Good cheap DVD burner?

[Cyde Weys]

What's the best cheap DVD burner these days? It has to do everything, of
course, including dual layer in both formats. The last drive I got like
this was the NEC ND-3550A for a different computer a few months back. It
was only $35, and I'd say, a good deal. I'm making another computer and I
want another drive like it. Should I go with the ND-3550A again, or is
there some other drive by another manufacturer at a comparable price, but
is, say, faster or better? Thanks.

 

[Rod Speed]

What's the best cheap DVD burner these days? It has to do
everything, of course, including dual layer in both formats. The
last drive I got like this was the NEC ND-3550A for a different
computer a few months back. It was only $35, and I'd say, a good
deal. I'm making another computer and I want another drive like it.
Should I go with the ND-3550A again, or is there some other drive by
another manufacturer at a comparable price, but is, say, faster or better?

I like the LGs myself. Burners are now so cheap that its not
worth getting too anal about what is best value anymore.

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

What's the best cheap DVD burner these days? It has to do everything, of
course, including dual layer in both formats. The last drive I got like
this was the NEC ND-3550A for a different computer a few months back. It
was only $35, and I'd say, a good deal. I'm making another computer and I
want another drive like it. Should I go with the ND-3550A again, or is
there some other drive by another manufacturer at a comparable price, but
is, say, faster or better?

Lots of in-depth reviews of optical drives can be found at
www.cdrinfo.com, and local store prices can be found at
www.salescircular.com and, for Black Friday, at www.bfads.com (I know
that Staples will have one for $20, after rebate, then).

NEC DVD burners don't seem to be the best at reading marginal disks but
may be the best writers, and with a couple of ND-2500As and an
ND-35xxA, I couldn't read scratched DVDs and marginal DVD+RWs that were
handled with ease by a BenQ 1640, BTC, and BenQ/TEAC DQ-60.