Happy New Year!
Hope you can help me. I'm looking for a new DVD Writer(has to replace my LG DVD Writer and my Lite On CD Writer) but my list of possible candidates is still very big.
Made the list my setting my limits to 16x DVD(+ & -)R and 48x CD-R.

Any idea how to reduce the list?
Maybe by Media typ?
I prefer Verbatim CDs & DVDs(+)

What about all those expensive Plextor drives, is there any reason why Plextor costs so much more? Even the cheapest Drive from Plextor cost more the any other top model from the other manufacturer.


Here is the list:

Aopen
DUW1616L

Benq
DW1655
DW1650
DW1640

Lite On
SHM-165H6S
SHW-160H6S
SHW-160P6S
SHM-165P6S
SHW-16H5S
SHW-1635S
SOHW-1693S
SOHW-1673S

NEC
ND-4551
ND-4550
ND-3551
ND-3550
ND-3540
ND-3520

Plextor
PX-760SA
PX-760A
PX-716A
PX-716AL
PX-716SA
PX-740A
PX-750A
PX-755A

Toshiba
SD-R5472C
SD-R5372V

Yes no LG on list.
Why?
First my actual LG drive(GSA-4082B) stopped reading CDs, can’t even recognize empty disks but at least DVDs still work. It’s only 16 months old and that’s very disappointing.
And then the LG Webside seems to be out of date. Where are all the new products like 4167 and 4163?

You can remove the DW1640 from the list as its getting very hard to get hold of & is replaced by the DW1650, DW1655 is just a DW1650 with lightscribe.

Some rare users will disagree, but I would remove Samsung, AOpen and Plextor (overpriced). Then reduce the Liteon list to the 1693, the 1635 is currently getting a lot of problem posts and the others are too new. NEC should be reduced to the 4550 as it is the same as the 3550 with different firmware.

Now you are down to BenQ 1650, Liteon 1693, and NEC 4550. Any of these will serve you well. If you want the best reading go with BenQ. If you want scanning, Liteon or BenQ. MCC +R seem a little better with BenQ or Liteon.

This is a very course cut but it will get you to the best choices fairly fast.

Welcome to the forum.

Do I see right that ND-4551 is just a ND-4550 with Lableflash?
And that this counts too for ND-3551 and ND-3550?

Is the only differnce between 4550 and 3550 the firmware?
Can't NEC drives be updated or why do they bring a new drive that only differs in firmware?

Yes on ths Labelflash question. So far, people insist that the 3550 is the same hardware as the 4550. I am waiting for the 4550 to come to the US as I am in no hurry. Crossflashing one to the other is still a work in progress, last I saw.

If you are in a hurry and can't get the 4550 then go for the 3550.

Found a difference between 4550 & 3550.
4550 supports DVD-Ram.

After checking thru my list again and raising the requirement to "Write DVD-Ram" there are only these models left:

Lite On
SHM-165H6S Lightscribe version of SHM-165P6S
SHM-165P6S

NEC
ND-4551 Labelflash version of ND-4550
ND-4550
ND-3520

Does anyone know some reviews for those drives?

You are in new territory as both these models are, as yet, untried. I would wait a while. Sorry I didn't point out the RAM feature of the 4550 but most times when I mention it I get annoying comments back about how worthless RAM is. I use it all the time on my LG.
BTW, the 3520 does not do RAM so move it off your list as well.

If I was not going to wait, I suppose I would go with NEC's 4550 given their good reputation, what I have seen from others on the 3550, and what I have burned on my 3500 and 3520. As much as I like my Liteon 1693 I know enough to not second guess how their 165P6S will work out. Besides, the Liteon name is too hard to remember.

Tons of 4550 feedback here:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=154807

Yea your right about the 3520.
The only info on NECs webside was in a pdf for the 3520 but I took a closer look now and it's for the 4550 and not for 3520, wrong link on their webside.

Also NEC looks very good for me but I still think about my old LiteOn CD Writer LTR-52246S that is now almost 3 years old and that has always served me very well.
And I think about the troubles I had with my LG DVD Writer to read some of those CDs. Some of them must have a real bad quality at least a test with one showed a quality of 30. I guess that are the ones I burned with 52x.
I'm a bit afraid of using another manufacture to only to see those CD reading problems again.
The new Writer should replace my CD Writer and my DVD Writer so I really need a drive that can also read a bunch of “bad & old” CDs.

I guess I will have to go thru both drives again and see if I can find something special that helps me to decide.

Maybe you can help with another point. I heard that the LiteOns use some kind of special chipset so that flashing them forth and back or putting up original fw in case of an error or whatever is no problem. Is it true? And is NEC also that easy?

Each drive uses a different chipset and I have had no problems flashing my NECs as well as my Liteons many, many times. Both have very good support here as well.

If you want a NEC 4550 right now in the states get a Mad Dog TRIPLE format drive, it has a 4550 in the box. I crossflashed minbe to liggy and Dees and NEC stock no problems, and it indded writes RAM. It is a pretty fast ripper but so far normal dvd writing is cood but not godlike, DL writing is good but main thing is the disks play in all my machines. I also have a BenQ 1640 and a 110d crossed to a 110 axl. The 110 writes similar quality to the NEC and writes all DL the same, they work. The BenQ writes normal slightly better but DL skips for me in my pickiest player, dont know why. Thinking about a 1655 just becuase I like em and it MIGHT end up making even better burns then all my drives plus it does supprt Light Scribe and the other drives can do ram. I think if the 4550 is one of your only choices it will be fine for you, good luck.

A month or so ago I was going to get the 1640 because I am mostly interested i n quality burns but it quickly went out of stock. That said, is the 1650 just as good as the 1640 with respect to quality ... I can not even find the 1650 though

@Dartman
No problem for me to get a 4550 here in Germany


Finally I made my decision.
To all who helped me finding the right drive with their knowledge and their opinion thank you very much.
My choice has fallen on the Nec ND-4550.
Thanks again for all your help.

The 1650 is the same or better quality than the 1640. The 1655 is a 1650 with lightscribe. I think the 1650 will be hard to get hold of, I cant find one local to me but I have found a 1655.

One last question.
Is there any difference between the ND-4550A and the ND-4550?
Seems like the A is for America. I just wonder if there are any country specific things that could make trouble using an 4550A here in Germany.

I have seen a lot of letters on the end of NEC models and, as yet, they have not been different drives.

I've never looked at optical drives seriously (it was like: I've got one, I burn, I read and that's it), so what do you mean, by saying: "scanning"?

Scanning is the ability of the drive to report on the errors that appear on a burnt disc.

All optical media has errors on it, its a fact that the surface cannot be error free. The number of errors should be as low as possible when first recorded to allow for dust, dirt and scratches that will appear on the media with use.

Scanning a newly burnt disc will tell you the number of errors present on the media and gives you some idea of the quality. The disc may well be readable on all your drives but if it has a high number of errors to begin with it may well get to the point where one scratch causes the disc to become un-usable.

Not all drives scan & not everyone realises the benefits of scanning. Most people believe that just because the data can be read off of a disc that it is ok for long term storage. This is not a safe idea as metioned above.

Thank you, a great explanation. Now I understand it.

Ditto! Add the Liteon model 6 to that group and the 110/A10!