So Im looking to buy an internal DVD burner. I’m going to use it more for videos than data storage so Im curious as to which formats and which brand to go with. I really want to be able to create DVDs that work on most if not all new players today. So basically price, speed, and format are my big comparison points. Feel free to just post reviews of the ones you’ve got in your systems as well. Thanks!
The Pioneer 105 DVD-R is great. It’s a 4x burner and it does a great job.
The Pioneer 105 DVD-R is great. It’s a 4x burner and it does a great job.
Crap, I have a Sony one…pretty new and got amazing reviews. I forget the unit # though! Anyways, it’s a great DVD burner; never hada problem with it.
Sony multi-format drives have the most support from burning programs.
Circuit City has the top rated Sony 510U for 279. on sale. I bought one of these. Works beautifully. [This is currently the best deal on the web for a Sony multi-format drive - Sony DW-U10A (OEM Version of DRU-500A) - 189.00](http://store.yahoo.com/livewarehouse/dvso25950.html) I got one of these also and it works great.
I second Astro. Get a drive that can read and write all of DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW. In addition to the Sony, there’s also the Panasonic DVR-A06.
I learned this the hard way. My DVD-reader and standalone DVD player will read DVD-R. My friend has a DVD-writer. He wants to give me some video captures from his camcorder. Too late, we discover that his computer drive can read and write only DVD+R recordable discs, which neither of my devices can read.
Now we have to see whether my camcorder can read his mini-DV tape, which he recorded in ‘LP mode’, which slows the tape down to get an extra 30 minutes on a 60-minute tape. In my camcorder manual, it actually warns the reader that mini-DV tapes recorded in LP mode may not be readable outside the camcorder that created them. Apparently, according to the DVD FAQ, this is due to the fact that recording at that slow a speed pushes the physical limits of the tape/recording-head system.
If my camcorder can’t read his tape, he’ll have to lend me his camcorder so I can get the video into my computer…
rayray, I can’t answer without knowing what kind of computer you have.
handy - Pentium 4 2.66 GHz, 256 MB ram, 120 gig HDD (7200RPM), DVD ROM, CD-RW. I can’t imagine you’d need any otehr info.
I’ll second the Poineer - in my case it’s an AO5 and don’t worry about this format or that format - in 18 months time they’ll all play on everything. That’s of course until Blu ray comes along 
Go for either the Pioneer multi (A06?) or the TEAC multi. There’s nothing that beats the consistency of quality in these two brands.
And the price of multi (+/-) has dropped a bit recently, so it’s definately your best bet, instead of going cheap and opting for a drive which only has the capacity to burn in one standard .
I think the Sony 500xxx is the best, a real one not that cheap $200 OEM version. Depends on what you want to do with it.
A Pioneer 106 is worth considering if you have the software that supports it. It should be under $200 these days from avlogic.com (price changes daily).
A 105 certainly works well too, but what happens if that + format wins over that - format? At least with a Sony or 106 you can use either format.