Which cheap DVD burner to get?

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I was going get a nec 1100 but it only did + recording I found out and those + disc are alot more expensive. So I went back to pricewatch and looking more and found these dual format burners:

Found the NEC 1300 for $140 without software at <A HREF="http://www.sncomputers.com/index.php/browse/5a5f916c11397cac9ced1c776382a0f9" target="_new">http://www.sncomputers.com/index.php/browse/5a5f916c11397cac9ced1c776382a0f9</A>. It will be ok just download and use any software with the drive right?

I found optorite for $143 which had the software in it. <A HREF="http://www.pcsupplysource.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=DVDRW-OP-DD0203&cc=&tpc=" target="_new">http://www.pcsupplysource.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=DVDRW-OP-DD0203&cc=&tpc=</A>

There was DVD-RW only pinoneer drive for $147 at <A HREF="http://www.sncomputers.com/index.php/detail_page/1228/e9801d377894fdb2872f57ad52a95679" target="_new">http://www.sncomputers.com/index.php/detail_page/1228/e9801d377894fdb2872f57ad52a95679</A>

Found a dual pinoeer drive for $160 at <A HREF="http://www.memorylabs.net/pidvdvcdinat1.html" target="_new">http://www.memorylabs.net/pidvdvcdinat1.html</A>It had no software too, so don't know if downloaded software will work ot not.

Also found sony SONY DW-U10A for $163 at <A HREF="http://https://www.atacom.com/program/atacom.cgi?USER_ID=www&cart_id=4606628_172_16_32_80&SEARCH=SEARCH_ALL&ordered_number2=&KEYWORDS=SONY+DW-U10A+&Disp_item2.x=2&Disp_item2.y=8" target="_new">http://https://www.atacom.com/program/atacom.cgi?USER_ID=www&cart_id=4606628_172_16_32_80&SEARCH=SEARCH_ALL&ordered_number2=&KEYWORDS=SONY+DW-U10A+&Disp_item2.x=2&Disp_item2.y=8</A>. It without software again unless i pay an extra $10.

I didn't look futher because I really don't want to spend any money on it. I was thinking of getting a NEC, but don't know the quality of. Which of these would you guys recommand?? Or is any other multi format DVD burner that you could recommand under $165?
 
You can also look for LiteON DVD+RW drives. They cost ~$140

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The NEC dual burner isn't a great drive with its factory firmware. It is extremely picky on the media it can use and it probably won't burn those nice inexpensive DVD-R discs you've found online. There is a third party firmware hack for the NEC that makes it pretty good and able to burn most media. However this is 3rd party and if it breaks your drive, you can't cry to the manufacturer.

If you don't want to hack your drive, spend a little more and get a Pioneer or Sony.
 
Well you get what you pay for when buying a DVD burner. If you want a DVD burner just so you can do data backups and archives, any burner will do the job. BUT if you are planning on recording movies and video and you want to be able to use most brands of blank media then a Pioneer A-05 is your best bet.

Also when you go cheap there are issues of compatablility and region and copy protection and all sorts of other things that will affect your ability to do what you want to do with a DVD burner effortlessly.
 
I will be mostly using the drive to store all the anime I download. Otherwise it just fill up my harddrive. I am currently putting them on CDs, but takes AWHOLE lot of CDs to store them. Probably once in long while I might actually burn a video to play on a DVD player.
 

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