TiVo Community Forums Archives - Where Should I put my new DVD-RW Drive ($49.99)?

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Where Should I put my new DVD-RW Drive ($49.99)?
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Posted by: MikeekiM

I just picked up an I/O Magic DVD Dual Format DVD writer!!! Yipee...

The best part is that I got if for $49.99 after rebate at Staples this morning...

Now my question: Which drive do I yank from my system? The DVD-ROM or the CD Writer?

I am just not sure which is better... to have two writer drives, or to have two drives (a reader and a writer) that can handle both CD and DVD formats...

I am leaning towards yanking the CDRW drive and keeping the DVD Rom...

Opinions please! Thanks!

Posted by: Bryanmc

The DVD-ROM drive is now useless. There's no real reason for it.

At least with the CDRW drive you can write CDs if you didn't want to use your DVD drive to do it. I don't know about the drive you got, but the CDRW drives on my machines burn CDs faster than my DVD burner does. So I'll usually burn all my CDs in the CDRW drives.

Posted by: MikeekiM

Ah... Hmmm...

Okay, my reasoning was that I thought the DVD-ROM would have a faster read speed, and it would also allow me to read a DVD on one drive, while writing to the other (without swapping during a DVD backup/copy)...

I am actually not sure of the specs of my DVD-ROM though...

Posted by: csyria

Put it in the mailbox to my address :D

Posted by: MikeekiM

quote:
Originally posted by csyria
Put it in the mailbox to my address :D

:) BTW, the Staples sale is still on...but it is an 'in-store' only sale... I think it goes on for a week...or while supplies last... $30.00 rebate makes it $49.99 in the end...

In addition to my first question, now that I have a dual format, I am trying to figure out which format to start out with... The +/- thing is pretty darn confusing...I don't need that many options in my life... ;)

Posted by: Francesco

Hate to disagree with Bryan, but a DVD-RW makes an OK CD burner. Keep the DVD-ROM so that you can rip & burn DVDs using any of a number of systems (DVDShrink, etc.).

Posted by: transpizzle

I use +R media. I have that same drive. Works nicely.
Amazong has some good deals going on, I just ordered these.
Ridata DVD+R 8x 50-pack Spindle

Ridata DVD+RW 4x 25-pack Spindle

Posted by: Francesco

Ridatas appear to be pretty reliable. True Riteks are the best, but I've had good luck with cheap Ridata and Verbatims.

Posted by: Bryanmc

quote:
Originally posted by Francesco
Hate to disagree with Bryan, but a DVD-RW makes an OK CD burner. Keep the DVD-ROM so that you can rip & burn DVDs using any of a number of systems (DVDShrink, etc.).

I'm not saying it doesn't make an ok CD burner, just that my CDRW drives burn CDs much faster than my DVD burner can. His burner might burn them just as fast.

As for having two drives to make copies from, I've always used DVDShrink and copied the material to the HD, then the DVD so I don't know anything about doing it straight from drive to drive.

To me the determining factor would be the CD burn speed. If the CDRW isn't faster than the DVD burner then it wouldn't matter to me which stayed in.

Posted by: Francesco

Good points. I tend to rip with a fast DVD-ROM (Pioneer A-500) and burn with a pretty fast DVD-RW (Pioneer DVR-105). Nero makes it almost seamless.

Posted by: Porterx

quote:
Originally posted by Bryanmc
I'm not saying it doesn't make an ok CD burner, just that my CDRW drives burn CDs much faster than my DVD burner can. His burner might burn them just as fast.

As for having two drives to make copies from, I've always used DVDShrink and copied the material to the HD, then the DVD so I don't know anything about doing it straight from drive to drive.

To me the determining factor would be the CD burn speed. If the CDRW isn't faster than the DVD burner then it wouldn't matter to me which stayed in.

I agree with Francesco for using 2 drives with dvdshrink, etc. Much easier. Even if you use 2 drives with dvdshrink, the encoding is still written to the hard drive. 2 drives just makes it easier because you don't have to swap out originals for blanks. Since it's on the hard drive, you can make multiple copies with nero, or the like, from the hard drive.

Posted by: MikeekiM

Thanks for the opinions!!!

