Re: Advice on external DVD burner

Well, I was assuming this was a pre-made DVD image like the ISO CD
images we get from Fix Central.  Certainly if the actual encoding hasn't
been done then more time will be needed.  And even if it has been done,
there is a bit of burn overhead for writing out disc headers and such;
maybe 45 seconds - a minute for that.  Overhead aside, though, a 1x
burner does burn at normal A/V DVD playback speed.

However, on a fast, modern PC the encoding time should be minimal and
with a high-speed burner like the 16-18x units, the overall encode &
burn time shouldn't be bad at all.  And of course, the encode is a
once-only deal; after that it's burn, baby, burn.

As I said below, I like Pioneer burners.  With 16, 18 and even 20x DVD
burners out now I'm 'stuck' at 4x because my Pioneer refuses to break.
What a problem it is when technology simply works!

Oh, as to burning software, even the OEM burners usually come with Nero
Express.  Funny thing, that.  My home CD burner is a LiteOn and the DVD
burner is a Pioneer.  Both were OEM and came with Nero Express.  But the
Nero versions would only work with the drive they were supplied with;
whichever was installed last would work while the other wouldn't.  It
took a tech support issue with Ahead (makers of Nero) to get a code that
would allow the software to work with either drive.