Pioneer DVR 105

Advantages: High DVD/CD compatibility after firmware update, it's Pioneer need another reason?
Disadvantages: Before flash update the drive sucks, 4 speed is dated now

...it has served me well. Pioneer is a well known and respected name in the world of electronic entertainment, not as big as Sony but they can hold their own. The drive itself is very plain on the front and is light grey instead of the classic beige colour of PCs. Although it's simple, it isn't ugly or boring to look at at all, a very nice drive to have seen on your PC. This is a DVD-RW drive so it is only compatible with DVD-R and DVD-RW media, not ...
...However, the big wigs at Pioneer released a firmware upgrade for this drive and software upgrade for the Instant CD/DVD v6.5 application, and after a quick upgrade it becomes super compatible with almost all types of DVD-R media thrown at it. Be it Verbatim, Bulkpaq, Packard Bell, Philips, etc, it works with all of them and reads them great afterwards. The firmware upgrade will update the firmware to version 1.33, both the firmware and the program ... Read review

Advantages: Reliablity, good brand, cheap
Disadvantages: Fairly old technology now, only lasted a year!

I’ve had my Pioneer 105/A05 for over a year now and I’ve been more than happy with it. At the time a paid a princely sum of £160 for this piece kit, these days you can get a similar spec DVD writer for £50. The basic specifications of the drive are: Write Speed: DVD-R 4X, 2X, 1X-CLV DVD-RW 2X, 1X-CLV CD-R 16X,12X,8X,4X-CLV CD-RW 8X,4X-CLV Read Speed: DVD-ROM (Single) Max. 12X CAV (Dual) 8X CAV DVD-R, DVD-RW 2X (Older Media) DVD-R, DVD-RW 6X (High ...
...and uninspiring. The name Pioneer is reassuring, I definitely connect the brand Pioneer with quality goods. I knew straight away that I wanted to update the firmware as I had heard that the Pioneer was limited to 2 speed rip rate (the rate at which it copys the DVD). I updated with the unofficial firmware (got it from the DVD-105 forum) and I was relieved to find that my DVD writer still worked. However it still only ripped at 2 speed, I then found ... Read review

Advantages: Fast write speeds both DVD and CD
Disadvantages: Need to update bios for some DVD-R

...is easily downloaded from the pioneer web site and the drive works brilliantly now. In trying out what this drive could do I found, quite simply anything you want it to concerning DVD burning ! It will write my webcam video's of my fish tank in less than 10 mins that's 2Gb in 5mins (with extra software for video editing) so I can watch them on my home DVD player, it will copy Playstation 1 + 2 games (with the software provided) and no more need ... Read review

Advantages: Easy to use
Disadvantages: time consuming

This drive writes to CDR, CD-RW, DVD and DVD-RW DVD-R at X4, DVD-RW AT X2, CD at X32 CD-RW at x8, Although these speeds can only be achieved if you use discs designed for those speeds I have a CD writer/Re-Writer installed on my pc but these days I tend to use the DVD writer most of the time. Backing up your own software/audio and DVD is fairly easy with the right software, I bought the bare bones drive so you don’t get any software with it and ...
...Backing up DVD’s can be very time consuming, first you have to decrypt the DVD, then with another program you prepare it for writing and finally you have to use another piece of software to burn the disc. Even with the fastest DVD’s available it can take well over an hour just to do one. I’m not sure what the legal position is about making backups but do bear in mind that you are not allowed to copy rented DVD’s, although I have been told it is ... Read review

Advantages: Great for writing CDs
Disadvantages: Not great for writing DVDs

I bought the DVR 105 to suplement my DVR 104 when my CD writer failed. One of the reasons I chose this drive was because I understood it to solve the DVD compatibility problems associated with 104. Right. I could have bought a professional DVD authoring suite for the cost of all the DVDs I wasted as I just cannot get this thing to do reliable DVDs. I had planned to go into video production business but my failure to produce DVDs compatible with ...
...the business. Maybe it was my combination of equipment. However for CD writing, this unit is first class. Fast, quick and error free. I have never had a failure and the unit is bundled with some great software. DVD writing can be problematic with any unit so take care when choosing a drive. ... Read review