DVD Burner Replacement - Brand?

[Ron]

I need to replace my (IDE) CD / DVD burner.

I currently have a LITEON 18X model number LH -18A1P186C. It is only 2
yrs old and has about 200 burns on it. I paid $50.00 for this damn
thing that has already stopped working. (will do everything but burn)

So, I'm looking to buy a new one from Newegg, question is which brand
is better, between Sony, LG and Samsung?

I plan on staying below the $25.00 price range so this is the page I'm
looking at. http://tinyurl.com/dmltbr

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Ron

 

[Joel]

So, I'm looking to buy a new one from Newegg, question is which brand
is better, between Sony, LG and Samsung?


Any suggestions?

I would suggest to read the end users' feedbacks then ask for some
specific question. IOW, not many users are DVD burner experted to be able
to give you more information than Hate, Love, and Price.

I guess you bought the one you hate either because you didn't read the
feedbacks, didn't trust the ones who told you not to buy it, or for whatever
reason.

So, you can point your browser to www.newegg.com or www.videohelp.com to
read as much end users' feedbacks as you can. IOW, many actual owners have
already posted their opinions year(s) ago waiting for us to read.

Me? between CD/DVD I have burned more than 10-15K, and I am on my 3rd
burner now. Each burned thousands of DVDs, and some older one I installed
on other systems, and install a faster one on the main system.

 

[Grinder]

I need to replace my (IDE) CD / DVD burner.

I currently have a LITEON 18X model number LH -18A1P186C. It is only 2
yrs old and has about 200 burns on it. I paid $50.00 for this damn
thing that has already stopped working. (will do everything but burn)

So, I'm looking to buy a new one from Newegg, question is which brand
is better, between Sony, LG and Samsung?

I plan on staying below the $25.00 price range so this is the page I'm
looking at. http://tinyurl.com/dmltbr

Any suggestions?

Check out Lightscribe. I was slow to adopt, but I love it now -- even
given that the blanks are a little more expensive.

 

[Steve]

I need to replace my (IDE) CD / DVD burner.

I currently have a LITEON 18X model number LH -18A1P186C. It is only 2
yrs old and has about 200 burns on it. I paid $50.00 for this damn
thing that has already stopped working. (will do everything but burn)

So, I'm looking to buy a new one from Newegg, question is which brand
is better, between Sony, LG and Samsung?

I plan on staying below the $25.00 price range so this is the page I'm
looking at. http://tinyurl.com/dmltbr

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Ron

Ignore most reviews of CD/DVD burners as usually they just rate the fastest
as the best and yet the most important thing is the quality of the burn
which most reviews never mention. Burn quality depends mainly on choosing
firstly good media but also on selecting a burner that uses that media
optimally. After dissecting numerous quality scans over on the CDFreaks
site, I settled on a Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7200S as a great all-rounder. It's
a very good CD & DVD reader as well. I have 2 of them, a friend has 2 and
no problems so far in about 5 months. There's hacked firmware around too
that let you do bitsetting and multi-region code stuff, the drive has no
riplock to slow down movie DVD backups either.

It has a NEC chipset and NEC hardware, not all Optiarc models have, some
have Lite-On bits inside. Other manufacturers also don't always use their
own make components, so a bit of research helps there if you're set on a
particular make.

 

[Ron]

        I would suggest to read the end users' feedbacks then askfor some
specific question.  IOW, not many users are DVD burner experted to be able
to give you more information than Hate, Love, and Price.

        I guess you bought the one you hate either because you didn't read the
feedbacks, didn't trust the ones who told you not to buy it, or for whatever
reason.

        So, you can point your browser towww.newegg.comorwww.videohelp.comto
read as much end users' feedbacks as you can.  IOW, many actual owners have
already posted their opinions year(s) ago waiting for us to read.

        Me? between CD/DVD I have burned more than 10-15K, and I am on my 3rd
burner now.  Each burned thousands of DVDs, and some older one I installed
on other systems, and install a faster one on the main system.

I bought the LITEON because it was the only thing that my local
computer store carried. They now carry Samsung and LG only.

