need opinions...
 

my mom is gonna make a trip do the USA (Boston) and thats the chance for me to get a dvd burner to backup my CDs/DVDs games... so i have some questions:

1)which one should i get??? im thinking about the pionner A05/105 or the sony DR500A, i now both are good, altough the sony is more expensive, it writes in both DVDR- and DVDR+, would that be a problem??? i know that v5 and up with a messiah 2 pro runs backup DVDR+ just fine, but is there sumetin else i need to know???? and the only difference between the Pionner A05 and 105 is that one comes with the retail box and the other doesn't???

2)Im also thinking in getting a new cd writer, mine is just too damn old... which ones u guys would recommend??? heard good things about lite-ons. One that can backup PSX/PS2 cds would be great

3)Now about the media... i know the riteks dvdr's are great, so im getting some of those, but what about cds???? would the verbatims do the job??? heard good think about the Taiyo Yudens, so are they really good????

4)can some1 recommend me a good retail store in Boston - Massachusetts or a online one that sells all those things for a nice price??? rima.com seems good

5)backing up scratched cds/dvds work??? i mean, when u do a backup of a dvd for example that's all f**ked up , will it work?? or the data on the dvd is already screwed, making the backup useless???
for example: lets say i have a original MGS2 and it is all scratched. When i try to play it, the game freezes or just slows down. Would making a backup copy of it, into a brand new dvdr, work??? will the game play like new, of it will play like the old, scratchy one????

sorry for the "damn noobie making long post" thing and for asking questions that may have already been answered
thx to any one who answers :)

1) Heard Great things about both Drives, personally I would go w/ the sony just for the satisfaction of knowing it supports both formats. However nobody really has had a problem w/either one.

2)Lite-On is the best in the buisness, plextors are just too much. you could probably get a 48x cheap then overclock, but I have found 52x cheap as well

3)Verbatims- also the best in the buisness. They make great media, but it is on the expensive side when compared to others.

4) No, sorry I live in Illinois.

5)Some do, some dont, depends on how messed up the disk truly is.

No prob, we were n00bs at one point :)

I would get the A05.....

Even though the Sony supports both formats, I have NEVER seen a reason to use the +R/+RW format.....

It is FAR less compatible than the -R/-RW format......

And the A05 is cheaper......

A new CD burner is just a matter of what you like......

MOST everybody SWEARS by lite-on and plextor......

I LIVE by LG..... (at least the model I have..)

It has successfully burned discs that both, Plextor and Lite-On FAILED at.....

Just get one that you can afford and like......

Verbatim CD-Rs are fine..... They are more widely used than most others....

BUT.... Top Dog in CD-R's is Princo (IF YOU CAN FIND THEM)....

They will play in things that Verbatim won't.......
Don't get me wrong.... Verbatim are good (I'm using them now)

BUT, nothing that I have found will top Princo CD-R's........

Depending on HOW BAD the disc is, and HOW GOOD your reader is, will decide if you can back it up or not.....

If you can get a GOOD image with NO disc read errors, you should be fine....

Hope this help you in your quest.... :)

Why purchase a CD burner when DVD burners do that too?

For the simple reason of cost.....

I have 3 drives in my system....

A dvd-rom-----For reading dvd based games and movies.
A cd-r drive----For burning cd-r discs.
And A dvd writer..... For burning dvds...

It saves ALOT of wear and tear on a expensive DVD Writer....
That is the ONLY thing my dvd writer gets used for. To BURN dvds...

I use the other 2 drives for reading discs and burning cd-r's....

If I wear out my cd-r & dvd-rom drive, I can purchase BOTH for ALOT less money than a dvd writer.....

Problem is some of us don't have another free spot on a drive chain. :)

And the "incompatibility" of +R is overstated. I find +R to be vastly superior in its ability to be played in set-top boxes. -R is hit-or-miss, but +R seems to run in every set-top box I've tried, including ones that don't play CD-R's or videocd's.

- Gurm

Or you can get a cdrw/dvd-rom combo. One of my better purchases. Only $61 at www.newegg.com

@ Arcainus
Plextor are so much as they are just pure quality! They are built like bricks and the quality of the discs are top drawer. I have Read many reviews on the net and came to the conclusion that even though Lite-ON benchmark themselves against Plextor, they just cannot match their quality. LG are also very good but follow the same suit. Yes, Plextor are very expensive, but it's like the old saying goes here in the UK especially - 'You get what you pay for.'
Plextor are the best in the business by far and everyone knows it - even though there are competitors out there who come very close...

I agree with you on the point about not having a free spot on your IDE cable......
Not everyone has the ability to run 8 drives like I do... (And it took me a long time to be able to afford to :) )
I was just stating my opinion on the matter....
Anything that can CUT DOWN the use of your EXPENSIVE dvd writer is a plus......

As far as the -R/-RW VS +R/+RW.... I don't want to get in a argument about it.....

I have run MULTIPLE test on this subject and still have the SAME conclusion.....

-R/-RW works in MORE things (set-top included) than the +R/+RW format.....

Where you will USUALLY see a difference is in the OLDER players....

-R/-RW tends to play alot smoother than the other format in older players.....

Newer units will USUALLY play both so it doesn't seem to matter..

AND THE DEBATE GOES ON!!!!! :D

thx u all for your opinions
now, i decided to go with the A05 and the lite-on
gonna by them (and a pack or 100 ritek dvdr's) from www.rima.com

so, anymore suggestions??? are the prices at rima good?
and by the way, u guys know where i can find a dex drive for the PSX??

rima has the best 100 pack price. They are a good store to go with. You can get a dex drive on ebay for $6-$8.

Hey Bighap....

I just got a e-mail from "our" guy at ebay...

100 Pack of 4X Riteks.... $169.00........:D :D

Got the same email. Good deal. rima's price is $175. Too bad I have no use for them.

thx everybody for the answers...
but i got a small question:
Can i write on the cdr/dvdr that isnt inkjet printable, or it has to be, so i can write on them (with special type of pen of course)????

Yeah... You can write on them no problem....

I rec. that you use a Sharpie.......

They work GREAT......