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What are the best sata dvd burners?
- Thread starter cooljay
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You can't really go wrong with a good brand like Benq, LITE-ON, Samsung, or Sony. They all cost under $40, so just pick one with reviews that say it's quiet unless you absolutely need an overpriced Plextor.
BillLeeLee
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Pioneer DVR-212D
Samsung SH-S203B
The Samsung is probably the better choice right now, its write quality is great (and the Pioneer is no slouch in that category either). The Pioneer handles lower quality media better (i.e. not Taiyo Yuden or MCC stuff).
Benq's drives are great, but you'd be hard pressed to find one these days, and their best drives (like the 1655) are PATA. They had a SATA drive but I don't think it was received very well.
Samsung SH-S203B
The Samsung is probably the better choice right now, its write quality is great (and the Pioneer is no slouch in that category either). The Pioneer handles lower quality media better (i.e. not Taiyo Yuden or MCC stuff).
Benq's drives are great, but you'd be hard pressed to find one these days, and their best drives (like the 1655) are PATA. They had a SATA drive but I don't think it was received very well.
TechLarry
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I have two Lite-On LH-20A1L's (20X) and I am completely un-impressed with them.
They sound like a DC3 when they spin up, and I await the first disc to explode.
They also vibrate like hell, and shake the crap out of my case.
My case is a Lian-Li PC-V2000B Plus II. That's a big ass case to shake, yet they manage to do it.
I bought them because they were cheap. I guess I got what I paid for.
They sound like a DC3 when they spin up, and I await the first disc to explode.
They also vibrate like hell, and shake the crap out of my case.
My case is a Lian-Li PC-V2000B Plus II. That's a big ass case to shake, yet they manage to do it.
I bought them because they were cheap. I guess I got what I paid for.
DeaconFrost
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Asus drives are probably just rebadged drives from someone else. I'd stick with the Samsung drives. I have two of them and love them. My LiteOn is loud as hell too.
BillLeeLee
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The most recent Asus drives seem to be original designs and not rebranded drives. They're pretty well regarded over at CDFreaks, but everyone pretty much just recommends the Samsung SH-S203B now because of how great it is. It also costs ~$30 now.
I think I'll pick one up and swap out one of my jet engines (Lite On 16A7S). Lite-ON drives are loud and have pretty much always been loud (my old CD-RW from them was insane) and their major strength came from their great scanning abilities. However, other manufacturers are switching to other chipsets for their drives so now other drives that aren't Lite-ON are being touted as great scanners too.
I think I'll pick one up and swap out one of my jet engines (Lite On 16A7S). Lite-ON drives are loud and have pretty much always been loud (my old CD-RW from them was insane) and their major strength came from their great scanning abilities. However, other manufacturers are switching to other chipsets for their drives so now other drives that aren't Lite-ON are being touted as great scanners too.
I'm planning to build a 6 or 7 cd/dvd media duplicator along with my server. I'm planning to use up the 7 bays in my Lian Li PC-A10B case. After reading from this thread, it sounds like I should go for either a Sony, Samsung, Plextor...(I had a Lite-On, it shook my system as well. The Samsung seemed loud and really light and flimsy.)
I have a pair of ASUS 1814BLT...Should I keep them and buy 4 or 5 more? I want to be able to have all 6 or 7 optical drives to be the same. BillLeeLee, you've helped me quite a bit in the past, and you seemed to recommend me some great tips. You also seem familiar with the words at CDFreaks, what is your best recommendation for a SATA duplicator system with about 6 or 7 drives?
Does anyone acutally use 20x to burn? I think that's a bit too fast, and can leave some unreliabilites, nor are the 18x...Just looking for a safe, reliable, quiet SATA Optical Drive that does DVD and CD burning, lightscribe is a plus.
I've also always wondered what were those LCD Screens that duplicators come with, I wonder if I can integrate on in my system, that can possibly burn disks without a computer on. I'm dedicating a power supply just for the duplication, so that all drives don't need to be turned on 24/7. I also wonder how much wattage each optical drive consumes?
ASUS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000100005+50001315&name=ASUS
Pioneer: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000100005+50001167&name=Pioneer
Sony NEC Optiarc: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...05+50011747&name=Sony+NEC+Optiarc+America+Inc
Sony: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000100005+50001112&name=Sony
Plextor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000100005+50001323&name=Plextor
Thanks for your time, I look forward to your replies.
