DVD-RW drives are now available even on the most budget-oriented computers and laptops, so if you're desktop PC still don't have one, maybe it's about time to get one.
The interesting thing was that my brand new
HP Compaq dx2300 only came with a plain-jane CD-ROM drive! Cost-saving measure? I don't know who configured and ordered my PC, but oh well. When I got the PC, we had to upgrade the 512 MB of memory to 2GB, as well as swap out the SATA CD-ROM drive with this Pioneer DVR-112DBK SATA DVD recorder.
Installation
The Pioneer DVR-212DBK was purchased as an OEM drive so there weren't any retail packaging nor were there software and cables. So with just the drive itself, it requires you to already have an SATA cable as well as drive screws to secure it in your computer chassis.
If you have installed a standard 5.25" drive before, then installing the DVR-212DBK is no different. Since installing a drive differs from computer to computer, it's hard to give you step-by-step instructions. For example, with the
HP Compaq dx2300, you need to secure the screws onto the drive on one side before you insert the drive into the chassis. This is a different installation procedure compared to most computers.
On most computers, you'd have to make sure the blank plate that covers the 5.25" drive bay is removed. You must then slide the drive in and position it so that you can secure it with screws on all four sides.
Depending on the chassis, you might find it easier to plug in the SATA cable and power plug into the drive before you slide it into place. You must do this on certain chassis because of the tight space. On other cases, you might find it easier to slide the drive in and screw it into place, then maneuver the cables into the drive. In those cases, there enough room for your hands to move around.
All that is left is to power the PC on, get into the BIOS and make sure it detects the drive. You might even want to set the Pioneer to boot first (a personal preference).
Unlike ATAPI drives, you don't have to mess around with Master and Slave settings via jumpers anymore.
In Use
Once installed, the Pioneer DVR-212DBK pretty much acts and performs as if it was installed from the factory. Windows detects it and assigns a drive letter, and will show up in Windows Explorer (or My Computer, whichever one you use).
The front fascia of the drive is plain. There is no headphone jack or volume knob. Just a single activity LED and an eject button. The emergency eject hole is visible on the front as well. This allows you to stick a straight thin object (I usually use a straightened
paper clip) into the hole and eject the tray when you cannot power the drive up or if the eject button refuses to cooperate.
As with most modern DVD recorders, I find the Pioneer to be quick to read and write. I haven't had the time to do any benchmarks (they bought Nero only for the other users), but using the freeware CDBurnerXP Pro, I find that writing DVDs at the top 18x speed was quick and did not produce any coasters (yet).
The noise of the Pioneer DVR-212DBK isn't very annoying. While it still makes the usual whirring noise as the drive revs up, I find it rather soothing. It's somewhat muffled, and since my mini-tower is on the floor, I barely even hear it unless my head is down there for some reason (plugging in cables perhaps...yea, that's it).
Conclusion
I was glad the Pioneer was chosen for my computer, as they are known for quality DVD recorders currently. I've bounced around different manufacturers such as NEC (now owned by Sony, and aren't as good anymore), Lite-On (very good back in the day), and even Plextor (they are now "just okay" but over priced). If I were to purchase a DVD recorder for my personal computer, the Pioneer DVR-212DBK would be it.
