I am going to purchase my first DVD -/+rw etc. drive very soon and was hoping for some suggestions. I am basically looking for data storage and to back up some of a friend's 250+ DVD movie collection. That being said I am considering the following 2 drives; BenQ Beige DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model DW1620, Retail Pioneer Beige DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model DVR-109, OEM Any opinions on these 2 models I am considering?? Any problems with backing up protected discs?? All replies are appreciated. Thanks for looking! Brian
I was also looking at this drive also. Anyone have any experience with it?? Plextor 16X DL DVD±RW Burner, Model PX-716A/SW Thanks Brian
I too am trying to figure this out, I'm stuck between the Pioneer and the Plextor. I know people who have both of these and they said there is no difference, but I'm not sure. Lynn
i hear a lot of issues with the 109 and i just returned mine. i have had great experience with an old NEC and am getting a new NEC 3520 - user reviews are very good and not many problems. i see good postings about the LG too.
Bricc, I love my Plextor 716A. No problems with it so far, and it is the quietest DVD burner I have had.
Hey Bricc, I have the benq 1620. It's got the bit-setting option to booktype your dvd+ backups to dvd-rom,making them more compatable on stand alone players. Compatability? With all the many,many stand alone players,ps2's,and pc drives that play my backups,I haven't found 1 player that wouldn't play my + format backups. The benq backups play so much better than my other 2 pc burners that I just bought another benq 1620 this week for my spare pc which is equally compatable.Newegg.com have them for around $50-$60,a bargain for this fine burner.Both drives i got have both black and beige bezels for whichever color you want.400 + burns and 99% success rate on my backups using quality media. No problems backing up protected discs. Just search the dvd shrink forum. You can get all those programs for free.There are also many guides and tools there for the taking.Good Luck
Thanks for all the advice! After doing alot of reading on the net and here on the forums I am strongly leaning towards the BenQ dw1620 Pro. It seems to be full featured with good speeds. With all the helper Apps to get the backups done, protection formats shouldn't be a problem. Data discs shouldn't be that hard either. Saugmon, glad to hear of your great success! Any other suggestion on media selection?? In my area I may be limited to whatever the local retailers carry but I could always order on line if needed. Thanks again for the help!! Brian
Hey brian, There is one drawback to these benq 1620's. They burn most +8x media too darn fast,lol. Sony +1x-8x speeds at 4,8,12,and 16x. Verbatim and maxells at 4/8/12x! Great playbacks though when I accidentally leave my max burn speed on.$50-$70 on this burner-depends on what else you want with it like nero/sonic/blank discs at newegg.com. I get most of my media at: staples/office depot/and walgreens. Bestbuy also have some great sales,but about 45 miles away from me. My benq's highly favor the plus format and have no media issues and 100% compatability on my stand alones. Here's some that are performing great: maxell's: any format or pack size, sony + or - 1x-8x,and verbatim +8x media life plus. The ones That didn't fare as well: verbatim -4x digital movie quality,sony -1x-4x and sony -4x. When these are on sale, they are about 40 cents a piece at max. Look on the labels for made in japan. Staples is notorious for having the taiwanese spindles mixed in with the japanese spindles on their sony's. Get the maxell's and sony's that are made in japan- They should be better out of the 2.However,those taiwanese discs are still very good. I always scout on sunday mornings for all the weekly sales at these stores. I don't buy store brand name/generic/and memorex media.
