Topic: Where are they making these optical drives?

[Pugnate]

I am just wondering if anyone else has their CD/DVD drives crap out in 3 years or so like I do. I have two DVD drives, with one being a writer, and every two to three years one of them just dies and needs replacement. It is just annoying and a needless extra cost.

[Quemaqua]

Can't say I've ever had any CD or DVD drive go out on me, actually.

[MysterD]

A while back, DVD-ROM drive did on my current PC. Replaced it w/ a DVD-Burner - been fine since.

Long time ago, I had 3 CD-Burner drives that were Phillips brand (Came w/ my old ass Compaq) and a Sony DVD-ROM drive die on me. After warranty died on that old thing, I bought Lite-On's CD-Burner and DVD-Rom - ain't had a problem since on that old thing, which still is up and running.

Pug, are you like running any games w/ nasty protections like StarForce? If so - crack 'em. Those bastards are known to destroy PC's.

I never heard anything nasty about Securom causing CD/DVD damage - except many feel it acts like a rootkey w/ the way it works.

[scottws]

Way back when, I had a computer with a CD-/DVD-ROM drive and a CD-R drive.  I didn't try using a DVD-ROM disc for a couple of years, and when I did, the drive didn't work.  It could read CD-ROMs, but not DVD-ROMs.  I don't know if it ever worked.  It was a Samsung.  I know at the time they made horrible optical drives.  I'm not sure if they ever got better.

Other than that, I've had good luck with drives.  I stick with Lite On.  Never had an issue.

[Cobra951]

Both of the original optical drives on my PC are history now.  I replaced the DVD reader with a Pioneer DVD-RW which is still going strong.  I have a 2nd Pioneer DVD-RW in there as well, but after my system HDD crash, I disconnected it.  I could not get the PCI-IDE card to get recognized by Windows again, and I didn't want to push my luck with this old system.  Both these drives have worked fine for years, more than 3 for sure.

My original DVD reader was a Samsung.  The original CD-RW was LG.  May both RIP.

[scottws]

Yeah LG is pretty crap too.

[Pugnate]

Oh god LG is horrible when it comes to Optical drives. Three members of my family have had theirs die at various points.

I have a Creative DVD drive from 1999. It is still functioning. Back then, Creative was supreme when it came to those things.

I have had one Sony DVD writer, one Samsung DVD drive, and now one Samsung DVD writer die on me.

My Lite on DVD writer from Canada died in two years. Here my new Lite ON is OK so far.

[MysterD]

Geez, Pug - tell your optical drives to stop dying on you! I've never had a Lite-On die on me - knock on wood.

I really think some of these Copy protections really ruin the hell out of our drives - as some of them really spin the shit out of your drive when it does the disc check at boot-time. StarForce is HIGHLY notorious for that - since it measures your disc length and spins the driver forward and backwards a few times. Tages liked to check your disc drive every-time you seem to load a save w/ STALKER: Clear Sky. Securom spins the disc at book-check, but not nearly as much as the other two.

[Xessive]

I had that problem in Canada. Any drive I had would basically expire within 2-3 years. Thankfully, I had the Futureshop/BestBuy 3 year warranty which would allow me to simply replace it for the current equivalent. It's an extra $30-50 (depending on the product) but was totally worth it all 4 or 5 times I've had to use it.

[idolminds]

I had one DVD drive stop reading DVDs, but CDs continued to work. But thats about it.

[Cobra951]

Yeah, that's how my DVD reader started to die.  Just like that.

[Xessive]

I had one DVD drive stop reading DVDs, but CDs continued to work. But thats about it.

Yeah, what is up with that?! That was driving me nuts when it happened to my drive!

[gpw11]

I've had a few CD-R drives die on me over the years, and maybe a DVD-Rom.