Boltaction
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Plextor has historically been the "prosumer" level CD/DVD recorder, with its higher than average cache and (typically) excellent build quality. The quality comes at a price, however. I suggest going to cdrinfo.com for reviews.
BillLeeLee
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Thank you for your kinds words! I do my best to balance my helpful posts and my stupid posts.
Optical drives aren't exactly super power hungry, somewhere around 1 amp / 25 - 30 watts per drive.
As you have linked to quite a number of DVD writer drives, I couldn't possibly cover them all. However, since you want all SATA, that easily gets rid of many of the drives in the links. If you were looking for IDE drives, I'd say the Pioneer DVR-115D would probably be the top option right now because of its excellent write quality over a wide variety of media, from CMC to Prodisc to MCC and TY.
You say you already have the Asus DRW-1814BLT, and that's a very good drive. Good write quality (provided you of course use good media), and it's pretty good across most media anyway.
The other SATA drives I'd recommend would be Pioneer DVR-212D (obviously) and the Samsung. Samsung does edge out the other drives I'd recommend because of how good it is with high quality media, but the Pioneer and Asus are typically better across the wide variety of media.
And yeah, the Samsung can be loud. It's probably louder than my Pioneer 212D, and your Asus should be quieter than my Pioneer. A Lite On would be like a jet. Most Sony and some Optiarc drives are rebadged Lite-ON drives, but typically have modified firmwares to reduce drive speeds and therefore, drive noise.
Plextors are expensive, and the newest Plextors are all supposed to be rebadges. The 810 is supposed to be a rebadged Pioneer 212D, except for double the cost. I'd save my money and get opticals in the $30 range.
About burning media at 18 - 20x. People do it, but mostly for testing purposes, to see how well the drive writes at those speeds. 20x media isn't even available, and 18x media availability is pretty low, so you'd have to overspeed on existing media to get those speeds. I have seen some very good quality burns overspeeding discs like MCC04 to 18x speeds, but for better write quality, it's better to burn slower rather than overspeed a media past its rated speeds.
As a sidenote - are there SATA controller cards for disc duplicator systems? The one company I know of that makes this stuff (Wytron) only makes IDE controllers.
Hope that helps.
Thank you for your kinds words! I do my best to balance my helpful posts and my stupid posts.
Optical drives aren't exactly super power hungry, somewhere around 1 amp / 25 - 30 watts per drive.
As you have linked to quite a number of DVD writer drives, I couldn't possibly cover them all. However, since you want all SATA, that easily gets rid of many of the drives in the links. If you were looking for IDE drives, I'd say the Pioneer DVR-115D would probably be the top option right now because of its excellent write quality over a wide variety of media, from CMC to Prodisc to MCC and TY.
You say you already have the Asus DRW-1814BLT, and that's a very good drive. Good write quality (provided you of course use good media), and it's pretty good across most media anyway.
The other SATA drives I'd recommend would be Pioneer DVR-212D (obviously) and the Samsung. Samsung does edge out the other drives I'd recommend because of how good it is with high quality media, but the Pioneer and Asus are typically better across the wide variety of media.
And yeah, the Samsung can be loud. It's probably louder than my Pioneer 212D, and your Asus should be quieter than my Pioneer. A Lite On would be like a jet. Most Sony and some Optiarc drives are rebadged Lite-ON drives, but typically have modified firmwares to reduce drive speeds and therefore, drive noise.
Plextors are expensive, and the newest Plextors are all supposed to be rebadges. The 810 is supposed to be a rebadged Pioneer 212D, except for double the cost. I'd save my money and get opticals in the $30 range.
About burning media at 18 - 20x. People do it, but mostly for testing purposes, to see how well the drive writes at those speeds. 20x media isn't even available, and 18x media availability is pretty low, so you'd have to overspeed on existing media to get those speeds. I have seen some very good quality burns overspeeding discs like MCC04 to 18x speeds, but for better write quality, it's better to burn slower rather than overspeed a media past its rated speeds.
As a sidenote - are there SATA controller cards for disc duplicator systems? The one company I know of that makes this stuff (Wytron) only makes IDE controllers.
Hope that helps.
