Should I bother with a dual-layer DVD writer?

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timeOday

In looking at the Sunday specials today, I see three tempting options
for writing DVDs.

1) OfficeMax has a"Mad Dog Dominator" DVD+=R and CD-R/RW drive for $30
after rebate. Obviously the appeal here is price. But I once got a
cheap CD-RW drive like this and it is a bit flaky. But $30!

2) Circuit City has a $70 after rebate Lite-On SOHW1213S. Lite-On has a
positive connotation in my mind, and the reviews are good - very
quick (12x), good media compatibility.

3) BestBuy has the HP dvd530i dual-layer drive for $100 (no rebate
necessary). This is a pretty new product. HP *claims* good media
compatibility
<http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2004/040720b.html>
but who really knows? Currently dual-layer media are rare and super
expensive, so the dual-layer feature would be for future use only. It's
8x for single layer and only 2.4x for dual-layer. Speed isn't too
important to me, but the twice the data capacity for only $30 more would
be nice - if DVD+R DL ever catches on, that is. I have an old HP CD-RW
drive that has been reliable with good compatibility, but it's probably
too old to be very relevant.

So... is Dual-Layer worth it?
 
timeOday said:
In looking at the Sunday specials today, I see three tempting options
for writing DVDs.

1) OfficeMax has a"Mad Dog Dominator" DVD+=R and CD-R/RW drive for $30
after rebate. Obviously the appeal here is price. But I once got a
cheap CD-RW drive like this and it is a bit flaky. But $30!

2) Circuit City has a $70 after rebate Lite-On SOHW1213S. Lite-On has a
positive connotation in my mind, and the reviews are good - very quick
(12x), good media compatibility.

3) BestBuy has the HP dvd530i dual-layer drive for $100 (no rebate
necessary). This is a pretty new product. HP *claims* good media
compatibility
<http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2004/040720b.html>
but who really knows? Currently dual-layer media are rare and super
expensive, so the dual-layer feature would be for future use only. It's
8x for single layer and only 2.4x for dual-layer. Speed isn't too
important to me, but the twice the data capacity for only $30 more would
be nice - if DVD+R DL ever catches on, that is. I have an old HP CD-RW
drive that has been reliable with good compatibility, but it's probably
too old to be very relevant.

So... is Dual-Layer worth it?
Click to expand...

I'd wait a while -- let somebody else be the hero and bring the price down.
 
If you're in the market for a new writer, buying a DL unit is fine.
Then, when the DL media come down in price you can start using it.
 
timeOday said:
In looking at the Sunday specials today, I see three tempting options
for writing DVDs.

1) OfficeMax has a"Mad Dog Dominator" DVD+=R and CD-R/RW drive for $30
after rebate. Obviously the appeal here is price. But I once got a
cheap CD-RW drive like this and it is a bit flaky. But $30!

2) Circuit City has a $70 after rebate Lite-On SOHW1213S. Lite-On
has a positive connotation in my mind, and the reviews are good -
very quick (12x), good media compatibility.
Click to expand...


Newegg has the Pioneer108 on sale this weekend for $86USD. Lite-On and NEC
would be my second choices.

8.5GB DL DVD will be an interm technology to fill the gap before Blu-Ray is
a reality.
 
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage timeOday said:
In looking at the Sunday specials today, I see three tempting options
for writing DVDs.
Click to expand...
1) OfficeMax has a"Mad Dog Dominator" DVD+=R and CD-R/RW drive for $30
after rebate. Obviously the appeal here is price. But I once got a
cheap CD-RW drive like this and it is a bit flaky. But $30!
Click to expand...
2) Circuit City has a $70 after rebate Lite-On SOHW1213S. Lite-On has a
positive connotation in my mind, and the reviews are good - very
quick (12x), good media compatibility.
Click to expand...
3) BestBuy has the HP dvd530i dual-layer drive for $100 (no rebate
necessary). This is a pretty new product. HP *claims* good media
compatibility
<http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2004/040720b.html>
but who really knows? Currently dual-layer media are rare and super
expensive, so the dual-layer feature would be for future use only. It's
8x for single layer and only 2.4x for dual-layer. Speed isn't too
important to me, but the twice the data capacity for only $30 more would
be nice - if DVD+R DL ever catches on, that is. I have an old HP CD-RW
drive that has been reliable with good compatibility, but it's probably
too old to be very relevant.
Click to expand...
So... is Dual-Layer worth it?
Click to expand...