 

[Joel]

Check out Lightscribe. I was slow to adopt, but I love it now -- even
given that the blanks are a little more expensive.

How it compares to direct DVD printer?

 

[Joel]

I bought the LITEON because it was the only thing that my local
computer store carried. They now carry Samsung and LG only.

You can always check with the web pages I gave you (the one you quoted)
and you can always order online which is usually cheaper too.

If you have no other choice then I don't know what to suggest but buy
whatever the local store carries and hoping you will have more luck with the
next one. IOW, if you can't or don't want to order online then local is
your only option.

 

[Ron]

You can always check with the web pages I gave you (the one you quoted)
and you can always order online which is usually cheaper too.

 If you have no other choice then I don't know what to suggest but buy
whatever the local store carries and hoping you will have more luck with the
next one.  IOW, if you can't or don't want to order online then local is
your only option.

I was in the process of purchasing a barebones kit at the time that I
bought the Liteon. (my old computer had just died and I was computer
shopping)

I went ahead and ordered this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118022

Apparently it is a repackaged LiteOn, but most of the reviews were
good. So, hopefully my current LiteOn was a lemon.

 

[Ron]

Ignore most reviews of CD/DVD burners as usually they just rate the fastest
as the best and yet the most important thing is the quality of the burn
which most reviews never mention.  Burn quality depends mainly on choosing
firstly good media but also on selecting a burner that uses that media
optimally.  After dissecting numerous quality scans over on the CDFreaks
site, I settled on a Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7200S as a great all-rounder.  It's
a very good CD & DVD reader as well.  I have 2 of them, a friend has 2 and
no problems so far in about 5 months.  There's hacked firmware around too
that let you do bitsetting and multi-region code stuff, the drive has no
riplock to slow down movie DVD backups either.

It has a NEC chipset and NEC hardware, not all Optiarc models have, some
have Lite-On bits inside.  Other manufacturers also don't always use their
own make components, so a bit of research helps there if you're set on a
particular make.

I went with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118022

Thanks for the input.

 

[Grinder]

How it compares to direct DVD printer?

Lightscribe only can produce a monochromatic image, and one of inferior
contrast at that. For simple, informational labelling though, it's
cheaper and simpler.

 

[Grinder]

How it compares to direct DVD printer?

I should add that you don't have to pick one over the other. If you get
a Lightscribe capable burner, you can use whichever option you think is
most suitable in a given situation.

 

[Grinder]

How it compares to direct DVD printer?

Ok, I take it back about Lightscribe discs being cheaper than printable.
I was thinking of the labeling systems, but have now noticed the
directly printable discs.

It appears, at least from newegg, that printable discs aren't really
more expansive than a "regular" disc. Lightscribe discs are about 50%
more. You have to have the right printer of course, but on a per disc
basis, printable would be cheaper.

 

[Joel]

Lightscribe only can produce a monochromatic image, and one of inferior
contrast at that. For simple, informational labelling though, it's
cheaper and simpler.

I just Googled about Lightscribe and one of the problems some users point
out that it takes around 20-22 minutes to print the label. Someone mentions
the print isn't dark or sharp enough, then someone else suggest the
technique s/he uses is printing the same label on same DVD 2-3 times and it
turns out much darker and sharper. Then we are looking at 45-66 minutes for
a single disc.

I am using Inkjet Printable DVD and it takes some seconds to around 1
minute or so to print a DVD. And it full color too.

 

[Joel]

I should add that you don't have to pick one over the other. If you get
a Lightscribe capable burner, you can use whichever option you think is
most suitable in a given situation.

Yes, I have read some newer LightScribe burner can burn the label directly
to the DVD too. The only problem that it doesn't do color and it's way too
slow for my taste.

Or I have burned and printed more/less 10,000 CDs/DVDs, and without color
it would be heck of time to find the right DVD out of thousands of DVDs, and
it takes so many hours to print them.

So, if I don't use Inkjet Printable DVD then probably Thermal instead of
Lightscribe.

