Topic: External DVD-RW drive recs?

[shaggy]

My SONY DRX510ul is unreliable....I am now getting lead-in write errors (fails to write image about 2 minutes into the session) everytime with DVDs (yet it burns CDRs just fine).  I need some external that I can count on.  Any recs or any idea to my problem?  This is very very frustrating.

ANDY

[MattD]

The Pioneer DVR-108 has been great for me thus far and has gotten good reviews from other forum members (check the Retail Space board, I think). It's available for around $70 at newegg.

[RRobar]

I just got the Pioneer DVR-108.  I threw it in a usb 2.0 extrnal box and works like a charm. Single greatest device I have ever bought (not really but it's working great with my iBook) I got it for $72 bucks shipped from www.shop4tech.com, who also has great deal on blanks as well. I juts got a 100 spindle of white inkjet discs for $33 shipped.

[macdaddy]

I just got the Pioneer DVR-108.  I threw it in a usb 2.0 extrnal box and works like a charm. Single greatest device I have ever bought (not really but it's working great with my iBook) I got it for $72 bucks shipped from www.shop4tech.com, who also has great deal on blanks as well. I juts got a 100 spindle of white inkjet discs for $33 shipped.

so you have to buy the drive, and then put it in a box of it's own..? how much does the box cost..?

+t for the info.

[RRobar]

Well, I have a G4 iBook. And no place for a internal box. SO in looking for a DVD burner, I was looking for a external. If you get a plextor or lacie they can run over $200 for an external with teh same specs. I got the pioneer internal drive as it's native for a mac and works with no set up. I bought the drive and had a usb 2.0 box that I put the drive in. You can buy a usb 2.0 box for about $20 or so online. So under $100 you get the best of current technology. It's been working great. Seeing that I run a mac I had to be a bit more concered with compatability than those on PC's.

[nic]

Well, I have a G4 iBook. And no place for a internal box. SO in looking for a DVD burner, I was looking for a external. If you get a plextor or lacie they can run over $200 for an external with teh same specs. I got the pioneer internal drive as it's native for a mac and works with no set up. I bought the drive and had a usb 2.0 box that I put the drive in. You can buy a usb 2.0 box for about $20 or so online. So under $100 you get the best of current technology. It's been working great. Seeing that I run a mac I had to be a bit more concered with compatability than those on PC's.

the LaCie external burners are the Pioneers in a custom box, or at least they were as of a year ago... 

[RRobar]

Well, I have a G4 iBook. And no place for a internal box. SO in looking for a DVD burner, I was looking for a external. If you get a plextor or lacie they can run over $200 for an external with teh same specs. I got the pioneer internal drive as it's native for a mac and works with no set up. I bought the drive and had a usb 2.0 box that I put the drive in. You can buy a usb 2.0 box for about $20 or so online. So under $100 you get the best of current technology. It's been working great. Seeing that I run a mac I had to be a bit more concered with compatability than those on PC's.

the LaCie external burners are the Pioneers in a custom box, or at least they were as of a year ago... 

Exactly why I went this route. I saved at least $100 by buying making my own external. I plan on getting a few drives soon and doing the same.

[shaggy]

I have a firewire interface only (actually i.link), got a Vaio SR27K.  I have to keep it all small.  Can I get a firewire case?  How do you do this anyway?  Do you need additional drivers, it just sounds complicated.  Can I take the Sony DRX510 out of the current case that it is in and stick something else in?

ANDY

[RRobar]

I have a firewire interface only (actually i.link), got a Vaio SR27K.  I have to keep it all small.  Can I get a firewire case?  How do you do this anyway?  Do you need additional drivers, it just sounds complicated.  Can I take the Sony DRX510 out of the current case that it is in and stick something else in?

