CD Burners Opinions wanted

[Entragian ][]

Ok... I am going to start looking for a CDRead/write soon and would like to hear a little feedback from people who are currently using them.
Brand, likes/dislikes, Software availability, compatability. Give me all your info! Squeeze that brain dry! http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

I am sure this has been discussed before and I could search, but I want up to date info on current products. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Entragian ][

[shadow]

I have a Plextor 8/4/32 that i bought about a month ago. I asked the same question you are asking, and from alot of people. The overwhelming answer came back...Plextor.
I cannot fault this thing, it performs flawlessly. I've done about 50 cdR's so far, mostly burnt MP3's, which the Plextor software does on the fly. I do cd to cd from my Toshiba 32x and the programs always work when burnt at 8x. Speed? I couldn't tell you, a minute or 2 dont matter much to me but working cd's do. I dont have one coaster even tho my machine crashed twice in the middle of a burn. After a cold boot, I returned to burning and finished both cdR's.
Do Plextor, you'll be happy.

[SysOpt]

Lots here:

http://sysopt.earthweb.com/userreviews/products/cdrecord.html

[Warthog]

Plextor like Shadows that Pepto found a good deal on: http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/Forum10/HTML/000747.html

Warthog

[NDC]

Yeah, Plextor seems to be the good choice, I use Plextor 8/4/32 and works flawlessly. Smart and Friendly makes some good CDRWs also. That was the CDRW I used before my Plextor. I know, the name sounds rather cheesy, but they use to make CDR and CDRW for major manufacturers such as Toshiba, Sony, etc. They now go by their original name "Smart and Friendly" The prices seem to be quite reasonable also.

[neo_otyugh]

i have used plextor and yamaha drives on friends systems (both were great drives...scsi too)
i have an iomega zipcd 650 and it has been great. i ditched the acraptec software and use nero.
if i got a new drive today i would go plextor scsi...

[Joel Kleppinger]

SCSI, SCSI, SCSI. Learn it, Live it, Love it.

Yes, Plextor's rock. I've had 3 burners (Panasonic 4/8x CD-R, Plextor 8/20x CD-R, and a Smart and Friendly 12/4/32 CDRW), and without a doubt, the Plextor was the most featurefilled. There's nothing that's currently asked of a burner that it can't do. In fact, even though I have a faster drive with RW, I still use the Plextor in my main machine as my main burner. It's that good.

[This message has been edited by Joel Kleppinger (edited 08-15-2000).]

[Pepto]

I bought my Plextor 8/4/32 about a month ago as well, very happy with it. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Pepto

[shadow]

I bought my Plextor from onvia.com for $319 Canadian $.
Check it out, especially if you're a Canadian, they have some great prices and free shipping.

[no_shame]

I have heard alot about the plextar burner and have even recommended it. I bought a Plextar 8x4x32 and I have to say I have some issues with it. It seems to be picky with the media it likes. Also it seems to access a newly inserted cd slowly. I have a HP 4x2x20 that literally will take any media I put in it. It also accesses in about half the time it takes for the plextar. I have also only made about 2 coaster with it in 6months. And I do game backups with it. I was wondering if any body else had or noticed those issues with plextar.

The new HP's also have a 4mb buffer. The HP 9300 10x4x32x is about $200.00 on the net, not bad.

[This message has been edited by no_shame (edited 08-15-2000).]

[AuraEdge]

I had a 8/4/32 Plextor, and just sold it to upgrade to a 12/10/32 Plextor. Good stuff for sure!
The 12/10/32 has this coasterproof technology that slows or stops the CD burning when the cache gets low, and lets it rebuild.
This means, even in IDE, you wont get a coaster if your multitasking with different drives on the controller. I got it for 230 from Buy.com.
The price has risen since I got it last week tho.

[spark25]

I vote plextor. Yes,the tray is a little slow closing and I prefer that to the quick slam,seems solid to me. I couldn't burn cheap media,that was the fault of the media for sure. So I feed it sony cdq-74cn disks from compusa,no problem.A nice rig the plextor.

[shadow]

No Shame - What media wont the Plextor accept? And with what software?

I can feed mine cheap cdr's...Gigastorage. They work fine so far.

BTW, my Plextor has a 4mb buffer.

[This message has been edited by shadow (edited 08-15-2000).]

