How to select a good DVD writer

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Why not?

Right now hey are very cheap!

Take a look here

I guess you can forget soon, and the first blu-ray burners on the market are probably not cheap...
When they are there, don't buy the first available, wait 6 months or better 1 year after release.

Yes

No

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Hi,
CD burners have been around for about 10 years, and DVD burners for about 5 years. Even though DVD burners have been around for 5 years, CD burners are still very popular and massively used. Most music is CD so they will remain around for many more years. Most movies are DVD so they will remain for many more years. And still, regardless, even if new technology takes hold, it will take at least 5 years for DVD burners to become obsolete.
I give them 10 years.
Take a look at Win98, it's still alive after 8 years, even though XP's been around for 4. And hardware changes even more slowly than software. Hell, we still have floppies, even though no one uses them.
Mrk

 

Update about the brandnew BenQ DW1650/DW1655 DVD ReWriters.


Both with the same specifications, with one exception:
the DW1655 is with LightScibe technology.


Specifications:

- Dual Cooling System
- Write Right
- SolidBurn
- Over Speed Burning feature by using the QSuite application interface


Performance

Writing Speed

16X +R
16X -R
8X +RW
6X -RW
8X +R DL
4X -R DL
48X CD-R
32X CDRW
48X CDROM
16X DVDROM

Reading speed

Max. DVD Reading speed 16x
Max. CD reading speed 48x

Seek time 120ms (DVD) / 120ms (CD)

Weight

0.82 kg

Dimensions

(LxWxH)146 x 178 x 42 mm

Buffer Size

2MB

Interface

ATA / ATAPI

Writing Mode

DVD+R/+RW]
DVD Data and Video

[CD-R/-RW]
Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once, Multisession, Packet Writing (fixed & variable packet), CD Digital Audio, Direct-Over-Write on CD-RW, Simulation Writing​

Disc Formats

DVD

Write DVD+R DL 8.5GB, DVD-R DL 8.5GB, DVD+R 4.7GB , DVD+RW 4.7GB , DVD-R 4.7GB ,DVD-RW 4.7GB (Close session)

Read DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-18, DVD+R/-R/+RW/-RW

CD

CD-DA, CD-ROM XA (m1, m2f1/m2f2), CD-R, CD-RW, Bootable CD, Photo CD (single & multi-session), Video CD, Super Video CD, CD-Extra, Mixed-mode CD, CD-Text, CD-Graphics

Lightscribe

CD-R, DVD+R, DVD-R


OS Compatibility

Windows XP / 2000 / ME / 98SE

Power Requirement

DC 5V +/- 5%, ripple 160mVpp
DC12V+/- 10%, ripple 180mVpp

Environment Conditions

Operating temperature: 5°C~50°C (41°F~122°F)
Operating humidity: 8%~80% RH
Non-operating temperature: -40°C~60°C (-40°F~140°F)
Non-operating humidity: 5%~95% RH

Reliability characteristics

MTBF: 125.000 POH (20%)
Non-recoverable read error < 1 block in 1012 bits (CD and DVD)

System Requirement

IBM PC compatible Pentium III 550MHz CPU or above
128MB DRAM, 100MB free HDD space for CD/DVD recording related software installation. 1GB free HDD space for CD Image recording


Review: not available

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

And by then there's a good chance that your DVD burner will have been replaced anyway

I say go for it. If nothing else, it's a great storage medium, and a lot of other people have DVD ROMs. I got mine about 6 months ago, and don't regret it at all.

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

I would also say, why not get one? Just because there is new technology coming like Blue-ray doesn't mean you shouldn't go for what's available right now. I just picked up a dvd burner for $40. some are even cheaper than that now.

As others have said when Blue-ray burners first appear they will be hundreds of dollars most likely. So I would say go for a nice dvd burner now and don't worry so much about keeping up with the latest trends all the time. It can be very expensive to do so. The current dvd burners will be around for years to come.

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Thanks for all your reply.
So I go and get a DVD burner soon.

Now what DVD media should I buy?
Which one should I buy: DVD-R/-RW or +R/+RW?
Which brand?
Dual-layer or single-layer? Which si better?
Are the storage volume (GB) the same for all DVD media for the same type?

By the way, what's the difference between HDVD and Blu-ray?
What do you think about HDVD?
Better than Blu-ray, or worse?

 

But I have many things to backup, say 50-100GB.
If I don't use CD/DVD, how can I backup such large volume of data?

Actually how much is hard disk drive(HDD) now?
Is it really wise to buy another HDD or external HDD or USB drive to store data?
Seems not cost effective...

But you says CD/DVD is not reliable enough...
If so, we might risk losing some valuable moives/music/photos etc.
How can we make sure to burn a reliable CD/DVD?
Will data on CD/DVD get corrupt as time goes by?

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Wai Wai go with lite on dual-layer DVD burner cheap and it will burn all DVD media. DVD-r/-rw i was told is more compatible with DVD players. I use teon DVD-r when i burn movies, people will tell you that certain brands are better but for the money these do fine. 4.7GB 120min Video for single 8.5 GB for dual, storage between -r\-rw +r\+rw same. now heres where info might get bad i read when the blue laser DVD come out only certain companies will use it I.E. Sony, This will be bad because there is also another type of laser coming out and there not compatible. I wouldn't buy ether tell they figure out which companies are going to use which. This is the first place I have even seen the topic brought up but I'm pretty sure i read this info in Forbes mag.

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Here's a basic comparison between Hd-dvd and Blu-ray. A bit old but still informative. http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116846,00.asp

More info on some of the other dvd formats that are emerging beyond just Hd-dvd and Blu-ray. Hvd is one that will be able to eventually hold up to 3.9 TB!

http://videosystems.com/e-newsletters/HD_Disc_Contenders092205/index.html

Maybe Hd-dvd and/or Blu-ray won't be the winners after all, at least on all fronts.

And yet another from China.

http://constitutionalcode.blogspot.com/2005/03/chinese-bring-own-blu-rayhdvd-e-vd.html

This is interesting: Blu-ray/ DVD Combo ROM Disc Technology.

http://www.physorg.com/news2510.html

One things for sure, I would definitely wait a while before I put any of my hard earned cash into any of these new formats. I think we'll have to wait for now to see what develops.

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Yes, very true!
Our $$$ are very hard-earned.
We don't wish to waste $$$ on unnecessary things.

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

I got an AOpen that does both +/-R/RW, and it was something like $30-$40. The -R disks are better for movies, mainly if you have an old DVD player, the +R's are better for storage as they have error control and such. I'm not fully up to date on the technologies, but having both is nice, and it was not that expensive at all. Just look around, I'm sure you'll find something good within your price range. So far this drive has held up better than most of the plain CD burners I've had

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

Not to nit pick but +R are infinitely better for DVD movies, And for pretty much anything really. As they have the ability to be bitset to have its booktype set to DVD-Rom. This makes the disk 100% compatable with every single standalone DVD drive on the market.

 

Re: Should I buy a DVD burner now?

DVD- vs DVD+
http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/113

 

Fujifilm to introduce Blu-ray and HD DVD media in mid-2006

this artical is at tomshardware.com

 

Las Vegas (NV) - In line with this year's introduction of next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD devices and the increasing penetration of high definition TVs (HDTVs), Fuji Photo Film announced that Fujifilm-branded media for the two platforms will be available mid 2006. Prototypes of the new Fujifilm HD DVD and Blu-ray media will be on display at the Fujifilm booth at CES 2006 (Central Hall, N101/102).