Plextor PX-88SA

[deanjo]

Just thought I would drop a note about the software that came with this burner. I needed a new one so I picked this guy up. I was pleasantly pleased to find out that on the disk that came with it (I was actually looking for their Plextools app) that it came with a full version of Nero for Linux. It was a nice touch considering the state of burning in linux is in a constant state of flux since Jorg decided to play around with cdrecords license and many distros use wodim now which is flaky at best (besides, I never did get reliable burns on DL media with cdrecord or wodim. Nero works awesome however.). Title is wrong, it is the Plextor PX-880SA.

[Kano]

The question is: why didn't you get a bluray burner. As app i prefer imgburn in most cases. The day a wine release didn't work with it i began to bisect the problem as that's really the best app for this use case. You can even write bd-r with it. Nero is ok, but maybe for the features you get a bit expensive - when you don't get it with your device.

[deanjo]

The question is: why didn't you get a bluray burner. As app i prefer imgburn in most cases. The day a wine release didn't work with it i began to bisect the problem as that's really the best app for this use case. You can even write bd-r with it. Nero is ok, but maybe for the features you get a bit expensive - when you don't get it with your device.

IIRC Nero for Linux is only $20 if you were to purchase it. The reason I didn't get bluray is that I have no use for it. The only reason I picked up a new dvd burner is that I usually just use it to back up personal documents and the odd openSUSE respin ISO. Considering the DVD burner was only $30, rather then spending $130ish on a Bluray burner. If I get a bluray drive I'll get a separate one and that will more then likely be just a reader as the cost of bluray blank media is stupidly high.

[Kano]

$20 for an app that does not much more than k3b is not really impressive. And compared to imgburn the iso options are very limited. No batch mode, no verify already burnt images - really nothing special.

[deanjo]

$20 for an app that does not much more than k3b is not really impressive.

The fact that it burns DL media reliably is a huge plus over K3B.

[Kano]

I think that was the fault of your dvd burner. I burn with 2.4x speed on dl and 4x/8x on normal dvd (whatever is the lowest speed possible) - that usually works with any tool. k3b is a frontend only and the apps which are used can even handle bd-r. if you burn too fast nothing is reliable.

[deanjo]

I think that was the fault of your dvd burner. I burn with 2.4x speed on dl and 4x/8x on normal dvd (whatever is the lowest speed possible) - that usually works with any tool. k3b is a frontend only and the apps which are used can even handle bd-r. if you burn too fast nothing is reliable.

Exteremely doubtful Kano. It is not limited to one brand of burner (LG, Pioneer, Sony) or media as well (everything from Verbetim to house brands). Using Nero or any other non cdrecord based application would reliably burn the DL media. To top things off many times cdrecord based apps would not reliably see what the top certified burn speed of the media on hand from the drives firmware.

[crazycheese]

Plextor is crap. I had one for long time and its nothing special.
There is utility written by brilliant russian developer - Qpxtool. Initially he asked them for Plextools for Linux. But Plextor refused. Then he offered to write his own version if Plextor gives him the documentation. They refused. He then chinese-walled (or brute-forced) the drive and after large period was able to write something that he intended to use as Plextools, but on Linux and with his Plextor drive. Plextor SUED him. He still won the case and has expanded the support so that NEC, Pioneer, Liteon, Plextor and many many drives can analyse the surface similar that only Plextor could. This guy rocks! But wait, at some point Plextor releases the drives that are protected by KEYWORD especially so he cannot bruteforce them (and hence use them in Qpxtool). Plextor sucks. He still managed to hack them! After some period Plextor started to relabel Sony(or something) drives and selling as their own... Now I think Plextor is out of business for good!

When I had my drive, it could read DL DVD, but could not write them. It could read 4x+ DVD+RW(DVD+RW 2.0 or somthing, I bought them without knowing and couldn't take them back to store for refund), but could not write them! I called Plextor directly, I think I was rerouted to India and a man barely speaking English has explained they do not plan to give my drive this possibility even if physically able to do it! I was told to either buy newer Plextor or thow the disks away! What a joke the Plextor support!

Once I with my friend have messed with hardware and unintentionally damaged the IDE133 cable. But we didn't notice that untill the drive booted as LUXDOB Ahaha! Ok, it was cable, but it was hilarious!

I have Pioneer drive now and its awesome! The crappy drive that I ever had was from Toshiba, all else (except Luxdob!) were FINE. Liteon is very good and cheap drive.

[deanjo]

Plextor is crap. I had one for long time and its nothing special.
There is utility written by brilliant russian developer - Qpxtool. Initially he asked them for Plextools for Linux. But Plextor refused. Then he offered to write his own version if Plextor gives him the documentation. They refused. He then chinese-walled (or brute-forced) the drive and after large period was able to write something that he intended to use as Plextools, but on Linux and with his Plextor drive. Plextor SUED him. He still won the case and has expanded the support so that NEC, Pioneer, Liteon, Plextor and many many drives can analyse the surface similar that only Plextor could. This guy rocks! But wait, at some point Plextor releases the drives that are protected by KEYWORD especially so he cannot bruteforce them (and hence use them in Qpxtool). Plextor sucks. He still managed to hack them! After some period Plextor started to relabel Sony(or something) drives and selling as their own... Now I think Plextor is out of business for good!

When I had my drive, it could read DL DVD, but could not write them. It could read 4x+ DVD+RW(DVD+RW 2.0 or somthing, I bought them without knowing and couldn't take them back to store for refund), but could not write them! I called Plextor directly, I think I was rerouted to India and a man barely speaking English has explained they do not plan to give my drive this possibility even if physically able to do it! I was told to either buy newer Plextor or thow the disks away! What a joke the Plextor support!

Once I with my friend have messed with hardware and unintentionally damaged the IDE133 cable. But we didn't notice that untill the drive booted as LUXDOB Ahaha! Ok, it was cable, but it was hilarious!

I have Pioneer drive now and its awesome! The crappy drive that I ever had was from Toshiba, all else (except Luxdob!) were FINE. Liteon is very good and cheap drive.

So far the Plextor drive has been nothing but excellent. DL disks are no problem with it. Oddly enough the drive it is replacing is a Pioneer. I liked pioneer but after about 18 months the spindle magnetizes so much that when there is no disk present in the drive it becomes impossible to eject. This is a known issue with Pioneer drives (went through three with the same issue).