Primary DVD±RW / DVD-RAM drive

Advantages: Fast, especially DVD-RAM, reads and writes everything
Disadvantages: No lightscribe

...The LG GSA H22N Super-Multi is one of the first drives to up the maximum speed to 18X for DVD writing. Whilst not a huge increase on the 16X drives, it's a welcome boost. The various speeds and media types supported are: Read speed: 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD) Write speed: 48x (CD) 18x (DVD±R) 8x (DVD±R DL) Rewrite speed: 32x (CD) 6x (DVD-RW) 8x (DVD+RW) 12x (DVD-RAM) Far more of interest is the support for DVD-RAM which many consider a superior format for data archival due to its built in error correction. Until recently DVD-RAM trailed badly in speed terms but this drive provides an astonishing 12X writing for DVD-RAM. If you are creeating DVD's for long term backup or archival then DVD-RAM... Read review

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Advantages: Gigantic storage capacity, long shelf life for stored disks
Disadvantages: Not cheap, bit slow sometimes.

...DVD-RAM may well be the way of the future. I have been using one of Panasonics offerings in this area for a while now and although you may not want to rush out and buy one right now, affordability is just around the corner. A lot of you may not know what DVD-RAM is so I have included a quick run down on it before I discuss the particular drive I have been using. Most of you who read this probably know about cd-r and cd-rw, one is the technology that lets you write to a blank cd once the other is the technology that lets you repeatedly write and erase data on a cd. The thing is although 650mb (the amount of space on a typical blank cd) seemed a vast amount of storage a few years a go, today it is starting to look a bit cramped. Oh dear. Never fear here comes DVD charging in to our rescue wearing shinning armour and ridding his... Read review

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Advantages: Good quality, nice price, oooh a spindle
Disadvantages: same as most dvd-rw's

...Ok so yesterday I wrote a review on a CD-R, so I thought that I would move on and review a DVD+RW today. These aren't the discs I usually use for my DVDs, actually I have only used them once, but I think I will be using them more in the future. They are great. They are a nice price compared to a lot of others, and they are pretty durable. Reliability… In my CD-R review I mentioned errors while burning CDs, and errors while burning DVDs was pretty much mandatory for me, until I started using these. I have only ever come across 2 errors, and they were my fault anyway for opening the drive in the middle of burning. Before I bought a DVD-RW drive, I used to make VCDs most of the time, as they were quick and easy. But since I have been using these, there is no need for VCDs as the discs give me no trouble at all. Use… Obviously... Read review

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