DVD writer

[mark at buttery.org (Mark J. Dulcey)]

Robert L Krawitz wrote:
> I'm thinking of getting a DVD writer.  My primary intention is to use
> it for system backups; CD's just don't cut it any more (with about 18
> GB and 11 GB respectively on my two systems).  The Sony DRU-500A looks
> like a rather interesting one, supporting a lot of formats.  Any
> comments on that vs. any of the others out there?  This is for a pure
> Linux system.

Based on the specs, it looks like THE drive to have right now. It burns every format except DVD-RAM, it will burn DVD-R discs at 4X (assuming that you can actually find any 4X blanks; they're scarce so far), and the $350 price tag seems reasonable. But it's brand new (Sony just started shipping them this week), so you're not likely to find anyone who has actually used one just yet.

On the other hand, I'd like to see the DVD-RAM camp come out with a better drive. Their format is a non-player for video, but it's the best DVD-based format for data use, though DVD+RW isn't too bad. Maybe we'll see a drive that can burn all five writable DVD standards soon.