In one of the last issues of the c't magazine (german) they did
burning quality tests on dual-layer burners. Seems they are
all pretty experimental at the moment, burners and media as
well. Looks like a public beta test to me. Only participate
if you have too much money and do not intend to put anytjong
impotant on a dual-layer disk.

Arno
 
Arno Wagner said:
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage timeOday






In one of the last issues of the c't magazine (german) they did
burning quality tests on dual-layer burners. Seems they are
all pretty experimental at the moment, burners and media as
well. Looks like a public beta test to me. Only participate
if you have too much money and do not intend to put anytjong
impotant on a dual-layer disk.

Arno
Click to expand...

I have done some personal but extensive tests with dual layer video and data
burning. Don't bother....at least for now.
 
luminos said:
I have done some personal but extensive tests with dual layer video and
data
burning. Don't bother....at least for now.
Click to expand...

What problems did you encounter?
 
1) DL discs are very expensive at this time. DL is only worth it if you
have a specific need for DL discs.

2) But with Pioneer A08 drives at $86 or lower (www.newegg.com sale),
you can't go wrong with a 16x DVD+/-R Burner that burns 4x to DL as well
for the difference between that and a dirt-cheap <$30 regular DVD burner.
 
I used a number of authoring programs: DVD Author, Nero, MovieFactory etc.

Ritek DL was hopeless. Data could not be read back .. splotches in the dye.

Verbatim: Writes and reads well on devices *that support* dual layer. I
have access to about 10 stand alone players. Only half of these played the
discs. Some would start to play and then stall, others would give up at the
layer change, still others would not even see the disc. The Pioneer 107
will not even read DL, but I hear new firmware is just out to enable it.

Since I am writing discs that I take between computers for computer
projection, the format is just too undependable. And my results were
similar to those (about 50% compatability) posted on the net (do a Google on
dual layer compatability to find it).
 
David Chien said:
1) DL discs are very expensive at this time. DL is only worth it if you
have a specific need for DL discs.

2) But with Pioneer A08 drives at $86 or lower (www.newegg.com sale), you
can't go wrong with a 16x DVD+/-R Burner that burns 4x to DL as well for
the difference between that and a dirt-cheap <$30 regular DVD burner.
Click to expand...

I completely agree here. I got the drive and a DL disc for under $100.
 
luminos said:
I used a number of authoring programs: DVD Author, Nero,
MovieFactory etc.
Ritek DL was hopeless. Data could not be read back .. splotches in
the dye.
Verbatim: Writes and reads well on devices *that support* dual
layer. I have access to about 10 stand alone players. Only half of
these played the discs. Some would start to play and then stall,
others would give up at the layer change, still others would not even
see the disc. The Pioneer 107 will not even read DL, but I hear new
firmware is just out to enable it.
Click to expand...

Pioneer 107 firmware
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/article/0,,2076_4249_39099161,00.html#Firmware
 
In one of the last issues of the c't magazine (german) they did
burning quality tests on dual-layer burners. Seems they are
all pretty experimental at the moment, burners and media as
well. Looks like a public beta test to me. Only participate
if you have too much money and do not intend to put anytjong
impotant on a dual-layer disk.
Click to expand...

I paid $80 for a DL burner (shrug). Really wasn't that
much more expensive then a single-layer burner.
 
logos1 said:
I used a number of authoring programs: DVD Author, Nero, MovieFactory etc.

Ritek DL was hopeless. Data could not be read back .. splotches in the dye.

Verbatim: Writes and reads well on devices *that support* dual layer. I
have access to about 10 stand alone players. Only half of these played the
discs. Some would start to play and then stall, others would give up at the
layer change, still others would not even see the disc. The Pioneer 107
will not even read DL, but I hear new firmware is just out to enable it.
Click to expand...

Even though I have a DL drive now, I don't expect to
start using DL media until they are being sold at the
local stores here. Sounds like a lot of manuf defects
still.
 
Toshi1873 said:
I paid $80 for a DL burner (shrug). Really wasn't that
much more expensive then a single-layer burner.
Click to expand...

Well I'm about to pick up a burner. I'll probably go with the Liteon
812S which is a single layer burner, but it has the ability to be
upgraded to a dual layer through new firmware. It's not supported by
Liteon, but it has been reported to work, and most importantly the new
firmware provides greater media compatibility which is the most
important feature to me.
 
Toshi1873 said:
I paid $80 for a DL burner (shrug). Really wasn't that
much more expensive then a single-layer burner.
Click to expand...

It's not the burner is the DL disc. $10 for a DL disc or coaster.

Frank
 
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