Best or Very good DL External DVD Writers for use with Imgburn

[DrunkenNinja]

I need to buy a new burner for my laptop and have decided on the external type, the drive will mainly be used for burning DL +R Discs and should preferably have the option to booktype as DVD-ROM as they will be Xbox 360 back-ups.

 

Reviews are so mixed I don't know where to turn, I have googled till I was blue in the face maybe 10 hours, I must have read at least one good review of every drive out there (maybe they are all good now)?

 

The general consensus is that Pioneer is the way to go for internal drives and LG and Gear Head on the external options.

 

I figured this was the best place to ask as you guys really do know your stuff and I only ever use Imgburn.

 

Please help.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

What DVD+R DL media do you intend on using?

 

Pioneer don't make their own drives now so you should ignore that info until the new models prove themselves.

 

Personally I'd get a generic enclosure and put a drive of your choosing in it. Don't limit yourself to pre-packed external drives.

[DrunkenNinja]

This is why I came here first after my long search cause knew you would be able to give me the right info!!!!

 

I will mainly use Verbs but may occasionally slide to Memorex (Ritek) media.

 

Given this new found info, I am looking at a AD-7260S (from what I read these are top drives) right?

 

Enclosures are totally new to me, So I can see myself messing up by buying the wrong type or paying way over the odds, can you recommend a cheap generic one?

 

UPDATE maybe these:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/External-5-25-DVD-Drive-Enclosure-USB2-Aluminum-Caddy-/230620860340?pt=UK_Collectables_HardDriveEnclosures_RL&hash=item35b2130fb4

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270818022919?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

or am I way off the mark.

 

p.s. Oh I am a big fan of your software!!! It's not often you get something for free that is better than all the paid cluttered junk out there, GREAT WORK!!!! must be 5 years I have been using it.

Edited September 21, 2011 by DrunkenNinja

[dbminter]

I use the Sony/Optiarc AD-7260S. Have used it for a few months now. The last external drive I had, well, still have it, was a Sony DRX drive.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Only one I have personal experience with is the Sumvision Tempest.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tempest-5-25-Blu-ray-DVD-RW-Sata-ESATA-USB-Enclosure-/300555082457?pt=UK_Collectables_HardDriveEnclosures_RL&hash=item45fa7a9ad9

 

If you're looking at Optiarc drives, here's a couple of scans from Verbatim 2.4x (MKM-001-00) with an Optiarc AD-7280S. You couldn't ask for any better really.

 

 

[DrunkenNinja]

Thats great info, can't thank you enough!!!

 

So I go with the Tempest Case and an Optiarc AD-7280S like the one below:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-Optiarc-AD-7280S-AD-7280S-0B-/270808478174?pt=UK_Computing_Drives_Storage_CD_DVD_Drives_ET&hash=item3f0d7171de

 

One more thing, can I set the Book Type to DVD ROM with this drive? if so what selection do I make? Is it even neccessary?

 

Thanks again

[LIGHTNING UK!]

One more thing, can I set the Book Type to DVD ROM with this drive? if so what selection do I make? Is it even neccessary?

 

It's automatic.

[DrunkenNinja]

OK, I am completely sold, so the book type will be set automatically to DVDROM.

 

I remember everyone saying back in the day that everything should be burned as slow as possible, but that isn't the case anymore is it?

 

Whats the recommended/best burn speed for the Verbatim 2.4x (MKM-001-00) with an Optiarc AD-7280S or any other drive for that matter? Can we burn faster?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

No, slowest isn't always best with the new drives.

 

You basically have to burn a disc at all the supported speeds, then scan them as I did above and see which produces the best graph.

 

The 7280 will only burn MKM-001-00 at 2.4x. I haven't tried it with MKM-003-00 (the 8x Verbatim discs) yet.

[DrunkenNinja]

I really don't understand the graphs, Is there some kind of guide I can read to have a better understanding of the Opti Drive Control software.

 

I guessing the bottom of the graph is the size of the disc and the right column on the 1st graph is the drive speed but apart from that I am quite lost and don't understand the terms (Jitter, PIF and PIE or percentages), a simple guide I could read myself would be great, I am really starting to enjoy this stuff.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

This may be of some use - it's basically the same application.

