Lite-on 167-T (White)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-131-116&depa=0

Lite-on 167-T (Black)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-131-118&depa=0

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Definitely a "Best Buy" (to borrow from Consumer Reports magazine).

~ GaySatyr (ABB)

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-- Snowman

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Free/GaySatyr: It's funny but I already have a Lite-On 16X DVD drive!

I'd bought it per recommendation from a friend, since everyone said it plays DVDs at 1x so they play smoother/quiter.
It was model # LTD-163

Hmm, if you read its specs, it says average access time < 80 ms Vs the one you gave me that newegg lists as 120ms.

Anyway, that LTD-163 was a huge improvement over my old Creative Labs drive (I think they used Matsushita), but it's been acting funny lately with some of the newer CDs.
That's why I'd ideally like to add a different model/brand to my arsenal so I can try a DVD on different drives.

Is there a certain DVD-Drive that is known to have the BEST quality/compatibility (price is no object since it could end my suffering :-)

Snowman: I hear ya. But I typically use my DVD Burner for burning only and the regular DVD-ROMs for playback. I don't want to subject my DVD writer to the wear'n'tear of playback, particularly using the "search time" feature of my software that has the drive continually seeking and thus may wear out the motors :-)

Edited by - Dick Johnson on 1/22/2005 7:40:56 AM

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Edited by - Dick Johnson on 1/22/2005 7:39:39 AM

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I understand what you are doing -- I did it, too. However, it is getting more difficult to find an "improved" model as prices are plummeting and the read-only category is getting no R&D. Off-hand, the best are likely to be Pioneer, Lite-On, and LG Electronics. And I'd pay less attention to published specs than to ability to play in some of the reviews.

~ GaySatyr (ABB)

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But these days I figure the price of new burner, by the time I might wear the current one out, will be no higher than the price of a reader now.

And perhaps the format of choice will have changed to BluRay/HD-DVD by then anyway.
It certainly changed to DVD before I wore out my 24x writer, which I bought before my 2x writer had worn out.

If you do consider a burner, I'd recommend having a look at the NEC drives.
More than half of the people with DVD burners I know have NEC's, and they've all worked well.
My 2510 is also very quiet when playing back movies, and has worked with any scratched ones I've tried too.

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if you want to burn things, get the benq or nec, liteon put out the best inexpensive cd drives but has not put out an acceptable dvd-burner and their readers are inferior to the aopens and toshibas

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