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Topic: BenQ DVD Writers (Read 5042 times) previous topic - next topic
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BenQ DVD Writers

I wanted to get a BenQ DVD writer to replace my LITE-ON CD-RW unit and was wondering what you guys think about BenQ devices in general. The customer support guy from the store I went to today said that he doesn't recommend BenQ since a lot of people brought their units back because of failures. He told me that I should get an LG DVD writer, but according to some reviews I found on the Internet, the LG GSA-4166B is a pretty bad reader when compared to the BenQ DW-1655.
Now, I don't know if the guy told me that the BenQ units suck just because they are about 30 € cheaper than the LG he wanted me to buy or if he really is right. So, what's you experience with BenQ writers?

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #1 –
I've had my DW1640 for a month or two... no problems.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #2 –
I can say that I installed a BenQ (DW 1620) on a friend's PC last August and it was December when the drive started to fail in DVD+-R burning.

In my opinion LG is more reliable than BenQ. Even if, in your case, BenQ DW-1655 has greater features (Solid Burn, Write Right Technology, Tilt Control, WOPC) than LG GSA-4166B.
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BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #3 –
I've had a DW1620 for several months. No problems ripping CDs or burning single and dual layer DVDs.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #4 –
I have a 1640 and have had no issues for the few months I've had, and I've put it through a fair amount of work.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #5 –
Quote
I can say that I installed a BenQ (DW 1620) on a friend's PC last August and it was December when the drive started to fail in DVD+-R burning.

In my opinion LG is more reliable than BenQ. Even if, in your case, BenQ DW-1655 has greater features (Solid Burn, Write Right Technology, Tilt Control, WOPC) than LG GSA-4166B.
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Every manufacturer produces the occasional duds, even LG.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #7 –
I've happily had my 1620 for about 14 months now with no problems.  Will be upgrading to a 1650 when Newegg has them for a reasonable price.  There was a short run a little over a year ago when BenQ had some QA problems but that was cleared up quickly. 

There's a good reason that Plextor has even rebadged BenQs.  Great burn quality, well above average reader, excellent scanning abilities.  With BenQ firmware you get frequent updates and additional utilities.  Also, with a firmware hack, riplock can be removed.
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #8 –
Quote
Also, with a firmware hack, riplock can be removed.
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If you look at the bottom of [a href="http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=16050&PageId=1]this[/url] page, the BenQ DW-1655 reported an average of 12.559 kb/s with the original firmware.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #9 –
Lite-On drives are usually quite good. Especially reading some tougher copy protections. So you might consider adding and not replacing that drive.    As far as BenQ is concerned, I think they are the most reliable for that price. In fact, for the price I think they are great. I also own a Lite-On drive but wanted to add a DVD-RW drive (not replace), so I searched a lot in Google and from what I've read on different websites, BenQ are one of the best choice one can make. So I made it as well, I bought a BenQ DW-1655. Of course Plextor produce great drives as well but are a bit expensive. LG also produce some pretty nice drives (the LG GSA-4163B was a very good drive).

I know it could be a bit outdated but take a look here as CDFreaks is the website dedicated to CD and DVD drives I respect a lot:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=135828
There is some general info about most brands. It may not be 100% accurate but it will give you a pretty good idea what each brand is capable of.
I hope I was able to help.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #10 –
I have a BenQ DW1620 and no problems so far. At least 8 months old. Before that, i had a BenQ DW-800A, and after 2 or 3 months using it, it always aborted the burn with several Verbatim media i had, even different batches. After a battle with the store (MIX) that lasted 1 month (during which i was without a burner), they replaced it with a BenQ DW-822A. That still works well in a friend's PC now, and my 1620 that replaced it works well too. I must add that i burn at 8x maximum to get the best burn quality.

I would recommend a DW1640 without hesitation. 1640 because they updated the firmware more often, i think the 1655 wasn't even updated yet.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #11 –
Quote
I have a BenQ DW1620 and no problems so far. At least 8 months old. Before that, i had a BenQ DW-800A, and after 2 or 3 months using it, it always aborted the burn with several Verbatim media i had, even different batches. After a battle with the store (MIX) that lasted 1 month (during which i was without a burner), they replaced it with a BenQ DW-822A. That still works well in a friend's PC now, and my 1620 that replaced it works well too. I must add that i burn at 8x maximum to get the best burn quality.

I would recommend a DW1640 without hesitation. 1640 because they updated the firmware more often, i think the 1655 wasn't even updated yet.
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Thanks for the info. The 1655 is pretty new, so that might be a reason why no firmware update is available yet. The major stores in Karlsruhe (Media Markt, Saturn, Arlt, K&M...) don't even have it. I found the 1655 as black, bulk version on the ProMarkt online shop for 57 € which is a reasonable price.

BenQ DVD Writers

Reply #12 –
RE: BenQ DVD Writers, Reliable?

Most definitely!
I'm a very happy owner of a nice DW1640, but don't take my world for it, just browse the CDFreaks.com forums: http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=92.
It's also been awarded their editor's chioce: http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/226/11.

EDIT: Editor's chioce part.
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