[no_shame]

I got stuck with a lot of Memorex cd-r's and cd-rw's "I usually use TDK" and the plextar just doesn't like em. Sometimes I can't even get to read the cd-rw's. I don't know if it is just my recorder or what. I have done the firm ware upgrade. It also seems to be slow accessing a inserted cd "and I don't mean the tray" as far as the operating system seeing the data. About 10 to 15 seconds. I know that seems fast but if you spend all day changing cd's it adds up. Not much patience.

My other cd-rw drives (on old systems) do it in about 5 s or less.
Just wondering if anybody else noticed or had these problems.

I use Nero and EZ 4.02 and let me just say I have nothing against the plextar, infact I sure would like to have the Plextar 12x10x32x with no buffer underuns. But I am alittle disappointed with the one I received not to say its plextar it could just be my drive.

[This message has been edited by no_shame (edited 08-16-2000).]

[This message has been edited by no_shame (edited 08-16-2000).]

[Jonty]

I have a Ricoh MP7080A (8/4/32) and am delighted with it. It cost a very reasonable £151 (about $226, but probably tons cheaper in the US - why??) and use Nero Burning Rom which seems OK too.

I don't have any coasters either and copy on the fly as well.

By the way my Ricoh has a 4MB buffer, what do these Plextors have? A lot of burners have only 2MB.

[skai]

Panasonic 20x8 scsi used with nero the best I have seen,dont buy IDE if you can help it .Trust uncle Joe he knows what he's talking about. regards skai

[Dave2]

If you can afford it then go for a SCSI CDRW. If you don't have the money for a SCSI CDRW and a SCSI card then just go for a good IDE CDRW like the new Plextor 12x10x32 with coaster proof technology.

[finger51]

WOW! so much overwhelming testimonial for plextor makes me think I'm an idiot.
I've had my 8x4x32 eide for about 2 months now and i've made lots and lots of coasters. my main problem is the dreaded buffer under-run error. I think in the 100 or so cds I've burned 40 have gotten this error. And I've never successfully burned at 8x, copying from my 52x cdrom or from the HDD.
I run win2k, 256 megs of pc100 and 2xC500's on a BP6 mobo. So I'm sure its not power thats the problem. Yes UDMA is on for everything. I have defragged drives, scan disked, tried different brands of CDR. I never use the cdrw's. I have the problems in both NERO and Easy cd creator.
I've posted here with my problems to no avail, everyone gives the same fix/suggestions and I try them out but nothing works.

I think I'll just chuck my computer and go back to watching tv all the time.

[lynchmob]

I dont know about the newer models, but my Acer 4x4x32 is a workhorse. Will take any media and I've never burned a coaster. I've used both v3.5 and v4.02 of EZ CD Creator and it works everytime. I sourse from a Toshiba 6x DVD and from HDD images.
I too have a Plextor 8x4x32 but it hasnt been installed yet.
lynch

[jacobnero8196]

That new plextor with BURN-PROOF is suppose to completely eliminate low buffer error. My next burner will have to have the Sanyo burn proof technology because I only have one computer and need to multi task. My current Acer 6x4x32 has burned 30 disc with no problems though.

[bomac58]

my Creative Labs 8432 does great and it is a honey for the money. Run it with Nero no coasters.

[Joel Kleppinger]

Finger, you pointed out the problem yourself:
I've had my 8x4x32 eide... (emphasis added)

Of course you're going to have more problems with an IDE drive. We're talking about the SCSI Plextors here. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif I would have a hard time buying an IDE burner... one reason I haven't bought a 12/10/32 Plextor.

[Whir]

I don't know, I just picked up a Sony Spressa 8/4/24 for $160. EIDE. Thing just flies. No coasters, no problems. Burns anything I put in it. Burns from my Asus 40x at 8x no probs, no under runs, no errors period. I've heard great things about Plextor also, but for $160, I think I got a good deal. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Pepto]

Joel, my Plextor 8/4/32 is IDE (as well as most others in this thread I believe) http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Pep

[jacobnero8196]

The BURN-PROOF technology pretty much trumps the traditional advantages that a scsi burner had over a eide burner. I think that's why Plextor seems to be in no hurry to release a scsi model with the BURN PROOF tech. I will be looking foward to the scsi 160 hard drives though.