Recommend me an external DVD burner

[P4-630]

I have seen some external DVD burners for sale on webshops from my country but they were 8x read/write for dvd's. Are there any better external ODD's with specs like this one: https://azerty.nl/8-862-674614/liteon-ihas124-schijfstation.html ?

Or are the internal drives just simply better?
I dont really use it much but I need to install the OS(8.1) that I've ordered as well.

Thanks!

 

[Bill_Bright]

Well, if just installing, you don't need a "burner", just a reader. And since installing the OS is hopefully just a one time deal, the speed really does not matter.

For me, I still always include an optical drive in all my builds - mainly because I just don't like using USB. And IMO, SATA is a much more reliable interface and for that reason, I do believe internal drives are better. Otherwise, the drive itself - the mechanics and the optical portions are of equal quality - at least until the external drive gets dropped or knocked over one too many times.

 

[P4-630]

Well, if just installing, you don't need a "burner", just a reader. And since installing the OS is hopefully just a one time deal, the speed really does not matter.

For me, I still always include an optical drive in all my builds - mainly because I just don't like using USB. And IMO, SATA is a much more reliable interface and for that reason, I do believe internal drives are better. Otherwise, the drive itself - the mechanics and the optical portions are of equal quality - at least until the external drive gets dropped or knocked over one too many times.

Hmm, yeah I might buy one internal then, have seen they were cheaper as well.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Yeah, if you really need a portable drive, USB is the way to go, otherwise, having one always on hand and ready to go in your computer is, IMO, the way to go.

 

[trog100]

i have used USB drives for bulk storage for years.. USB 3 makes it a lot more useful..

i think if i built a new machine from scratch i would not install an optical drive and would go the external optical USB way with that..

i have a stack of full size USB drives.. they go back years and all have data on but mostly sit there unplugged.. if i want to use one i just plug it in.. they last for years when they are not spinning all the time..

i rarely use an optical drive and think an external one just in case i ever need one makes sense for me..

my machine has an optical drive installed but only because it came that way.. i dont have any internal hard drives at all.. just solid state with with full size external USB drives for bulk storage and back ups.. i cant see much sense in having several internal drives all spinning away mostly doing nothing except to use power and heat up the case..

i have not burned a DVD or CD for years.. i am inclined to think they belong in the past.. but each to his own on that one..

they are kind of like a floppy disk used to be.. my last machine did have one of those.. after sitting there unused for several years it was that full of dust i doubt it would have worked if i ever tried to use it..

trog

 

[Jetster]

Blu Ray burner. If you don't back then you need to

 

[Bill_Bright]

Blu Ray burner. If you don't back then you need to

Yeah, that's actually what I have because I have a bunch of Blu-Ray movies too. And if a burner, a BR disk will hold around 50GB (or up to 128GB for quad-layer disks).

 

[P4-630]

Blu Ray burner. If you don't back then you need to

Is this fully compatible with all sorts of dvd's, like dvd dl and rw?

 

[Bill_Bright]

You will have to look at the specs for any that you consider but in most cases, yes. BR burners support all sorts of DVD and CD formats. Of course BR drives or more expensive too - in part because the maker (and in turn, the buyer) has to pay BR licensing fees in order to support Blu-ray. It's a bit of a racket, if you ask me but that's how it goes.

 

[Jetster]

Is this fully compatible with all sorts of dvd's, like dvd dl and rw?

Yes most are. The prices are coming down too. I just spent $38 for a OEM BR R. Now the OEMs do not come with software to play BluRays movies

 

[Bill_Bright]

Now the OEMs do not come with software to play BluRays movies

Yeah, sadly, that's because of that same racket, licensing fees. It is because of those fees Windows does not support Blu-ray movies either. It would add something like $15 - $20 per copy and then consumers would complain - especially since most don't care about watching movies on their computers.

 

[peche]

this...
lite-On standard DVD writer, usb : Click here! ultra excellent drive!

Also in the office we do use this ones: Click here! , those Samsung units have been working here for more than 3 years, excellent quality, speed and also durability,

Regards,

 

[Disparia]

For what it's worth I picked up the LG BH16NS40 for my home server. Since it was going to be "the" optical for the entire house I looked for format support and the list quite long. The one that it doesn't support is BD-RE DL. If you really need that format there's a highly rated Pioneer drive that has it, however, the LG supports M-DISC and the Pioneer doesn't. Since I'm more likely to burn an M-DISC than any re-writable media and the LG is better looking I was swayed towards the LG. It's read a couple hundred BD, DVD, CD and PC games since it's purchase and I'm happy with it.

In case I need to read a disc locally my external backup optical is an Asus SDRW-08D2S-U. (external CD/DVD, not BD)