4x DVD-R/RW Drive $139.98@Staples (sunday-16th)

[firephoto]

(updated price)
Saw this at:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=40&threadid=973959
More information at the above link.
cendyne 4x DVD-R/RW Drive (#499683) $299.99 - $60 IR - $50 MIR - $40 off $200 Staples coupon = $149.98 at Staples (Starting Sun. 2-16)

Staples drive info (http://www002.staples.com/Catalog/Browse/SKU.asp?BCFlag=False&PageType=1&SKU=499683)

http://cendyne.com/products.asp?cat=DVD-RW

This drive is a Pioneer DVR-A05 / DVR-105 with the Cendyne name on the box.
More info on the Cendyne/Pioneer @:
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/

I don't think you'll be able to get all the rebates online. Probably have to go to a store near in your area.

[gcutler]

I have that drive, and the best price I had ever seen for it was $239, so that is a great deal. It is the 4x speed which is the fastest drive out there now (of course finding media that is 4x compatible is the hard part)

[firephoto]

The other site says that Staples pulled the $50 off $200 coupons so it's $40 off $200 now. Still a great deal if you can get one. :)

[gcutler]

I paid $269 for the drive before, so I think I can live with the $10 increase to $149. There is a staples 1 mile down the road from me. I have a friend who will fill out the Mail In rebate under his household, so I may get two :D

I've become addicted to the DVD-RW for data. Nothing like ghosting your boot partition on 1 or 2 DVD-RWs instead of 7-14 CD-RWs

[Bogy]

I'm still too cheap to get a DVD-RW. I figure by the end of the year they will break the $100 barrier. That's when I 'll get one.

[firephoto]

That's sort of my situation now. I don't have a Staples close by and I have this feeling that the price is going to go down quickly. (without the sales)

I'll probably just see how much of the deal I can get online and go from there. I don't have any big projects done yet that need to be put on DVD though and have about 200 blank cdr's to use up too.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by firephoto
I'll probably just see how much of the deal I can get online and go from there. I don't have any big projects done yet that need to be put on DVD though and have about 200 blank cdr's to use up too.

Well you can use/burn CD-R and CD-RW in the DVD-RW machines, so it isn't like they would goto waste, only thing is once you archive 4.4GB (they say 4.7 because it sounds better, which is an outright lie) to one disc it is hard to go back.

And the other issue is converting VHS or Analog to DVD. Like so many of us with DVD-RWs you may catch the bug and want to convert your videos to DVD. That device will easily cost you another $100+ (in not included in your top of the line video card?)

I started out converting over my favorite video tapes and then it just never stopped, I even started converting over stuff I really didn't care tooo much about (just want every VHS tape out of my house ). And at $1-$3 per "quality" blank DVD-R (plus time to author), you may get addicted as well :D

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Bogy
I'm still too cheap to get a DVD-RW. I figure by the end of the year they will break the $100 barrier. That's when I 'll get one.

That might be a little bit of a jump. The average price is still $300, with the lower price around $250. It is only the right combination of rebates that give you under $200. I believe it will reach $200 average price by end of the year, but it will be way into 2004 before we have sub $100 units. Part of the issue is the old drives do not hand around long. A 6 month old DVD+-RW model is typically out of stock and has been replaced. The previous model to this is the x04 and right now after 6 months on the market is almost impossible to find (at a good price even harder). But I think that once Dell or HP starts including them by default and production runs become larger then the drive will drop real quick.

[firephoto]

I already have a Canopus ADVC100. :)

[Bogy]

Originally posted by gcutler
That might be a little bit of a jump. The average price is still $300, with the lower price around $250. It is only the right combination of rebates that give you under $200. I believe it will reach $200 average price by end of the year, but it will be way into 2004 before we have sub $100 units.
I think you're being pessimistic. If you can get a drive for $160 now with the right rebates, I'm figuring with the right rebates you will be able to get real close to that magic (for me) $100 figure. Either right before, or possibly, considering how they have sold, right after Christmas would be my bet. I'll agree with you that the mainstream drives, without rebates will probably run between $200 to $300 for some time yet, but I think we will start seeing some manufacturers with some cut rate drives. I hope. :D

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Bogy

I think you're being pessimistic. If you can get a drive for $160 now with the right rebates, I'm figuring with the right rebates you will be able to get real close to that magic (for me) $100 figure.

Ok, with the right rebates...But prior to this spectacular, $230 was the lowest price (with $30 rebate) I've seen or heard of in 6 months. So keep your eyes glued to the circulars or this forums :D

[gcutler]

I see the unit for $189 (299-60IR-50MR) in the new flyer but where is the $40 off of $200 coupon? I don't see that in the flyer?

[firephoto]

It shows the sale online at Staples now but the deal isn't on yet. The $40 coupon works too.

If you are getting it online then it might be worth checking tonight at 05:00 gmt or so. That would be the start of tomorrow in the eastern U.S.
I bet it will get sold out fast. They must be hoping on making their money off of selling blank media. (It probably works too)

[gcutler]

Well did it...Used the $40 off coupon...So was $199-$50 Mail In rebate.

