external burner

[king ubu]

My notebook's internal drive is slowly giving up, it seems. It wouldn't burn DVDs for several months now (well, it burns them, but verification doesn't work... they don't get closed), and now CDRs are giving me a headache, too.

I did re-install the software etc, didn't help.

Now to take some stress from my notebook (I can burn up to 100 CDRs in a weekend or a week...), I figured I'd rather get an external burner. I need nothing fancy and I burn reasonably slow also, so it needn't even be fast (8X for CDRs and 4X for DVDs would do for me, no need for 48 or 52X).

Are there any technical specifications I need to make sure the thing I buy has or can do or supports or whatever? And what's a reasonable prize? (I guess I'll have to add 20% or some such, being in Switzerland...)

[king ubu]

how about this one?

http://www.digitec.ch/ProdukteDetails2.asp...;Artikel=147221

Lite-On EZ-DUB DX-20A4PU, 20x DVD±RW Double-Layer, USB 2.0

Brand: Lite-On

Category: Externe CD/DVD Laufwerke

Description: Lite-On EZ-DUB DX-20A4PU, 20x DVD±RW Double-Layer, USB 2.0

Price: CHF 90.-

Guarantee: Bring-In 24 Months

Description: Ext. DVD-Brenner

Form Factor: Externes Gehäuse

Connection: USB 2.0

Writing format: 20x DVD+R, 20x DVD-R, 8x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 48x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, 12x DVD-RAM

Reading format: 16x DVD single/dual layer, DVD-R ( 3.9 GB / 4.7 GB ), DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, 48x CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM / XA, Photo-CD, Multi-session, Karaoke-CD, Video-CD, CD-I FMV, CD Extra, CD Plus, CD-R, CD-RW

Buffer Size: 2MB Buffer

Features: SMART-BURN, SMART-X, VAS, Fixed Packet, Variable Packet, TAO, SAO, DAO, Raw Mode Burning, Over-Burn

Power supply: extern

[jazz1]

how about this one?

http://www.digitec.ch/ProdukteDetails2.asp...;Artikel=147221

I am also keen on getting a separate unit, let me know if you get something that works well

thanks

jazz1

[king ubu]

I'll let you know, jazz1 - will hit a store or two after work tonight to see what they have. Seems it's an issue these days that burner allow slow burning. That's worth a consideration, as that's most definitely recommended if you want your CDRs to last more than just a couple of years.

[AllenLowe]

some people like electric, but I prefer gas, as it cools down quicker -

[7/4]

I'll let you know, jazz1 - will hit a store or two after work tonight to see what they have. Seems it's an issue these days that burner allow slow burning. That's worth a consideration, as that's most definitely recommended if you want your CDRs to last more than just a couple of years.

Why do you think they'll last longer if they're burned slower?

[king ubu]

I'll let you know, jazz1 - will hit a store or two after work tonight to see what they have. Seems it's an issue these days that burner allow slow burning. That's worth a consideration, as that's most definitely recommended if you want your CDRs to last more than just a couple of years.

Why do you think they'll last longer if they're burned slower?

because it burns with less errors. some discs I burned for mikeweil with my first burner (2001 or so) have by now become partly unplayable (bad ripping may have a part in that as well, though). there was a previous discussion about this, I think, I got some PDF somewhere about what should be and what should not be done if you want your CDRs to last a while, in short: don't use no-name blanks, don't burn fast, don't write on the surface of the disc (just on the small inner "ring" or whatever you want to call that)

[7/4]

ah! ok.

the disc is spinning too fast for error free burning, but the software says it's good enough.

.

[king ubu]

ah! ok.

the disc is spinning too fast for error free burning, but the software says it's good enough.

.

probably something like that... I don't really know myself, but the fact that some of my earliest CDRs aren't readable anymore makes me think there's a grain of truth in there...

[7/4]

try copying them, maybe you'll get a new readable disc.

I've copied manufactured cds that were unplayable.

.

[king ubu]

try copying them, maybe you'll get a new readable disc.

I've copied manufactured cds that were unplayable.

.

hm, might be worth a try then, interesting!

[7/4]

yeah, at least you would have something to listen to.

better than nothin'.

.

[Shawn]

My oldest CDR's (from the late 90's) still play fine...

[7/4]

yeah, mine play fine.

they're startin' look a bit funny, the color of the disks are changing.

.

[Shawn]

Some of my manufactured late 80's discs look worse than the CDR's...but most seem to still play. I have one that has about 30 pinholes through it (when held up to the light) but it still tracks all the way through.

[jazz1]

I'll let you know, jazz1 - will hit a store or two after work tonight to see what they have. Seems it's an issue these days that burner allow slow burning. That's worth a consideration, as that's most definitely recommended if you want your CDRs to last more than just a couple of years.

Thanks, my daughter is in Zurich and coming to visit soon thus I may take the opportunity

to ask her to bring one along.

Ideally I would like a completely stand alone cd copier (burner) one I do not even need to connect to my laptop, but I don't even know if such animal exist???

[king ubu]

Ok, here's what I got:

Samsung DVD Writer SE-S204N

I'm too lazy to type up the technical specifications, you can google it I'm sure! It cost me 80 Swiss Franks (around 80 US$ these days) and it was a special offer (but the two other shops I checked both had comparable "special offers" for 90, these offers are all just a fake anyway, methinks).

It works like a charm, but it only burns @ 16, slowest. I hope this will not be a problem in the future.

My notebook still gets somewhat hot if I have it connected to the internet for hours, downloading stuff, but it's much better than how it was when I was burning simultaneously, too. Also the discs that I burn with the external burner aren't hot when they're finished (those from my internal burner got quite warm).

