Need advice on buying a DVD burner for my PC (1 Viewer)

[anthony_b]

I would like to keep my budget to under $135 and the unit doesn't need to be an Indi drive RW+ is fine.

These are my pc specs:
P4 2.6GHZ W/533 FSB
80GB HD Ultra-7200
384mb ddr-sdram

 

[Mike Fassler]

for your budget id go for this

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=1



otherwise id get the pioneer, which i do use and have never had anything not be able to read my burns as of yet.

 

[anthony_b]

Mike, that looks pretty good...thanks.

 

[Harold Wazzu]

Got anything against NEC?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=0

 

[Mike Fassler]

no problem man, hope it works out for you.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I am also planning on getting a DVD±RW drive soon.

What kind of software comes with the Lite-On LDW-811S/ 851S, Retail? Is it any good?

Also, I just found this article about new firmware released for this drive which allows "BitSetting".



Also, why does the drive have two model numbers (811S & 851S)?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Because there are 2 models out there that Liteon has produced. The 811S is the older 8X model, and the 851S took its place (and has a slightly different/improved design). The same is true for the 411S/451S.

 

[Mike Fassler]

the software that comes with the drive doesnt really matter, you can use most any burning softwares you wish. althou the software of choice would depend on what you are trying to burn or make copies of.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

But newegg lists both model numbers for a single drive. Which model would I actually be getting?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell because Liteon doesn't consider either model to be worth making a fuss over the packaging.

I bought a Liteon (labelled) 411S from Best Buy and got the 451S out of the box.

I bought a Buslink 4X model, and it turned out to be a Liteon 411S.

So it's sort of a jungle out there.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Jeff, the features you're looking for are generally found on the more expensive products - i.e. the not kind you get free with hardware.

 

[John*K]

I don't know if this will apply in your area, but I was able to take advantage of a special at Best Buy (BB) with some coupons I got from BB Corporate in the mail. I purchased an 107D/A07U retail package for $189 - $30 (mail-in rebate) = $159. That is quite a savings from the MSRP -- though I can't remember offhand what the suggested retail price is. My point: Check your mail -- Much to my surprise, not all adverts are junk!

Per other posts: I like the bitsetting ability of the 811/851, and the NEC has some very good reviews with respect to writing. Bitsetting will allow you to create DVDs that are backward compatiable for some very old DVD stand-alones, thus ensuring maximum compatablity. That was an important consideration for me, because my folks have an old Toshiba. However, that consideration went out the window, once I discovered that their player could read DVD-R discs.

In the end analysis, both are excellent, respected choices, and both have EXCELLENT communities supporting them. You can find a few forums with a number of participants eager to help you in a mature, adult fashion -- much as you will find here.

For me, though, the 107D/A07U is the drive to buy at this point in time. There are some very nice firmwares for this drive that make it an excellent choice. It also writes quite well across a range of media (as can be expected, depending on manufacturer). And it can do + and - at 8x (EDIT - As does the ND-2500A). And-and, as far as I know, neither can rip at 12x
.

The A07/107D should keep you on the tech-crest for a few months, until they start coming out with the dual layer (DVD-9) writers. Though take care to note that there doesn't appear to be too much 8x media around!

 

[John*K]

@Jeff - WOW! I have the same goal in mind, and have just started my research! I have a number of VHS tapes and -- now! -- a stack of HI8 Sony camcorder tapes that I need to convert. What video card do you have?

@Rob - Can you recommend a reasonably priced package? Note that when I use the word "reasonable," I have no idea what "reasonable" in the video card market will be!

Now, as far as sound -- I have stereo. And the camcorder has an S-video out. So those are the raw materials -- a stereo signal and an S-Video.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

What exactly does Sonic MyDVD do then? (Or what from my list does it not do?)

I already have some free software that does MPEG-2 Encoding (bbMPEG) and AC-3 encoding (AC3 Machine + BeSweet). But since I don't currently have a DVD burner, I don't know how well these programs actually work. (i.e., whether the files the programs generate actually work with DVDs.)

 

[anthony_b]

Any opinions on Pacific Digital DVD burners ?...My local Sam's Club has an DVD RW+/- burner 8x for $135

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Jeff, I think I tried Sonic some time ago very briefly. It didn't seem capable of importing multiple audio tracks and certainly not subtitles.

DVD-Lab is a brilliant authoring app which can be had for less than $100. I think the Pro version (another $60 or so) I *believe* can do multiple audio but it's been a while since I looked.

As for subtitles - unless the situation has changed recently I think you're going to have difficulty finding a reasonably priced authoring app which can create them. I looked into it briefly when I did my Star Wars LD to DVD conversions but it seemed like an awful lot of hassle. In the end I just created a permanent subtitle overly in Vegas Video, which ended up looking better than any player generated subs could do.

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I have an ATI All-in-Wonder 7500. It is a combination graphics card and TV tuner / Capture card. It has the ability to capture from S-Video and stereo sound. I think this should meet your needs, but I'm sure there is something better out there now.