Hello

May i just start by saying that this is my first post so no laughing

My head is spinning with with the choice of what DVD-burner to buy

My primary use for the drive will be to back up my dvd film collection

I have read many a good thing about the BenQ DW1620A, but am a bit worried about the " 1 sheep " result in the review on this site as regarding dvd films

I have also considered the NEC 3500A and the Pioneer DVR-108

Any enlightenment on this matter would be most helpful

yours hopefully

djphilos

Sorry I dont know anything about DVD backup/copying/ripping or shrinking. I guess you should start in the forums regarding DVD video and copy software to find out which software you need and what writers are supported best by that software.

Then, come back to the HW Forum to find out which of those appears to have the best quality / with which users had best results.

I am not sure, but IIRC the "one sheep" was important for copying copy-protected software? Again, maybe I am wrong. I heards DVD copying to std 4.38GB discs often requires "shrinking" the movie. So find out about the software for that task first.

Hope it helps!
Greetz.

The BenQ in my opinion is one of the best drives on the market to date. I'd actually place it a little bit ahead of the NEC ND3500AG especially now that we can play swap write strategies (or add them) with MediaCodeSpeedEdit and the B7T9 firmware. I use my internal BenQ DVD-Burner for burning more than I use my NEC ND3500AG. Not that the 3500AG is a bad drive but my results just appear to be a tad better on the BenQ for the media I use.

Combination of CloneDVD2/AnyDVD is a powerful combination for movies that is also very easy to use for a someone new to authoring. You can find the package deal for this software on Slysoft's website. AnyDVD has free life-time upgrades (which come at a regular pace as needs require it and the program *will* notify you of the update being available if the option is checked) and CloneDVD2 is just simply awesome at what it does.

In all honesty I'd say you can't go wrong. Also the folks at Elby and Slysoft peruse their forums regularly so you can even post a problem and they are pretty quick on an answer or looking at ways to fix the particular problem, just unrivaled support that I have never seen with any software companies. The BenQ DW1620A + CloneDVD2/AnyDVD are just an awesome combination in my opinion.

The Combination of DVDShrink/AnyDVD/DVD Decryptor is a powerful combination for movies.

DVDShrink---------> DVD-9 to DVD-5 (can also remove copy protection)
AnyDVD-----------> To remove copy protection on the fly
DVD Decryptor-----> To Rip a DVD-movie and burning

Of cource this is only for backup purposes of DVDs you own

What can i say

You guys rule

Thanks for all the usefull info so far, I have just placed my order for the BenQ and will be waiting got the man at the door in the morning

I'm off to find myself some TY media now, I hear cd-rmedia have them for 33p a disc

Keep it coming

phil

Sounds like you're doing everything the right way. I use my BenQ 1620 almost exclusively for movie backups and have had no problems at all. TY media is definitely the right way to go as well; I've been using the TY DVD-Rs and generally get quality ratings of 98 or 99 from Nero CD Speed. Have fun!

TY media is generally a pretty safe bet outside of some Fuji batches that seem to be iffy in quality but the pure Taiyo Yuden name brand for me so far has been absolute flawless. Ridata 4x DVD+R's are also awesome in the BenQ and can be oversped to 12x with great results (I burn them at 8x for a more a stable burn). Either way, you just can't go wrong using media from a name brand right off the bat to make your BenQ happy. Good luck with the new drive, sounds like you are rolling in the right direction.

I'll second the recommendation for:

DVD Shrink and DVD Decryptor: they are both free downloads and together you'll be able to backup most--if not all--of your movies.

I don't know if I'm allowed to provide live links to the free programs DVDShrink and DVD Decrypter so you know what to do

DVDShrink: www."prog. name".org

DVDDecrypter : www."prog. name".com
(also a very good prog. for burning a lot of DVD and CD images)

Happy shrinking and burning

I was in the same situation, but in the end I decided on BenQ. No regrets at all. It's a fantastic drive, and I prefer it over the NEC 3500AG I also have. Although the NEC makes better burns on the FUJIFILM03 discs I have (-R), the BenQ is faster, quieter, and overall far more versatile.

BenQ - Five Stars
NEC - 4 1/2 Stars

Legs2Sag

i have 3 BenQs..why is that??..

I own a 3500ag also and just recieved my benq 14hrs ago and already i've burned 23 dvd's and done some quality tests and I'll have to say It's already my favorite burner. I know when I do something I GO ALL THE WAY BABY!


BenQ BABY

Well I had two BenQ, but the 3500 came as a free replacement for my old 2500. Thought I'd keep one BenQ and one NEC for testing/comparison purposes (I like to be able to comment in an informed way )

The BenQ is certainly my favourite, and I recommend them to all my customers. In the past month I've bought four... and I'm about to order a fifth for my father in law.

So I am happy to put my money where my mouth is.

Yes no doubt, BenQ 1620 is a good burner for the everage user...
Sure, BenQ 1620 has some weak points here and there, but not worse then that I can recommend this burner to my best friend.

I my rig though, NEC 3500AG still rules. Fast and reliable on both dash and plus media. Never worried about burn quality, so the missing PIE/PIF scanning functionality is not that a big deal.
And if accessionaly some media doesn't have proper support in NEC stock firmware, there are several firmware modders in NEC forum to adjust this and improve media compatibility.

Sorry all BenQ "lovers" but this is de facto as I see it.

On my rigs the BenQ outperforms my 3500ag not by a great deal but non the less it still out performs it. Better speeds, and better quality burns. Since it's proving to be a better performer, then all the other perks such as factory firmware that supports bittsetting outa the box, and being able to use the nero cd-dvd testing feature, that just makes it even better, thus making me fall harder for it. Yeah I still love my 3500ag but Facts are Facts and If I had to make the choice, It's BenQ Baby.