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Samsung SE-S084C
by QuinDogg
It is becoming very common that laptops do not include a DVD unit because they are thinner or smaller or just don't need them. They are commonly known as ultrabooks, because with streaming methods and information in the cloud, it is preferably to have a thinner device, rather than a thicker with a function that is gradually ... disappearing.
However, there are still some people, including myself who will still need to burn a DVD from time to time, even if we prefer having a lighter laptop. That is why an external DVD burner is a must have tool. After looking everywhere for the most convenient option I decided to get the Samsung SE-s084C for a reasonable price of 23.99.
The design is very nice and really thin, it has a glossy surface on top that will even work as a mirror in case you need one when you're out and about! It has a grey stripe around the device that matches the black colour on the top bit. It also includes a protective screen which will prevent it of getting scratched and you will barely notice it is there or you can take it off for extra shininess. On the base it has 4 rubber pads for it to not move and be steady on any surface.
The installation is very easy, and then whenever you are going to use it, you just have to plug it in to the laptop using the USB cable included and the software will automatically come up onto your screen so that you can burn what you want in a quickly way. This feature is very handy since the burning software you install on laptops with a built-in DVD unit, expire within months. With this burner you will not have that issue.
A downside is that the pads on the base fall off after some weeks of use. Something minor that does not interfere with the functionality of the device. It's a really nice looking and cheap device however I do feel it's a little heavy for its size but then again I'm not sure how heavy others are! This one is definitely the sleekest!
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HP DVD556S
by tirial
I bought this initially as a secondary drive, mainly for Lightscribe labelling. I was pleasantly surprised at how flexible it was, and how many other ways the small portable DVD drive has come in useful since I purchased it.
Physically, it is small and very light. The rubber feet underneath prevent it slipping when it runs, ... and reduce vibration to a minimum. The only status indicator is the green LED on top, which lights up when the drive is on, or flashes when it is receiving too little power. This is actually all you need. The drive tray is controlled by a button press on the front.
As well as playing and burning CDs and DVDs, it also has Lightscribe labelling capability. Lightscribe is a system that lets you burn labels onto specially-made CDs and DVDs using the drive laser, as a form of wasteless labelling. Although the images are in greyscale, it can produce photographic images on the disc's surface in very high quality, and this drive produces excellent results.
I use this mainly as a burner and Lightscribe labeller. At 8x for burning data it is not particularly fast, but I haven't had any problems with discs failing. The speed is fine for CDs, or even DVDs if you aren't burning a lot. The fact it is portable enough to use where you may not otherwise have a burner available is a real bonus.
The Lightscribe labelling quality is excellent, sharp, and the drive supports the darker burn option that some Lightscribe software offers. After burning several discs (after an hour or so of continous burning) the drive can get quite hot, so it is as well to make sure it is in a cool area if you are working in bulk. However, even so there is no appreciable drop off in burn quality. Since Lightscribe labels are burned at a fixed speed, the drive's 8x speed isn't a drawback for label burning.
As a player, it is light, portable, and easy to use. It works well with most laptops I've encountered and can be easily swapped. The drive is plug and play, and was very easy to set up. Simply connect it via USB and let the computer find it. (One problem I did have on initial set up was that my Lightscribe software did not recognise it, but this was quickly solved by going to the Lightscribe site and following instructions.)
The power supply is the only drawback. The drive has a single USB connection, but the cable splits to two connections for the computer end. This is because one USB slot may not supply the power it needs (particularly for lightscribe work) so you connect the second USB plug to another port to give it extra power. However, the power USB does not have to be plugged into the same computer, so any USB power supply can be used. Alternatively if you use a USB hub with an independant power supply, this can be sufficient to remove the second cable lead.
If you are using it with a laptop to burn discs, it can quickly deplete the laptop's battery without a secondary power supply. There is no power button - if it is plugged in to a power supply, it is on - so if you are using an independant power source make sure to shut it down when you are finished.
As a secondary DVD drive for a computer, or even a stand-alone drive for a netbook or laptop, this is very good quality, particularly for its price.
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LG GH22LS50
by williams91
I purchased this LG GH22LS50 super multi DVD-Rewriter internal drive for around £20, I bought this because a friend of mine wanted a budget computer system building. LG is a common name and I have used LG drives in the past and been happy with them, it was almost too easy to select this drive over others because I knew I was secure ... buying the LG brand.
--Unboxing--
This was delivered to me within a couple of days and was packaged in a standard box, there wasn't much else to the packaging I felt like it could of done with some extra protection other than a bit of card board but there wasn't any damage to the item.
There was a SATA cable provided in the box of this device which is a nice touch as I have bought some devices which don't supply these cables.
--The Look--
This is a standard DVD drive with a black plastic front and the rest of the device is metal but that doesn't really matter as that will be in the computer case itself. On the disc drive there are a few logos on there such as the LG and a super multi. The button to open this is on the bottom right of the device, this presses quite nicely doesn't require too much push against it but still clicks.
--Installing--
This DVD drive uses SATA connections, the data one is the smaller one that is provided with the device, this plugs in the drive and straight into an empty SATA port on the motherboard. The bigger slot is for the power cable and this plugs in straight from the power supply. If you don't have a SATA power cable free on the power supply you can buy a converter which turns a 4 pin Molex connection into a SATA cable. These are really cheap and may be something to take into consideration when purchasing this item.
With both cabled plugged in that is the DVD drive fully installed apart from screwing it into your case but that takes you all of two seconds and isn't hard as your case will have slots lined up for the screws.
--Testing--
When testing this device I ran a DVD on it first followed by burning a disc. When running the DVD the drive was almost silent which is always a nice bonus, I could barely hear the disc running and it played my whole DVD without any skips or faults at all.
For the burning part of the test I decided that burning a CD and a DVD was a good test. The first thing I burnt was a CD, this was a standard music disc and this took approximately 2 and a half minutes. Not a bad time but I have had quicker, still who can really complain about 2 and a half minutes?
Burning a DVD took around 7 minutes which was a little longer than I expected but both discs that I burnt had great quality play back and I can't fault the drive there. The writing speeds could be slightly faster but im willing to wait the extra minute or so for guaranteed quality.
--Features--
Here are some of the specifications and features of this device.
* Compatible with Windows XP and higher.
* Secure disc and light scribe compatible.
* Read DVD 16x Single layer and 12x dual layer.
* Read CD 48x.
* Write DVD at 22x and CD at 48x.
On paper this is a pretty bog standard DVD drive, it has no fancy features but it does do the job well. Granted I feel that this is a little slower than other drives I have used but it gives you high quality, this is a nice device to use and although there was a few bad points given the price you really can't complain. So if you are looking for a cheap DVD drive that can give you top quality media then look no further.
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