Can you guys help me pick out a DVD +/- writer from the list below? I am itching to order, but so confused. I need guidance.


1. Pioneer DVR-A06 / DVR-106 Internal $170
2. LG Super-Multi Drive. The GSA-4040B $172
3. Sony Dual DVD±RW 4.7GB Int IDE 2X (OEM) DRU500AX $176

I am going to use the writer to back up my DVD collection, data, ps2 games, xbox games, music and home movies. I plan to buy Nero 6 and DVDXC0PY express. What are programs can you suggest I should use. I will be using DVD-R media because they are pretty much cheap nowadays. I am thinking of Princo, Riteks, TDK, or Imation. I am not computer savvy. I appreciate all the support and suggestions you all can provide. Thanks in advance.

:hdspin:

Okay first of all you can pick up the Pioneer 106 for $155+shipping from www.avlogic.com. I would recommend the Pioneer as it will be the most flexible of the 3 in terms of compatibility with software and firmware upgrades. Anyways for backing up DVD Movies I would get DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink (use DVD Shrink in conjunction with Nero or Recordnow Max). DVD X COPY Xpress is easy to use but it has some drawbacks. Namely that it inserts an annoying Backup Warning at the begining of all of it's movies (although this can be removed using another program). The other thing is that DVD Shrink and DVD Decrypter are legal freeware unlike X COPY Xpress which will run you about $50. DVD X COPY Xpress will also only use a max of 4.13GB of space on your DVD-R. DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink will use virtually the full 4.38GB (I know they say 4.7GB on the disc but it is actually 4.38GB) space on the disc thereby ensuring that you have the best possible quality. Anyways for media I would strongly recommend using Riteks over any of the other brands listed. Princo works for a number of people but if your Player/gamesystem is picky at all it won't play them (or at least won't play them properly). Imation is about the same. TDK is very good but more often then not you will find it more expensive than Ritek and it delivers the same results. You can currently pick up the 1x Ritek DVD-R from www.rima.com in a pack of a 100 for 94 cents a disc. Or if you want to go with 4x Riteks they are $1.29 a disc in a 100 pack. If you don't want to order in huge quantities like that you can also get them in 25 packs. For the 1x Riteks they are $1.20 a disc in a 25 pack and $1.40 a disc for 4x DVD-R Riteks in a 25 pack. BTW I am assuming that your XBOX and PS2 have modchips right?

Thanks, that was very informative. I was hoping you would answer this thread. I think you are one of the best one's here. Using Dvd dcrypter and dvd shrink would it be blurry or the sound would go down in quality versus dvdcopy? Thanks again.

You don't need both Dvd dcrypter and dvd shrink , dvdshrink 2.3 does decoding too. There wasn't anything in your posts about what computer you have or what operating system & these are more important.

Yeah but DVD Decrypter allows you to save a bunch of time on DVD5s and elimnates the need to use two seperate programs (for 1:1 backups anyway). With a 16x Lite-On and burning at 4x it takes me about 30 minutes to read and write a DVD5 with DVD Decrypter. Read to HD in ISO mode and write back to DVD-R in ISO mode. Anyway it's freeware as well so he has nothing to lose by picking it up. Go to www.dvddecrypter.com and www.dvdshrink.org to pick up the programs.

Originally posted by SpeedyRacer
Thanks, that was very informative. I was hoping you would answer this thread. I think you are one of the best one's here. Using Dvd dcrypter and dvd shrink would it be blurry or the sound would go down in quality versus dvdcopy? Thanks again.

The sound is the exact same as the original. For picture quality it all depends on the size of the original disc. For movies that require high levels of compression you will notice a little bit of a difference in picutre quality (it won't look like an I-net Download though). Anyways as mentioned virtually all DVDs are over the 4.13GB capacity of DVD X COPY Xpress so it is going to have to compress just about every movie. DVD Decrypter will do anything up to the full capacity of a DVD-R as will DVD Shrink. DVD Decrypter is good for movies that will already fit on a DVD-R so it is an exact duplicate of the original disc (so no loss of quality at all there) and DVD Shrink will use the full capacity of the DVD-R disc which as mentioned above is about 4.38GB. So DVD Shrink is devoting about an extra 180MB of space towards quality. I have compared my burns between DVD Shrink and X COPY Xpress and found that DVD Shrink copies always look just a little bit better. The other thing is that DVD Shrink really gives you a fair number of customizing options (more control over what you want to remove and what you want to keep) whereas DVD X COPY Xpress
doesn't offer a whole lot. You also do have a deep analysis option with DVD Shrink which takes a fair bit longer but improves the quality. This feature comes in handy for movie that require high levels of compression.

I hope someone can help. I am ready to order this, but I am afraid of the difficulty in installing it. I have a compaq presario desktop with a cd writer installed on the second drive. It is a Pentium 4 its is the kind I bought at compusa bundled. Can someboy shed some light for me? Thanks.

http://www.pcavailable.com/pidv4dv4xdv2.html

" Is it hard to install the DVR A06?"

No, it comes with instructions.

Originally posted by handyguy
" Is it hard to install the DVR A06?"

No, it comes with instructions.

in terms of wiring is it the same wires I as the cd writer? It looks like it comes with a wire. Does anyone own an A06 that installed on their computer with similar specs as my computer. Thanks for the reply.

It is the same as putting a CD Writer in. Just make sure that for best results that the jumper on the back of your DVD Writer is set to "Master" and that the other drive in your PC is set to "Slave".

Originally posted by jesterrace777
It is the same as putting a CD Writer in. Just make sure that for best results that the jumper on the back of your DVD Writer is set to "Master" and that the other drive in your PC is set to "Slave".

Ok it's on like popcorn. Thanks boss.

I did two this week, I just took the old one out & set the jumper of the new one the same as the old one was (slave) & put it in. Some let you use cable select.