 

[Joel]

Ok, I take it back about Lightscribe discs being cheaper than printable.
I was thinking of the labeling systems, but have now noticed the
directly printable discs.

It appears, at least from newegg, that printable discs aren't really
more expansive than a "regular" disc. Lightscribe discs are about 50%
more. You have to have the right printer of course, but on a per disc
basis, printable would be cheaper.

I know Lightscribe requires a special Lightscribe disc in order to print
(burn). Ot the Lightscribe printer or burner use laser to burn the image to
the disc.

 

[Steve]

Ignore most reviews of CD/DVD burners as usually they just rate the
fastest
as the best and yet the most important thing is the quality of the burn
which most reviews never mention. Burn quality depends mainly on choosing
firstly good media but also on selecting a burner that uses that media
optimally. After dissecting numerous quality scans over on the CDFreaks
site, I settled on a Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7200S as a great all-rounder.
It's
a very good CD & DVD reader as well. I have 2 of them, a friend has 2 and
no problems so far in about 5 months. There's hacked firmware around too
that let you do bitsetting and multi-region code stuff, the drive has no
riplock to slow down movie DVD backups either.

It has a NEC chipset and NEC hardware, not all Optiarc models have, some
have Lite-On bits inside. Other manufacturers also don't always use their
own make components, so a bit of research helps there if you're set on a
particular make.

I went with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118022

Thanks for the input.


That's a rebadged LiteOn with Media Tek chipset.

 

[Joel]

... and it puts a lot more wear on the burner, but at least
burners are cheap these days.




One problem with either labeling method is quick
identification in a storage rack. I find it more convenient
to just use a paper cutter to pre-cut a stack of inserts for
cases, then print the disc ID on an insert. If you use the
thick rather than thin cases it will allow the text on the
end to be visible though the thick do take up more rack
space.

Before Epson released the first direct DVD printer, I too used to stick
label on CD/DVD. And the reason I used the self-stick label because I have
sooooo many CDs then Sharpie just won't cut, or it's very hard to find the
CD

Here, I always have couple hundreds thin cses, but I don't use it myself,
or only for the clients or for someone else. I often order 5-10K of paper
sleeves and I use paper sleeves myself.

DVD, I usually order at least 600 DVDs which may last for 2-3 months.

 

[Ron]

I need to replace my (IDE) CD / DVD burner.

I currently have a LITEON 18X model number LH -18A1P186C. It is only 2
yrs old and has about 200 burns on it. I paid $50.00 for this damn
thing that has already stopped working.  (will do everything but burn)

So, I'm looking to buy a new one from Newegg, question is which brand
is better, between Sony, LG and Samsung?

I plan on staying below the $25.00 price range so this is the page I'm
looking at.http://tinyurl.com/dmltbr

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Ron

Alright, as mentioned in this thread I bought a Sony AD-7220A from
newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118022

Every disc that I made with my Lite-On using Maxell DVD+RW would /
will play on both of my DVD players. A Mitsubishi DD-4030 (2003) and a
Pioneer DV-440 (2001).

Using the same media (Maxell DVD+RW) nothing that I've burned with the
Sony will play on either player. I get pixelation and video freezes.

I even pulled out a brand new cheapo Magnavox DVD player DP100MW8B
that someone gave me and they won't play on there either, however,
discs made with the Lite-On play perfectly on it.

In my garage I'm using and old 20" Toshiba TV along with a Panansonic
VHS / DVD combo. The tuner went out on the Toshiba and the VCR stopped
working on the Panasonic. So I paired the two up for garage use
instead of junking them.

The discs made with my new Sony, using the Maxell media play fine on
that DVD player.

What is the deal here?

Obviously the Sony will not fit my needs. So I'm going to return it to
newegg. Should I just go ahead and buy another Lite-On, even though it
was mentioned here and in the review threads at Newegg that the Sony
was a repackaged Lite-On?

 

[Joel]

What is the deal here?

Stop using Maxell DVD and try different or better media instead. It may
cost more, may not available locally so you may have to mail order but it
may be the best choice in the long run.