Help with buying a new CD burner...

[tbowen]

First, thank you to anyone who helps me.

I am looking to buy a new CD burner for my computer. They are so cheap now and I have just had alot of problems with the one that came with my computer. Here is my current system:
Gateway desktop
Intel Pentium 4 CPU, 2.60 GHz
2.59 GHz, 512 MB of RAM
XP Pro, ver. 2002
Service Pack 2

Now, I have a few questions I hope to get answered:
1. Which speed burner is right for me? I want the fastest one that my system can keep up with, if that makes any sense.
2. Is an IDE or USB-external faster? And of the faster one, how much faster is it? See, I have an open bay on my tower. Would prefer to go external, but if internal is worlds faster, I'll do it. I have installed an internal before, I can handle that.
3. Does size/capacity buffer matter? If so, what should I look for?
4. Finally, what are the most recommended/reliable/popular brands.

P.S. I don't need it to be able to burn DVDs, just CDs. Primarily music. Some data.

Thanks!
-thomas

[mjc]

First, thank you to anyone who helps me.
Now, I have a few questions I hope to get answered:
1. Which speed burner is right for me? I want the fastest one that my system can keep up with, if that makes any sense.

Doesn't really much matter...with the various buffer under-run schemes these days a modern burner can keep up with even an old 486 machine.

2. Is an IDE or USB-external faster? And of the faster one, how much faster is it? See, I have an open bay on my tower. Would prefer to go external, but if internal is worlds faster, I'll do it. I have installed an internal before, I can handle that.

Not sure about the speed issue..I prefer internal. One less thing to worry about coming unplugged/tangled.

3. Does size/capacity buffer matter? If so, what should I look for? Yes, the bigger the better....

4. Finally, what are the most recommended/reliable/popular brands. Plextor, LiteOn are my favorites. BenQ for DVD burners...LiteOn and BenQ manufacture drives for nearly everyone...one of the Plextor DVD burners is a rebadged LiteOn and almost all HP drives are one of those two.

P.S. I don't need it to be able to burn DVDs, just CDs. Primarily music. Some data.

Thanks!
-thomas

The difference in price between the two isn't all that great, I would almost be tempted to get a DVD burner just because of the increased storage capacity.

[jlreich]

The difference in price between the two isn't all that great, I would almost be tempted to get a DVD burner just because of the increased storage capacity.
I agree. The price difference is so small I would get a DVD burner. Just doesn't makes sense these days not to. ;)

[tbowen]

Thanks guys, alot for the helpful responses. Keep em comin'!

As for my response to some of your responses...
The thing is, technically I have a DVD burner. Because, the burner I have now (with the problems - I'll touch on those in a minute) does not have a problem with DVDs. So, I have a burner that burns DVDs just fine. Therefore, eliminating the need for another burner that burns CD-Rs as well as DVDs.

Allow me to elaborate. Here are the problems I am having with burning CD-Rs on my current burner. I can burn audio CD-Rs just fine. No matter whether I am using iTunes, Roxio, Windows Media Player, Musicmatch, etc. - just about any program that burns audio CDs. And they burn fine, even finalize the CD just fine. However, the "problem" is that they won't play in my car. It is a factory CD player that plays burned CDs burned from other peoples burners fine. Even the same brand blanks and everything. It's like my burner is not finalizing the CDs. My car stereo won't read the disc, then spits it out and says "CHECK CD". I have exhausted every resource. I have tried numerous programs, brands of blanks, different write speeds; nothing works. So, I have decided it's not worth burning the CDs, then ripping them to my roomate's laptop, and burning new CDs. Too much hassle I shouldn't have to put up with. So I'm just going to buy a new burner, that is probably even faster than the one on my computer now. So that's where I'm at now, unless you guys can give me some other alternatives to try to try to remedy my current burner's disease. Sorry for the tiresome, rambling post. I really appreciate your comments.

Thomas G. Bowen

[mjc]

Ahhh.........the light becomes a little brighter.

Now when you say that the disks won't play on your car CD, will they play anywhere else or not, or just your computer?

It is possible that the laser is misaligned.

A typical symptom of this is the fact that a disk burned on that drive tends to only be playable on that drive.

Also there are some copy protection/DRM schemes that can lock out other players. In other words they add something to what you are burning to prevent playback on any machine except the one it was made on...I can't remember the exact name of the one I'm thinking of right now, but it was common a couple years back and had potential for causing the exact sort of problem you are having.

If it is a laser problem, then yes replacing the drive will work. If it is a copy protection scheme run amock, then replacing the drive will result in the same problem, as it is on the OS/software level that it is done.

[tbowen]

It's a really odd thing. It will play in my computer, as an audio CD. And it will play SOMETIMES on other players - such as home stereos. It will play all the time on other computers. Therefore, the only other device it will play on EVERYTIME is another computer. Every computer I have tried it on. Therefore, I am thinking maybe it's the laser.

BUT, allow me to throw another wrench into the discombobulation. When I first experienced the problems, shortly after purchasing the computer from the Gateway store (when they still had physical stores) in 2003/2004, I took it into the store and explained the problem. I left the tower with them to be looked at. When I picked up the tower the next day, they gave me a CD they had, supposedly, burned on my computer, and it did have songs on it I had in my library. That CD played flawlessly in my car. So, I am so confused now. Understand why I am wanting to throw in the towel? Thanks for the continued help!

Thomas Bowen

[mjc]

hmmmmmmmmm....

<scratches head>

Hard to say for sure if they burnt it using your machine, but giving them the benefit of the doubt...

then I would say that the laser is not tracking properly and the movement of taking the machine into the store was enought to temporarily align it again.

[tbowen]

Soooo......

Bottom line, you agree with my wanting to just wave the white flag, and buy a new burner? Also, do you agree with me that I pretty much have exhausted all of my resources for fixing my current burner? My next question is: if I am to buy a new burner, with my current system/setup as listed in my first post, can my system handle a 52x sufficiently? That seems to be the fastest, and I would like the fastest my hawg could run without getting any errors, or "buffer underrun" mess. What do you think? Thanks man! You have been a tremendous help. Just come move in with me and be my full-time PC handyman. I'll pay you in.... I can't pay you, I'm a broke college student.

-thomas

[tbowen]

bump... for my final answer. thanks.

[mjc]

Yep...a 52x would work fine...and I'd go with this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106996

unless you want the black...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106997

[hockey man]

I have encountered this problem also. Someone gave me an older CD player for by car. It takes a long time to start playing some of the music. Non-burned Cd play fine. I think that it is a media type problem. Ie, it will play some media formats but not the newer ones because it is an old cd player.

[tbowen]

Y'all have been great! I just ordered it. I am pretty excited. I'll be sure to come back if I have any trouble installing it. Thanks guys, I really do appreciate it!

-thomas