cd-rw too many choices!

[RobUK]

i curently have the :

Mitsumi Cr 4809 te (24x 12x 40x with 16mb buffer)

i have been looking at the:

Mitsumi Cr 480a te (32x 12x 40x)

LiteON LTR-40125s (40x 12x 48x)

the problem is that my current writer has 16mb buffer/cache and the ones i am looking at only have 2mb. Will i notice any difference if i upgrade? Also which one would be best? I have heard that liteOn are crappy but it supports all current cd protections and got brill reviews. The mitsumi however connot copy working safe disc 2 cd's, got better build quality rewiews. I want the best writer that supports everything, lol

My system:

AthlonXP 1700
MSI K7T 266 pro2 Raid USB2
Seagate Barracuda 3 40gb ata100 7200rpm
MSI Geforce3 ti200 128mb DDR
256mb PC2100 Crucil DDR RAM
Pioneer 106s Slotload DVD-ROM (16x 40x)
Mitsumi 4809te CD-RW
Creative SB Live 5.1 player
Diamond SupraExpress 56e Pro external modem

Any advice guys would be appreciated.

RobUK

[Grentarc]

does your current burner have Burn-Proof or its equivilent?.. i am pretty sure the new ones have it, os you souldn't have any probs burning... also, why are you wanting to upgrade.. all you will get is 1 or 2 minutes faster... once you get to 16x it is really irrelevant i think.

[Peter M]

Since the 40x stuff isn't THAT much faster than your 24x, I'd say stick with it. The reason is that starting the burn first and fixating afterwards take a substantial (and constant) amount of time, so that the tiny improvement inbetween doesn't matter much anymore. (Remember, that's 40x max, not 40x across the entire surface.)

I've had more than enough with LiteOn drives, they die on my folk by the dozen (and mysteriously no other drives do, not even the equally cheap ones from other lesser known manufacturers).

[Ankerson]

I will stick with my Plextor 24x :D The 40x CDRW's really don't offer that much faster overall burn times over the good 24x drives.

My Avg burn times are 4:05 for 700mb with my 24x. The 40x drives might beat that by maybe 30 sec depending on the media you use.

Just a Note, I have an older LG 16x10x40x that has been great also.

I burn alot of CD's so my burners get a real workout. I buy CDR's in bulk, I always get Taiyo Yuden.

[PaRaNoiD]

The best CDRW in my opinion at the moment is the Asus 4012a,it will read and write every game protection out that the moment(which makes it better than the lite-on's cause they will burn every thing(including protected audio)but are no go at reading so u'll need some thing as a reader ie toshiba or a lite-on dvd 163)

The Asus isn't the fastest 40x burner on the market but being able to read and burn everything(not sure about protected audio) puts it up there as one of the best.

Plextor = excellent audio performance. LaserLock, LybCrypt & SecuROM - OK. Hit & miss with SD 2.51.020 & higher. Reading not bad but likes to be partnered with a Toshi or Liteon LTD-163/5. Shockingly expensive and over rated.

Liteon LTR40125S = SecuROM, LibCrypt PSX, LaserLock, SD 2.51.021 and higher; can't read prot audio but can write it. Needs a partner reader like a Toshi Or Liteon LTD-163/5. Big dollars; 24102B & 32123S are good value.

ASUS CRW-4012A = SecuROM, LaserLock, SD 2.51.021 and higher,LibCrypt PSX,don't know about prot audio yet. Does not need a partner reader - it's stupidly fast at reading everything. CRW-1610A is great value; 32x is also good value.

[Ankerson]

Originally posted by PaRaNoiD
Plextor = excellent audio performance. LaserLock, LybCrypt & SecuROM - OK. Hit & miss with SD 2.51.020 & higher. Reading not bad but likes to be partnered with a Toshi or Liteon LTD-163/5. Shockingly expensive and over rated.



HuH?

Shockingly Expensive to who?

$113 at newegg today for their 24x CDRW. Not a bad price at all for a Plextor.

[PaRaNoiD]

HuH?

Shockingly Expensive to who?

$113 at newegg today for their 24x CDRW. Not a bad price at all for a Plextor.

I was talking about 40x burners in which plextor is well over $50 dallors more than the other two burners i was talking about.

[smelanson]

I would say that 24x is fast enough to, i have a 16x and it is fine for me, a complete CD takes me approx 5 mins.

[Ankerson]

Originally posted by PaRaNoiD


I was talking about 40x burners in which plextor is well over $50 dallors more than the other two burners i was talking about.

Their 40x CDRW is $135. Still not bad at all.

[tricktx]

i have a bTC 32x10x40 and sinse being able to write at 32x, ive stuck to 16x because of the reliability of it and the time difference is nothing.

700MB @ 32x = 1.20
700MB @ 16x = 2.40.

I must be a real bussy man to save myself 1.20sec, and burning music at 32x isnt that good anyway when playing on high tech systems becasue it pick up the niose distortion to easy

[Ankerson]

My next burner will be a DVDR. :D

I think we got all we are going to get out of the CDRW's at 40x. I know they are coming out with 48x drives soon, but I don't think they will be worth the money.

Other than that I will stick with my Plextor 24x. It is plenty fast enough and does an excellent job.

[otheos]

Unless you burn more than 100 discs per week, the 40x to 24x difference will not show. Stick to that 24x :)

Ankerson does have a point, so I went out and bought the all new and shiny Pioneer A04 DVD-R/RW + ACard IDE2Firewire enclosure, only to find out my wife doesn't let me use it :):)

Not the fastest CDR/RW burner (only 8x) but those DV movies look great on DVD :) at full quality (so long SVCDs) and only need one disc for 3 tapes (previously 3 CDs per tape).

I love it :)