DVD±RW (+R DL) DVD Drives

The Bottom Line: Due to its small form factor, the LaCie Slim DVD+/-RW with LightScribe burner is a good choice for those who need a burner while traveling; however, its audience is limited to Windows users.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD), 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±R)

The Bottom Line: If you're looking for an external burner that's small enough to carry with your notebook computer, the Asus SDRW-0804P-D is the one for you.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 20x (CD) / 8x (DVD), 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW)

The Bottom Line: For fast ripping and burning at a reasonable price, the Iomega Super DVD Writer 16X16 is hard to beat.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), External, 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW)

The Bottom Line: The LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW FireWire and USB 2.0 (16X/8X/4X/2.4X) with LightScribe is an average external drive at an average price.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 40x (CD) / 16x (DVD), 40x (CD) / 8x (DVD-R) / 16x (DVD+R) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW)

The Bottom Line: This drive turned in decent recording and rewriting times and comes with a superior software bundle, but its DVD ripping performance is surprisingly dismal.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW)

The Bottom Line: A capable DVD burner that'll save you a few bucks if you don't need the dual-layer DVD-R support of Sony's newer 800a.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), Internal, 40x (CD) / 16x (DVD), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW)

The Bottom Line: The TS-H552B offers merely decent DL performance, but its speedy scores with single-layer media could attract those seeking a well-rounded DL drive.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD), 40x (CD) / 12x (DVD-R) / 16x (DVD+R) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL), 32x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW)

The Bottom Line: This Plextor is a fast and versatile internal drive supporting single/dual-layer DVD media--one of the best on the market today.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD), 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW)

The Bottom Line: This double-layer drive is versatile but is easily outpaced by other external DVD drives.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 40x (CD) / 8x (DVD), 40x (CD) / 8x (DVD-R) / 12x (DVD+R) / 4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW)

The Bottom Line: This double-layer drive is expensive, but it's one of the fastest we've come across thus far.

Specs: DVD±RW (+R DL), 40x (CD) / 12x (DVD), 32x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD+R DL), 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±R)