• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

HELP! Need to find a DVD burner FAST!

B

Boobers

Senior member
I had two NEC 3550A burners and they were IMHO the best DVD burners ever made.

A few months ago I noticed both drives didn?t want to read some pressed-DVDs, so I started using another drive for reading. But recently, one of them died (many errors show on Nero ?CD-DVD Speed? quality scan using BenQ DW1620 drive). I RMA?d it to Newegg, who simply refunded my money. When I send the other one back (because it won?t read some pressed-DVDs) they will do the same, so I need two new drives.

Last week I ordered two Samsung SH-S182D burners from Newegg because of the 250+ positive reviews (bad mistake). These drives won?t even read disks that were burned on them @ 8x! And the quality scans are worse than the NEC drive I RMA?d! So?they are going back to Newegg.

BTW, it seems a lot of those reviews are from people who burn one or two DVD?s a year and they never bother to run quality scans of the disks they burn?so they don?t really know how BAD their drive really is!

I have a stock pile of Ridata R03 8x DVD+R disks, so I need a burner that writes them @ 8x. Not too much to ask, right? Not the best disks, but the NEC burned them flawlessly @ 8x. Well, the Samsung drive absolutely sucks @ 8x speed. I noticed that on all the reviews they test with faster (more expensive) media and give these drive good reviews. If they tested them @ 8x, they would see the poor writes I?m experiencing.

Anyway?to make a long story short (too late!), I need a burner that will burn Ridata R03 disks @ 8x and not produce a bunch of errors on a quality scan AND be readable in any drive I put it in. The NEC 3550A could do it?why can?t newer drives?

I need to order two new burners that I won?t end up shipping back.

I need replies from users who burn LOTS (200+) of DVDs and do quality scans on them (people who actually know what they are talking about). People who burn two DVDs a year need not reply.
 
Recently installed two of these, hiome and office, for use with Lightscribe. These have worked flawlessly and Lightscribe makes professional CD labels.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827135098

Pioneer invented the dvd burner. I have four or five Pioneer DVD burners I'm using currently. Everything from the 16x version to the older 8x version. I can't remember any of Pioneer DVD burners ever throwing a bland.

Samsung DVD burners are dreadful. I had the same problem as you with DVD's burned from Samsung's burners not being able to be read in other dvd players. Samsung has a good price, but sometimes I question the company's quality.

I have two of the 16x versions of this Pioneer burner. This is the 18x. Pioneer is excellent. I highly recommend.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827129007
 
So you own some NEC drives, and they work...and you want to order some new drives, that work?

Pioneer are good burners, but you will have to accept at some point that as many DVD's as you burn, there is more than likely you will come across a few bad DVD's. It sucks, deal with it.
 
Oh...I'm sorry for my response. I misunderstood...I'm just really frustrated right now.

I don't want to buy old Nec 3550A's because RMA is impossible (out of production). I buy from Newegg because of customer service and RMA policy. They gave me $40 for the drive I RMA'd. If I'd bought it on flea-bay, I'd be SOL.

What I need right now is a current production burner that will produce quality burns using Ridata R03 DVD+Rs...
 
Here's the problem with the NEC 7170A:

"The specifications are misleading. This drive is not made by NEC Corp, it is not made by the company that made the ND-3550A or ND-4550A drives. The label says "Sony NEC Optiarc" and the drive identifies itself as OPTIARC."

 
I have burned well over 400 dvd's with my Plextor....mostly @ 4x but when in a hurry, I use 8x and never have any problems. I used to use ridata media, but now mostly verbatim or TY
 
Thanks for your suggestions. I think I'm leaning toward Plextor...

On those optical drive forums, they only talk about 12-16x burning or faster.
I really only need 8x, but nobody talks about burning at that speed.
I don't think new drives can do a quality burn at 8x.
 
OK...Samsung just came out with a new firmware for the SH-182D...version SB05.

I flashed the new firmware and now it seems to burn the Ridata R03 8X DVD+R disks OK.
The Nero quality scans are now in the 90-94% range. It also seems to read all disks OK...for now.

I was at MicroCenter and they had Verbatim MCC004 16X DVD+R disks on sale...50 for $15. I bought them to try because everybody seems to love them. I burned some at 16x and the scans were incredibily good...95%. Then I burned some at 18x and the scans actually improved! They were the best scans I've ever seen...98%!

So, I guess I'll keep these Samsung drives for a while. Tarrant64 is right...bad quality disks suck (like old Ridata 8x-DVD+Rs). I ordered some more Verbatim MCC004 16x DVD+Rs from Newegg...$19.99 for 100 (AR)...

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top