Yes a bit of a newbie question ... sorry if this is not the right place but I believe it is. In the market to buy a dvd writer. Read some at this site and other places. My question is at this point and time is should I buy a "cheaper" DVD burner like a Micro Advanatage at Office Max for like $45 after rebates or pay around $100 for an HP or Sony double layer from Costco or Newegg.

My expectations and priorities are (1) High quality DVD to DVD copying (2) Creating Audio CDs (3) Possibly some VHS to DVD transfers (although I've got a DVD recorder for that). Simple basic stuff.

Thanks ahead of time and if you have other recommends beyond the 3 I noted please let me know.

HP and Sony drives are usually expensive.

I would buy a single Layer at the moment. They have the best price value at the moment

Single-layer or double-layer doesn't affect the drive price by much. The prices vary mostly because of where they are sold, what brand names they use, and what max writing speed they provide.

For example, a Lite-On SOHW-851S can do double-layer DVD+R DL burning but some 12x DVD+R writers cannot write to DL. SOHW-851S is cheaper than any 12x DVD writer.

OK Kenshin I understanding what you're saying so what's your final advice? Buy a 8X cheap (Microadvantage at $45) single layer burner? Buy a little more expensive, nicer and faster 12X single layer burner (Lite On 1213S at $90)? Buy a dual/double layer 8X burner (NEC 2510 or Sony DW-D18 both around $75)?

BTW ... greetings and love to my birthtown of Incheon, South Korea. Actually went back this summer for the first time. Peace.

I recommend one of these:

1. NEC ND-2500A if you want DL

2. NEC ND-3500A if you want 4x DL and 16x CAV DVD+R

3. Pioneer DVR-A08 if you want 4x DL

4. LG GSA-4120B if you want 5x DVD-RAM

5. Lite-On SOHW-851S if you want DL

6. Lite-On SOHW-812S if you want DL

7. BenQ DW-1600A if you want DL and 16x CAV DVD+R

As for spending $45 or $90, that should be decided only by yourself since I don't know exactly how much you want to spend. Some of the above can cost more than $90 (if that's US dollars.)