Originally posted by: ripthesystem
the 16x lite-on is an excellent DVD player/CD-ROM with an oustanding DAE and great DVD rip times as well. I love mine and wouldn't even think of getting a different one. Esp. when they are so cheap.
you might want to check This 16x DVD Deal from Dell and maybe save some cash!
ripthesystem
Originally posted by: jayboal
Does the "X" factor of a DVD drive actually affect fast-forward speed? Does this mean that on an old 1X drive fast-forward is actually real-time?
Originally posted by: MWink
It is NOT worth it. I have an old Panasonic 8X DVD-ROM and it OUTPERFORMS my 16X drives. It beat my Lite-On and Pioneer 16X. It actually was able to rip a DVD at 8X, the others did it slower despite their higher rated speed. I would much rather an older drive as most of them seem built better than newer ones.
Make sure you have the correct drivers. There was a period when some manufacturers limited certain models' ripping speed purposely. I'm afraid I don't have a list of models and driver versions though. If I remember correctly, the Pioneer 115 (or maybe it was 105?) was the most infamous at this, ripping at 2x while being a 16x drive. Like LordAccord said, his Pioneer 10x rips at 9.6x, which is faster than your 8x Panasonic.