So some more details... here are the speeds for the I/O Magic DVD-Writer drive (from the back of the box):

Write Speeds:
* DVD+R = 8X
* DVD-R = 4X
* DVD+RW = 4X
* DVD-RW = 2X
* CD-R = 40X
* CD-RW = 24X

Read Speeds:
* CD-ROM = 40X
* DVD-ROM = 12X

Not sure of the DVD-ROM or CDRW speeds of the drives installed in my computer at the moment... I will need to go to the HP site and find out if I can get the specs... It is an HP Pavilion 751n...

EDIT: From HP's website...here is what the speed are for the current drives...

DVD drive - 16x
CD-RW drive - 24x10x40

Thanks all!!!

Posted by: logic88

Does that drive had a riplock on it? My old Sony DRU500 was riplocked to 2X and my NEC 2500A is riplocked at 4X (I don't really like to install non-OEM riplock-less firmware) so I keep my DVD-ROM around because it can rip at up to 10X.

Posted by: MikeekiM

quote:
Originally posted by logic88
Does that drive had a riplock on it? My old Sony DRU500 was riplocked to 2X and my NEC 2500A is riplocked at 4X (I don't really like to install non-OEM riplock-less firmware) so I keep my DVD-ROM around because it can rip at up to 10X.

A riplock? That stinks... Didn't know something like that existed...

How do I find out? I can't imagine it is something that would be on the side of the box in the published specs...or would it?

Posted by: logic88

quote:
Originally posted by MikeekiM
A riplock? That stinks... Didn't know something like that existed...

How do I find out? I can't imagine it is something that would be on the side of the box in the published specs...or would it?

Not that I know of. You just have to try it, I suppose. Use DVD Decrypter to rip a disc and it should let you know what the max rip rate is.

Posted by: Raj

quote:
Originally posted by Bryanmc
I'm not saying it doesn't make an ok CD burner, just that my CDRW drives burn CDs much faster than my DVD burner can. His burner might burn them just as fast.

Older DVD-RW and +RW drives were significantly slower in CD writing speed than their CD-RW counterparts from that generation. My pioneer DVD-RW drive can only write cd's at 8x.

In fact, when +RW drives first hit the market, they were touted as having a higher write speed for CD's as one of their advantages, but IIRC, they only burned at 24x while CD-RW drives were hitting 40x.

Things have changed a bit now

Posted by: logic88

quote:
Originally posted by Francesco
Ridatas appear to be pretty reliable. True Riteks are the best, but I've had good luck with cheap Ridata and Verbatims.

Aren't RiData's made by Ritek? The disc ID seems to be exactly the same for RiData as for Ritek.

http://www.ritekusa.com/abpress_news.asp?news=3

Posted by: MikeekiM

Two More Questions:

1. Roxio Media Creator 6 - The drive came with Roxio Media Creater 6 (basic edition is my assumption)... I have Roxio's CD Creator Deluxe (version 5 I think), which includes stuff that aren't included in the basic edition...

If I install the software that came with the DVD writer, will it clobber my old version... can both co-exist?

2. Analog Audio Cable to Motherboard - I just installed the drive and neither of my previous drives had an analog audio cable attached and connected to the motherboard...

I took the analog cable and connected it to the motherboard... But I don't know what, if any, benefits I will get from doing this... Is this a good thing, or should have just left well enough alone and not connect it... How do I know it is even doing anything at all?

Thanks!

Posted by: iKwak

That is a great price! I remember when DVDRW was around $300 bucks.

Posted by: MikeekiM

quote:
Originally posted by iKwak
That is a great price! I remember when DVDRW was around $300 bucks.

The price is good until July 10th at Staples... $49.94 after rebate to be exact... There is a $50 instant savings and $30 mail in rebate...

Posted by: logic88

quote:
Originally posted by MikeekiM

I took the analog cable and connected it to the motherboard... But I don't know what, if any, benefits I will get from doing this... Is this a good thing, or should have just left well enough alone and not connect it... How do I know it is even doing anything at all?

Thanks!

Any drive produced these days should support digital extraction so the analog cable isn't necessary but I guess it doesn't hurt to have it there.

No idea about the Roxio software. I usually avoid Roxio like the plague, I'm a Nero guy myself. And Nero 6 does indeed clobber Nero 5 when you try to install.

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