DVD Burners

For most users, reliability is the most important consideration when choosing a DVD burner. In this case, reliability means the drive's ability to accurately burn CDs and DVDs without errors (which render a disc useless). Many reviews focus on speed, but the difference in DVD-burning speed between the fastest and slowest current DVD burners is only one to three minutes.

Most current DVD burners can burn at 20X. The average 1X DVD transfer rate is 1.385 MB per second, so an 8X DVD drive can transfer data at 11.08 MB per second and a 20X drive transfers at 27.7 MB per second. With a 20X burner, you'll be able to fill a standard DVD+R or DVD-R disc in about four to seven minutes. Double-layer disc burning is slower. Currently, the fastest double-layer burn speed is 12X, and burning an 8.5 GB double-layer disc takes up to 15 minutes.

Most DVD drives bundle disc-burning software, usually one of the two best-selling programs, Roxio or Nero. These are usually abridged versions or outdated versions of the full programs. Roxio and Nero are not compatible with each other. You can only install one program for writing to re-writable (RW) discs, and each program uses a proprietary technology. You will have to reformat your existing RW discs if you switch programs.

Some reviewers like LightScribe, a monochrome disc labeling technology. Developed by Hewlett-Packard, LightScribe can etch text and graphics onto specially coated CD and DVD discs. The capability typically adds $10 to the cost of a drive. LightScribe technology has several catches, however. It only prints in shades of black, and the special CDs and DVDs are more expensive. Printing onto the discs is a slow process, conducted after burning. Review tests show that burners with LightScribe technology are slower at all burning tasks than DVD burners without the feature.

Reviewers say the labeling technology looks very professional and may be an option for PowerPoint presentations or professional samples. As an alternative, many inkjet printers will print color directly onto special CDs and DVDs. An even cheaper alternative is a disc labeling kit (*est. $20). Kits include software, label applicators and sheets of labels that work in inkjet and laser printers.

At one time, most consumer optical drives were from well-known Japanese brands. Now, the market is dominated by Korean and Chinese manufacturers. Korea's LG is the world's highest volume manufacturer. Taiwanese companies Lite-On and BenQ formed a strategic alliance that makes them the second-largest manufacturers. Reviews reveal that drives "made" by familiar Japanese and American companies such as Sony and Hewlett-Packard are actually re-branded Lite-On/BenQ and LG drives. Pioneer and NEC drives are made in mainland China, and even Plextor drives are manufactured in China.

This information means that there is not much advantage in paying for premium name brands. The good news is that you can save money by skipping the middleman. Drives bearing familiar, established brand names typically cost around $50 to $60, while the same drives that bear the names of the actual manufacturer typically cost $30 to $40.

Plextor has a reputation as the premium manufacturer of optical drives, but many reviewers believe the company is now attempting to coast on its reputation. The brand still receives favorable reviews, but reviewers criticize Plextor for performance that is out of line with its high prices. According to reviews, some Plextor DVD burners are re-branded LG drives selling for two to three times as much. Also, some models don't include the renowned PlexTools Professional software.

Internal vs. external DVD burners

Most manufacturers make both internal and external DVD burners; the external version is usually the internal model in a plastic case with a separate power supply and USB connection. Reviews show that differences in transfer speeds are virtually nonexistent between internal and external DVD drives. Installing an internal DVD burner is easy and quick, even for novices. Reviewers say installation will take less than 30 minutes. A DVD burner can be installed in a free drive bay or it can replace an existing CD-ROM or CD-RW drive (DVD burners can also burn CDs).

External DVD burners have become specialty products. The cheapest cost twice as much as internal drives, because you pay for the case, external power supply and cables. Still, external DVD burners could make sense if your computer lacks a free internal drive bay or you have a laptop. An external DVD burner can also be shared with other computers. Some manufacturers also make portable DVD burners specifically for use with laptops; these are external units that don't need a separate power supply.

If you need backup storage but don't necessarily need to back up to removable media, an external hard drive is an alternative. External hard drives now cost as little as external DVD burners and provide much greater storage capacity. Portable USB flash drives are steadily increasing in capacity and dropping in price. Although more expensive per GB today than DVD, that may change. See our reports on external hard drives and portable USB flash drives .

IDE vs. SATA DVD burners

Manufacturers are gradually phasing out IDE (also called ATA) DVD burners, and replacing them with SATA DVD burners. Note that there are no price differences between IDE and SATA drives. You don't need to wade through the alphabet soup or learn much about the differences between these connectivity technologies to choose a DVD burner. You want an SATA drive if it will connect to your computer's motherboard.

