cd-rw and dvd drives: generic brand vs. brand name

[gorath]

When buying from custom-build dealers, they usually offer no-brand cdrw and dvd drives, or brand name ones as an alternative. The brand name drives are obviously more expensive. But are they better? If I buy the brand name, am I paying more for the same thing?

[daveleau]

It depends on the company. I have bought some name brand and some non-name brand items. I have not noticed much difference in durability, but I have noticed a differnece in speed. It really depends on what they use as their non-name brand items. It is very difficult to say.

[Whir]

The sad thing is there are really only three or four manufacturers for all these different name and generic brands. You pay for the name and the software you get with the unit mostly. Buying generic stuff doesn't bother me (picking up a Lite On DVD-ROM this week). It's usually just as good as brand name stuff in my opinion (because most of the time it's the same unit anyway).

-Whir

[Germ]

Lite-On is not generic. They manufacture their own drives and they built drives for Plextor and Creative in the past. Not sure if they still do.

Germ

[gorath]

Yeah, I would classify Lite-On as being a name brand. In fact, they get very good reviews. By no-name, I mean that they don't tell you at all who makes it.

So I guess what I'm trying to find out is, if I play a dvd in a, say, Pioneer DVD drive, and then play the same DVD in a no-name drive, will it probably look the same?

[Chuckiechan]

I would always buy a recognizable brand of anything that is electromechanical. I have had nothing but good luck paying a few dollars more to buy HP, Sony, etc.

My last generic straw was an Acer CD drive that I sent back (I marked it in a non-obvious spot) Well, the sent me my same RMA back as repaired and it was still faulty.

It's been name brands for me ever since!

Good Luck

[Whir]

I had meant that Lite On was a bulk maker, not a buyer. You should see the list of people Mitsumi makes stuff for.

-Whir

[strangerstill]

Well, I have a LG, a Ricoh and a Liteon. None of them are branded in the sense of having the company logo on the front, but all work fine and havent caused me any trouble. I definitely wouldn't bother paying $10 more for a Sony sticker on the front.

[Brainchild]

I bought a pine CD-RW, and a generic CD-ROM, when I installed them they were both Liteon No name therefore cheaper. It's been a year and no problems

[Germ]

OK

Germ