Since it was down to Asus and Pioneer, I might just stick with my Asus' and buy a few more to make my duplication system (or I'd buy 6 Pioneers vs. 4 more for the Asus). They're both in the $30 price range or even lower, which is quite nice. I was expecting a premium priced optical drive like a Plextor.
I was not aware of Controllers purposely for duplication (I was planning on using my available sata ports on my motherboard as well as a sata controller card, I hope that method works), but I was informed from my old post (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1244889) that such programs like Nero (?) can duplicate cd/dvd media among the selected optical drives you choose, or has the option burn with multiple drives. This brings another question in mind. What is a good program/application that takes care of duplications well you would recommend?
Also, since you've pretty much help make my decisions, should I reconsider such brands like Sony, Plextor? If you recommend the Pioneer you mentioned over the Asus I have, please let me know. I understand I did list quite a bit, so I do appreciate you even taking the time in doing this. Thanks.
Once again, a really great post and response, I certainly appreciate this.
BillLeeLee
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Nah, you don't have to get a Plextor, they are expensive and the cheaper drives are all the rage because they are high quality in terms of writing ability. Plextor has lost much of its luster since their newest drives are not Plextor-made. It seems like the last real Plextor drives are the 7xx series (which are mainly IDE drives) and their newer ones are rebrands of drives from other companies, as they don't come with Plextools support, which was one of the major reasons you'd get a Plextor.
That being said, Sony also just rebrands drives from companies like Lite-On, and of course now Sony and NEC have joined forces in Sony NEC Optiarc. Their drives aren't bad, but Sony/NEC/Optiarc drives haven't really impressed me. I have a few here at work and have been disappointed by how poorly they handle some media. Ironically, I'm given Sony DVD-R discs at work and my Sony writer makes a coaster with them, every single time. A lot of wasted discs there. I had to bring in my own media from home to be able to get some burns. Of course, on my media (value line Taiyos) the writers can actually write a usable disc. I think NEC drives have lost a little quality in this venture - I still love my 3 year old ND2500-A, though.
There are duplicator controllers, yes, I think the most popular ones are the ones made by Wytron. These are IDE-based, though I certainly understand why there aren't any SATA ones, as a typical machine only has a couple IDE controllers (or none) and SATA channels are independent of each other and can be port multiplexed (depending). Originally I thought you were going the duplication controller route, cause that's what has the LCD screen.
Anyway - about the drives - buying more Asus drives would be fine, the 1814BLT are good drives. Comparing the 1814BLT and Pioneer DVR-212D would be more of a preference thing and since you already own 2 of the Asus drives and wanted several more drives, I'd say save the money and just get additional Asus drives.
Regarding software: Nero Burning ROM supports multiple recorder writing. The default retail version supports writing to four (?) drives at the same time. Nero AG also sells plug-ins supporting 7 drives, and then one supporting 32 drives, but it gets expensive.
DiscJuggler, also mentioned in your other thread, comes in 2 drive ($60), 4 drive ($250), and 16 drive ($550) versions.
An alternative is to open up multiple instances of a writing program and write to multiple drives that way. However, this will require more system resources, and of course is mildly inconvenient.
Nah, you don't have to get a Plextor, they are expensive and the cheaper drives are all the rage because they are high quality in terms of writing ability. Plextor has lost much of its luster since their newest drives are not Plextor-made. It seems like the last real Plextor drives are the 7xx series (which are mainly IDE drives) and their newer ones are rebrands of drives from other companies, as they don't come with Plextools support, which was one of the major reasons you'd get a Plextor.
That being said, Sony also just rebrands drives from companies like Lite-On, and of course now Sony and NEC have joined forces in Sony NEC Optiarc. Their drives aren't bad, but Sony/NEC/Optiarc drives haven't really impressed me. I have a few here at work and have been disappointed by how poorly they handle some media. Ironically, I'm given Sony DVD-R discs at work and my Sony writer makes a coaster with them, every single time. A lot of wasted discs there. I had to bring in my own media from home to be able to get some burns. Of course, on my media (value line Taiyos) the writers can actually write a usable disc. I think NEC drives have lost a little quality in this venture - I still love my 3 year old ND2500-A, though.
