The Best PC CD DVD Burner and Where to Buy It: Our Top 2 Picks of the Best CD/DVD Burners for PCs Running Windows XP, Vista & Windows 7
Where to Buy the Best CD/DVD Burner
The best PC CD DVD burner and where to buy it are two separate questions. Let’s address the latter question first, where to buy a new PC DVD burner. Amazon.com and Newegg.com are probably the best choices followed by the possible brick and mortar Best Buy or Staples. The prices are competitive at each with Amazon coming out ahead.
Samsung Internal Half Height DVD-W Supermulti SATA 22X Lightscribe
The best internal PC DVD burner for the money is the Samsung Internal Half Height DVD-W Supermulti SATA 22X Lightscribe. At $29.95 this is one of the most cost-effective drives out there and it comes with a minimal version of Nero 8 as well (including NERO Burning ROM, NERO Showtime, PowerDVD). It fits in the standard 5-1/2 inch drive bay without any additional hardware required. The drive does not include the SATA cable but it can be picked up on Amazon.com on the cheap.
The Samsung Supermulti SATA 22X supports: DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, DVD-RW DL, DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, LightScribe DVD+R, LightScribe DVD-R, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM/XA, CD-ROM, CD-Audio, Video-CD, CD-1 (FMV), Photo CD, CD-Extra, CD-TEXTand LightScribe CD+R disks. The Supermulti burner is solidly built and works with Windows XP, Vista (32 and 64 bit), and Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit). It is quick and quiet with a relatively simple installation and setup process. Even a relative novice can install this drive confidently.
LG Electronics 20X USB Slim Lightscribe DVD+/-RW External Drive GE20LU11
External CD/DVD burners are more expensive than their internal counterparts because of their ease of use and ability to be moved from machine to machine. For those of us with netbooks or other laptops without room for a static cd dvd drive these external USB plug and play drives are a great option. At the low price of $47.00 the best external cd dvd burner is the LG Electronics 20X USB Slim Lightscribe DVD+/-RW External Drive GE20LU11. The read/write speed of this drive is very good for an external optical drive. The read speeds are 48x for CD and 16x for DVD. The write rates depend on the type of media used – 5x to 20x for DVD and 8x to 48x for CD.
The USB 2.0 interface is compatible with all versions of Windows XP, Vista (32 and 64 bit) and Windows 7(32 and 64 bit). It is a self installing plug and play device that takes under 30 seconds to set up with the auto detect and install Windows option.
The biggest plus with this portable drive is the inclusion of built in Lightscribe and SecureDisc technology. A LightScribe disc a laser label and or picture can be printed directly on the disc without the use of paper labels. If LightScribe is not enough bling then there is also SecureDisc Technology. For anyone wishing to secure their data this is a must. Some of the security features added to your DVDs will be Password Protection, a Digital Signature, a Data Integrity Check, Data Reliability and Copy Protection.
Which is the Best CD/DVD Burner for You?
These are the two best choices in CD/DVD burner hardware and each comes at a good price. Depending on your needs (and technical ability) either will fill your needs — the external LG Electronics 20X USB Slim Lightscribe DVD+/-RW External Drive GE20LU11 or internal Samsung Internal Half Height DVD-W Supermulti SATA 22X Lightscribe.