One advantage is that SATA devices consume less power, so they generate less heat inside your computer's case. SATA cables and connectors are much narrower than IDE ribbon cables. IDE cables block airflow and clutter the inside of a computer. Routing SATA cables is much easier. Power supply connectors are also much smaller.

SATA has been the popular method for connecting hard drives for about five years. If your computer was made in the past three or four years, it most likely has an SATA or SATA II hard drive, and the motherboard most likely has an extra SATA connector. You will need to find out before selecting a drive. You must have an SATA connector to use an SATA DVD burner.

Best internal SATA DVD burners

The Samsung SH-S203B (*est. $40) and SH-S203N (*est. $45) receive the highest recommendations in reviews. The SH-S203N is the same as the SH-S203B, but adds LightScribe label-printing capability. At CDFreaks.com, Wendy Collins says, "The Samsung SH-S203B is blazing fast, has a great feature set, and burns media with excellent/very good quality." CDFreaks.com is one of the most prolific reviewers, and Collins says the Samsung SH-S203B is the fastest drive at burning DVDs that CD Freaks has ever tested. She adds that it reads well and burning reliability is excellent. Collins notes that was a problem with past Samsung burners.

CDRLabs.com also rates the Samsung SH-S203B higher than most drives. It achieved mixed performances in several tests, but took less than five minutes to write a full DVD, edging the Lite-On LH-20A1L (*est. $45) and LG GSA-H55L (*est. $30) drives. It reads fast, too. Maximum PC also gives the Samsung drive a very high score, and Mark Kyrnin, About.com's Guide to Computer Hardware, is still another who thinks this is the DVD burner to buy.

User reviews are very favorable, too. The average rating of four out of five of the Samsung SH-S203B is bettered by several competitors at Newegg.com, but two-thirds of buyers give it the top rating. The LightScribe equipped Samsung SH-S203N is slightly less popular with owners, because LightScribe is buggy (with all drives). Quiet operation is a significant factor in the high user satisfaction. The Samsung drives burn every type of media, including regular CDs and DVDs, and dual-layer DVDs.

The LG GSA-H62N (*est. $35) produces flawless reliability at high speeds, according to CDRInfo.com. Speed is outstanding in CDRInfo's tests. A strong recommendation is tempered with the caveat that the drive has too much difficulty reading bad discs. Therefore, if you want to play CDs or DVDs borrowed from the library or friends on your computer, the GSA-H62N could be a poor choice.

HardwareZone.com gives the LG burner a high rating. Reviewer Vincent Chang says writing performance and speed are top notch. He says the GSA-H62N is very quiet, too. Chang concludes, "This SATA writer not only reduces your internal PC clutter, but it also has the necessary ingredients for an excellent and no-frills (read: no LightScribe) DVD writer." Users are quite satisfied with this drive, and most are pleased with its relative quietness. However, maximum writing speed is "just" 18X, so expect this product to be discontinued soon in favor of 20X drives.

The Asus DRW-2014L1T (*est. $45) receives modest praise in reviews. CDFreaks.com says that it's a good drive, but not one of the fastest. SATA connectivity, LightScribe and quiet operation are the key virtues cited in the review. In a roundup review, HotHardware.com directly compares the DRW-2014L1T with the Plextor PX-810SA (*est. $80) and Lite-On LH-20A1L (*est. $45) . The 20X Asus drive is the slowest of the trio in tests, and reviewer Robert Maloney informs, "We had numerous issues reading and/or writing to DVD+R media during our few weeks of testing." Yet, in user reviews at Newegg.com, more than 100 owners make the Asus DRW-2014L1T the top-rated drive; three-quarters of buyers rate it excellent, and very few customers are dissatisfied.

The pricey Plextor PX-810SA has surprisingly few other reviews. CNet.com rates it 7.3 -- a good score. Editor Ryan Belonga says, "Test results revealed great read and write speeds for the Plextor PX-810SA." However, the cited time -- eight minutes -- is not fast by today's standards.

Maximum PC also gives the Plextor PX-810SA a high rating, but Katherine Stevenson says, "We wanted to love Plextor's PX-810SA, but couldn't." Average burn speeds are a prime reason. Yet, in Maloney's tests, the 18X Plextor drive consistently out-performed two 20X drives.