 

http://club.myce.com/f96/cd-dvd-speed-disc-quality-pi-pif-test-96285/

 

Lower PIE / PIF = a better burn.

 

The graph lines change colour as the numbers increase... so if it's all green (as above), that's a good thing.

 

For PIE, getting between 0 - 20 (I think 0 - 200 stays green, any higher and it goes orange, then red) is as good as it gets.

 

For PIF, getting between 0 - 2 (I think 0 - 10 stays green, any higher and it goes orange, then red) is as good as it gets.

 

A PO error would typically be the same as a verification (read) error in ImgBurn itself. That's were the drive just flat out can't read the (sector on the) disc.

[Cynthia]

I really don't understand the graphs, Is there some kind of guide I can read to have a better understanding of the Opti Drive Control software.

Normally it's installed at the same time as the program.

 

http://www.optidrivecontrol.com/files/OptiDriveControl.pdf

[DrunkenNinja]

Many thanks, I have also read the guide you provided also cynthia (I will definitely download the soft when I get home later) and start checking discs.

 

I understand pretty much everything I have read, (Really Interesting!!!) except the numbers on the left hand side of the graphs, are they related to the relevant PIF / PIE readings? If so I can't quite see how they are related. e.g taking the first graph above posted by Lighting U.K., the Avg PIE reading is displayed as 2.0 (which is amazing) but looking at the mean average of the graph on the left hand side I would say it was closer to 7 or 8, there is even a spike on the graph where it hits 15.

 

Also would it be more thorough to verify my discs with opti drive from now on rather than imgburn.

 

UPDATE: I checked most of my x360 backups yesterday using Opti Drive on my Optiarc AD-7583s laptop drive but it keeps giving me the error code 31105, the discs are not scratched and they are all written to verbatim media using Imgburn and were verified, these checks have shown them to be good burns.

Edited September 23, 2011 by DrunkenNinja

[LongSoft]

For what it's worth... I have recently gone for the AD-7260S / Tempest combination, and it is utterly magnificent. After an initial hiccup (sorted quickly on this forum) I am up and sprinting. The drive is reliable and fast. The enclosure was a pig to disassemble at first, but there are help tips on the Amazon site that helped enormously.

 

My only quibble was with the feet of the enclousre - they have no great grip and the drive slid all over the place at first. Four rubber feet from a local hardware store sorted that out for the princely sum of 50p. This also lessened a very mild vibration at higher read speeds (writing it is almost silent). I think the rigid plastic of the enclosure is to blame for that - it could use a little damping under the lid (a layer of thin foam rubber?). My partner sometimes objects to the audible 'Chonk' the tray makes when a disc is ejected, but I've never come across a properly damped tray on a PC drive (anyone know different?) Perhaps I shouldn't burn discs at three in the morning?

 

I use Verbatim discs exclusively (They even sell them in Asda now!). Have not had a failure for so long I'm sure I'd survive the shock if one did fail. It's the first drive I've ever had that takes all the variations of R and RW without throwing a wobbler on at least one type.

 

I did find the drive was most secure burning at 8x even though it initially tried to burn faster. When it came to copying discs to an image the speed difference between the AD-7260S and the old internal slimline drive was a revelation.

 

Getting this combo was the best decision I've made all year.

[DrunkenNinja]

Gotta say this is running like a champ!!!

 

Only downer is now I have to buy a Liteon ihas128 drive and flash it with c4e's "burner max" firmware to enable burning to the edge of the disc an Increase of data size from 8,547,991,552 to 8,738,898,920 the later is the space required to burn full XGD3 Dics without needing to truncate the disc.

 

Is there a way I can do this with the Optiarc AD-7280S? A Custom firmware maybe?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

The only way you'll do it with a different burner is if that 'c4e' bloke (or someone else with his skills/motivation) mods the firmware for the model in question.

[DrunkenNinja]

Unfortunately I don't think he will, in his eyes he has provided a solution, by the way that "c4e" bloke seems to be a fan of your sofware too as he recommends your program 1st then some other dodgy program called clonecd

 

Looks like I am going to have to share my tempest enclose with a ihas624, seems the x4 speed burns have problems but the x2.4 burns are solid enough, shame he didn't pick a better burner 1st, he should have asked you like I did

 

Thanks Lightning U Da MAN!!!