Full-Steam-Ahead DVD

Features, Not Just Speed

Several of this month's drives have unusual features, or mixes of features, that make them stand out from the crowd. For example, the LG is the sole drive we tested for this chart that writes to noncartridge DVD-RAM media. If you have one of the many living-room DVD recorders equipped with DVD-RAM (from Panasonic, JVC, and Samsung, among others), you'll find this capability great for playing back or recording from DVD-RAM discs. (If you use cartridge media, you can always remove a DVD-RAM disc from its cartridge before using it in the LG drive.) DVD-RAM discs are handy because they are seamlessly interchangeable between PC drives and set-top DVD-RAM recorders (DVD±RW media may be less so).

The unique feature of the Lite-On SHW-1635S is its short profile. Its smaller design makes this inexpensive, high-performance model suitable for use in compact computers from vendors such as AOpen and Shuttle.

Plextor's chic PX-716AL is the sole slot-loading burner on the chart--and the first such burner we've tested. Its design resembles what you'd find in an automobile CD player or on a Mac Mini, and it looks cool, making this drive ideal for use in a customized home entertainment center PC. You'll pay a premium for the gee-whiz factor, though: At $155, this internal drive is nearly as pricey as the external models we reviewed. Though the PX-716AL costs more than its PX-740A stablemate, the product's high price is only partly due to its slot-loading mechanism. This drive also offers a host of other features related to Plextor's firmware and PlexTools software, including PowerRec, which lets you define the laser's strength settings; Secure Recording, for password-protecting your data; and Silent Mode, which enables quieter DVD playback.

Although Hewlett-Packard's LightScribe technology is gaining ground, the LG is the only drive we tested this month that supports it. (Three others we considered for this ranking--previous chartmakers from HP and LaCie--incorporate LightScribe as well, but all were hampered by painfully slow double-layer write performance.) LightScribe employs the drive's laser to etch a label onto a specially coated disc; when you finish burning your data, you can flip the disc over and proceed to burn your label. Plextor, Lite-On, and Sony all have plans to add LightScribe to their next-generation drives, due later this year.

Software proved to be another differentiator among the drives on our list. Nero's disc-burning suite continues to rule among the DVD burners on the chart. Five of the seven newcomers this month use a version of Nero's OEM software, and two of the holdovers, from Asus and Samsung, use Nero as well. The Nero versions vary from vendor to vendor; visit "The Skinny on Burner Bundles" for more information on software bundles. Pioneer continues to offer the most jam-packed software bundle of the bunch: The DVR-R100 comes with Ulead's DVD MovieFactory 4 SE suite, VideoStudio 9 SE, CD & DVD Picture Show 3 SE, and Photo Explorer 8.5 SE; in addition, the Pioneer device bundles the complete version of NovaStor's comprehensive backup software, NovaBackup 7.2, which sells for $50 as a stand-alone package.

Among the current crop of DVD burners, some of our picks rank high in spite of their firmware glitches. Two of our favorites are Sony's DRU-810A and Plextor's PX-740A--though Sony's package has the edge with a slightly beefier version of Nero's software. Our Best Buy nods, however, go to Pioneer's internal DVR-R100, which combines a stellar software bundle with reasonable performance, and LG's external Super-Multi GSA-2166D, a high-performance drive that does most everything, including LightScribe labeling and writing to all DVD formats.