Team,

About 8 months or so ago I purchased a Plextor PX 716A, and for a couple months never got it to Burn a 16X DVD @ 16X with decent results (even after numerous firmware changes - I posted here about it many times elsewhere ). I then gave up and took it back (Yes, Costco here will take these back if you've got all the original packaging - for up to a year .)

I then purchased a BenQ 1640 from another vendor (Costco only carries a very limited line of Plextor, HP, and AOpen) which has done a great job on 16X- but a terrible job on some Fuji DL (really a RICOH JPND00 ). I just upgraded the Firmware this week which is supposed to improve DL Burning but I've yet to try it .

Anyway, a Buddy of mine had bought a PX-716a a couple of months after mine (at my urging ) which has performed surperb for 16X but he's never done DL. He's now building a new PC (yes his "old" one is less than 6 months old but he's pre-sold it before he even builds a new one ) The new buyer would like a Lightscribe Drive which I can buy for $48.95 Canadian = 44.23. US $ = 23.63 GB Pounds. He'll swap the PX-716a for this BenQ 1655.

So the long winded Question is: Do you think this PX-716a is worth it? (I will get the balance of the warranty.) I originally paid $ 150 for the one I took back to Costco. How does the PX-716a do with DL and current firmware?

Thanks for your Opinion.

It does very well IMHO. Mine can burn Verbatim 2.4x +RDL @6x speed with very good results and it also knows how to handle the Verbatim 8x +RDL @6x speed with even better results. Verbatim 4x -RDL are done very well @6x too. Beyond Verbatim i've seen good results wiht Ricoh 2.4x +RDL media @4x. Results with Ritek DL Media are not good however. I've never run across and tried Philips DL so far. I've posted scans in the sticky DVD-scans-result-thread. If i was to sum up the 716:

only an average reader
excellent single layer results @8x with most media
very good to excellent SL results @12x with brand media
good to very good SL results @16x provided you stick with truly high quality media
very good to excellent DL results with Verbatim media

The 716 is a first generation 16x burner that has little 'reserves' when handling media of lesser quality at high speed. That's what caused the slowdowns you experienced. This is not something you can cure with Firmware updates. It's a issue of the laser pickup used (and directly related to the average reading capabilities). However the writing strategies in the current FW are IMHO very mature and provided that you know and respect the limitations of this drive it'll give you very good results.

IMHO for DL the 716 is still an excellent choice.

It is okay for that money. If you like solid DL burns and good burning quality at 12x.

If your primary concern is 16x then maybe pick another machine.

If you get a good one then it's a bargain
If not, then... ack.

I bought one when they first came out. Very disappointed. After 6 months it died and to be fair to Plextor they were very efficient in providing a replacement. With a couple of Benq's and Liteons, however, the plextor rarely gets used. Every so often I burn a disk - and the result is always the same - average. Useful to test other disks but I would not say that it was much good as a burner.

I wouldn't buy a uses product especially product with optical pickup head. And thats just my personal oppinion. In regarding to DL burning, I recommend staying with Verbatim DL media and so far, I haven't seen any good quality DL media besides Verbatim. My BenQ 1640 does a great job in burning Verbatim DL 2.4X @ 8X and I still get very good quality burn. And if you already have a burner and looking for a 2nd to handle DL media, then wait for the BenQ 1670. The BenQ 1670 does a great job on DL media but very crappy on the rest of other stuffs. And if you want a decent DL burner, get Pioneer drive. You can get a brand new Pioneer for the same price as the price of a used plextor.

I'd get a few (used or not) at that price.

My 716 lasted 11 months! Be careful. Mine is a hot spare only these days.

Excellent post!

My 716 just keeps going, kinda like that bunny you see on tv.

gr8 drive...mine has consumed vasts amounts of dvd's and spitted them out with lots of quality-written 0's and 1's!

Gents,

Overall you say to go for it! So I will.

Thanks for the assist!

Ive had two.. first one lasted 8 months.. in warrenty.. second one dies after 5 months.. ill never spend 100.00 usd on a dvd burner from them again...!


BUT... when it DID work it burnt auesome stuff.. most impressed with the dual layer 6x speeds.!