that Hitachi is coming out with a multi-format DVD player/recorder. Read it at
    http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20011105/tc/hita ch i_develops_versatile_dvd_drive_1.html

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