Travel Technology - can you recommend an external DVD Writer?

Not likely to be a heavy user - currently need to backup Gbs of data (wife is a photographer with lots of large RAW files) and hopefully soon in the future will get into video editing of home movies. Oh and also currently will need to burn video (MPEG4 I think) from replayTV.

I have read good things about the Sony and also the HP dc5000 Movie Writer - but it appears HP now has the HP740e?

Any help appreciated.

Probably not available easily but I just got an OEM Memorex 16x dual-layer external. Writes to CD-Rs and DVD+/-R/RW. Haven't actually used it to write to DL DVDs or to -R/-RWs yet but it works fine with +R/RWs and CD-Rs. Has Firewire as well as USB 2 ports (comes with cables for both). ALso comes with Nero 6 s/w. I'm using in on a G3 Mac and a Dell Pentium. Just C$75.

I have had nothing but praise for the Plextor PX-716UF. I take it everywhere I travel and it still keeps on working.

http://plextor.com/english/products/716uf.htm

I used to have the older model, the PX-708UF but it and my old laptop tried to get into a pissing match with a lightning storm and lost. :(

Hi,
I have used Slim LaCie DVD Writer 2 years without any problems.
There are different models: USB, FireWire.
You can see it: http://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10037

Here is a link to PC World's evaluation:

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,123930,00.asp#

A friend of mine did something interesting: instead of getting an external dvd writer, he bought an internal one, and went on newegg.com and bought a case for it and it works the same as getting an external drive. He says that he saved some money doing that.... and he also did that with a hard drive to make it external.

I have had nothing but praise for the Plextor PX-716UF. I take it everywhere I travel and it still keeps on working.

http://plextor.com/english/products/716uf.htm

I used to have the older model, the PX-708UF but it and my old laptop tried to get into a pissing match with a lightning storm and lost. :(

I'll second Plextor's rock-solid reliability. I've burned too many cd's & dvd's to count on my PX-708UF and cannot remmeber ever having a "coaster" (one that didn't burn properly).

- Paul -

A friend of mine did something interesting: instead of getting an external dvd writer, he bought an internal one, and went on newegg.com and bought a case for it and it works the same as getting an external drive. He says that he saved some money doing that.... and he also did that with a hard drive to make it external.

You will save some money this way and it requires next to zero mechanical/technical aptitude to put an internal drive in an external case.

However, one caveat: Be careful when buying external cases. Many are poorly ventilated and will contribute to an early death of your drive. Metal is more expensive, but it's also a better conductor of heat.

Probably not available easily but I just got an OEM Memorex 16x dual-layer external. Writes to CD-Rs and DVD+/-R/RW. Haven't actually used it to write to DL DVDs or to -R/-RWs yet but it works fine with +R/RWs and CD-Rs. Has Firewire as well as USB 2 ports (comes with cables for both). ALso comes with Nero 6 s/w. I'm using in on a G3 Mac and a Dell Pentium. Just C$75.
I've got the same drive, except I bought it as an internal and dropped it in an external case -- paid around $80 (and never got around to sending in a rebate for another $40).

I've burned DL DVDs, along with just about everything else. Does a terrific job -- very fast, no coasters.

Probably not available easily but I just got an OEM Memorex 16x dual-layer external. Writes to CD-Rs and DVD+/-R/RW. Haven't actually used it to write to DL DVDs or to -R/-RWs yet but it works fine with +R/RWs and CD-Rs. Has Firewire as well as USB 2 ports (comes with cables for both). ALso comes with Nero 6 s/w. I'm using in on a G3 Mac and a Dell Pentium. Just C$75.

Where did you get it for $75? I am shopping for an external burner myself.

I have the older version of this inexpensive Fantom drive (http://www.ecost.com/ecost/ecsplash/shop/detail~dpno~498513.asp). Using Roxio, I've successfully burned roughly 75 DVDs without ever creating a single coaster.

Second vote for LaCie. Works as charm with my old iBook.

I bought the latest external Memorex because I refuse to buy anything external withouth Firewire. Firewire is still faster than USB 2.0.

I paid $99 ish and that seems to be the going rate without using additional coupons.

It comes with both cables in the box.