There are duplicator controllers, yes, I think the most popular ones are the ones made by Wytron. These are IDE-based, though I certainly understand why there aren't any SATA ones, as a typical machine only has a couple IDE controllers (or none) and SATA channels are independent of each other and can be port multiplexed (depending). Originally I thought you were going the duplication controller route, cause that's what has the LCD screen.
Anyway - about the drives - buying more Asus drives would be fine, the 1814BLT are good drives. Comparing the 1814BLT and Pioneer DVR-212D would be more of a preference thing and since you already own 2 of the Asus drives and wanted several more drives, I'd say save the money and just get additional Asus drives.
Regarding software: Nero Burning ROM supports multiple recorder writing. The default retail version supports writing to four (?) drives at the same time. Nero AG also sells plug-ins supporting 7 drives, and then one supporting 32 drives, but it gets expensive.
DiscJuggler, also mentioned in your other thread, comes in 2 drive ($60), 4 drive ($250), and 16 drive ($550) versions.
An alternative is to open up multiple instances of a writing program and write to multiple drives that way. However, this will require more system resources, and of course is mildly inconvenient.
Thanks again for the wonderful reply. So I got my Plextor, Sony, other brands questions out of the way. I feel a lot better of what I have, though Pioneer seems to be more known for these products over ASUS. Interesting info about your experience with Sony, I'll take your word for it. Generally rebranded stuff seem to work in certain ways.
DVD Controller clarifications, NERO Burning Rom Multiple vs. Multiple Applications
I did want the LCD screen to be able to make burns w/o requiring an Operating System to work it, but since my computer is on operation 24/7 anyway, I minus well go with the software burning route. I've noticed you mentioned the possibilities, of those 2 options you mentioned ( (1)burning w/ nero multiple, (2) running multiple instances), does that mean either of those methods 'sync' all the drives simultaneously? Quite frankly, I do agree with you that the (2) method of running multiple instances is a major inconvenience.
IDE vs. SATA, Wytron only manufacturer in the Market...
I've noticed IDE seems to be the preferred format/interface in the duplication world. I've read elsewhere that SATA does not perform nearly as well as IDE. But for my case...I'm set with SATA. Another thing I noticed, it's interesting how only Wytron is the only company in the market for this?
Final Questions:
- Recommended Duplication Burn speed for DVD-R
- Recommended Duplication Burn speed for CD-R
- If you're familiar with Mac OS, any programs out there for this purpose? (If you're not, it's fine.)
- Out of the ones you listed, having performance and reliability over cost, which program would you recommend?
- I'm quite set on Taiyo Yuden discs, any particular model number you prefer? printables?
- Have you had any experience with printing DVDs? Recommended Printable discs ands Printers?
Thanks again, I cannot compliment your help enough, you're awesome!
BillLeeLee
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If you use one instance to burn to every single drive, then basically the software creates the disc image once and then sends the data to every single recorder. If you run more than one instance, you will have to specify the data to write and the drives to write to in each instance, and then each instance will have to create an image and send that to the recorders. This would take more RAM, CPU time, and could possibly cause issues with slower hard drives.
Well, IDE has been around a while, whereas SATA optical drives have only really started to gain steam in the past year or so. SATA and IDE drives should perform the same (and of course right now a SATA drive arguably holds the top DVD writer spot), and SATA has the advantage of each SATA port getting dedicated bandwidth, whereas IDE had jumpers and each channel could be shared between two devices. Couldn't say why Wytron is the only real company making the controllers though.
Final Questions:
- Recommended Duplication Burn speed for DVD-R
- Recommended Duplication Burn speed for CD-R
- If you're familiar with Mac OS, any programs out there for this purpose? (If you're not, it's fine.)
- Out of the ones you listed, having performance and reliability over cost, which program would you recommend?
- I'm quite set on Taiyo Yuden discs, any particular model number you prefer? printables?
- Have you had any experience with printing DVDs? Recommended Printable discs ands Printers?
Thanks again, I cannot compliment your help enough, you're awesome!
1 - DVD writing speed - you would have to test this. 8x is pretty safe, 12x should work, and you should be able to do 16x on SATA. 18-20x? Maybe. Test this though!
2 - CD writing speeds - you should be able to go max speeds (40 - 52x), as CD writing speeds are in the single digits (~7.5 MB/s is the tops at 52x).
