It was a reliable and quick performer in our tests, it has a SATA connection

The fast burn speeds make it a fairly noisy drive

This drive has been on the market for a couple of months now, and it's definitely worth considering if you're after a new and fast DVD burner. It was reliable in all our tests, and best of all, it has a neat SATA connection.

SecurDisc technology

Slower burns with SecurDisc turned on

You're paying a $12 premium for the extra security and, even if you never use any of the SecurDisc facilities, this remains a very impressive model. But as a means of securing your privacy and keeping tabs on the quality of your media, SecurDisc is great....

Writes to Blu-ray, DVD and CD formats, external

Exorbitant price, Blu-ray discs are expensive; filling up a Blu-ray disc can take a while, even at 2x

If you're already shooting high definition video and want a relatively easy solution with which to create Blu-ray discs for personal or business use, then the d2 can be considered. For the rest of us, it's a very expensive drive and backing up data to Blu...

Does a good job of playing back Blu-ray titles

Slow DVD burn speeds

Provided you have the right setup, the Pioneer will make a good job of Blu-ray movie playback. But even given the significant savings over buying a Blu-ray writer, this is still an expensive proposition.

SecurDisc technology, is able to read badly scratched media, fast DVD burns

Burnt double-layer discs weren't readable in our older test drive, decryption of discs can take up to 5min

The GSA-H55L offers a slight speed boost over its predecessor for burning single and double-layer DVDs, and the SecurDisc technology makes it an attractive option for businesses that often need to ship discs between premises.

Serial ATA interface, fast DVD writing performance

No improvement in read speeds, bit-setting utility not supplied

The DRW-1814BLT is the first Serial ATA DVD burner to hit the market. It's easy to install and offers fast write performance, so it's definitely worth a purchase if you have a new PC and want to upgrade to a new-generation DVD burner.

Superb DVD write speed, very fast double layer DVD write speed

Slightly slow double layer DVD read speed, double layer burns can not be read by older drives, it still relies on IDE instead of SATA

This drive is a superb choice if you want speedy burns. Get it especially if you burn a lot of double layer DVDs.

Writes to most formats, interchangeable front bezel, reliable read and write performance

Not as quick as some other units on the market, especially when reading back burnt DVDs; pricey

The DRU-830A is a solid DVD burner but has a slightly higher price than some speedier alternatives.

Reliable DVD and CD burns, LightScribe

IDE not Serial ATA

Good quality burns and solid read times are delivered by the Asus DRW-1612BL. If you want a reliable burner for single and DL DVD media, this one is a good proposition.