Suggest a CD Writer

[Tower]

I've realized my CD wallet is getting rather unwieldy these days. I'd like to store all my original discs and just make backups of the "play" disc for most of my games. After some research, it sounds like Alcohol 120 is a good way to go about making 1:1 copies and Daemon Tools for mounting images.

My question is: Can anyone suggest a good CD Writer to buy that will be able to make the 1:1 copies with Alch?

It seems like most of the listings I can find with suggestions are a bit outdated. Right now I'm just using some generic CD-RW/DVD-R combo drive. It works fine, but I don't think can make 1:1 copies. I'm willing to spend a decent penny if it will work reliably. Thanks!

[leezer3]

Anything pretty modern will do. Use either Alcohol 120% or BlindWrite, and post back the burning methods you can use. To put this into context, my 3yr old combo, unbranded (Made by Optorite) actually works a little better than the big-brand drive in my newer PC, so go figure
Anyway, as long as you support all the available writing modes, which your drive shoul do, you will be fine :mrgreen:

Cheers

-Leezer-

[Tower]

Excellent! I'll try that when I get home (I'm at work now...shhh). Kind of a related question...do certain games not allow themselves to be installed if you have Alchohol 120 installed on your PC even with original discs and everything?

I remember hearing something like that quite a while back. Still an issue?

[Nikos]

Re: Suggest a CD Writer

My question is: Can anyone suggest a good CD Writer to buy that will be able to make the 1:1 copies with Alch?

It seems like most of the listings I can find with suggestions are a bit outdated. Right now I'm just using some generic CD-RW/DVD-R combo drive. It works fine, but I don't think can make 1:1 copies. I'm willing to spend a decent penny if it will work reliably. Thanks!

I have bad news, I'm afraid. For CDs, you'll need a good CD-RW drive (those old thingies that can't burn nor read DVDs). The Plextor Premium can burn modern SafeDisc versions, as well as my (aged) Sony CRX225 (also CRX230). The Sonys are repackaged LineOn drives, by the way. (LITE-ON LTR-52327S). Fortunately, they are very cheap these days. So, burn CD with a good CD-only writer, and DVDs with your current one.

(Well, at least it works perfect in my case.)

[leezer3]

Re: Suggest a CD Writer

I have bad news, I'm afraid. For CDs, you'll need a good CD-RW drive (those old thingies that can't burn nor read DVDs). The Plextor Premium can burn modern SafeDisc versions, as well as my (aged) Sony CRX225 (also CRX230). The Sonys are repackaged LineOn drives, by the way. (LITE-ON LTR-52327S). Fortunately, they are very cheap these days. So, burn CD with a good CD-only writer, and DVDs with your current one.

(Well, at least it works perfect in my case.)

Rubbish! :roll:
As long as the drive supports the correct writing modes, and DPM analysis in the case of things like later Securom versions, then either a DVD writer or a CD writer will do. My 'big brand' is a MSI DVD writer, and the only difference is that you have to read at lower speeds than the Optorite combo to make decent 1:1 copies.

Cheers

-Leezer-

[Nikos]

Re: Suggest a CD Writer

I have bad news, I'm afraid. For CDs, you'll need a good CD-RW drive (those old thingies that can't burn nor read DVDs).

Rubbish! :roll:
As long as the drive supports the correct writing modes, and DPM analysis in the case of things like later Securom versions, then either a DVD writer or a CD writer will do.

I don't know of any DVD recorder that can write Safedisc 3/4 correctly. Only some CD-RW drives are known to be able to. If you only need Images though, then yes, a DVD recorder is enough. But if you want to *burn* those images for a backup CD, then no DVD recorder can do that if the disc is safedisc protected.