Topic: Do quality DVD burners still exist?

[JD]

It seems like I can only get 6 months out of a DVD rom till I'm burning coasters. I know they are only $25, but it is a PIA to keep changing them and I start to wonder about the quality of the burns I get on my archival DVDs.

I use to use Plextors, they are no more, although I think there are a couple out there that are re-branded with their name yet. Been using Lite-ons with rather poor results. I have one in now that is only a month old that sounds like a helicopter taking off!

What brand / models are you all using?

[mattmiller]

I've had good luck with Lite-On, Plextor, and Asus.  In fact, the only brand of optical drive that I've ever had problems with is Sony (two CD-RW drives died on me back in the day).  Otherwise, it sounds like you're using good names, just having bad luck.

[newplanet7]

I have a lite-on that I've had since late 2005 and it still runs like a champ.
I bought a philips in '08 and it makes coasters.
The philips I use only for movie burning for
stuff I could give two shits about, and the lite-on burns everything else.

What discs are you using?

[JD]

What discs are you using?

TY's exclusively.

I don't think it is the disks, the burners are physically wearing out. Granted I use my burners allot more than the average Joe, but I think they should last longer than 4 or 5 hundred DVD/CD burns. I even use a different DVD-ROM to do the MD5 checks and all my playback and movie watching. 

[KenH]

I use to use Plextors, they are no more, although I think there are a couple out there that are re-branded with their name yet.

I just got an email from Plextor asking to fill out a dvd burning survey, so apparently they're not out of the game ?

That said, my comments in the survey indicated that their quality has gone downhill. At least that's my experience w/ a $100 external usb dvd burner which does not like to burn at high speeds and creates too many coasters.  My older aluminum cased usb cd burner is still running strong!

[OFOTD]

Plextor does not make their own burners anymore.  Any that are sold are rebranded.

An excellent website for all things CD?DVD Burning is www.cdfreaks.com 

Check it out for ALL info re: burners.  The site will answer and any questions you may have.

[guitard]

I've still got my first burner - an external 1X made by Lacie.  If you tied the cord around someone's ankle and tossed them overboard - they'd be a goner because it's so heavy it could fill in for a boat anchor in a pinch.

Every now and then I can't rip a disk using my internal drive, so I get out the ol' Lacie and it never fails me.

I can't remember exactly..........I think I got it in 2002 for $600+.

[rjp]

Granted, I don't use my burners on an "industrial" scale, but I still have several old NEC (pre-Optiarc) drives that work wonderfully. The same can't be said for the Optiarc (Sony/NEC joint venture) drive I have in one machine - it burns well, but it will go catatonic if I try to rip a CD-R with it, even though pressed CDs will rip fine. Fie on Sony for killing the NEC drives!