CDRLabs.com

Looking to purchase my first DVD Burner and need some suggestions.
Right now I am currently looking at the Pioneer DVR-A08XL or DVR-108.
What are the main differences and which would you choose?
Also, should I look into getting a NEC or Sony instead of Pioneer?

Thanks

The A08XL and 108 are the same drive, except the A08XL is a retail drive and looks a lot better than the 108.

I'd recomend taking a look at the NEC ND-3500A, I've seen good results with that drive and quite a wide variety of media.

You can't go wrong with either Pioneer or NEC. I like NEC better, though. Sony doesn't make their own and is probably the most overpriced drive "packager" you can get.

The 16X Sony is actually a rebadged LiteOn 1633S.
Any burning above 8X looks like crap on that drive so far...

I also recommend either the Pioneer A08/108 or NEC 3500A

Any differences between the Pioneer or NEC that should make me sway to one or the other?

If you only burn +R media, also take a look at the benq 1600\1620.
because of his WOPC his burns are of an excellent quality.

The main difference between the 108D and the AO8XL is that with the 108D ripping retail encrypted dvd's is locked @ 5X. The AO8XL isnt locked and ripping goes to 12X. It also has this utility that switches between performance & quiet modes. Only works with the XL drive

Upon reading some post should I hold out for the Pioneer A109? Anyone know what features this new drive shall have compared to the A108? Thanks!!

Dont think anyone is absolutly sure what the 109 will have over the 108. Maybe DVD-R DL support with other improvments. Ive got the AO8XL & it rocks. When the 109-AO9 comes out i'll get that too

Now that I sold my DW822A, I am also looking for a 16X DVD burner.

NEC ND-3500A
Pioneer DVR-108 or A08
Benq DW1620A

Am I missing any contenders?

VEFF wrote:Now that I sold my DW822A, I am also looking for a 16X DVD burner.

NEC ND-3500A
Pioneer DVR-108 or A08
Benq DW1620A

Am I missing any contenders?

Nope and you also have them in the correct order

ClayBuster wrote:

VEFF wrote:Now that I sold my DW822A, I am also looking for a 16X DVD burner.

NEC ND-3500A
Pioneer DVR-108 or A08
Benq DW1620A

Am I missing any contenders?

Nope and you also have them in the correct order

I disgree!

Besides, there is no review of the NEC 3500a, and no review of the Pioneer DVR-108 with current 1.14 firmware, and no review that does the BenQ 1620 justice.

Personally I'm betting on the Pioneer 108, but the BenQ 1620 has it's strong points as well. Not to say I don't also think the NEC 3500a is a good drive!

Thanks for the feeback guys.

I can't wait till these drives have all been reviewed; then the decision will be easier.

However, being without a burner, I may decide to buy one in the relatively near future based on user feedback through forums such as this one.

I have the 3500 and the 108. The NEC works better for me PLUS there are all the different FW's availible.

At the moment stock FW to Stock FW the NEC beats the Pioneer.

Unless I wait, the 1620A is out of the running for me since it only offer 2.4X DL recording.
The others offer 4X DL recording.

I saw an interesting head to head comparison of the 108, 3500A and 1620, but it is a competitor's site that Ian was not thrilled with for plagiarizing, so I won't post the link to avoid any problems, unless he says it is okay.
One of the prominent members here is a moderator there, so maybe it will be okay...

I may go with the DVR-108 if I decide to get one in the near future.

Anyone know when the Benq 1630 (1633?) is supposed to come out?

VEFF wrote:Unless I wait, the 1620A is out of the running for me since it only offer 2.4X DL recording.
The others offer 4X DL recording.

I saw an interesting head to head comparison of the 108, 3500A and 1620, but it is a competitor's site that Ian was not thrilled with for plagiarizing, so I won't post the link to avoid any problems, unless he says it is okay.
One of the prominent members here is a moderator there, so maybe it will be okay...

