If I was
to elect a sole winner of this contest on DVD read speed
alone, the Panasonic takes the cake. The Panasonic drive
beat both the Pioneer and Plextor in both Sandra and Nero
speed checks. DVD read speed is one thing, DVD record speed
is another.
The
Panasonic drive is a 2X DVD burner, and will take almost
twice as long to record DVD’s. And on top of this, it will
cost you about the same as the
Plextor. The Pioneer is the cheapest of the bunch; I
actually found it for
$175 around the internet. As far as burning is
concerned, the fastest was the Plextor drive.
Before
you buy, you will need to decide on a few things before
making this big decision. If you are looking primarily for a
DVD drive to watch movies, and burn the occasional back-up
disc, the Panasonic looks to be a good choice, although I am
a bit skeptical on their flimsy tray. If you want to use
DVD-RAM, the Panasonic drive is the only choice in this
review that will read that type of media. If you yearn for a
drive that will not necessitate a personal loan, the Pioneer
is an excellent choice! Especially due to the fact that it
uses the most popular type of media, and is the cheapest of
the bunch. The best compatible drive with all programs and
the fastest burning drive is the Plextor.
Ok,
doesn’t sound like a clear shot winner, now does it? I’m
done beating around the bush, in my opinion the best all
around drive of the bunch is the Plextor, that’s why it’s
still in my machine!
