Best DVD-ROM for viewing and ripping

[Rockymaru]

Hey guys, before I start, I'd just like to thank the people who helped me in the past, when I decided to get my LiteOn DVD+-R/RW last year. Hopefully you guys can shed some light on my current situation in helping me decide which DVD-ROM to replace my oooold Pioneer 115!

I want a 16X DVD-ROM that is: a) quiet, b) fast, c) able to read DVD+R, +RW, and possibly R DL. I've narrowed down my search, thanks to CDRlabs.com reviews and the forum, between either:
1. The Toshiba-SamSung hybrid, SD-M1912, or;
2. LiteOn SOHD-167T.

Perhaps some users here can vouch and chime in their opinions on which one they have and/or heard more great things about. For the SD-M1912, I know it can read +RW and RDL, but am not sure if the 167T can do the same. Also, in regards to the 167T, many here claim it is loud. Perhaps the loudest of them all? Would seem appropriate considering it is one of, if not THE fastest DVD-ROMs out there.. *HOWEVER*, from reading reviews at newegg, a few claim it is quiet. Obviously it's going to be loud when ripping movies, but how about when VIEWING movies?

Because of all the great things said about the 167, I'm leeeeeeeeaning towards that, ESPECIALLY because my LiteOn DVD+-R/RW has been so reliable and fast! However, having had a noisy Pioneer for 4 years (!!), I'm tired of hearing it running and spinning when watching a movie. But perhaps noisy now-a-days means not-so noisy for someone who has had to endure those 4 years w/ an ancient Pioneer 115!

Any and all comments are appreciated. Thanks!

[code65536]

but how about when VIEWING movies?

LiteOn's SMART-X is supposed to let the drive go at full speed when ripping and slow the drive down when playing movies. It works quite nicely for me (slows down for movies) most of the time. But there have been times when it hasn't worked so well (didn't slow down when it was supposed to or slowed down when it wasn't supposed to). I have also heard some people say that SMART-X didn't slow the drive down during a movie. So it's not perfect.

[Rockymaru]

I wasn't aware of that, so I'll take that into consideration, code. Thanks.
More input from people?

[Rockymaru]

Whoa, my world was just flipped upside down after viewing this thread: http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=18363 . Wow. The 1912 is actually an average drive, judging from those results, unless you get the hacked firmware - which I don't like doing for -ROM drives. Also, the AOpen (which I overlooked) seems to be the best, w/ the 166S coming in a close 2nd.

I *MAY* go w/ this drive. However, I'd like to know if anyone can vouche for it being noisier than, say, the Pioneer 115 (which I have now) or the 166S?

EDIT: And also, how does the 1912 stack up against my Pioneer 115 in terms of speed (if anyone even vaguely recalls the 115, as it's so old )?

[Ankerson]

I have been using the Asus E616P2 for ripping DVD's and it is extremely fast and quiet.

[Rockymaru]

Whoa, I forgot about this topic. I decided on the AOpen, which I was surprised to find brand new at an online retailer, at a good price! So far it has been very good. Fast ripping times, quiet when watching DVDs (way more so than my old Pioneer).

Overall, I'm pleased

[Ankerson]

Here is the ripping time for a Single layer DVD.

Asus E616P2


I 16:04:32 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:05:11
I 16:04:32 Average Read Rate: 13,907 KB/s (10.0x) - Maximum Read Rate: 19,318 KB/s (13.9x)