CDRLabs DVD Writer Poll - October

[Ian]

I'm going to try something new this month. To help those looking to buy a DVD writer, I've set up a poll where you, the readers, can vote for your favorite.

For this list, I tried to chose original drive designs that are currently available or will be soon. I also threw in a few rebadged drives from Plextor and Sony just to make it interesting.

Feel free to leave comments and an explanation as to why you voted the way you did. Also, if there's a drive you'd like to see added to the poll, let me know.

[Bhairav]

Okay, two results up as I post this : one for the Benq 1640, and one for the Plex 716. I'm going out on a limb and saying that was Aviationwiz's vote

Reasons for my vote : Awesome drive, the Benq. Step up from my 832S, which is still serving duty with my dad, but this is FAST, with good utilities like QSuite and excellent reading capabilities. Recommended without reservation.

[dolphinius_rex]

The BenQ DW1640.

Reasons:
- Great burn quality
- Better media support then any other DVD burner in the world
- Excellent media tester for DVDs
- Incredible extra features built in and with QSuite
- Great fan support hacking tools (Media code speed edit)
- The fact that you don't NEED to use hacking tools
- Excellent customer service (they fix firmware problems when you ask!!)
- One of the cheapest DVD Burners on the market at any time

In my opinion, for overall performance, there isn't a single drive that can compare with the DW1640. It may not always have the highest burn quality on a given media when compared with every competing drive, but the quality is still very good in most cases. It may not always be the absolute fastest when compared against every drive (although it *IS* for DVD+RDL ), but it's within a few seconds usually, and the quality of the burned disc is almost always superior. And the only drive that can compare in the amount of features the BenQ DW1640 offers is the Plextor PX-712a/PX-716a, and they are 2x-3x the price of the BenQ (and don't offer NEARLY as good firmware support).

So my vote is easy for me

[yuki chan]

NEC 4550

NEC fan as always, plus DVD RAM

i have had really good writing performance from NEC drives

[Gabe]

Benq 1640

Great features like SB, quality-scanningand great write-quality with most media.

Hard to beat, but much new drives are on the way

[dodecahedron]

dolphin, any chance you'll be reviewing the new BenQ with DVD-RAM ?

[aviationwiz]

dolphin, any chance you'll be reviewing the new BenQ with DVD-RAM ?

Not sure about him, but I'm interested in getting that drive myself. I'd do a review for it given permission from the powers that be.

[dolphinius_rex]

dolphin, any chance you'll be reviewing the new BenQ with DVD-RAM ?

Not sure about him, but I'm interested in getting that drive myself. I'd do a review for it given permission from the powers that be.

Fat chance!! I've had dibs on that drive for a while

I've already e-mailed BenQ about it, and they've told me that it isn't ready for worldwide release yet, so they don't have drives ready to send for review.

Probably we'll see it on shelves everywhere but North America for a while... again

[dodecahedron]

i really want to get a DVD-RAM drive, and it seems like the wait for 16x DVD-RAM is going to be longer than i'd thought.
at the time i seriously thought about the LG but...
now i might go for one of these current generation - NEC, Pioneer or BenQ.

hey, dolph, why not do a triple-review shootout between those 3 ? or ever a quad- with the LG thrown in

[dolphinius_rex]

i really want to get a DVD-RAM drive, and it seems like the wait for 16x DVD-RAM is going to be longer than i'd thought.
at the time i seriously thought about the LG but...
now i might go for one of these current generation - NEC, Pioneer or BenQ.

hey, dolph, why not do a triple-review shootout between those 3 ? or ever a quad- with the LG thrown in

Well... it'd be nice... but it'd probably take me 3-4 months to do it, and it'd drive me crazy in the end, and probably burn me out. Besides, Ian gets the NEC drives, and I get the BenQ drives...

I *DO* have a plan for some future reviews that is sorta along those lines... but you'll just have to wait and see what happens

[Bhairav]

i really want to get a DVD-RAM drive, and it seems like the wait for 16x DVD-RAM is going to be longer than i'd thought.
at the time i seriously thought about the LG but...
now i might go for one of these current generation - NEC, Pioneer or BenQ.

hey, dolph, why not do a triple-review shootout between those 3 ? or ever a quad- with the LG thrown in

Well... it'd be nice... but it'd probably take me 3-4 months to do it, and it'd drive me crazy in the end, and probably burn me out. Besides, Ian gets the NEC drives, and I get the BenQ drives...

I *DO* have a plan for some future reviews that is sorta along those lines... but you'll just have to wait and see what happens

In the meantime :
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dq60/DQ60.htm

[dolphinius_rex]

In the meantime :
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dq60/DQ60.htm

Judging by those results, I think we know why it's not ready for international release

[Bhairav]

In the meantime :
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dq60/DQ60.htm

Judging by those results, I think we know why it's not ready for international release

Hehe, agree! Some more translations from the original Japanese, by koba:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=150440&page=2

[Ian]

Judging by those results, I think we know why it's not ready for international release

No kidding. It's odd too. It gives good results with some of the lesser known media but is down right poor with TYG02. I can't wait until he adds some DVD+R media tests.

Isn't it amazing that BenQ says a drive will come out on October 1st and it actually does? That sort of thing never happens in the US.

[Scour]

Hello!

Back to topic ?

My good old LG 4082 wan´t on the list, so I vote for me new Benq DW 1640

I´ve burned some media and tested it, works nice in any way.

I don´t use Overspeeding because quality ist the most important for me

[aviationwiz]

Besides, Ian gets the NEC drives, and I get the BenQ drives...

You know as well as I do that getting a drive from Ian would be a piece of cake,

[dolphinius_rex]

Besides, Ian gets the NEC drives, and I get the BenQ drives...

You know as well as I do that getting a drive from Ian would be a piece of cake,

Then why not put your money where your mouth is? I'll call your bluff

[TCAS]

i really want to get a DVD-RAM drive, and it seems like the wait for 16x DVD-RAM is going to be longer than i'd thought.
at the time i seriously thought about the LG but...
now i might go for one of these current generation - NEC, Pioneer or BenQ.

hey, dolph, why not do a triple-review shootout between those 3 ? or ever a quad- with the LG thrown in

Well... it'd be nice... but it'd probably take me 3-4 months to do it, and it'd drive me crazy in the end, and probably burn me out. Besides, Ian gets the NEC drives, and I get the BenQ drives...

I *DO* have a plan for some future reviews that is sorta along those lines... but you'll just have to wait and see what happens

In the meantime :
http://homepage2.nifty.com/yss/dq60/DQ60.htm

What is the use of information you are providing that no body can understand the language to read it.

[TCAS]

Yes my choice also is BenQ 1640 but I also love my NEC 3500 for the Quality of burning, media compatibility and vast community support.

[Ian]

The month is more than half over and the BenQ DW1640 is way in the lead. Keep the votes coming guys!

[Gabe]

Yeah, the 1640 leads.

It is still a top writer, but I´m less than impressed from the -R-burn-quality of the 1640.

[steven2874]

[quote="TCAS]

What is the use of information you are providing that no body can understand the language to read it.[/quote]

What about 127,417,244 Japanese?

[Ian]

Last day of the poll.. vote!