Originally posted by: gsellis
Plextor's are OK, but the NEC and Pioneer usually have had lower error rates across the model lines. Why pay more for less?
That's not true. Take a closer look at CDRLabs.com's reviews. Maybe you're looking at the wrong results (you have to click on the KProbe links in the Pelxtor review).
Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD-R:
Plextor 716A PIF Max=2, Average=0.00, Total=47
NEC 3520A PIF Max=3, Average=0.02, Total=336
Pioneer 109 PIF Max=2, Average=0.01, Total=93 (at 12X)
Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD+R:
Plextor 716A PIF Max=2, Average=0.01, Total=163
NEC 3520A PIF Max=7, Average=0.01, Total=139
Pioneer 109 PIF Max=6, Average 0.01, Total 157
Verbatim 8X DVD-R:
Plextor 716A PIF Max=2, Average=0.02, Total=257
NEC 3520A PIF Max=2, Average=0.01, Total=182
Verbatim 8X DVD+R:
Plextor 716A PIF Max=2, Average=0.00, Total=39
NEC 3520A PIF Max=2, Average=0.03, Total=495
Verbatim 16X DVD-R:
Plextor 716A PIF Max=2, Average=0.03, Total=501
NEC 3520A PIF Max=8, Average=0.10, Total=1526
Pioneer 109 PIF Max=3, Average=0.08, Total=1301
Verbatim 16X DVD+R:
Plextor 716A PIF Max=4, Average=0.01, Total=167
NEC 3520A PIF Max=7, Average=0.01, Total=78
Pioneer 109 PIF Max=2, Average=0.02, Total=340
The NEC's results are excellent compared to most drives, but the Plextor is better. The Plextor's 8X Taiyo -R and 8X Verbatim +R results beat anything the NEC can do.
That's really not that important, but the Plextor's other performance numbers are almost all better, too. I'm not saying the Plextor is worth it, but you're certainly not "paying more for less."
The NEC is not the best burner. It's unreasonable for so many people to keep saying it is just because it's what they spent their money on. It's not bad at all, but people need to stop recommending it when there are better drives now. The Pioneer is a better cheap drive, and the Plextor is a better drive overall. If you asked me, the best deal is burning Taiyo Yuden 8X -R media with the Pioneer, but that's debatable. What's not debatable is that you simply can't say the NEC is better than either of those drives.
I make money from DVDs. Returns suck. I have a NEC to make DVD-ROM Booktypes from DVD+R media (thanks to Panasonic and Daewoo settop players older than 2 years old - 4 yo Philips settops are intentionally DVD+R). Otherwise, I would have bought another Pioneer.
That said, we are getting to the commodity end of the products. Get what you want and it will probably work for what you are using it for, but the NECs or Pioneers are a very good choice.
The Pioneer 109 can also do booksetting with the right firmware. But I'm suspicious of your claim that Panasonics older than 2 years need bookset DVD+R. I have a lot of experience with first-generation Panasonics (1997 or 98), and they work better with DVD-R than with DVD+R. Booksetting or not, I've seen them skip badly with DVD+R media, but every Panasonic I've seen plays Taiyo Yuden DVD-R media perfectly. Maybe there was a timeframe where Panasonic decided to make players that coudln't play recordable media without booksetting, but I haven't seen any of those players, and it's certainly not true for the old ones.