I may go with the DVR-108 if I decide to get one in the near future.

Anyone know when the Benq 1630 (1633?) is supposed to come out?

Gee, I wonder who you're talking about?

Are you referring to the 16x verbatim media test? Personally, although I think the testing is good, I would not base a drive purchase over one media type's performance on three different drives... you should look at the media that you use on a regular basis, as well as the media easily available to you, and see how THAT media performs.

I say go with one that has bitsetting. CDrinfo did a review lately of the TDK 1616 and hardware wise it's identical to the NEC-3500.

Pioneer reads better bad discs

dolphinius_rex wrote:

VEFF wrote:Unless I wait, the 1620A is out of the running for me since it only offer 2.4X DL recording.
The others offer 4X DL recording.

I saw an interesting head to head comparison of the 108, 3500A and 1620, but it is a competitor's site that Ian was not thrilled with for plagiarizing, so I won't post the link to avoid any problems, unless he says it is okay.
One of the prominent members here is a moderator there, so maybe it will be okay...

I may go with the DVR-108 if I decide to get one in the near future.

Anyone know when the Benq 1630 (1633?) is supposed to come out?

Gee, I wonder who you're talking about?

Are you referring to the 16x verbatim media test? Personally, although I think the testing is good, I would not base a drive purchase over one media type's performance on three different drives... you should look at the media that you use on a regular basis, as well as the media easily available to you, and see how THAT media performs.

Yes, that was the one.
Unfortunately, like you said, they only tested with one type of media (16X Verbatim +R), although it at least gives some type of comparison.
Of course newer firmwares may make a difference in terms of caspability with that media.

Normally I buy burners without too much thought, but since 16X is the theoretical limit for DVD+R and -R, I think I will keep this one for a long time to come.
I do need to start returning my focus back on some other priorities in life, if it was ever there in the first place.

....what's the difference (if any) between the TDK 1616 that Veff is thinking of buying and the new "fastest kid on the block" DVD burner that TDK just announced (see http://www.tdk-europe.presscentre.com/c ... 20Releases ) I assume, in any event, that they are (both) re-badged NEC 3500 and identical in every way.

ramlin wrote:....what's the difference (if any) between the TDK 1616 that Veff is thinking of buying and the new "fastest kid on the block" DVD burner that TDK just announced (see http://www.tdk-europe.presscentre.com/c ... 20Releases ) I assume, in any event, that they are (both) re-badged NEC 3500 and identical in every way.

They are the same.

How good (and how reliable) are the nX4ALL firmwares from NIL for Pioneer burners.
I saw that he has a 16X4ALL for the DVR-108...

In other words do they compromise disc quality in any way?
I know many here check the quality of their discs with utilites,
and was wondering if anyone had any comments.

Thanks!

Now that Ian's article about prices not dropping (on 16X) DVD burners
anytime in the near future, I am not going to wait around too long;
plus I have next week off... (still have all my vacation for 2004).

The only 16X DVD burner choices seem to be:
NEC ND-3500A
and
Pioneer DVR-108
since the Benq DW1620A can only burn DL at a maximum of 2.4X
versus 4X for the afore-mentioned burners.

Funny, I only happened upon the Asus thread
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=17284
because I found the Asus at newegg, while researching 16X drives that do DL at 4X.
I thought the DVR-108 was good, but now am wondering...
Maybe it is a firmware issue, in that earlier firmwares weren't so good.

I was leaning toward the 108, especially with people getting certain 4X -R and 4 X +R media to burn at a whopping 16X using NIL's hacked firmware.
Now I wonder if the 3500A would be a better choice!

I have a $100 gift card from Best Buy and am awaiting a $50 card from them.
If the retail A08 were a bit cheaper there, I might be tempted to buy it, so I could use the $100 gift card and, more importantly get the burner before my vacation next week

Otherwise I am sure I'll find another use for the card:
Blank DVDs
SACD or DVD-A discs
etc.