Any ATAPI DVD drive recommendations?

[Yknot]

(A toss-up whether this is general H/W or video Q, but I'll post here. I've scanned the forum and don't see it discussed elsewhere here.)

Is there any concensus as to what ATAPI DVD's are most reliable/compatible at a decent price? Or is there a standard site recommended for details/comparisons? I'm interested in using this as my ATAPI CD unit as well -- my SCSI's haven't always been available in Win98 crash recovery.

Or are all the $50-$75 drives about the same these days?

I've never had a DVD on my computer before... 'hope I'm not making any dumb assumptions about them working well with the Radeon 8500 or as simple CD drives. I'm leaning towards the Toshiba 1622 or Pioneer 106s/2 (those are from memory and may be flawed id's).

'Have to justify the Radeon 8500 I just ordered with a DVD drive! Okay, my ATAPI CD's acting flakey too. My monitor's as big as my TV, anyway, so it might as well have a DVD drive too.

Apologies if this is the wrong forum: it seemed this group would have the most familiarity with DVD drives.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

LTD-163

 

[richleader]

Pioneer slot loader.

 

[Egrimm]

<< Pioneer slot loader. >>


I would recommend Pioneer's drives too. The only problem I've had with my 10xdvd drive that I've had for more than 1½ year now is that it has had a problem with ejeting the disc without reading it two times. Both times the problem was solved with taking the casing off the drive and putting it on again. But both times it was at the same time as I had made a very unstable oc of the rig so it's probably not a normal error, when oc'ing is stable it works like a charm.

 

[richleader]

newegg link

I'm not partial to pioneer or anything, but

1. slot loading is SWEET. Especially if you put the drive in the top of your case, so you can take things out of it and your cdrom writer at the same time without having to close drawers.

2. The price is pretty decent for a new gen drive.

 

[Yknot]

A Pioneering concensus is developing. I've been staring at that Newegg 106s/2 for a week, but they're out out out!! (I've been on the email list for notification of available.)

Gnus flash!! They've just come back in stock... poor, poor wallet....

Thanks for the help!

 

[Ryukumu]

I can't really recommend a drive to buy, but I can recommend a drive NOT to buy. Don't buy the Delta 12x DVD drive. It really, really sucks. I have it and I hate it. -_- Gonna get it refunded, spend a little extra $$$ for the price difference, and get a Pioneer drive (maybe a slot-loader, maybe not).

 

[HappyNic]

Go with the 16x Pioneer slot load if you can fine it, it rips DVD alot faster than the Toshiba DVD-rom, if you plan in doing any encoding or just making some backups.,,... It reads Backup of games very very nicely too, Example: MAX panye, place in the 16x toshiba or the 16x plextor CDRW, it askes you to insert the correct CD when you want to run the game. But in the pioneer it runs just like the original.

 

[Willoughbyva]

I have an old Pioneer 10X drive and it has been very dependable. There have been some firmware updates, that have let the drive read my favorite dvd (it is really scratched up). I say go with Pioneer.


Will

 

[Yknot]

For the record: I ordered the Pioneer 106s/2 from Nova Ova.

I'm uncertain how my new maze of wiring will work-out, but it will be fun to learn.
- I've ordered a poor-man's 8500-AIW:
the Radeon 8500-retail (great prices of late!) and
the ATI TV Wonder
- And added an Audigy-MP3 and the 106s/2

It's nice to build a new system -- and to route cable to new parts of the house.