Though the Lite-On LH-20A1L is bettered in a couple of direct comparisons, it has some attributes that make it worth considering. Robert Maloney at HotHardware.com says the LH-20A1L is average at writing DVDs, but very fast in all other measurements. It is a bit noisy, he says, and LightScribe is slow. However, in his three drive round-up, Maloney gives it an edge against the Plextor drive based on value and the Asus drive based on performance and other issues. Overall performance is just above average in CDRLabs' tests. However, strengths such as features bring up the rating to eight out of ten. SmartWrite technology helps the burner write accurately on off-brand media. Half of the several hundred owners who review it for Newegg.com give it the top rating.

Best internal IDE DVD burners

While SATA DVD burners dominate the reviews, IDE DVD burners still dominate in stores. A couple of IDE drives stand out in reviews. The (*est. $35) is a 20X burner with LightScribe technology and DVD-RAM burning capability. Reviews date to March 2007, which means speed tests are out of date. The Lite-On LH-20A1H makes Mark Kyrnin's list of top five IDE DVD burners at About.com, but he notes that newer drives have surpassed it in speed. CPU (Computer Power User) gives the Lite-On LH-20A1H a high rating.

Because the Lite-On LH-20A1H has been available for a year, it has more than 400 user reviews at Newegg.com. That and the low price speak to the drive's popularity. The average rating is four out of five, with slightly more than half of users giving it the top rating. Drive failure is the most common complaint with unhappy owners. Even those who love it mention noise as a drawback.

The Sony DRU-840A (*est. $60) is not as fast as the Lite-On LH-20A1H, says Computer Power User. It is one of the few drives you can buy without a black faceplate -- instead, it includes an interchangeable bezel to give you a color choice. The Sony is expensive for a drive without LightScribe, but it is bundled with Nero software, which is more popular with users than the better-selling Roxio program.

CDRLabs Inc. rates the 20X Sony drive highly; the review informs, "Traditionally, [Sony] drives have gotten top marks for their features, performance and consumer friendliness and the Sony DRU-840A is no exception. Based on the Samsung SH-S202H, Sony's new ‘Super-Multi' drive offers a healthy dose of features and some of the fastest DVD reading and writing speeds available."

CDFreaks.com's Kip R. says the Sony DRU-840A is very quiet and "burns most media with good quality." CPU gives the Sony a middling 3.5 rating; reviewer Marty Sems notes, "It couldn't handle my moderately scratched test disc." About.com's Mark Kyrnin ranks it number one. Although it's more expensive, the Sony drive could be a good choice if you want an especially quiet IDE drive.

The HP dvd1040 (*est. $40) ranks third on Kyrnin's list, but isn't fully reviewed anywhere. It's a 20X DVD burner with LightScribe. User reviews are generally positive. Noise is a problem, however.

With exceptions, regular DVD burners are no longer expensive. Still, there are several ways to save money. One is to buy yesterday's technology. At the moment, that means buying a drive with a maximum 18X instead of 20X DVD burn speed. An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) drive is another option. You can typically save $10 by forgoing the packaging, software and internal cable. If you're replacing an existing drive, you don't need anything but the drive, and you can make a small contribution to the planet by skipping the extras.

The just-discontinued Samsung SH-S182D fared exceptionally well in reviews and sold for less than $25 in its last months on the market. The 18X drive was the second SATA DVD burner on the market a year ago. If you find a similar deal, the only catch is that newer models are slightly faster.

Blu-ray and HD DVD drives

New high-definition DVD formats -- HD DVD and Blu-ray -- may have potential as a computer storage medium. Of the two, Blu-ray DVD burners are far more available for computers.

A single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB of data compared to the 8.5 GB of storage space on a standard double-layer DVD disc. Until 100 GB discs become available (they are in the research and development stage), Blu-ray will not be very practical or cost effective as a storage medium. External hard drives -- including portable drives -- cost less than Blu-ray DVD burners and have higher capacities. USB flash drives are faster than Blu-ray discs (for writing and reading) and currently have capacities up to 32 GB.

For now, the major reason to buy a Blu-ray drive is to watch high-definition Blu-ray movies on your computer monitor (or television, if you have or are building a home theater PC). Media industry analysts now believe that Blu-ray will win the format war against HD DVD, but that isn't guaranteed, and no one knows how quickly the selection of Blu-ray movies will grow. Reviewers cite many other reasons why the time to buy a Blu-ray DVD burner has not yet arrived for most people. The biggest reasons are high prices, compatibility problems and demanding, complex system requirements.

