Are DVD readers all the same?

[Alphanos]

Are there any differences between DVD readers of different brands, or are they all the same? I'm going to get one very shortly, and want it to be of good quality. Are there any brands you would recommend or stay away from? If it is at all relevant, a quiet drive would be nice.

 

[Sukhoi]

Just get a cheap 16X Lite-On.

 

[bandana163]

There are differences. For example: LG has two diff. 16X drives the GDR8160B is really Hitachi and works a lot better, and the another is louder and slower. Some drives don't recognize all DVD types, and the best is probably the Toshiba's 16X dive.

 

[AEB]

its the parts they use, because most of the drives are made in the same factory. I know a guy who went to one and they asked him "what kind of drive do you want? HP, sony, toshiba etc" they could make any i have a hival dvd rom and if i had to buy one now i would get a cdrw/dvdrom combo drive. memorex makes one for 99.99

 

[HiTek21]

I have a Pioneer 106S DVD-ROM great DVD Rom and the only(I think) slot loading dvd rom

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: HiTek21
I have a Pioneer 106S DVD-ROM great DVD Rom and the only(I think) slot loading dvd rom

Slot loaders make me uneasy after having a CD explode in my one drive (regular tray loader). If a CD/DVD fails at high speed, that's a lot of force, and I wouldn't want the sharp shards to have a clean path to my face. Plextor has already reinforced the tray doors on some of their drives to ensure that fragments from any disc failures would be contained.

Just get a cheap 16X Lite-On.

A Liteon will not be quiet; at least, mine isn't. When it's spinning up, you'll know it. You'll know it if you're in the next room too.

 

[Alphanos]

Thanks guys, you've been really helpful.

 

[LED]

IMO don't waste you $'s on just the DVDROM...go a few more $'s and get the Combo Drive (CDR/RW/DVD), same warranty, better/more use, and more versatile.

 

[GaryShandling]

Aren't combo drives louder then single drives and have slower access time? My CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive makes an annoying drilling sound when reading games and movies.

 

[Zap]

For just a DVD reader, I prefer Toshiba. Have always had good luck with them and have had them read discs that a Samsung drive and my Apex home player had problems with. Also, it is the preferred reader for CloneCD.

 

[Alphanos]

I'm getting a toshiba drive due to recommendations here, but they don't seem to come in black faceplate versions. Anyone know if they is somewhere I can get a black faceplate for it, or should I try vinyl dye?

BTW, for those recommending a DVD/CDRW combo, I'm also getting a Plextor PlexWriter Premium for a writer. I figure that I'm better off having two separate quality drives than one combo that doesn't have all of the features of either.

 

[beatle]

Vinyl dye works like a charm if dying to black. I did this on my Yamaha CDRW because I didn't want to pay over 2x the price to get the black version.

 

[Alphanos]

Thanks everyone. Since hearing your recommendations I've ran into lots of other positive reviews of the Toshiba drives while I was trying to find one at a Canadian store. I have one on the way now, planning to try black vinyl dye on the faceplate. These forums are great.