I have read the reviews for both these drives, along with multiple threads on this forum, but can’t decide between the two. Currently, Newegg has both for $69.99 including shipping.
I had decided on the NEC drive until I read the multiple posts regarding the problems this drive might have with reading burnt DVDs (http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=88467). Even if this is only due to faulty drives, I’d rather not deal with the whole RMA business.
The DDW got a pretty good review by OC, but doesn’t seem to be as favored as the 2500A in the “best 8x drive” poll. Anyone know if the latest firmware update to the DDW fixed the DVD-R writing problem?
My primary use for this drive is long-term storage of media files, so speed as such is not a major concern. The two main factors are DVD readability in the future and being able to write on a variety of media. It seems that the 2500A can be updated to write dual-layer discs - is this possible with the DDW-082?
The only other drive at this price range is the Lite-On 811S/851S, but its review was not as good as the other two drives. I’d appreciate any guidance in deciding between the NEC 2500A and the NU DDW-082, or any other drives in the 70-80$ range.
Thanks.
Steve