DVD writer burn speeds are becoming so fast that it can be hard for a manufacturer to set its products apart from the crowd. That's not a problem for LG Electronics' new GSA-5169D, a Dual Layer (DL) drive that can handle any format under the sun. It even has the innovative (and extremely handy) ability to burn DVD directly from a digital camcorder.

The GSA-5169D is an external drive, so it's easy to install. We plugged in the AC adapter and connected the drive to our PC via the included USB 2.0 cable. After installing the software, we were almost ready to burn, but a minor problem occurred. We had used a front USB 2.0 port and Windows kept thinking the DVD writer was a plain CD-ROM drive, but after moving the connection to a rear USB port, Windows recognized the drive and we were ready to go.

There are faster DVD writers on the market, particularly internal models, but the GSA-5169D still offers some excellent write and rewrite speeds. It burns to both DVD-R and DVD+R media at 16X, while it rewrites to DVD-RW at 6X and DVD+RW at 8X. It also handles both versions of DL media, letting you store up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of high-quality video on a single disk. Its DVD+R DL speed is 8X, and its DVD-R DL speed is 4X. This DVD writer also has write speeds of 5X for DVD-RAM, a more durable media that can be rewritten to up to 100,000 times.

The GSA-5169D can burn a typical DVD in just over 5 minutes and a full DL disc in 15 to 20 minutes. However, what really sets this DVD writer apart is its rear S-video and RCA input jacks. You can plug in an analog or digital camcorder and, with the help of the included One-Touch software, automatically convert and burn the camcorder video to a DVD with the press of a button.

LG includes other good applications in the software bundle, such as Ahead's Nero Express and InCD for burns and drag-and-drop rewrites, as well as Power Producer for editing video before burning it to DVD.

At $180, this is not the cheapest DVD writer on the market, but it is one of the most versatile. If you've got a camcorder and video that you want to quickly and easily archive on DVD, LG Electronics' GSA-5169D is one of the best DVD writers for the task.

Pro: Good all-around speeds, DL compatibility, camcorder inputs.
Con: Expensive, no blank media included.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

LG Electronics
1000 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
800-243-0000
http://us.lge.com

Warranty
1 year limited