ExtremeTech's Loyd Case explains, "First, all the hardware needs to understand HDCP content protection, including the drive, the graphics card and the display." PC Magazine's Cisco Cheng fills in the details: "You need to buy decoder software with Blu-ray support. Furthermore, you need a graphics card with HDCP support (which prevents unauthorized playback of copy-protected movies) … you'll also need an HDCP-enabled display." Nvidia, which supplies the graphics hardware and technology used by many PCs and graphics cards, has some excellent explanations of the requirements for playing Blu-ray and HD DVD movies on a PC: http://www.nvidia.com/object/purevideo_hd_faq.html.

While Blu-ray drives are commandeering reviewer attention, the drives are turning over so rapidly that few current drives have many reviews. If you want to watch Blu-ray movies, but don't care about burning Blu-ray discs, one drive stands out in reviews.

Several versions of the Pioneer BDC-2202BK are sold. The BDC-S02BK is the most widely reviewed, but it is not sold in the U.S. The Pioneer BDC-202 (*est. $220) is the OEM version. It is just the drive, without packaging, cables or software. The Pioneer BDC-2202B5PK (*est. $270) is the easiest version to find in the U.S. It is retail boxed and includes a black bezel, but no software or cables. Pioneer specifies very demanding system requirements. See our Comparison Chart for details.

The Pioneer Blu-ray drive plays and burns CDs and DVDs. It plays -- but does not burn -- Blu-ray discs. CDFreaks.com says, "The Pioneer BDC-S02BK was able to burn all our tested CD-R/RW media with excellent/very good quality." The reviewer reports, "Blu-ray movie playback via PowerDVD using an HDCP compliant screen is excellent." Furthermore, build-quality is excellent and, "The drive is also quiet and almost completely silent when playing back Blu-ray or DVD movies."

CDRInfo.com selects it as an Editor's Choice, and praises the niche created by Pioneer. TrustedReviews.com gives it a Recommended Award for the same reasons; Edward Chester says, "Even though Blu-ray writing may be useful for some it's far from a necessity and DVD and CD writing is enough for most. Therefore, the perfect solution is surely a drive that has all the DVD and CD writing capabilities we've become accustomed to but with the added bonus of Blu-ray playback." Chester cites some weaknesses, including relatively slow performance.

The Asus BC1205PT (*est. $260) is a direct competitor to the Pioneer BDC-202 with the same burning and playback capabilities. CDRInfo.com gives it a Best Buy award, saying it performed much better in writing tests than the Pioneer drive. It's not fast, but it is a reliable burner, and Blu-ray playback is good. Value is its biggest virtue.

CDFreaks.com disagrees about burn quality, but has little other criticism for the Asus BC1205PT. The build quality, SATA interface, software, quiet operation and price all earn kudos. PC World Australia agrees that it's quiet. The magazine confers a four out of five rating, but Elias Plastiras says, "It's disappointing that the drive doesn't support a faster double-layer burn speed than 4X, which is well under the maximum speed that stand-alone DVD burners can achieve for double-layer discs (18X). It's also much slower than Pioneer's BDC-S02BK drive, which supports a double-layer write speed of 12X." Plastiras also encountered some difficulty playing Blu-ray discs. He had to switch video cards and patch the bundled software.

Maximum PC gives the Asus drive a low rating. Katherine Stevenson complains about the Pioneer BC1205PT's speed, "It took us 7:12 to fill a single-layer DVD+R with the BC-1205PT, compared to the 5 minutes flat it took our favorite drive, Samsung's SH-S203B." We found no user reviews of this model yet.

The LG GGC-H20L (*est. $300) plays both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, but only records CDs and regular DVDs. Hardware Zone notes its shortcomings, but thinks it is a great idea for people who want a high resolution drive now. Reviewer Vincent Chang says performance is equivalent to a 16X DVD burner. He likes the included CyberLink software for playing Blu-ray and HD DVD movies. Chang advises, "The fact that this drive also plays dual layer versions for both HD formats should ensure its longevity as we don't foresee any major changes in either formats, except for a victory for one side in the coming year."

The LG GGC-H20L has many user reviews at Newegg.com, and it is a clear winner with 84 percent rating it excellent. The few dissenters have compatibility problems with hardware or don't like the bundled software. Maximum PC gives the LG GCC-H20L a good rating. This model isn't sold in the U.S., but appears to be identical to the LG GGC-H20L. The LG drive has a 4 MB buffer (2 MB is more common) and LightScribe burning capability.

