All DVD Drives

The Bottom Line: Thanks to its extensive software bundle and its ability to write to DVD-Rs, the Panasonic DVD burner is the drive to get if you're into digital video or want a good backup system for your computer.

Specs: DVD-R / DVD-RAM, 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD), 2x (DVD-RAM) / 1x (DVD-R), 2x

The Bottom Line: The Philips DVDRW208 creates video discs that will play on many DVD players. The drive can burn CD-Rs and CD-RWs as well, but because it lacks the newer DVD+R capability, its days are numbered.

Specs: DVD+RW, 32x (CD) / 8x (DVD), 12x (CD), 10x (CD) / 2.4x (DVD)

The Bottom Line: While it has some flaws, the Sony DRU110A/C1 is a good value given its newer technology, and it's a fine choice for families or budding video-editing enthusiasts. But it has some stiff competition from the HP DVD-Writer DVD100i.

Specs: DVD+RW, 32x (CD) / 8x (DVD), 12x, 10x (CD) / 2.4x (DVD)

The Bottom Line: By supporting two of the competing DVD-recording standards, the QPS Que DVD burner reduces the risk to early adopters. But like any emerging technology, the experience is far from polished.

Specs: DVD-R / DVD-RAM, 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD), 2x

The Bottom Line: The DVD100i is an excellent, speedy drive for backup or for authoring DVD movies that will work in newer players. However, it can't match a DVD-R drive for compatibility with older drives and players.

Specs: DVD+RW, 32x (CD) / 8x (DVD), 12x (CD) / 4x (DVD), 10x (CD) / 2x (DVD)

The Bottom Line: If you absolutely need a CD-RW/DVD-RW drive, the LaCie DVD/CD Rewritable will work, but you may want to wait for prices to come down on this new technology.

Specs: DVD-RW, 4x, 8x (CD) / 2x (DVD), 4x (CD) / 1x (DVD)

The Bottom Line: Despite its high price, the SD-W2002's speed and ease of use make it a good choice for professionals who archive large amounts of data regularly.

Specs: DVD-RAM, 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD)

Specs: BD-RE / HD DVD-ROM combo, 40x (CD) / 12x (DVD±R) / 8x (DVD±R DL) / 6x (BD-R) / 4.8x (BD-R DL) / 3x (HD DVD) / 3x (HD DVD DL), 40x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL) / 6x (BD-R) / 4x (BD-R DL), 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 2x (BD-RE) / 2x (BD-RE DL)

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL)

Specs: DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM / BD-ROM, 40x (CD) / 16x (DVD) / 8x (BD), 40x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL), 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)