DVD/CD writer - do any brands last?
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From: Grant on 6 May 2010 02:12 On Thu, 6 May 2010 14:34:47 +1000, "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa(a)gmail.com> wrote: >gumby wrote >> Rod Speed wrote > >>> Its not die so much with smokers, the smoke just >>> coats the lense eventually and can be cleaned off. > >> How do you clean the lens properly? > >I personally open the drive and use isopropanol on a >bit of cloth etc and am careful to not damage the head >mounting mechanism which is very easy to damage. Plastic lens, isn't it? Be very gentle... > >> I have a lens cleaning cdrom but it is just a delicate brush glued to the cdrom and that is not going to remove >> cigarette smoke. > >It might do if you wet it with isopropanol first. > >> I just replaced a DVD-RW with a new one yesterday because it was having issues reading some disks and I do smoke. > >Yeah, smoking produces that result with optical drives eventually. > >Its amazing where the smoke gets to, a smoker's system >stands out like dogs balls when you open it, its obvious >which are smoker's systems from the smell alone. > >You should see what its done to your lungs. > Ex-smoker Rod? Grant. -- http://bugs.id.au/
From: Rod Speed on 6 May 2010 03:47 Grant wrote > Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa(a)gmail.com> wrote >> gumby wrote >>> Rod Speed wrote >>>> Its not die so much with smokers, the smoke just >>>> coats the lense eventually and can be cleaned off. >>> How do you clean the lens properly? >> I personally open the drive and use isopropanol on a >> bit of cloth etc and am careful to not damage the head >> mounting mechanism which is very easy to damage. > Plastic lens, isn't it? Yes. > Be very gentle... >>> I have a lens cleaning cdrom but it is just a delicate brush glued >>> to the cdrom and that is not going to remove cigarette smoke. >> It might do if you wet it with isopropanol first. >>> I just replaced a DVD-RW with a new one yesterday because >>> it was having issues reading some disks and I do smoke. >> Yeah, smoking produces that result with optical drives eventually. >> Its amazing where the smoke gets to, a smoker's system >> stands out like dogs balls when you open it, its obvious >> which are smoker's systems from the smell alone. >> You should see what its done to your lungs. > Ex-smoker Rod? Nope.
From: Bob Willard on 6 May 2010 07:44 me wrote: > On Wed, 05 May 2010 05:43:24 -0400, Bob Willard > <BobwBSGS(a)TrashThis.comcast.net> wrote: > >> me wrote: >>> Looking for recommendations for a brand of DVD/CD reader/writer. Seems >>> like all those I've purchased, regardless of name brand, die in a >>> coupe years. Are there any that last longer? I see some LG & Samsung >>> for low prices, are they junk or just as good as the rest of the >>> crowd? >>> >>> FWIW, this is for an IDE interface. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >> All CD/DVD devices are prone to die due to dirt & dust, which can >> coat the lens. If your environment is not air-conditioned, or if >> people are allowed to smoke, then your optical devices are likely >> to die early. > > Bob: > > Are you suggesting that a simple lens cleaning might restore errant > devices? I don't have smoke, but I do have dust, and a "test" device > causing issues right now (the subject to be replaced) that I could run > a pilot on. Maybe. I did have some luck cleaning the lens on one CDROM, using isopropanol applied with Qtips. But given that optical stuff gets better every year (like HDs), by the time your optical widget dies you will probably want this year's version instead. And, tobacco smoke is not the only culprit for coating a lens; think about all those laptops in kitchens, parked next to the fryolator. -- Cheers, Bob
From: DevilsPGD on 6 May 2010 12:48 In message <hrua27$d64$1(a)news.eternal-september.org> Bob Willard <BobwBSGS(a)TrashThis.comcast.net> was claimed to have wrote: >Maybe. I did have some luck cleaning the lens on one CDROM, using >isopropanol applied with Qtips. But given that optical stuff gets >better every year (like HDs), by the time your optical widget dies >you will probably want this year's version instead. To a point, this was true. However modern optical drives don't seem to be substantially better than 2 year old drives at this point. I think it's largely due to some physics limits in terms of how fast you can spin cheap disks and how much vibration can be absorbed.
From: Bob Willard on 6 May 2010 13:54
DevilsPGD wrote: > In message <hrua27$d64$1(a)news.eternal-september.org> Bob Willard > <BobwBSGS(a)TrashThis.comcast.net> was claimed to have wrote: > >> Maybe. I did have some luck cleaning the lens on one CDROM, using >> isopropanol applied with Qtips. But given that optical stuff gets >> better every year (like HDs), by the time your optical widget dies >> you will probably want this year's version instead. > > To a point, this was true. However modern optical drives don't seem to > be substantially better than 2 year old drives at this point. > > I think it's largely due to some physics limits in terms of how fast you > can spin cheap disks and how much vibration can be absorbed. Well, the next generation (meaning the stuff that I can't yet afford) is Blu-ray, and then comes multi-layer Blu-ray, and there will likely be shorter wavelength LASERs beyond that to crank up the areal density some more. I doubt if we have reached the absolute physical limits. And, as long as optical widgets are a preferred medium for backing up HDs, the ever-increasing areal density of HDs will supply market demand for ever-larger optical devices -- even if Hollywood doesn't. -- Cheers, Bob |