The thing is hooked up with USB (why would you want a separate burner, jazz1? Just to make straight copies? Those come out best when you use EAC in secure mode, so you'll have to use your computer anyway... and then burn the extracted discs from there - definitely recommended over just doing copies using, say, Nero's copy-disc-feature). It's hooked up separately for power, btw, that doesn't go via USB (there'd be such burners, too, but I didn't see any of those on display).

And just in case, if you want your daughter to pick up this very same one I bought, it's on special sale at Mediamarkt, which is located at Sihlcity (tram #5 or #13 or train S4, the later's stop is called "Saalsporthalle" while the tram's stop is called "Sihlcity" I think). This is in Zurich itself, so it should be easy to find even if she's not very familiar with Zurich. There was a huge pile of the burner stacked up right behind the entrance. But can't you get something like that at a comparable prize in SA?

[jazz1]

Ok, here's what I got:

Samsung DVD Writer SE-S204N

Thanks, my daughter will pick one up, if you think that Switzerland is expansive for this type of thing

it is much worst here, the cheapest equivalent (LG) which is the only one available is +_ 130 chf

The reason I would have like a stand alone is that I never do compilation, just copy cd's

and I could have use it in the room where I listen to music with friends, instead of my study where all my computer goodies are.

Thanks for the info.

[mmilovan]

Flurin,

please consider some of Pioneer external DVD burners! My internal 215D I've purchased about two weeks ago (20 EUR), allows 4X, 10X, 16X minimum burn speeds for CDR audio, and that is one of the most important thing when burning such discs. 10X is slow enough to burn fully compatible discs in every standalone unit, and such thing is not possible with 16X speed even on quality media such as TY brand (Verbatim Pastel).

LG (newer versions) and LiteON I own before were locked to 16X min.

Edited July 24, 2008 by mmilovan

[king ubu]

Flurin,

please consider some of Pioneer external DVD burners! My internal 215D I've purchased about two weeks ago (20 EUR), allows 4X, 10X, 16X minimum burn speeds for CDR audio, and that is one of the most important thing when burning such discs. 10X is slow enough to burn fully compatible discs in every standalone unit, and such thing is not possible with 16X speed even on quality media such as TY brand (Verbatim Pastel).

LG (newer versions) and LiteON I own before were locked to 16X min.

I think LiteOn and LG would have been the only others available here... that's annoying, but I can't do anything about that. But why would they lock these burners anyway? What's the point in doing that? Can that be fixed by flashing the firmware (I didn't try that yet, though it shouldn't be a big thing to do).

[mmilovan]

Well, as far as I know - by flashing firmware minimum burning speeds will remain the same. At least in my two cases - LG and LiteON!

I don't know why they're producing them with these minimum speeds.

Probably you can look at LG drives, I think that different chipset versions of these drives have different minimum burning speeds (and different quality and speed of audio extraction).

There is also another solution: buy internal drive (such as Pioneer I mentioned earlier with slow burning speeds unlocked), mount it in QUALITY external rack, and connect it via USB2, or by firewire (better solution than USB2) to your laptop. It is fairly easy to do.

[king ubu]

The problem is, USB boxes/cases are hard to find and cost as much as such an external burner... (you rarely find any 5.25 cases, only 3.5 for external HDs seem common). I guess for the time being I just live with 16x speed... if it's really important to burn slow, I can still use my internal drive, it's still sometimes burning alright (but not if I want to burn several discs in a row).

[mmilovan]

Yep, they are pretty expensive... found 5.25 Intex fr-712 unit for 30 EUR (that makes 50 EUR in totall, here...).

Well, at least you can try 16X on some certified media such as color pastel Verbatim or other CDs made by Tayio Yuden. Probably it will work, but still there is some risk such discs will not be playable in some elder standalone CD player units.

[jazz1]

The problem is, USB boxes/cases are hard to find and cost as much as such an external burner... (you rarely find any 5.25 cases, only 3.5 for external HDs seem common). I guess for the time being I just live with 16x speed... if it's really important to burn slow, I can still use my internal drive, it's still sometimes burning alright (but not if I want to burn several discs in a row).

My laptop burner automatically select the max writting speed, the lowest I've seen was X10

normally it burns at X24 and never had any problems, as you said if needed we can always use the

laptop burner. 16X should be OK in 95% of the cases.

My daughter is picking one up for me today. Thanks again.

[king ubu]

The problem is, USB boxes/cases are hard to find and cost as much as such an external burner... (you rarely find any 5.25 cases, only 3.5 for external HDs seem common). I guess for the time being I just live with 16x speed... if it's really important to burn slow, I can still use my internal drive, it's still sometimes burning alright (but not if I want to burn several discs in a row).

My laptop burner automatically select the max writting speed, the lowest I've seen was X10

normally it burns at X24 and never had any problems, as you said if needed we can always use the

laptop burner. 16X should be OK in 95% of the cases.

My daughter is picking one up for me today. Thanks again.

Yeah, the burner in my parents' computer has 10X as slowest too... my own could go down to 4 or even lower (I used 8X). With DVDs, this new Samsung has 4X as slowest, which is what I always used anyway, so like you, I hope this will do fine in most cases! And let's face it: I have too many discs to listen to all of them anyway, even if all my CDRs would be unreadable, I'd have plenty of stuff that should be explored more thoroughly, so some little losses aren't necessarily a bad thing

Once I get a real desktop computer, I'll certainly deal with these issues more thoroughly again, though - so thanks Milan for weighing in with your expert knowledge, appreciated! (and I hope you helped catch that old weird herb doctor... he he, finally!)