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Well guys....thanks for the feedback.....I think I have made my decision.

For the time being I will keep burning single layer DVDs on my Nutech DDW-082......I have about 500 blank 4X media (which are very inexspensive these days...most are BenQ brand) which I want to get used up.

I was very close to ordering the new Plextor 716a 16x Dual Layer burner as it seems like the machine to beat right now......but I think I am losing more than what I would gain by making the move now.

Most Dual Layer owners seem to be burning single layer media (as the price of DL media is much more exspensive than single layer at the moment) and 16X isn't that much faster than 8x.

I have also read that there are issues with Dual layer media burned as movies not playing in stand alone dvd players.

I figure a year from now, DL disks with be about a dollar or so piece and 32x Dual Layer burners burning DL at 8x will be about the norm....and no doubt Plextor will have a new model that will still be at the top of the heap.

I do wish for the time being that Nutech would offer a newer firmware with more 8X support for 4X media??????

Does anyone agree with my analysis? Dissagree? Would love to hear both any suggestions.

I've thought dual layer is a bit of an overblown selling point. Sure, some people are using it, but I thought it was funny a year ago when people were whining about lack of dual layer support in some otherwise good burners, and it's still almost as irrelevant, given current prices of media.

If you're happy with your current burner and its speed and quality, it's silly to upgrade to dual layer until media's cheaper. I don't know if I'd expect much faster than 16x burning, though-- DVD seems to top out about 16X, any faster and we're back to the possibility of exploding discs!

I doubt that dl media will be a buck a year from now......2 or 3 years at least.

yeah maybe in 2 or three years they will be 1 dollar, but by that time HD/Blu-ray will be out and no one will care.

Buy one every 2-3 months like the rest of us. Come on, you need your toys!