3 - Not a Mac OSX pro (I use various Windows and Linux, Apple computers are too expensive for me), but Roxio Toast and the built in Mac OS X Disk Utility should be able to handle multiple recorders.
4 - I haven't used Nero since the 6.x days when it was still a lightweight writer software, and I haven't used Discjuggler. If you can handle the bloated-ness, Nero should be fine to use. Disc Juggler is really praised, though it is expensive if you need more than 2 drive support.
5 - Taiyo Yuden TYG02 and T02 media codes are my favorite media for DVDs and CDs. I have a bunch of spindles of them. The 02s are 8x DVD discs, but can be oversped in some drives. Taiyo Yuden also makes these discs as inkjet printables (white top).
I also like Verbatim MCC03 and MCC04.
6 - Never got into disc printing since I stopped using inkjet printers years ago. I started reading about this and apparently, Epson owns the market in the US for this because they hold the patent for it or something in the USA. However, you can hack Canon models to do it by getting the CD trays for them, since Canon printers can do this in Europe/Japan.
The CDFreaks guys seem to love the Canon Pixma iP4300. If you buy it in the USA, you would have to buy the cd tray for it from eBay or something.
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f123/canon-ip4300-cd-dvd-print-quality-209566/
As for printable discs, Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden make very good quality discs normally, and their printable ones are no different.
If you use one instance to burn to every single drive, then basically the software creates the disc image once and then sends the data to every single recorder. If you run more than one instance, you will have to specify the data to write and the drives to write to in each instance, and then each instance will have to create an image and send that to the recorders. This would take more RAM, CPU time, and could possibly cause issues with slower hard drives.
Well, IDE has been around a while, whereas SATA optical drives have only really started to gain steam in the past year or so. SATA and IDE drives should perform the same (and of course right now a SATA drive arguably holds the top DVD writer spot), and SATA has the advantage of each SATA port getting dedicated bandwidth, whereas IDE had jumpers and each channel could be shared between two devices. Couldn't say why Wytron is the only real company making the controllers though.
1 - DVD writing speed - you would have to test this. 8x is pretty safe, 12x should work, and you should be able to do 16x on SATA. 18-20x? Maybe. Test this though!
2 - CD writing speeds - you should be able to go max speeds (40 - 52x), as CD writing speeds are in the single digits (~7.5 MB/s is the tops at 52x).
3 - Not a Mac OSX pro (I use various Windows and Linux, Apple computers are too expensive for me), but Roxio Toast and the built in Mac OS X Disk Utility should be able to handle multiple recorders.
4 - I haven't used Nero since the 6.x days when it was still a lightweight writer software, and I haven't used Discjuggler. If you can handle the bloated-ness, Nero should be fine to use. Disc Juggler is really praised, though it is expensive if you need more than 2 drive support.
5 - Taiyo Yuden TYG02 and T02 media codes are my favorite media for DVDs and CDs. I have a bunch of spindles of them. The 02s are 8x DVD discs, but can be oversped in some drives. Taiyo Yuden also makes these discs as inkjet printables (white top).
I also like Verbatim MCC03 and MCC04.
6 - Never got into disc printing since I stopped using inkjet printers years ago. I started reading about this and apparently, Epson owns the market in the US for this because they hold the patent for it or something in the USA. However, you can hack Canon models to do it by getting the CD trays for them, since Canon printers can do this in Europe/Japan.
The CDFreaks guys seem to love the Canon Pixma iP4300. If you buy it in the USA, you would have to buy the cd tray for it from eBay or something.
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f123/canon-ip4300-cd-dvd-print-quality-209566/
As for printable discs, Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden make very good quality discs normally, and their printable ones are no different.
Bill.. good stuff! Thanks!
Also:
1) Stick to 8X.. best tradeoff of speed vs. quality.
2) 52X.
As a general aside, have you guys seen the new Pio 215D? It's the SATA version of the 115, and early reports are quite good. I'm a bit leery of Asus drives, especially now that they're doing their own designs, and not OEMing Pios.
TechHead, thanks for the heads up on the Pioneer 215D, I might just wait out on those, or look into/read more about it. It sounds like you'd recommend me the Pioneer over Asus, I might go with that...I hope they run as quiet or quieter as my current Asus ones. Thanks for the tips on 1 and 2. I'll go with the "best tradeoff" route (dvd). I've never tried anything beyond 8x before. For 52x (cd), is that the best tradeoff as well?
