Nice external dvd burners

[apextwin146]

I guess I'll go internal if externals have such problems.

I wasn't aware that external drives were "prone to problems".
There is nothing inherently wrong with an external solution- either optical or storage- and in many cases, I think it's a better way to go.

As usual, you get what you pay for- cheap stuff may not last- but that holds true for internal parts as well.
I prefer to assemble my own external boxes as I can be assured that only quality parts are used.
So far, seems to work fine.

Though i have problems with some extnl Optical drives i cant say the same regarding the Extnl HDD .. just load data onto that and keep the rest on a raptor etc ..
@clocker --> I am planning to convert my WD 640gb AAKS into external .. What case do u recommend ?

[pentomato]

It is not difficult at all, you can even google it, that's what I did years ago.

[lynx]

All this talk about write speeds is nonsense.

If you read up on the subject, you are more likely to get a bad disk if you burn it at anything other than the recommended speeds. For example that means 8x or 16x for 16x disks.

"Fake" disks produced with lower spec dyes are fairly common at the lower end of the market, which may explain why some people get better results by burning at lower speeds.

Even that's not a complete answer, because the burner uses different speeds depending on the position on the disk. This results in slower rotation at the inside diameter getting faster towards the outside diameter but resulting in a fairly constant data rate. Some media may have the correct dyes but a poor write strategy. This can result in some areas of the disk being burnt at the wrong speed. In this case a low "speed" can help if the data all fits near the inside diameter because the burn rate would never reach the disks quoted maximum speed in any case.

The real answer is to buy quality media and a good burner.

There's no reason why an external drive should be any better or worse than in internal drive, they are usually just an internal drive packaged in an external case. Clocker does it himself which probably results in a more pleasing visual result and may even save a little money. I doubt that in most instances it results in any better quality, but at least he has the satisfaction of being certain that his drive has been built with quality parts rather than just assuming that, having got a reputation for quality, the manufacturer hasn't substituted cheaper components.

[clocker]

@clocker --> I am planning to convert my WD 640gb AAKS into external .. What case do u recommend ?

I doubt that in most instances it results in any better quality, but at least he has the satisfaction of being certain that his drive has been built with quality parts rather than just assuming that, having got a reputation for quality, the manufacturer hasn't substituted cheaper components.

I like the Vantec NexStar external cases...particularly the ones that have both USB and eSATA connectivity.
However...I'm becoming overwhelmed with external storage- currently have three- and am seriously considering just getting a drive dock instead. Just need to figure out a way to conveniently store the drives when they are undocked...shouldn't be too difficult.

Lynx...there's no particular advantage aesthetically to doing it yourself but I've approached the external setups with future internal use in mind. Since I prefer Seagate drives that's what I use knowing I'd be comfortable putting it inside the case should I find the need.
Lots of external, prepackaged units are using the excreble WD "Green Power" drives or, even worse, unbranded (probably Maxtor or Samsung) low cache drives.
Also, buying a retail Seagate drive and doing it myself means I have the full 5 year warranty on the drive instead of whatever the packaging company wants to offer.