Drives > AOpen Drives > DVD±RW (+R Double Layer) > 48x (CD) / 8x (DVD-R) / 16x (DVD+R) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL)

Advantages: Portable, easy to connect, usually runs without mains adapter.
Disadvantages: Only Lightscribe forces the use of the mains adapter.

...it also found me the LiteOn Slim 8-speed Lightscribe* USB drive, which unlike its desktop counterpart, uses the slim-line drive for a laptop and sticks it in a box the size of a slim paperback. It can also run with the 5 volts supplied by the USB port, and so only needs one connecting cable and no bloody mains adapter under normal conditions, thus making it suitable for putting into one of those side pockets of a laptop's carrying case. (*Luke Skywalker's ...
...to buying LiteOn DVD drives is the fact that some nerd has written a little utility for them called LTNRPC.exe. "Whoopee-doo!" I hear you cry. Well, you may or may not know that Windows only allows for 5 switches of DVD movie region before it locks to the last one. This means that anyone with a 'transatlantic' DVD collection of Regions 1 and 2 had better not use their PC to watch movies otherwise, as my Mum used to say, 'you'll get stuck like that!" ... Read review

Advantages: Multi-format Blu-ray and DVD/CD writer in one, HD Video Recording
Disadvantages: Havent any additional IDE or SATA Interface

...16x/CD-ROM 40X The Drive LaCie d2 is a Blu-ray/DVD/CD records, rewrites and reads 25 gigabytes GB or 50GB BD-R (recordable) and BD-RE (rewritable), as well as DVD±RW DL and CD±RW. The Drive comes fully equipped with Roxio burning software and dual FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces. Why FireWire? FireWire 400, also known as IEEE 1394, is a high-speed serial input /output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer or to each other. ...
...and graphics. it is Hot-pluggable, daisy-chainable and flexible up to 63 devices can be connected on a single bus. Blu-ray 50GB discs used in the BD Drive offer 10x more capacity than a single layer DVD. This increased capacity gives professionals the freedom to choose much higher bit rate codecs when mastering content, ultimately improving picture quality. For increased audio quality, Blu-ray technology allows for up to eight channels of 92kHz/32 ... Read review

Advantages: fast and reliable
Disadvantages: dont detect cd burn in another dvd or cd drives.

sony dvd has serious problems the cds which we burn in any other dvd drives like LG dont work in sony dvd drives it dont detect at all it detects only cd discs what we burn in sony dvd drives only sony has to rectify this problem as soon as possible other wise they loose lot of thier customers and most of the cds which we write in another dvd drives dont work at all in sony dvd drive a part of this problem rest of the things are perfect these dvd ... Read review

Advantages: low noise and reliable
Disadvantages: no disadvantages compared to any other similar class of drives

...LG, SONY, but samsungs Samsung Super-WriteMaster SH-S202J is best drive comparitively to any other dvd drive of its class it dont create any noise at all while buring CD or DVD. its really so fast in burning CD and DVD more over very secure it dont spoils CD. i believe in samsung products alot because they create reliable products and it works longer for years. Samsung Super-WriteMaster SH-S202J is compatible to all deskop computers. in developing ... Read review

Advantages: Great optical drive
Disadvantages: Only for macbook air

...is only compatible with the Apple Macbook Air Notebook. (This is because the USB ports that Apple have used are designed to put out more power than is normally possibly, this is why the Superdrive has no need for a power supply of its own). When you buy this product this is what you get - 1) MacBook Air SuperDrive with attached USB cable 2) User's Guide Doesnt seem like much but that is all you need, the absence of a power supply of its own means ...
...so if you have other Apple Notebooks dont buy it, if you have just the Air this is for you. On the upside though Apple certainly stick to form when it comes to the look of the drive, slick, simple and compact as usual. Great looker. And it works beautifully and does exactly what you expect it to. I think they should have designed the drive to work with other machines as well. The actual fact is I think they should have spent more time designing ... Read review