Help needed selecting a DVD writer

[jackedup]

I had a 4082 LG writer however it finally gave up. As I was fairly happy with it I purchased another LG writer the 4160, however have not had a lot of luck with the writer, at least using the Prodisc S04 disks I have. Most will write okay but will seldom pass verification and when you play them they usually freeze and pixelize towards the end of the video. It seems if you keep the size of the video under about 3.8 GB it will be fine but anything over will not verify. Anyway I bought an HP630 and while it seems a little better still have problems with verification. I can usually get to almost 4GB before I have problems however would like to be able to use the full disk as DVD Shrink always outputs more than 4 GB. I then tried a BENQ 1620 however it won't even write the disks let alone verify them, at least in most cases.

I do realize there is others having problems with the Prodisc S04 disks so the problem extends beyond the writer but I have a few hundred of these disks and would really like to be able to use them.

In talking to a media supplier about the disks they told me the LG is one of the worst ones for reliably writing disks and the HP was not much better. They recommended the Pioneer A08. I don't mind buying another writer but want to make sure I get one that is going to have the widest compatibility with media and would really appreciate your feedback, comments and opinions. Speed is not an issue. While it is okay if it writes at 12X or 16X quality writes are far more important and I can live with 4X.

I would also appreciate your feedback and opinions on what media to buy in white inkjet printable. I realize TY is probably the best but would like to find something a little less expensive. I don't mind paying for quality but it seems they are 2 or 3 times the price of others and have to think there is something else that is reliable at a little less price.

Thank you

[spryfly]

As I previously posted....ty at bestbuy .40 each (100pk for $40). If that is still to expensive you should be able to find some cmc cheaper. cmc is as low end as i would go. seems to be decent media, however some drives burn it better then others. check out some of the drive reviews on this site and cdrlabs. you will find them both reliable and informative. plus they include extensive media tests on each drive......


edit: oops ....you were asking about printible media. i know little about their pricing except that they tend to be more expensive. personally i never understood the point, but then again i never understod the point of cosmetic case mods either. all i care about is functionality

[falberni]

ProdiskS04 works real well on my Pioneer A07. Probably even better on A08.

I always reboot the computer before starting a new burning session. I get more consistent results this way. Also, make sure you get the latest firmware for your burners, as well as the latest update patches for your burning software. This is very important. Older versions of the burning software may not have proper support for your burner.

[jackedup]

ProdiskS04 works real well on my Pioneer A07. Probably even better on A08.

I always reboot the computer before starting a new burning session. I get more consistent results this way. Also, make sure you get the latest firmware for your burners, as well as the latest update patches for your burning software. This is very important. Older versions of the burning software may not have proper support for your burner.

Thanks for the reply. I have tried rebooting before burning but it doesn't seem to make any difference with what I am using.

I am surprised that there has not been a few more responses with opinions on drives that will accept the widest variety of media.

I guess I will order a Pioneer.

Thanks again