Good Deal OEM DVD-RWs?

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mayakindaguy

Gawd
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Jan 28, 2004
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HERE IS THE LINK

This looks like one sweet deal on a SONY DVD-RW drive. However, it's OEM and I've never bought an OEM drive before. Just wondering if it's a good deal. And where would you get the drivers for this thing as well as burning software.
Do you just get the drivers off Sony's website? and use DVD shrink or some other freeware? or do you have to buy all software including the driver?

Any insight into this would be much appreciated.
 
You use whatever software you want with the drive ... it doesn't come bundled with Nero, or Roxio, etc ... use Alcohol 120, or DVD shrink, or even the Windows interface. Whatever burning software floats your boat.

Drivers, if they don't come with the drive, can easily be downloaded from the manufacturer's website, for free, of course.
 
so then is this not a good buy in your opinion. I just figured $100 for an 8x DVD burner and it's Sony too.
 
These things are a piece of cake to turn into a dru-510a. All you have to do is get a firmware update from Sony's website.
 
Ummmm....unless your running Win 3.1 for Workgroups, you don't need drivers for optical drives. I can't believe how many times recently I am seeing people talk about XP drivers for an optical drive.
 
I hope they mean firmware for the drives, but probably not.

I think I'd put Sony at about 5th on my list for viable DVD writer purchases, after Plextor, Lite-On, Pioneer, and NEC. I just got an NEC ND-2500A based on recommendations, good reviews, and the sale price at Newegg.

Are Sonys rebadged?
 
Originally posted by haroldmeyer
These things are a piece of cake to turn into a dru-510a. All you have to do is get a firmware update from Sony's website.
Click to expand...

Have you compared the specs of the drive he linked to the specs of the DRU510A? They are completely different :rolleyes: .I don't think the 510 can do 8X +R, do you? The OEM version of the 510A is called the DW-U14A.

This drive (The DW-U18A linked) is an OEM Lite-On 812S, and can be converted to a Lite-On 812S by using LTNFW and the .bin version of the 812S firmware, both obtainable from http://dhc014.rpc1.org.
 
Nothing wrong with OEM DVD-RWs. They just come without software.
 
I don't understand why a SONY dvdrw is so low on the list. I thought of SONY as a name brand, but I'm assuming they don't make great dvdrws then if they're so low on the list.

I know plextor is plenty reliable, LITE-ON is good for price to performance and I hear the ASUS ones are very good but expensive.
 
Heh, Sony stopped making their own DVDRW drives after the 510A. Their 2 subsequent drives to date, the 530A and the OEM DWU18A have been rebadges... the 530A is a rebadged and slightly tweaked Optorite DD0401, and the U18A is a rebadged Lite-On 812S.
Even Asus do this... their last 2 DVDRW drives, the DRW0402P was a Pioneer 105 and the DRW0402P/D was a Pioneer 106.
But Sony drives are okay.. nothing wrong with rebadging good drive designs.Even the Asus drives are excellent.. Pioneer DVDRW drives are among the best out there.
 
I said they were #5 on my list, you can form your own opinions. Sonys aren't bad, I just rank them lower because they tend to be more expensive while offering the same performance, and also because they use rebadged Lite-Ons for some models, so I'd rather just get the Lite-ON. Plextors are the best. Lite-Ons and NECs are very good, and the Pioneers rock too.

www.cdrlabs.com
www.cdfreaks.com
 
Whats the difference between the Lite-On 811S and 812S. The specs look exactly the same.



811S
- Specifications -

Write Speed: 8X 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 avoiding Buffer Under Run error, VAS to reduce vibration & noise during recording & reading
Remark: Retail Box (see pictures for details)

812S
Write Speed: 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 12X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2 MB
OS Support: Windows 98 / NT 4.0 / ME / 2000 / XP
Features: SMART-BURN avoiding Buffer Under Run error, VAS to reduce vibration & noise during recording & reading
Remark: OEM Package (see pictures for details) http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&manufactory=1336&catalog=5&DEPA=0&sortby=14&order=1
 
Heh.. you missed the fact that the 812S has 8X -R and 4X -RW speeds, while the 811S has 4X -R and 2X -RW speeds ;)
 
:D My eyesight isn't as good as it used to be.

But what's difference between DVD-R and +R. Is one read and the other one write speeds?
 
DVD- and DVD+ are the two competing DVD media formats. DVD- is generally more compatible with DVD players, but I always hear DVD+ is superior to DVD-. It's a good idea to get a dual format drive (most modern one dvd writers can write and read both) because there will always be some dvd drive out there incompatible with one of the formats.
 
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