DVD writer + HDD

vbimport
#1

hi guys…

i really want to buy a DVD writer and i’ve waited alot and no new dvdrws came out.
i heard the speed will increase to 8x or so…cant see any of this till now…

will the sony dru-510a be the choice? and whats the difference between this and the older dru-500a(x) ?

how about plextor dvd writer? is it a NEC drive or a real plextor made drive? will it be any good?

main purposes for DVD writer will be to back up my HDD and burn PS2 backups.

i also need a new 120 HDD. can you advice,please?
i won’t go for maxtor as i own one and i’m not really feeling good with it…

please help.

Thanks.

#2

The Sony DRU510A is a good choice I think. It’s newer and a bit faster than the older models. I have a 500A and don’t have any complaints about it.

The Plextor 504A is indeed a rebadged NEC. I won’t recommend it, since it doesn’t support both formats, so you would be limited to DVD+ media.

About the HD: I don’t know why you don’t like Maxtor, but Western Digital is another option. I both have Western Digital and Maxtor 120GB HD’s and both types perform very well. The Maxtor’s true size is about 3GB larger than the Western Digital though.

#3

Thanks for the help…

but are there any other dvd writers that support the 2 formats (plus and minus) and whats the best one?

#4

All future Sony burners will be LiteOn. The LiteOn 401 is due out any day, but will be a R+/RW+ only drive. Later models will be combo versions with the same chipset as the 401, so there’s the possibility of flashing the 401 to a +/- drive later on.
And yes, most makers are currently working on 8x burners, as well as S-ATA burners. Given the liklihood that 8x media is a long way off, I wouldn’t wait for a 8x drive.

#5

Originally posted by NoLimit
[B]Thanks for the help…

but are there any other dvd writers that support the 2 formats (plus and minus) and whats the best one? [/B]

In terms of HD, Maxtor Diamond Plus9 w/ 8MB cache gets my vote.

As for dual format DVD writer -

Optorite DD0203 (Sanyo component) Dual format is w/o a doubt the best deal you’ll find on the market right now. It goes for $195 + $5 s/h here in the US. Comments by current owners. Optorite has just released the new v2.09 firmware today which now utilizes all 8MB of buffer.

You’ll need at least Nero v551028 to recognize this drive.

Specs:

  • BURN-Proof: prevents Buffer Under Run
  • HD-BURN: record twice the capacity of CD-R media
  • 8 MB internal buffer
  • Motorized easy touch tray loading
  • Firmware upgradeable
  • Installation: horizontal and vertical
  • 4X Max. DVD+R and -R Write, 2.4X Max. DVD+RW Rewrite, 2X Max. DVD-RW Rewrite, and 12X Max. DVD-ROM Reading
  • 24X Max. CD-R Write, 10X Max. CD-RW Rewrite and 40X Max. CD-ROM Reading
  • Random Seek: DVD: 130ms and CD: 100ms
#6

Another writer you might want to consider is the NEC1300A, or any writer based on this NEC drive.

This multiformat 4x drive is (getting) quite popular, simply because it’s good and pretty cheap (around $210)… do a search on it and you’ll find lot of threads where it’s abilities are (being) discussed.