Well, thats an option.
By the way, there can be any difference between using DVD-r or DVD+R?
I've been reading that this burner has several writing modes
(from Asus web):

DVD-R & DVD-R (DL): DAO, Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Recording)
DVD-RW: Restricted Overwriting, DAO, Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Recording)
DVD+R & DVD+R (DL): Sequential Recording (Multi-Session Recording)
DVD+RW: Random Recording
CD-R/RW: DAO, TAO, SAO, Packet Recording (Multi-Session Recording)

So, the writing mode for DVD-R and DVD+R isn't the same.
In general, I have better results with DVD-R, but maybe is my impression, because I should test more discs!

By the way, the test made by Zevia have good results, and we are talking about the sabe burner, so there must be anything else.
Thanks!

There's nothing else, except that I used Lite-On 1693S and BenQ 1640 for the quality scan.

Zevia, Lite-On 1693S and BenQ 1640 are better than Asus 1608P2 for test CD and DVD quality?
Are better reading disc?

Did ASUS just pull 1.37 out because it's not there anymore. I can only see 1.17

Yeah, I dunno why...

the 1.37 is back here (http://support.asus.com/download/dow...del=DRW-1608P2)

but the update date is 2006/02/07 ????

we need 1.39 update, not 1.37 ..

Can someone send me the program for this burner? My mother bought it for me for x-mas off of e-bay, but it did not come with the program to make it run and I can not find one anywhere. Thanks!!

There is no "program to make it run".

The driver for this optical drive comes within the OS.
You only should use an proper burning app too, like Nero 6, ImgBurn, ImgToolBurn, CloneCD or DVDDecrypter.

when I try to burn a dvd it says no drive found, which would be in drive E. When I get home I will post the program I used to try this. Since I re-installed xp, do you suppose I didn't install that application with the applications disk? I had a cd burner hooked up to that drive slot before, so does it still think that is attached? Because when I unhooked that drive and installed the dvd burner and powered my cpu up it never found the "new hardware".

The program I used was cdbrunerXp pro 3.

Thanks for review.
I just updated my drive to 1.37.

I use the the usb external case and the update firmware successful without any problem.
(The dialog box say that.)

I will try to burn some Dual Layer (Verbatim DVD-R DL) with new firmware. Even though drive say max speed is 8x but I strict to burn at 4x (as the dvd cover indicate.)

hope that I won't lose 8 buck for free.

I don't know what will I do. I am stcuk between asus and philips. Which one is better?
Does anyone know this question's answer??????????