The Lite-On LH-2B1S (*est. $420) can play Blu-ray discs, but also burns to Blu-ray. ExtremeTech says, "If you need a Blu-ray burner, the Lite-On LH-2B1S is the most affordable unit currently on the market, but the price of BD media is too pricey for frequent use." The drive merits a seven out of ten rating, which would be higher if not for the price and because it has "slower DVD burning than dedicated DVD burners."

CDRInfo.com agrees and adds, "In our suite of tests, the drive proved a very capable reader with both CD and DVD defective media. With burning CD and DVD media, it provided adequate quality, probably in part due to the fact that burning was done at lower speeds."

The CDFreaks.com review is consistent with the others, but PC Advisor gives it a four out of five rating and strong endorsement. Robin Morris asserts, "This is the best Blu-ray drive we've seen so far. With strong speeds, decent software and the best price around, this is better than the competition." About 40 percent of buyers give it the top rating at Newegg.com. The SATA burner includes SmartBurn technology. Unlike the Pioneer drive, which requires Vista, the Lite-On is compatible with Windows XP. Other requirements are similar to the Pioneer drive. Lite-On will be introducing an external Blu-ray burner this year.

The Sony BWU-200S (*est. $600) Blu-ray burner is obviously expensive. CDFreaks.com rates it a Safe Buy. It's capable of 4X BD-R recording and 16X DVD±R recording, and comes with CyberLink software. Katherine Stevenson at Maximum PC says burning is unacceptably slow. We found too few user reviews to reveal meaningful information.

The Pioneer BDR-202 (*est. $650) Blu-ray burner has limited distribution. The burner has an issue: according to CDRInfo, "Digital errors occurred on every single scanning test that we performed on media burned with the BDR-202 drive." The drive performed well in other regards. The 4X Pioneer burner is outstanding for Blu-ray, CDFreaks.com says, but "slow in both reading and writing to CD and DVD recordable media." CNet.com thinks the LaCie d2 external Blu-ray burner (*est. $800) is absurdly expensive. It is Macintosh-compatible, but we found no dealers at press time.

Almost all high-def drives right now are Blu-ray. Toshiba has a trio of HD DVD burners, including two intended for use with laptops However, availability ranges from extremely limited to non-existent as all are intended for the OEM market, and there's been essentially no feedback from critics.

External DVD burners

An external DVD drive connects to a computer through a USB 2.0 or FireWire port. An external DVD drive is necessary if you have a laptop without a drive bay, a consumer model Macintosh or a PC that lacks a way to replace an optical drive or a drive bay to add one. You can also easily switch an external drive between machines, but to prevent damage, shut down the computer before connecting it.

Since external DVD burners are more expensive than internal DVD burners, and most computers can accommodate internal drives, few external drives are reviewed. Only a couple of Plextor drives have more than one review.

The Plextor PX-810UF (*est. $140) is a conventional desktop external DVD burner. It has both firewire and USB connectors and is Windows- and Macintosh-compatible. Reviews are mixed. CDRLabs.com rates it eight out of ten, but says, "While the PX-810UF performed as expected throughout most of our tests, things like writing quality kept the drive from getting top marks in our review." At its top 18X speed, the PX-810UF took a little more than five minutes to burn a DVD in the CDRLabs time test. The review also notes that the fan is loud.

BCC Hardware has a more negative review. The review exposes the Plextor PX-810UF as a re-branded LG GSA-H44N (not sold in the U.S.). BCC Hardware also criticizes the noisy fan. A handful of user reviews all come from unhappy customers, but we wouldn't consider that statistically significant because there are so few user reviews in general for this DVD burner. Plextor includes a bunch of software, but not the highly regarded PlexTools Professional software. If you can still find one, the previous generation Plextor PX-755UF external DVD burner is slower, but much better, according to reviews. It was bundled with PlexTools.

The Plextor PX-608CU (*est. $160) is a portable DVD burner that looks much like a portable audio CD player and weighs a little more than half a pound. Maximum speed is just 8X, but the DVD burner is bus-powered (by the computer). That means you don't need a battery or external power supply. However, an AC adapter is included in case your computer doesn't have enough power to run the drive.

CDRLabs measured unexceptional performance, which is to be expected from a portable DVD burner. The easy portability and USB connector contribute to the high eight out of ten rating. CDFreaks.com says the drive is fine for its intended purpose. CNet.com down-rates it because it isn't Macintosh-compatible.

