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Sony DRX-830U (027242700338) DVD±RW Dual Layer Burner | |
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| Product Reviews from Amazon.com (Rating System 1 to 5) |
| Review | Rating | Last Updated | cd drive by sony
worked well right out of box. set-up was painless. is doing what its supposed to do. very pleased!
supplier, tech for less, provided super delivery. unit was here in two days,
priced right too.
| 4 | Today | Couldn't believe this
Bought this burn a while back along with a 100 pack of TDK DVD record ables 16x, up to now not one has been burn but i had this long time sony blank laying around try burning it and it works i don't know minds must be bad cause it can't burn any DVD only SONY DVD so far; but it was good clear picture every thing | 2 | Today | Good unit, BAD Software
I just got this DVD burner, and the installation was one of the easiest one I have ever made, including the software installation (Nero 7). Everything was OK until I started using the software, first the Nero 7 that came with the unit is a trial version (30 days), Second, anything I try, it brings me to the "Update (BUY) Screen", I don't like to be forced to spend money because Nero wants me to do so. I will buy, yes, but another multimedia software. Nero, I think that this trick is backfiring on you! And Sony, I think that you should make sure that the software that you include with your products should be fully functional, no updates required, unless you want to update.
I would not recomend this product to anybody, unless it comes with different software | 2 | Today | Sony External CD~DVD Burner
This CD~DVD burner was exactly what I wanted. The instructions were simple and easy to understand. I did not have any problems getting it set up and ready to use. Nice backup for all my files. | 4 | Today | Problems
I have used this product since 7/07 and it works with only one of my three computers. I would not recommend this product if you need you work with the newest hardware/software systems. | 2 | Today | It used to work, but.
I cut quite a few discs with this but now it is only a reader. The write mechanics have given out. So figure about a 100 to 200 DVD writes or so before it craps out. | 2 | Today | Price is Right
I purchased this burner through Amazon and it was shipped very quickly by ANTOnline. I haven't tried the Nero software which is included because I'm using ProShow to create and burn DVD slideshows.
As others have said, it burns at about 1/2 of the advertised speed. I occasionally have trouble with a DVD where the writing process will not start. The burner is running but nothing happens. I don't know if that is a problem with the DVD, the software or the burner. Otherwise I am satisfied with this purchase.
I'm not sure that you can do any better for the price. | 4 | Today | Sony DRX830U 18X External USB 2.0 Double-Layer DVD±RW/CD-RW Drive
This is a fine product. Works like a charm. The soft ware included is useless in my opinion. You don't need the software to operate the burner, just plug it in & start burning.
Bought it from Amazon & received it on time. I buy a lot of different items from Amazon & receive excellent service.
| 5 | Today | Donot buy this item
The video quality of burnt DVD is really horrible. The pictures are too bright to the point that you can't see much at all. There's a lot of color loss in the resulting video. I would not recommend this item to anyone. | 1 | Today | Best of three brands I have tried...
If you're in a hurry, tired, or autistic: Buy.
If you have an enquiring mind and would like to know why it's worth buying, read on. (I would probably give it 4.5 stars if Amazon allowed...hint hint Amazon)
I tried the HP DVD940E and LG GSA-E10L, both of which came with Nero (cannot remember if it was ver 7). Several coasters and sweaty-hours later, I gave up and returned each. Enter the DRX-830U, which installed in minutes and runs nearly perfectly on the XP Pro 2.4Ghz 1GB RAM laptop it connects to. The Nero BackItUp Essentials software crashed once while burning, about the time I plugged a portable hard drive into one of the laptop's USB ports, making a coaster. Also, while mounted vertically, I once tried to gently reposition the drive while a disc was within it, spinning in read mode. I heard two nasty grinding sounds, which I later found out was the edges of the disc scraping against the insides, leaving scrape marks on the DVD's edge. No permanent damage to the disc's read surface or the burner itself, but whenever there's a disc in it, leave the unit completely alone.
There are several positives. The Nero 7 Essentials is a surprisingly large software suite that includes (optional-install) programs to burn DVD's, CD's, edit video, make and use back-ups, play movies, etc. Software like Real Player can do much of this, but I needed another video editor than Windows Movie Maker, and got one essentially free, a nice surprise. I also intentionally left my Roxio CD Creator software installed, despite pg 14 of the owner's manual saying that different writing software may not coexist with Nero. No problems have yet occurred due to Roxio, and I like this version of Nero enough that I may finally remove Roxio for good, but it's nice they apparently work together.
Some other interesting things you may not have read elsewhere:
* The unit must be mounted horizontally if you burn dual-layer discs, or if you happen to use those small 8cm discs (most CD's and DVD's are the 12cm size).
* Yes, it makes more noise when burning, but in all honestly, I'm surprised how much others complain about this. I personally do not care if it makes around ~60 dB of noise when it's burning. I actually like to hear it, so I know it's doing something. Even if it sounded like an air raid siren, I only burn DVD's when backing up, about twice a year. Your ears may differ. (if you read about any false air raid warnings in Phoenix every now and then, you'll know it's me)
* The box says (for) "Windows", but other reviews, and even the owners manual mentions its use with Mac's Toast software.
* If burning data files, you can do it two ways. One, through BackItUp Essentials, which runs a long CRC parity check (2 hours for 27 GB), but which also verifies what you are writing. It did not give the option of burning a second copy, making it necessary to do the whole CRC over again, but it does give the option of compressing or encrypting or making a self-boot disk. The other is to use the StartSmart menu and open a more basic "Make Data DVD", which dispenses with the CRC check and does offer options for more than one copy. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
* I used 16x TDK DVD+R, and they all burned at 16x, at approximately 9 minutes per disc. If using the verify (data after writing) option, it can add another 6 minutes per disc. Remember, this is all going through a USB 2.0 port, which while fast, is not exactly a superhighway to your CPU.
* Regarding speed, Sony also offers the Sony DRX830UL/T External DVD+/-R 18X Double/Dual Layer and Dual Format DVD Drive which offers a FireWire port (also known as iLink in Sony's language). Most people don't realize that a 400Mpbs firewire port (aka S400) is actually faster than a 480Mbps USB 2.0 port (due to significant overhead in USB packets). I have a portable hard drive with both options and firewire is noticeably faster. It may not really matter too much unless you burn a lot of DVD's, but before plunking money down on the 830U, you may want to price compare the 830UL/T unit if you would prefer the speed. As of this review, you'll pay $30-50 more for the firewire option.
* The UG is well written. Most people probably won't need it, but it's better than the wisp of paper you get with some peripherals.
* Oh yeah, and the mirrored front door -- it doesn't show up too well in the photo, but I think it looks a lot nicer in person than the picture on the box or online. Your friends will not accidentally overlook this sitting on your desk.
If I could improve anything about this, I'd like a red LED when it's burning (not just flashing green), plus FireWire S800 and eSATA ports in addition to the USB 2.0. Maybe a slightly smaller footprint when mounted horizontally, and one day, Blu-Ray support. But, for it's sub-$130 price range, I think it is amongst the best burner/software bundles/reliability combinations available today. | 4 | Today |
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