Almost bought 2 spindles of TDK 2x -Rs to get the $50 off of $300 coupon, but didn't need them that badly.

[Richard King]

Well guys, thanks for the tip. I didn't buy the DVD burner, but I did buy a 17" monitor for my mini storage business for $89 (AR) and "bought" 50 free CD-r's, a free network card, and 256MB memory for $9.99. I don't know how Staples stays in business with cheapskates like me shopping there. :lol:

[The Tophinator]

My Little DVD Story. I bought a Cendyne 4X DVD recorder on Jan 25. $259 -$30 rebate. It worked great for two weeks then one of the lasers went bye bye. Fry's return policy is only 15 days on many items including DVD recorders and I had cut out the barcode for the rebate. I wasn't going to bother returning to Fry's So I called Cendyne. After 1/2 hour on hold and my ears going numb from the same song replayed over and over I decided to go on their support forum. I looked more than once and it was temporarilly closed. I eventully noticed at the last post and it was December 8, 2002. Then I tried to email tech support. Two days later no reply so I gave Fry's a try on my lunch break today and after a little convincing ( no barcode, just switch the box) I was able to get them to swap out the drive and they had one left in stock. Tonight I get an auto reply from the email telling me to use a different report form online to repost my problem. I hope this DVD-RW works well, Cendyne seems to have a "little" customer support problem. The new drive works so far. I hope it lasts. I also bought DVD X Copy and it works well. I have made a few DVD's before and not saved the project so it made it easy to replicate the CD. I also tried backing up a couple of the 160 + DVD's I own and it worked flawlessly.

[Chris Blount]

My Phillips DVD+RW drive died after about 3 months. The laser started to lose it's strength so the burns were failing. The Phillips tech support wasn't bad and replaced my drive within a week. I must have burned about 50 DVD's before the drive failed which worries me that this new drive will do the same thing. Makes me wonder if they have yet to perfect the burners currently on the market.

[Neil Derryberry]

FYI... different technology, but I've got 2 DVD-RAM drives for sale in buy,sell,trade...

[gcutler]

Well mine arrived today (A day late from when they said it would originally be sent but were wrong, but a day earlier than the re-send said it would get here.)

Definately apply the latest patches for the SW you are using. I just upgraded to Roxio 6, so that was taken care of, but my Dazzle DVD Complete didn't burn right (made a coaster on a perfectly good TDK -R 2x :( ) and then I realized I had like 3 different patches floating around and had not applied the latest. Applied the latest and all was fine. And soon will have a Ghost Image on the DVD-RW for that machine. I'm now looking at all the CD-RWs and thinking well these won't get much use anymore :D

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Neil Derryberry
FYI... different technology, but I've got 2 DVD-RAM drives for sale in buy,sell,trade...

You might want to goto www.dvdrhelp.com and post, the DVD-RAM is becoming more of a niche product, but the Philips Entertainment Center type Recorder/Burner uses DVD-RAM so those people may have need for the drives.

[jeffwtux]

I still need a DVD-player, so this would kind of be putting the cart ahead of the horse. Yeah, I know I could connect this to my TV or watch it on my computer, but that isn't relaxing which what a DVD is supposed to be, relaxing entertainment. My friend wanted me to share a firewire DVD-RW, but I told him, I'll wait till I get a player first.

[firephoto]

Well I ended up ordering one of these late on the 16th thinking that the chance of not getting one would help to make a final decision. It told me right away that there was a 4 day delay shipping to my area so I figured they might end up canceling it on me. Well it never showed up in my order status for a day or so, then I emailed cust. support and they got back to me fairly quick saying the closest warehouse was out of stock and it was coming from far away (lol) and the delivery date would be the 24th. Order status showed as processing, I got an email saying it would be delivered on the 24th by UPS. Yesterday the status changed to shipped but no tracking number, so it better show up monday since they have my money now. ;)

$215 w/tax -$50mir = $165 for a Pioneer DVR-105 = one sweet deal!

[gcutler]

I had the no tracking # problem. That pretty much means it hasn't shipped (even though they told me it had the first 2 times). I'd call them, or they have an IM app that gives you access pretty quick. Until you get a tracking # assume no ship and make them explain to you how it can have shipped without a tracking #. I had the advantage of calling 5pm the day it was supposed to deliver so I had something to prove it wasn't going to show up.

YOu may want to make up some BS and complain, they may send you some coupons. I'm eyeing the TDK 2x 15 pack Spindles and hoping the coupons they send make the purchase even more satisfying :D

[firephoto]

A quick search @ UPS.com for a package being delivered to my zip code with the reference number of my staples order# resulted in finding a package that will be delivered on the 25th. ;)
Sent from HODGKINS, IL, US

[gcutler]

Lucky You, I'd call staples and ask them how come you had to do the research when it should have been accessable from the staples web site (get those coupons!!!). It often shocks me how they claim to have these automated systems yet their information is so incomplete.