Reviews say the portable Plextor DVD burner is a Pioneer design, so it isn't directly comparable to the cheaper Plextor PX-810UF. Only the brand and software bundle are the same.

No other currently available external DVD burners are recommended in professional reviews. At Circuit City.com, the LG GSA-E40L (*est. $70) has a 4.4/5 average rating in almost 50 reviews. It's an 18X burner with LightScribe. Customers love the price and easy installation, and have no common complaints. The GSA-E40L is Windows-only.

The Memorex 32023223 (*est. $65) doesn't have many user reviews at Circuit City.com (and none elsewhere). The average rating is 3.9, which falls well below the LG GSA-E40L, but it is a 20X burner.

Another 20X external DVD burner, the HP dvd1040e (*est. $65) , fares poorly in user reviews at all sites. The overall average rating is just 3.3/5. Users have a variety of hardware and software problems. Feedback we've seen seems to indicate that HP peripherals have a higher proportion of compatibility problems than those from other brands.

While some internal DVD burners have hundreds of reviews at Newegg.com, no external drives have more than ten. The Lite-On DX-20A3H-05 (*est. $60) fares best. It's a 20X burner with LightScribe. A user says it is Mac-compatible (Lite-On doesn't specify).

Important Features: DVD burners

All DVD writers also read and write to CDs. Therefore, a DVD writer can replace the CD-RW drive in your computer, eliminating the need for both drives. Consider the following before buying a DVD burner:

• If you plan to burn home movies to DVD, check your DVD player's manual for format compatibility. Most current players can read both DVD+R and DVD-R formats, but older models may read only one or the other. With today's multi-format drives, this shouldn't affect your drive choice, but it will determine whether you buy DVD-R or DVD+R media. Your home DVD player may or may not be able to read double-layer discs.

• You will need a free drive bay for an internal drive if you are not replacing an existing drive. There are numerous guides on the Internet on how to install a drive, in case the documentation is inadequate.

• External DVD burners connect with FireWire or USB 2.0. You'll need one of those ports if you prefer an external model. No drives come with FireWire cables.

• Get the right media for your burner. With multi-format burners, media type isn't a big issue. However, speed ratings are still important. 20X drives need 20X media if you're going to benefit from the speed advantage. If you buy 12X or 16X media, they'll burn at lower speeds on some burners. Others can exceed the disc's maximum rated speed.

• Critics say that there's little reason to spring for a Blu-ray burner at this time. That may change as the cost of the drives and media come down. In the meantime, burners that read -- but don't write to -- BD media, but burn to all other types, are worth considering if you want to add Blu-ray disc playback to a PC. HD DVD burners are also being made, but availability is essentially non-existent for anyone except manufacturers.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with Retailer Links)	Details from Amazon.com
3	Samsung SH-S203B (*est. $40)/ SH-S203N (*est. $45) (with LightScribe)	details
2	Pioneer BDC-2202B5PK (*est. $270) (BDC-202, BDC-S02BK)	details
1 each	Asus BC1205PT , LG GGC-H20L , LG GSA-H62N , Lite-On LH-20A1H , Lite-On LH-2B1S , Plextor PX-810SA , Samsung SH-S182D , Sony DRU-840A

Performance differences between regular 20X DVD burners are small, according to reviewer tests. Few drives rise among the competition. Plextor drives are premium priced, and reviewers debate the value. In general, LG and Lite-On DVD burners receive the most favorable reviews. Samsung drives are the most widely reviewed, and are especially favored by less credible reviewers.

External DVD burners are rarely reviewed due to minimal demand. The recently discontinued Plextor PX-755UF was popular, and the replacement PX-810UF is favorably reviewed, but reviewers also say it is a re-branded LG drive (a model not sold in the U.S.) and a poor value.

Reviewer attention in the mainstream media has shifted almost entirely to Blu-ray DVD drives. These drives all read and write CDs and regular DVDs and play Blu-ray movies. Some also record to Blu-ray BD media, and some also play HD DVD movies. Just about all reviewers say that these drives are still not the best choice for many users. Prices are high, computer system requirements are steep, the format war is unresolved and the selection of titles is limited. A standalone player or a PlayStation 3 (*est. $400) makes more sense, they say, if you want to play Blu-ray movies at home. If you want a high-def drive for a media center PC or to view movies on your PC, the Pioneer BDC-2202B5PK receives accolades for its relatively low price and practical compromises. It is sold in several versions, including models for manufacturers and non-U.S. markets.

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