Samsung SH-S182D

Samsung’s SH-S182D is the first 18x DVD writer we’ve seen at PC Authority, and our tests saw it reach an impressive 18.2x towards the outer edge of our DVD+R disc, giving it an unprecedented average burning speed of 13.2x. This impressive burning rate meant that a full 4.7GB single-layer DVD+R burned in a little over five-and-a-half minutes.

Impressively, the SH-S182D is compatible with every kind of blank media currently available, including DVD-RAM, which it writes to at 12x, but it can’t quite match the A-Listed Liteon Lightscribe SHM-165H6S for its extra LightScribe feature. There isn’t much to choose between the two drives, but for the ultimate in DVD-writer features the Lite-On drive just edges it. But when you consider the incredibly low price of just $52, the Samsung is nonetheless an absolute bargain, despite the lack of any bundled software.