BillLeeLee, excellent responses as usual, I look forward to reading your replies, I think I get more engaged and interested about the specific topics because of this. Thanks again.
BillLeeLee
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CD can be done with 52x (if your writer supports it) because it's still slower than DVD @ 8x. You should be safe piping 7.5 MB/s to multiple CD writers at the same time. With DVD, you could experience hiccups since writing speeds are much higher - at 12x, it's about 16 MB/s, at 16x, it's ~21 MB/s. If something happens along the way (system hiccups or otherwise) and you experience a buffer underrun, you could get some coasters. Of course, if you are using media like Taiyo Yuden 02s, I'd recommend sticking to their rated speed of 8x anyway.
And I have heard about the Pioneer 215D, but it's not out here yet. It was released in Asia, so it probably won't be too far off for us. Early scans show that it might even beat the Samsung.
And I have heard about the Pioneer 215D, but it's not out here yet. It was released in Asia, so it probably won't be too far off for us. Early scans show that it might even beat the Samsung.
I did a little research on Pioneer 215D's (215D / 215DBK / 215DSV, Beige, Black, Silver respectively). I found a few website discussing and selling them in Australia and Europe.
Generally from the past, Whats the estimated cost/price it'd be once it's released in the US? (I remember the 212D starting off at around $50 then dropping down to $30 months later) If it's going to take awhile, I might just settle for the 212Ds, since I'll probably never use 20x anyway, which seems to be the only difference, seen in the charts below. If they're quieter, maybe...
Comparison Chart: (from VideoHelp) <if there are better websites out there that compares these drives, please let me know, i'm still new to this
20x
Asus DRW-2014L1T
Pioneer DVR-215D
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18x
Asus DRW-1814BLT
Pioneer DVR-212D
Based on the charts it seems like both Asus optical drives have superior Read/Write speeds + compatibility with discs. The most obvious difference is that there is no DVD-RAM ability in both Pioneers? None have 52x ability, however the Pioneer has 10x DVD+RDL over Asus' 8x.
Damar
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The Samsung SH-S203B has gotten impressive reviews from what I've seen.
CD Freaks has it as the top recommended by it's users with 82% approval.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/devices/DVD__RW/Samsung/SH-S203B.html
http://www.cdfreaks.com/devices/DVDRW/
CDR Labs gave it a 9 out of 10.
http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=306
NewEgg has them OEM for $29.99 each.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153&Tpk=sh-s203b
As a note, last I knew, Plextor wasn't making the hardware in their burners anymore, and they are simply putting their logo plates on some other brands drives. This would seem to be backed up by the much lower prices I'm seeing for the new models they released over what they used to charge for their top end burners. Not 100% sure on this though.
I used to always get Plextor drives and run the hell out of them, never had a failure. I've got one of those Samsung drives enroute from NewEgg to mess with though, to see how well it holds up to serious (ab)use. At that price, I couldnt resist.
CD Freaks has it as the top recommended by it's users with 82% approval.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/devices/DVD__RW/Samsung/SH-S203B.html
http://www.cdfreaks.com/devices/DVDRW/
CDR Labs gave it a 9 out of 10.
http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=306
NewEgg has them OEM for $29.99 each.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153&Tpk=sh-s203b
As a note, last I knew, Plextor wasn't making the hardware in their burners anymore, and they are simply putting their logo plates on some other brands drives. This would seem to be backed up by the much lower prices I'm seeing for the new models they released over what they used to charge for their top end burners. Not 100% sure on this though.
I used to always get Plextor drives and run the hell out of them, never had a failure. I've got one of those Samsung drives enroute from NewEgg to mess with though, to see how well it holds up to serious (ab)use. At that price, I couldnt resist.
Hmm, I had the Samsung SH-S183L and they were totally loud, not as loud as the Lite-On's but definitely louder than the Asus that I have. But that was my experience... (and probably is since it has such awesome reviews from sources above) Now, I'm hoping Pioneer's 215D or 212D's are equally quieter or quieter. I'm gonna read some more though. Thanks for the lookout.
A Press Release from Pioneer just announced yesterday:
I'm eying the DVR-213LS, but the 215D will suffice, that is if it will ever release in the US. Do you guys think the DVR-2910 is just a US name variation that Pioneers has seem to do in the past?
