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Lookin' for good DVD drives w/ black face plate

Powermoloch

Powermoloch

Lifer
Yeah...I didn't realize that the The Elder Scrolls new game "oblivion" comes out only in a DVD-ROM (AFAIK). Which really bums me and have to dish out extra $$ for a game :roll: Anyways, what brands would you guys recommend for a guy who's willing to spend 60$ tops (including tax and shipping, keep in mind i'm in CA 🙁 )

cheers :thumbsup:
 
Two great brands are NEC and Lite-on. For under $50 you can get a great drive....how much you pay depends on what features and whether you want retail or OEM version.

LITE-ON Burner (retail version, ie..it has cables and software with it) $27.99

NEC 3550 Burner - Retail - $49.99 (OEM version is $10 cheaper)

Both have black face plates.


 
I'd actually advise against Lite-On from several bad experiences lately...

Right now I'd say stick with NEC or BenQ. Also, there's no real sense in getting a DVD reader only, as the burners today only cost $40 - $50 and even access the disks faster than most readers will...
 
NEC 3550A. i just got mine last week and its great! burns dvds/cds like no other.

make sure you know that you're getting either retail or OEM though.
 
Benq 1650 for DVD writer. Cost $42 here in Canada. Arguably the best out at the moment.

Get an LG drive if you just want a DVD reader. Cost $20 here in Canada.
 
Originally posted by: Janet Reno
Benq 1650 for DVD writer. Cost $42 here in Canada. Arguably the best out at the moment.

Get an LG drive if you just want a DVD reader. Cost $20 here in Canada.
Click to expand...


$42? in Canada? where?😕 PM me if you've got the store and place!
(I'm a canadian too eh?)
 
The only real annoying things about the newest NEC model (3550A) is that the button on the front has no resistance to it - you basically have to tap it like a feather... and also like other NEC drives, you'll need modified firmware to rip DVDs at maximum speeds.
 
Originally posted by: Continuity28
The only real annoying things about the newest NEC model (3550A) is that the button on the front has no resistance to it - you basically have to tap it like a feather... and also like other NEC drives, you'll need modified firmware to rip DVDs at maximum speeds.
Click to expand...

really? can you PM the links to update the 3550A? i burn my dvds at their highest speed...but im guessing that my ripping speeds will be low then?
 
Originally posted by: secretanchitman
Originally posted by: Continuity28
The only real annoying things about the newest NEC model (3550A) is that the button on the front has no resistance to it - you basically have to tap it like a feather... and also like other NEC drives, you'll need modified firmware to rip DVDs at maximum speeds.
Click to expand...

really? can you PM the links to update the 3550A? i burn my dvds at their highest speed...but im guessing that my ripping speeds will be low then?
Click to expand...

I'm talking about RipLock, which limits DVD-Video read speeds to around 5X - which makes ripping such DVDs much slower, but it can also be good in that it limits the speed at which the DVD spins while watching a DVD movie - so there's less noise.

I don't recommend flashing your drives firmware unless you know what you are doing... You can get the original firmware here. You can get modified firmware here.
 
I've got the NEC 3540a, not sure how different it is from the 3550a, but it replaced my
Samsung as my main burning drive and I have not been let down. Not only has it not
burnt a coaster (over 50 and counting), but it is quiet and it also burt some of my 8x
media at 16x speeds (sony dvd+r if I remember) and they played perfectly in my
set top dvd player without a hiccup. For $40, you can't go wrong.
 
Originally posted by: Powermoloch
Yeah...I didn't realize that the The Elder Scrolls new game "oblivion" comes out only in a DVD-ROM (AFAIK). Which really bums me and have to dish out extra $$ for a game :roll: Anyways, what brands would you guys recommend for a guy who's willing to spend 60$ tops (including tax and shipping, keep in mind i'm in CA 🙁 )

cheers :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Yeah, it really sucks that I had to get rid of that 8-track player.

j/k - I just put in an order for the BenQ 1655 from NE for $46.99 (after instant $8 off) + tax (I'm also in CA). You may find a cheaper DVD ROM out there, but this thing is major bang for the buck.
 
Pioneer makes good drives, and they're built to last. I've got a black Pioneer DVVD burner and a lite-on DVD-ROM (BtW: Lite-On make DVD-ROMs for brands like Sony and LG, so they should be decent quality. Mine's been good anyway).

RoD
 
Originally posted by: furballi
3550 is NOT riplocked.
Click to expand...

It is if you update the firmware to Liggy&Dee's modified firmware.


Anyway, I'd go with a NEC ND4570A. It's the newest NEC DVD / CD burner in the US and is available at Newegg for less than $50. Just got mine and the read quality of this drive is far superior to the ND3550A.
 
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