A convenient all-in-one media package, but many of the applications can be had for nothing elsewhere

Like the Ricoh entry, the Pioneer DVRA03 is a versatile unit, and is capable of burning all CD formats with the added advantage of burning DVD-R and -RW discs...

Refocusing on disc-related features makes Nero the top choice for optical disc authoring.

DVD burning has been around for some time now and became widely accepted for its superior storage capacity over its little brother the CD. While we see single layer formatted 4.7GB discs now getting into the 12-speed writing range, the real action is dual-layer burning.

You still get a lot for your money, but HD optical burning only extends to data discs

As DVD starts gaining ground on CD burning as the optical storage method of choice, 4.7GB DVD has some competition at the hands of the newer 8.5GB dual layer format.

The first Blu-ray drive to actually BE available in Australia. The massive price should fall quickly.

Supporting a maximum 12-speed burning, though without BURN-Proof, the AOpen CRW-1232 still manages to put on an outstanding show...

One of only two external DVD writers submitted for testing this month, this multi-format drive has you covered for all your archive and burning needs.

HP is attempting to reverse the stigma associated with external drives being slower than EIDE counterparts by not only supplying both USB 2.0 and FireWire, but by burning at the same 4x speeds as fixed devices.

It may be early days for the technology, but it's still interesting to look at Sony's Blu-Ray drive under the microscope.

Even with falling hardware prices, the expense and yet to be finalised format war rages on with DVD writing technology deterring many a consumer. DVD+R/RW appear to be making headway gradually with both format flexibility and hardware integration into next generation platforms.

Easy CD Creator (ECD) 6 is a complete CD-R and DVD recorder that allows you to create audio CDs, video CDs (VCD and SVCD format) and data and movie DVDs.

As well as being the first company to launch EIDE DVD burners into the mainstream IT marketplace, Pioneer is the company behind DVD-R and DVD-RW recordable media formats. In the last couple of years, it has fought hard to stave off competition from Philips' rival standard, DVD+RW, and until recently buying a DVD recorder meant locking yourself into one standard over the other.

Ulead has often been quick to respond to market demand and DVD Movie Factory is no exception.

Nero 7 Premium Reloaded adds mostly esoteric features to regular disc burning.

Take the ultimate DVD drive and remove one feature. Now up the speed. Now drop the price.

Although lacking the additional functions of some of the more expensive burners such as the ability to write at the faster 16-speed, burn DVD-RAM or pack 8.5GB onto a single dual layer disc - what the Optorite does is provide all the basic DVD plus and minus burning you’re likely to need without having to fork over a sizable fistful of cash to do it.

A little slower than its 12x and 16x counterparts, this is another DVD-RAM supportive drive and it ships with three RAM discs and a copy of Nero Express to have you up and burning right out of the box.

There is a growing demand for a decent all-in-one digital imaging pack that covers everything from organising your photographs to editing your videos and eventually burning them onto DVD. Ulead has attempted to provide it by bundling four of its core programs into a single package and there are few more comprehensive digital imaging suites than StudioQuartet. While the price tag is out of the range of many home users, the enthusiast will save up for it and provide themselves with everything they need to create multimedia projects.