*Japan releases always have a much nicer bezel, probably won't happen in US.
Pioneer USA News: [b said:
I'm eying the DVR-213LS, but the 215D will suffice, that is if it will ever release in the US. Do you guys think the DVR-2910 is just a US name variation that Pioneers has seem to do in the past?
*Japan releases always have a much nicer bezel, probably won't happen in US.
Damar
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Jun 20, 2004
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Hmm, I had the Samsung SH-S183L and they were totally loud, not as loud as the Lite-On's but definitely louder than the Asus that I have. But that was my experience... (and probably is since it has such awesome reviews from sources above) Now, I'm hoping Pioneer's 215D or 212D's are equally quieter or quieter. I'm gonna read some more though. Thanks for the lookout.
Mine should be here by Wednesday, I'll let you know how it is once I get it up and going.
Planning to do a Vista install to test hardware with since it will run without a key to install it long enough to test on.
I'm sure if it's loud, I'll notice it. To clarify, if it's loud, my WIFE will notice it and make sure I'm WELL informed of it.
Ahem. I love you honey.
Damar
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Jun 20, 2004
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- 4,613
Ok my Samsung SH-S203B arrived!
I've only had a little time to mess with it since yesterday, but after using it to make 4 OS installs, I can say for sure that it's fast, and not too noisy when running.
The tray sounds very very cheap, and is loud when opening and closing, something I'm not used to as my Plextor is whisper quiet even when set to the fastest open/close speed (gotta love how they let you adjust that). You can seriously hear the tray lock when you close it, it's almost a thunk.
I havent had a chance to burn anything yet, but thats my next project. Want to see if these 16X Verbatims which worked mint with the Plextor can hit a 20x burn on the Samsung.
EDIT - Ok, just burned off a nearly full DVD using a 16x Verbatim blank (Misubishi Chemical Corp. media identifier) at forced 20x speed setting on the drive using NERO 8.
You sure can tell it's spinning at 20x, no way to miss it, it's not overly noisy, just noticable. Drive was smooth while running.
It burned a disc at 20x that played in my SONY DVD player just fine, on the Plextor I couldnt go above 12x to get a playable DVD, so that tells me something.
I won't have time for more extensive tests until I get it perma mounted in a build, but there's a little more info for you.
I've only had a little time to mess with it since yesterday, but after using it to make 4 OS installs, I can say for sure that it's fast, and not too noisy when running.
The tray sounds very very cheap, and is loud when opening and closing, something I'm not used to as my Plextor is whisper quiet even when set to the fastest open/close speed (gotta love how they let you adjust that). You can seriously hear the tray lock when you close it, it's almost a thunk.
I havent had a chance to burn anything yet, but thats my next project. Want to see if these 16X Verbatims which worked mint with the Plextor can hit a 20x burn on the Samsung.
EDIT - Ok, just burned off a nearly full DVD using a 16x Verbatim blank (Misubishi Chemical Corp. media identifier) at forced 20x speed setting on the drive using NERO 8.
You sure can tell it's spinning at 20x, no way to miss it, it's not overly noisy, just noticable. Drive was smooth while running.
It burned a disc at 20x that played in my SONY DVD player just fine, on the Plextor I couldnt go above 12x to get a playable DVD, so that tells me something.
I won't have time for more extensive tests until I get it perma mounted in a build, but there's a little more info for you.
Does Bombay, India count?
I have a 212, and am getting my hands on a 215 in a bit.. will post some comparison scans when I get it..
Does Bombay, India count?
I have a 212, and am getting my hands on a 215 in a bit.. will post some comparison scans when I get it..
Please do! Can't wait to see this. Maybe we should have a DVR-215 thread....I can't wait until these release in the US (if they do that is). Do you guys think the DVR-2910 is the US version?
BillLeeLee
[H]F Junkie
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- Jul 2, 2003
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- 13,486
Specs make it seem close to a DVR-215D, but maybe it has PowerRead functionality too, which is usually stripped out of the US Pioneer models.
We'll see when it is launched.
I thought they called it Mumbai now?
And please do. I've seen a lot of 115D scans, but not a lot of 215D scans.
We'll see when it is launched.
