LG DVD burners versus Blu-Ray burners

[dbminter]

I saw over on digitalfaq.com that they list LG DVD burners as the worst out there.  (Along with Panasonic.)  Is there that such a difference between their DVD burners and their Blu-Ray burners?

 

 

My experience with an LG Blu-Ray burner was relatively positive.  It only didn't write 8x Ritek DVD+RW correctly.  It also, when writing to DVD-RW, rendered the discs unusable by my Panasonic DVD video recorder until it was Fully formatted in my LiteOn drive.  It also stopped writing to DVD+R DL after 9 months.  Otherwise, I never encountered any real problem with an LG burner.

 

 

I also didn't have problems with my Panasonic DVD-RAM drive from 2003.  But, I only got it because I needed a DVD-R burner specifically.  I replaced it quickly with a dual format burner once Sony made the first once since my Panasonic was 1x only.

 

 

So, are LG Blu-Ray burners better than their DVD burners? 

 

 

I got an LG Blu-Ray that I found in a local store to replace my LG.  It appears to be roughly the same drive, except it writes at 16x.  My old LG was a WH14NS40.  My current one is a BH16NS40.  The latest firmware for both drives is the same alphanumeric string value: 1.03-A0.  I burned an 8x Ritek DVD+RW in it and am seeing if it dies on my after a few more writes in my Pioneer like I experienced with the WH drive.
 

[laserfan]

I couldn't tell ya. I have the WH16NS40 and a bunch of other LG drives including the GGW-H20L and they've all worked fine for me though honestly I do not do a lot of -RW burning.

 

I would expect that the newest M-DISC burners have better lasers owing to the fact that they have to burn stone but although I've made a few M-DISCS I don't have long-term experience with it.

 

>So, are LG Blu-Ray burners better than their DVD burners? 

Edited October 16, 2014 by laserfan

[dbminter]

I burned one older DVD+RW that had been formatted in a non LG drive once.  I then rewrote it 6 times in my Pioneer.  The discs were always DVD Video discs and they each played.  On the old LG, the discs would be rendered unplayable by now, I think.  So, maybe, this newer LG drive has solved that past issue.  So far, all I've done with it is read DVD Video discs, write 1 Verbatim 8x DVD+R DL non-inkjet, and the one Ritek 8x DVD+RW.  Once I get a chance to test it, I need to test inkjet printable Verbatim 8x DVD+R DL as I didn't test my Pioneer with them and it doesn't like them.  Although it likes non inkjet 8x Verbatim DVD+R DL's with the SAME damn MID.  Go figure! 

 

 

If I had a choice, I'd rather my Blu-Ray burner NOT be able to burn stone!    I'd be worried it would be burning too hot for my sensitive media. 

 

 

I've not actually used either LG drive to burn M-Discs as I've not found any in stores and I haven't found any use to buy some online to try.  Plus the discs are something like $5 a piece, I think.  Of course, I once spent $15 apiece for DVD-R back in 2002 when the technology was new.  Of course, that was for better quality Panasonic media since my DVD-R burner was a Panasonic and my DVD video recorder was, and still is, a Panasonic.

[dbminter]

AND, of COURSE, IMMEDIATELY after I posted this, my next write of the DVD+RW failed!    So, I can't say if this disc was killed by the LG drive or if it was just time to fail as it had been written many times before.  However, I have to call foul on the LG drive.  I think I can better test it because I have some Ritek 8x DVD+RW's that have been formatted in a non LG drive and have never been written to before.  If one of these fails after 10 writes, I can definitely lay the blame on the LG. 

[dbminter]

I am more and more convinced this LG is just a clone of the old LG, with the exception that it writes BD-R's at a higher speed.

 

 

It verifies slowly, just like my old LG.  Layer 0 of DVD+R DL only verifies at 8x maximum, so it's downhill from there for Layer 1.  I believe the DVD+RW issue is still present.  And given that the firmware is the exact same revision number, I am NOT convinced this drive is any better than other LG's except for its maximum write speed on BD-R.

[dbminter]

Well, so far, I've written to this DVD+RW written once in the new LG 10 times total.  Once in the LG and 9 times in the Pioneer.  It's lasted longer, I think, than my past experience with the old LG.  But, I'll still keep records.    I'm kind of curious how long a DVD+RW actually lasts anyway.  Inferring this one doesn't die an early death like the old LG burned ones do, they say a rewritable disc can be written to 1,000 times.  My actual experience is it's more on a magnitude of 100. 

[dbminter]

Total is now 18 times. 

[dbminter]

And it lasted exactly 22 times before it died.    So, it seems LG burners are still no good for writing Ritek 8x DVD+RW media.