Try +R media before you give up on this burner. I know for a fact that this model worked a ton better using +R media than -R, especially if it is cheaper media. I used to own one of these and it did a solid job for me, but I almost exclusively use +R media. Depending on how much of that -R media you have, you may want to look at one of the Pioneer drives if you decide to start over. That being said, I absolutely love my NEC 3500AG. It burns a ton of the cheaper 4x media at 8x and it just does its job well. However, I realize you may be a little wary of another NEC

. Check out Newegg as they usually have great deals on these drives (the NEC and Pioneers), and avoid the cheapo's on sale every other week at BB, CC, and OM as they are usually the lesser brands and you will probably not be happy with them in the long run. Just my two cents.