TechHead said:
I thought they called it Mumbai now?
And please do. I've seen a lot of 115D scans, but not a lot of 215D scans.
Specs make it seem close to a DVR-215D, but maybe it has PowerRead functionality too, which is usually stripped out of the US Pioneer models.
We'll see when it is launched.
I thought they called it Mumbai now?
And please do. I've seen a lot of 115D scans, but not a lot of 215D scans.
Yea, well.. I was born and brought up in Bombay until some nutjobs decided to change it...
Bad news, my 215D was DOA. Sent it back, should get a replacement by the 27th.
Yea, well.. I was born and brought up in Bombay until some nutjobs decided to change it...
Bad news, my 215D was DOA. Sent it back, should get a replacement by the 27th.
How much did the 215D cost you? and do you guys know how long the 215D has been out? Pioneer just released a bunch of new drives (look above). Thanks, look forward to your reply.
Cost me 1500 rupees, which is ~38$ US. OEM drive.
The 215D was released at the end of 2007. Good drive. Just be careful of the tray problems.. a lot of Pio drives have faulty drive tray mechanisms, which prevent the smooth ejection and retraction of the drive tray.
Nice...It's too bad they're not selling it in the US, I guess the DVR-2910 is the US version, or replacement (?)...Thanks for sharing.
For deciphering the new Pio drive numbers, I'll point you to this thread @ CDRLabs:
http://www.cdrlabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24044
Raises a bunch of questions as well...Thanks for this, can't wait until March to get one...and then until the price drops down from $40-50 to $20-30, I'll purchase 6 more. SATA FTW! I heard the new Mac Pros are using SATA Superdrives now. Which raises a question, are they still the Pioneers with NEC chipset? < or was that the Sony, either way, quality drives.
DrStrangeBrew
Gawd
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- Jan 5, 2008
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- 764
another happy 203B owner
+1 for NEC Optiarc & +1 for Pioneer 212 also... they're all awesome for $30
Pios and NECs both use NEC chipsets, yes. Everything else is different though..
logic boards, everything. Precludes any crossflashing action
Are you referring to the Logic Boards in the Mac Pros? Are the Superdrives SATA?
After reading through the responses and reviews here and at cdfreaks, I'm planning to add the 203B to my build list. My current build (let's just call it dated) doesn't have a DVD burner, so this seems like a nice, cheap and substantial upgrade. However my question is about the bezel/faceplate.
I'm planning to install this bezel on top of the 203B
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=726
on to this case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112130
I was just wondering if any owners of the 203B did something similar or could identify any potential pitfalls. ie do you think I'll run into any problems removing the existing bezel and/or installing the new one; or things to be careful of so as to not damage the tray etc.
Disclaimer: I'm just being a bit cautious cause this will be my first build from the ground up, I'm just trying to measure twice and cut once
I'm planning to install this bezel on top of the 203B
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=726
on to this case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112130
I was just wondering if any owners of the 203B did something similar or could identify any potential pitfalls. ie do you think I'll run into any problems removing the existing bezel and/or installing the new one; or things to be careful of so as to not damage the tray etc.
Disclaimer: I'm just being a bit cautious cause this will be my first build from the ground up, I'm just trying to measure twice and cut once
achensherd
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2007
- Messages
- 328
I was looking up the Samsung 203B at Newegg due to the recommendations I read here, since I'm in need of a drive upgrade. However, Newegg also has a 203N listed. The 203B and 203N seem pretty similar, the only noticeable differences being that the latter has Lightscribe and a slightly faster DVD+R DL speed (at least according to the specs at Newegg). Has anyone here had any experience with the 203N? Is Lightscribe inclusion pretty much the main difference it has over the 203B?
Nope, actually referring to the NEC 4570/71 drives.
No idea about the Superdrives, sorry
I originally had the famous Epson R200 printer to print my DVDs. But I quickly got sick of spending $80 on ink, and cheapo ink made a terrible mess of the printer with leaks and smudges and stuff.
I ended up with the HP D5160. HP quality, and it uses 2 ink cartridges... 98 black and 95 tri-color. I'm very pleased with this printer. But, the included software sucks, and I had to make my own template in Photoshop to print on the DVDs. But, it was worth it.
I use Verbatim hub-printable DVDs. I've also had good luck with TY DVDs.