Lite-On Black DVD-RW/+RW Drive - $92+FREE ship

[Scrubking]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-921&depa=0

Specifications:
Write Speed: 4X DVD+R, 4X DVD-R, 4X DVD+RW, 2X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 12X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI/E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/2000/Me/98SE
Features: SMART-BURN,SMART-X

[rimsforsale]

how good is this deal? the reviews state quality product but seems people are ebaying it for about $80-100

edit: also the Lite-on dvdr/dvdrw 8x beige drive is $112 + free shipping

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-923&depa=1

[PsyClerk]

I just bought a similar drive for a similar price. Doubt you'll find them much cheaper right now, especially with free shipping.

[Scrubking]

Lite-on is a good brand. Both my cd drives are Lite-on and they work great.

And I would trust newegg over ebay any day of the week.

[rimsforsale]

if both of u dont mind me asking, what motherboard and processor are you 2 useing? where can i find reliable ide cables?

[matyou]

I have the beige version of this 4x Lite on DVD burner and its great. I did see an NEC 8x on newegg for $100 a couple days ago, so if you look hard enough you may be able to find a nice deal on an 8x model. I am happy with my 4x drive, and have burned about 15 DVD's and had not 1 single coaster. I can also say that lite on drives are very good, they outperform most higher priced brands and they are cheap. This liteon drive has been praised for being able to burn on more brands of media than most other DVD burners. I would highly recommend this 4x drive.

[PsyClerk]

I also have the beige drive. I'm using an ECS P4 motherboard with a 2.4 GHz P4 processor (500 fsb).

Check your local computer store for IDE cables. I don't really give the cables much thought. Most drives you buy nowdays come with IDE cables in the box.

[Scrubking]

if both of u dont mind me asking, what motherboard and processor are you 2 useing? where can i find reliable ide cables?

pc chips mobo w/ AMD 1.1ghz cpu

www.newegg.com
www.pricewatch.com

Or just go to bestbuy - the cables will be expensive though

[rimsforsale]

thanks, reason im looking for better ide cables is cause i burnt out 2 stock ones, donno if its the motherboard or the cables... i have a asus board... tyme to upgrade. also is the 8x the same thing but um. 8x, link here
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-923&depa=1

cause i'll probably go for the 8x.

[PsyClerk]

Keep in mind you usually need a high end machine to hit some of these speeds. 4x on a DVD+/- RW drive is equivalent of about 36X for a CD-RW drive. My P4 barely gets up to speed burning a full CD before it's finished (little over 2 minutes).

I used a 40X burner at my old job, but the machine it was in was only a PIII 700MHz or so. Discs burned at MAYBE 14X-15X on a good day.

[tb_pimpjuice]

noob question here, this liteon drive does + and - ?

Also I assume it works great for archiving my ps2 and DVD's?

[PsyClerk]

Read the specs in the first post, lists - and + speeds.

'Archiving' will only work if you have the proper software. My drive was one of the last to ship with the original DVDXCopy software. The current versions, as of last Thursday I think, don't have the code to get past copy protection. There are other tools out there though.

[JohnnyDrama]

Does anyone know what specs a computer should have in order to use a DVD burner?

[PsyClerk]

My drive lists the following requirements:

PIII 450 or better (800 recommended)

128 MB RAM (256 recommended)

650MB hard drive space

If you want to make a DVD image though, you will need about 5GB hard drive space. Also, I'd take that PIII 800 and 256MB to heart. You'll be able to burn a DVD, it just might be a long process. If you can burn a full CD in under 3 minutes with a CD-RW, your machine should do well. If it takes your machine more than 10 minutes to burn a full CD, then expect to not use your PC for a long time while you make DVDs.

[bignick]

+ and - are just two different formats, the DVD people wouldnt quit fighting over it, so make sure you get a +- drive, as it will burn both. I'm not sure what the real differences are, but google will! Lite on is a great brand, good price to performance ratio. They are the only brand I buy from. Newegg is one of the best etailers. Fast shipping and good prices. You can save money elsewhere, but newegg is very reputable. xoxide.com has a bunch of cables, fans and modding supplies. I have never ordered from them but my friends have.

[Astinus Majere]

www.dvdrhelp.com will help with the difference between + and -.

[PsyClerk]

The only difference I can remember in the +/- format is that DVD+RW discs can be selectively erased/re-written, whereas DVD-RW must be completely erased if you want to change the disc's contents.

[mojoman]

The NEC model is amazing. It burns at 8X on both non-RW formats and 4x on both RW formats. And it's less than 100 bux on NewEgg with free shipping. It works with low quality media, and the quality is outstanding. I was even burning 4x media at 6x. I have it and it's great. I would recommend it instead of the Lite-On, since it's a great, newer model at a low price.

[JohnnyDrama]

Thanks for the info, PsyClerk. I've got a semi-old computer, but it should be able to burn DVDs.