Optical Drives
Asus DRW-1814BLT
Lite-On’s DVD writer was our A-List choice for almost a year. At the time we said it was practically perfect – offering compatibility with every format, plus Lightscribe, for a bargain price. But Asus has managed to trump it.
Jun 18, 2008 1:15 PM
LG GGW-H20L
Add high-definition reading and writing capabilities to your PC with a Blu-ray drive, or save money with a plain DVD writer
Jun 18, 2008 1:04 PM
ASUS CRW5232AS
Despite sitting in third place for write speeds and fourth overall for the read portion of our testing, this drive has a couple of trump cards up its sleeves.
May 1, 2008 3:47 PM
LG GGW-H10N
A hint of things to come, but the first HD DVD and Blu-ray combo drive is very expensive.
Sep 26, 2007 9:39 AM
Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive
A bargain route to getting HD DVD playback for your PC or Xbox, but there are limitations.
Jul 20, 2007 2:24 PM
Lite-On LH-2B1S
Cheaper, rather than cheap, but there’s still no compelling reason to buy yet.
Jul 12, 2007 5:12 PM
Samsung SH-S182D
Take the ultimate DVD drive and remove one feature. Now up the speed. Now drop the price.
Nov 21, 2006 10:58 AM
Sony BWU-100A
It may be early days for the technology, but it's still interesting to look at Sony's Blu-Ray drive under the microscope.
Nov 20, 2006 10:43 AM
Sony BWU-100A
The first Blu-ray drive to actually BE available in Australia. The massive price should fall quickly.
Oct 16, 2006 2:18 PM
Lite-On SHM-165x
One new drive, three subtle variations, all the optical drive you'll want from the current generation.
Apr 3, 2006 5:17 PM
Pioneer DVR-A08XL-A
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.
Oct 14, 2004 12:00 AM
Iomega Super DVD Writer 12x
Strongest in the performance stakes, this drive managed to take fourth place for burn speed and second place for disc read time.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Optorite DD1203
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.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM
LG GSA-4120B
The most expensive DVD burner we received, it makes sense it would also be the best featured.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Samsung Writemaster TS-H542
Samsung’s claim to fame with this drive is it’s slightly above average value for money score; priced at just $199 it represents good value and was only beaten by both award winners the Mitsubishi and Optorite for cost.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Samsung SW-252
One of the plainer drives, it lacks a front audio adjustment dial or headphone socket, but does deliver on fast CD writing without too much damage to your wallet.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Digital DVDXRW1248-069
The Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Digital DVDXRW1248-069 was the clear winner out of all of the DVD burners we tested in this roundup. It had the performance, the features, and the value for money to easily stand out.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Ricoh MP5316DA
Second most expensive, Ricoh’s MP5316DA burner really has something to crow about, packing all the major DVD standards in DVD+/-RW support as well as dual layer functionality.
Sep 8, 2004 12:00 AM