Samsung SH-S203B/BEBN DVD±RW Dual Layer Burner
- Enclosure Type: Internal
- Read Speed: 16x (DVD), 48x (CD)
- ReWrite Speed: 32x (CD-RW), 8x (DVD+RW), 6x (DVD-RW), 12x (DVD-RAM)
- Write Speed: 48x (CD), 20x (DVD+R), 20x (DVD-R), 12x (DVD-R DL), 16x (DVD+R DL)
- Burner Type: DVD±RW Dual Layer
- Storage Type: Disk Drive
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Defective Read Head
Pros
Every other function works fine, fairly quiet.
Cons
No RW capability.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
Don't buy - the chances aren't good.
This unit is the fifth DVD-RW that I have purchased in the last 1 1/2 years, and, like the previous four, it has a read head that cannot read/write RW media. This includes models from SONY and LG. This unit is probably sourced from another company, since the name "Samsung" doesn't appear on the front.
My take: since the very highest-performing of the DVD-RW units of this type - without HD or Blu-Ray read capability - are retailing for $25 - $30, the read heads, which are where most of the money is, are surely sourced from marginal factories in China. The problem isn't discussed in the PC mags, since their test models are either screened before being acquired, or any defectives are quietly exchanged. They have no reason to antagonize their subjects.
Since the warranties on these units are usually a 30-day exchange or refund from the distributor, or a one-year exchange from the manufacturer, and these don't include shipping costs either way, it usually doesn't pay to send one back, since a refund would recover only about half of the expense, and an exchange would yield another bad unit.
My advice: use portable HD's for backup and archiving, until high-speed service makes network storage feasible.
My take: since the very highest-performing of the DVD-RW units of this type - without HD or Blu-Ray read capability - are retailing for $25 - $30, the read heads, which are where most of the money is, are surely sourced from marginal factories in China. The problem isn't discussed in the PC mags, since their test models are either screened before being acquired, or any defectives are quietly exchanged. They have no reason to antagonize their subjects.
Since the warranties on these units are usually a 30-day exchange or refund from the distributor, or a one-year exchange from the manufacturer, and these don't include shipping costs either way, it usually doesn't pay to send one back, since a refund would recover only about half of the expense, and an exchange would yield another bad unit.
My advice: use portable HD's for backup and archiving, until high-speed service makes network storage feasible.
