You all are overwhelming. I've been reading this site for a week or two now, and finally realized that I had to join. It is staggering the number of ways that a device as common as a DVD/CD player can differ, and how you folks find the differences.
I really, really, really wanted to avoid asking any questions, especially the classically dumb question that gets asked so often on reviewing websites. You know, the question I'm going to get to in a minute here. I instead wanted to do all the reading I could in the forum archives and on the sticky threads in order to answer the questions myself.
And I tried.
And tried.
And cried.
I'm overwhelmed. There is just too much data for me to comprehend. I stare and stare at all those C'T charts you all post, and look at the values, but I don't know their significance, nor what they mean. You guys speak a short hand that is foreign to me, and try as I might to wade through it, I get lost repeatedly; and my basic, classic, dumb question remains unanswered.
So here the question is, and please don't banish me back to the archives or the sticky's, 'cause I don't understand what is written in them...
I'm building a computer, and want to put in one or two optical drives. In today's current market, which optical drives are the best quality overall, in terms of reliable writing, re-writing, and reading all manner of media?
I know, I KNOW. Another newbie asking a "which is best" question. Like I said, I really tried to answer this on my own, and didn't just ask this question without doing some reading. In fact, from what I've read here, and elsewhere, it looks like the following brand/models seemed to float to top of the list:
- NEC 3500 (or new 3530?) ... Known for reliable, error free writes.
- Plextor 716A... Known for ability to do some operations that others can't.
LG, LiteON, and BenQ have models that seemed to be preferred, but I wasn't able to find enough consistency amoung the commentary to single out specific model numbers.
This is my first time actually selecting an optical drive, as opposed to just living with whatever was in a pre-built computer that came with one. I'd like the satisfaction of knowing that I did not cut any corners, and this computer project is not budget constrained, therefore I am not limiting myself to whatever is on sale like I have in the past. Nor do I necessarily need to be on the unproven bleeding edge of technology, because I don't have the aptitude to diagnose, nor the time to hunt down and install constant firmware updates.
A simple shopping list of your dream drives is what I'm looking for. Brand and model # seems to be about all I can comprehend. If several people all like or want the same drives, then that says something more clear to me than all those the dots, slashes, and dashes that I was trying to figure out on C'T charts. (I still don't know what C'T stands for... everyone else takes that term for granted!)
I already had bought a Plextor 716A locally, but I haven't opened it yet, and am thinking of returning it, as it seems that the NEC and perhaps some other drives are generally preferred by you experts. That seems to be the case on Storage Review, which referred me to visit here.
Thanks so much for your time and help in selecting...
Charles Brown