Combo drive or not???
- Thread starter domer
- Start date
Combo's are usually cheaper than a pair, and occupy just one bay and cable position.
The performance of a combo is rarely up to the best separates - and even if the speeds are creeping up to comparable levels, seek time can be worse.
It is also tougher to de-region a combo drive, since the firmware is more likely to be updated, and is more complex.
Separates give you two ways to try reading an iffy CD, and the option to target different tasks with each drive - or copy on the fly.
Personally, I'd always go for separates unless I only had one bay or cable position available.
The performance of a combo is rarely up to the best separates - and even if the speeds are creeping up to comparable levels, seek time can be worse.
It is also tougher to de-region a combo drive, since the firmware is more likely to be updated, and is more complex.
Separates give you two ways to try reading an iffy CD, and the option to target different tasks with each drive - or copy on the fly.
Personally, I'd always go for separates unless I only had one bay or cable position available.
It's not a good idea.
A 2 years ago I've got a combo driver, no bad at all, but with some uncurable problems. After 1 year the CDR burn part was dead ( head malfunction). After a few months the DVD was dead too ( same problem).
To read DVDs and burn CDs the combo needs a special par of lens in head, and thus became difficult to do the acuracy for both.
Now I've 2 separated units.
A 2 years ago I've got a combo driver, no bad at all, but with some uncurable problems. After 1 year the CDR burn part was dead ( head malfunction). After a few months the DVD was dead too ( same problem).
To read DVDs and burn CDs the combo needs a special par of lens in head, and thus became difficult to do the acuracy for both.
Now I've 2 separated units.
NetLion, sounds like a fairly typical experince, and a point I forgot..
Combo drives are inherently more stressed, due to the extra weight and complexity of the head assembly.
You also put more wear (or perhaps most importantly, more dust) into the one drive if you have to open/use it for everything.
The only time I might consider a Combo, is inaddition to an existing CD-ROM drive, and I'd continue using the CD-ROM drive for anything that wasn't writing or DVD.
Next question, perhaps, is choice of drives...
My DVD-ROM, A Delta OIP DV1200, is apparently RPC-1 as standard - apart from that, and usable C2 support in EAC (not checked quality though), it's not a specially good drive.
A friend has an LG DVD-ROM with rather poor CD pickup.
I guess, though, a pair of LiteOns would be an obvious choice - though a different combination would be stronger on protected audio CD (Plextor?)
Combo drives are inherently more stressed, due to the extra weight and complexity of the head assembly.
You also put more wear (or perhaps most importantly, more dust) into the one drive if you have to open/use it for everything.
The only time I might consider a Combo, is inaddition to an existing CD-ROM drive, and I'd continue using the CD-ROM drive for anything that wasn't writing or DVD.
Next question, perhaps, is choice of drives...
My DVD-ROM, A Delta OIP DV1200, is apparently RPC-1 as standard - apart from that, and usable C2 support in EAC (not checked quality though), it's not a specially good drive.
A friend has an LG DVD-ROM with rather poor CD pickup.
I guess, though, a pair of LiteOns would be an obvious choice - though a different combination would be stronger on protected audio CD (Plextor?)
LTR12101B said:
Not necessarily....LiteOn 52246S can rip several audioprotections these days.....
None, currently.domer said:
Lite-On drives (rebadged or not), Hitachi/Lucky Goldstar ones, or the Yamaha F-1 seem to offer much more (including reliability) for less money.
It may sound ridiculous to recommend a Corean (LG) drive instead of a Plextor, but the facts say that it is both better built and more flexible. The only Plextor advantage is the exchellent support and the 2-year waranteee, but IMO this is not a very good reason to buy their drives.
domer
1
I don't believe my eyes. Nobody sells or distribute LiteOn's (no CD-RW nor DVD) here in Slovakia. I have found some Plextor, Yamaha, LG, Asus, Teac, but no LiteOn.
So, I have to look to Czech Republic for it. I have seen, they are selling 52246S. I have read, 52246S has problems with UDF 1.5. Anybody know some other problems?
So, I have to look to Czech Republic for it. I have seen, they are selling 52246S. I have read, 52246S has problems with UDF 1.5. Anybody know some other problems?
I have it No probems good all round DVDROM
Yes, it's good, but it's old model.
LTD -165h / 166s
These are the latest Liteon (now JLMS) dvd-rom drives. They are 16x48x drives, so what's new?
Performance is about the same as the 163 models but they carry the new DVD-MULTI logo which means:
"DVD Multi Drive is capable of reading DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM media"
The main difference is DVD-RAM which the 163 can't read.
The drives are 20mm (3/4") shorter than previous models.
The difference between 165 and 166, seems to boil down to hardware/technical improvements:
- Acoustic noise improvement
- Disc scratch free design
- User protection against fragment of crashing disc
- Tray in noise improvement
- Better dust proof
- Protection wall on tray motor
- Symmetric suspension points (good for vibration)
- Light weight (good for vibration)
- Stronger structure against drop or shock
LTD -165h / 166s
These are the latest Liteon (now JLMS) dvd-rom drives. They are 16x48x drives, so what's new?
Performance is about the same as the 163 models but they carry the new DVD-MULTI logo which means:
"DVD Multi Drive is capable of reading DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM media"
The main difference is DVD-RAM which the 163 can't read.
The drives are 20mm (3/4") shorter than previous models.
The difference between 165 and 166, seems to boil down to hardware/technical improvements:
- Acoustic noise improvement
- Disc scratch free design
- User protection against fragment of crashing disc
- Tray in noise improvement
- Better dust proof
- Protection wall on tray motor
- Symmetric suspension points (good for vibration)
- Light weight (good for vibration)
- Stronger structure against drop or shock
I know re model number but it would appear that the 163 is the only one he can find