ANDY

You can get a firewire case as newegg.com or other places. SOmetimes as low as $25. Open the case and plop in the drive. Screw it back together and your golden. The cases come with power supply. No additional drivers should be needed. I just plugged it in and it worked right away with OSx. Your mileage on a PC may be different, But should not be that different. Is this a desktop or laptop machine? If it's a desktop. By all means you can take out the old drive and replace it. If it's a laptop and a external is needed then buying a firwire box is you best bet. I have seen some external DVD burners for PC's as low as $150 or so.

[macdaddy]

I have a firewire interface only (actually i.link), got a Vaio SR27K.  I have to keep it all small.  Can I get a firewire case?  How do you do this anyway?  Do you need additional drivers, it just sounds complicated.  Can I take the Sony DRX510 out of the current case that it is in and stick something else in?

ANDY

You can get a firewire case as newegg.com or other places. SOmetimes as low as $25. Open the case and plop in the drive. Screw it back together and your golden. The cases come with power supply. No additional drivers should be needed. I just plugged it in and it worked right away with OSx. Your mileage on a PC may be different, But should not be that different. Is this a desktop or laptop machine? If it's a desktop. By all means you can take out the old drive and replace it. If it's a laptop and a external is needed then buying a firwire box is you best bet. I have seen some external DVD burners for PC's as low as $150 or so.

nice.
+t for the info.

[RRobar]

Check out external Hard drives at Best buy or compusa. For a 250 GB external drive it's like $280. I've seen internal 250 GB drives for under $150 easily. Buy a $25 USB 2.0 or firewire case and you get a 250 GB external burner for almost $100 less if you throw it into the box yourself. I initially thought it would be complicated, but it's NOT. I had my DVd burner set up in about 10 min. Attach the cable to the drive and the power cable as well. Close the box, screw it together unless you wnat it to be ghetto and your good to go. I have a 40 GB 2.5 drive I'm going to buy a case for so I can use it for a more portable drive. SInce I have a iBook I pretty much have to use externals this is just a much cheaper option from buying stuff that is "Made"external from the manufacturer.

[shaggy]

+T to you RRobar!

Last question: I asked this b4 but probably not in the right way: can I use the box that the SONY DRX510UL came in (an external SONY box) and throw in a Pioneer DVR-108?

[RRobar]

+T to you RRobar!

Last question: I asked this b4 but probably not in the right way: can I use the box that the SONY DRX510UL came in (an external SONY box) and throw in a Pioneer DVR-108?

You should be able to. If it's firwire and the drives are the same should be no problem. I used a pacific digital usb 2.0 box that had  52 x burner in it. I can throw that drive anywhere or if I get another firewire box I'll put the pioneer in the firewire and put the old cd burner back in the other box.

Good luck!

[shaggy]

Sorry for the barrage of questions but I have never done something like this before.  I cracked the SONY box open and it looks pretty simple to do.  When you say the same drive, you mean it is a DVD-R drive....it doesn't matter about the manufacturer or if the DVD-R is single layer vs dual layer, correct?  Again, I am swapping out the Pioneer DVR-108 for the SONY DRX510A innards.  I suppose what I am implying is that I hope that SONY is not using a propietary interface between the ATAPI connection and the firewire out.  ANDY

[RRobar]

Sorry for the barrage of questions but I have never done something like this before.  I cracked the SONY box open and it looks pretty simple to do.  When you say the same drive, you mean it is a DVD-R drive....it doesn't matter about the manufacturer or if the DVD-R is single layer vs dual layer, correct?  Again, I am swapping out the Pioneer DVR-108 for the SONY DRX510A innards.  I suppose what I am implying is that I hope that SONY is not using a propietary interface between the ATAPI connection and the firewire out.  ANDY

No it does not matter what it is. SHould be able to put a cd rom drive in there if you like. I would doubt there is a propritary interface. You should be able to put that in no problem. You can see that there is just a short ribbon cable for the drive and small wire for the power. Like I said before, I put my pioneer 108 in a box that was made for PC's only and works juts fine on my mac. The box is just that, a box (well with a couple of wires).