DVD Drive Confusion

[AdamZ]

Help! my friend got me X-Plane for my birthday in July ( yes I move fast) Tried to use it in my computer and found out it was a DVD not a CD. I have a CD Drive/ Burner. Went to Staples the other day and looked at the DVD drives. My head was spinining DVD R, DVD R/RW, DVD ROM Internal DVD, blah blah blah.

What do I get and why, how much should I pay and where should I get it?

THANKS

 

[Greebo]

Ok, unless you intend to create DVDs, all you need is a DVD-ROM drive.

You don't need a DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R+R, or DVD-RW+RW. Those are all different forms of DVD burners.

Either of these from their listing should be fine:
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/s...toreId=10001&firstlevelCatName=Drives+&+Media

 

[gismo]

Ok, unless you intend to create DVDs, all you need is a DVD-ROM drive.

You don't need a DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R+R, or DVD-RW+RW. Those are all different forms of DVD burners.

Either of these from their listing should be fine:
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?ts=1136893182945&categoryId=11164&catalogId=10051&firstlevelCategoryId=10056&secondlevelCatName=DVD+Drives&prodCatType=1&langId=-1&secondlevelCategoryId=12035&storeId=10001&firstlevelCatName=Drives+%26+Media

That's mostly true, but there have been compatibility problems with DVD readers in the past. I would expect that any DVD-ROM drive made in the last couple years would be able to handle all the single layer formats, and of course any commercially produced DVD would read even in a legacy drive.

 

[Greebo]

True enough but its been so long since I"ve had any compatibility problems with pure readers that I didn't even consider it an issue, really.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Adam,

If you can install it yourself, get thee to Newegg and buy yourself an NEC 3550 DVD burner. Under $50, including shipping. For that kind of money, you might as well be able to burn DVD's if you want to.

Black or beige, don't matter. Spend the extra few bucks and get the OEM verison so you'll have the cables, screws, and software to make it all work.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152055

Help! my friend got me X-Plane for my birthday in July ( yes I move fast) Tried to use it in my computer and found out it was a DVD not a CD. I have a CD Drive/ Burner. Went to Staples the other day and looked at the DVD drives. My head was spinining DVD R, DVD R/RW, DVD ROM Internal DVD, blah blah blah.

What do I get and why, how much should I pay and where should I get it?

THANKS

 

[mikea]

...Spend the extra few bucks and get the OEM verison so you'll have the cables, screws, and software to make it all work....

Not quite. The OEM version is the one intended for white box builders. If you want the whole magilla, usually including software, look for the Retail version, which that one is.

I get the OEM version of Seagate hard drives which I think are shipped in cases of 24. Newegg sends them repacked in bubble wrap.

The Retail kits have more packaging including a color "How to install " chart and the Seagate hard drive install software.

The joke is I've had the hand-holding install software lock up on me. When I just installed the drive and partitioned and formatted it myself, the drive worked fine.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Like I meant, not like I said. I meant to say get the RETAIL version, not the OEM one.

Not quite. The OEM version is the one intended for white box builders. If you want the whole magilla, usually including software, look for the Retail version, which that one is.

I get the OEM version of Seagate hard drives which I think are shipped in cases of 24. Newegg sends them repacked in bubble wrap.

The Retail kits have more packaging including a color "How to install " chart and the Seagate hard drive install software.

The joke is I've had the hand-holding install software lock up on me. When I just installed the drive and partitioned and formatted it myself, the drive worked fine.