choosing an external DVD burner

I wish to address another point that nobody else seems to address. Depending
on how many DVDs you plan to burn, choosing a full-size high-speed burner (with
an external power supply) might be a better option.
The slim-size one you've been looking at is limited to 8X, for a reason. The
USB can't supply the power for higher speeds, even with two connectors. But the
main point is, that burning many DVDs at such slow speeds is a PITA. Especially
since the advertised 8X is only really 8X at the very end of the DVD; in the
beginning and during most of the time it is in fact 2X, 4X and 6X. And the read
speeds are higher on the big ones too, in case you want to copy or read large
files quickly.
The only limitation on the big drives might be the USB transfer speed. The
16X speed is 22MB/s, while on my laptop USB2 can't achieve more than 20MB/s.
Thus, I can't actually burn at 16X, and do it at 12X. The difference in burn
times is not big between those two, however, as most of the time is spent
burning at slower speeds from 4X up to 12X anyway.
Oh, and apart from reading the customer reviews, avoid SONY drives like the
plague, no matter what the reviews. It helps that they are overpriced, too.


Jo-Anne wrote:
Although I planned to buy an external DVD burner when I purchased my WinXP
netbook in 2009, I didn't do it. Now I have more of a need for one
(installing some software, copying files, playing CDs and DVDs) and have
found an enormous number to choose from.

The advice I received here in 2009 was to check reviews and not to go by
price--that more expensive wasn't necessarily better. But what else should I
consider? For example, will all burners work with WinXP? Is tray loading
better than slot loading? Should any brands be avoided? I'd be grateful for
advice.

--
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