LG GWA-4161 Dual-Layer DVD Burner
Written: May 26 '05
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Pros: Speedy, quiet burning and easy (physical) installation. XP readily recognizes this drive.
Cons: Model not truly meant for use in the USA. Apparent conflicts with the XP drivers.
The Bottom Line: DO NOT BUY THIS MODEL # UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO SPEND YOUR TIME FIXING THE ERRORS IT CAUSES IN WINDOWS START-UP
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| britguy's Full Review: LG (GWA4161B) DVD±RW Dual Layer Burner |
This drive was purchased to replace an aging DVD burner in my home computer that I suspect has started to fail (LG's 4040B model). Installation is a 1-2-3 affair in it's simplicity - just remember to set the correct jumper setting i.e., Slave or Master. Windows XP recognizes the drive with no problems and no driver having to be installed from a disc or downloaded from the manufacturer. Within 10 minutes of starting this replacement project, I had burnt a DVD that played back just fine.
Paradise, huh?
Well, not quite....
The problem I found was that when I next started up my PC, I got a blue error screen instead of my usual smooth startup. This error message indicated that a "recently installed software or hardware" might be the culprit. Hitting the RESET button made the computer boot up into Windows, so now I could investigate!
Being somewhat tech-savvy and web-proficient, I thought "No problem!" and set about looking for a firmware update file from the manufacturer........NO DICE !!!
It seems, from what I was able to discover from the travails of others in similar straits on various sites and forums, that this model was not intended for sale in the USA and, as such, is NOT supported AT ALL by LG (at least in the USA).
There are drivers available for similar models, but then you take on a whole new set of potential risks with your system.
I purchased this drive from ComputerGeeks.com who, I assume, must have picked them up cheap from some importer company, and they, in turn, offloaded them without warning as a 'Special'.
I have no problems with the drive itself, just with the fact that it was never intended to be in a PC in the USA. It burns quietly and quickly. I tested with Memorex 4x DVD+R media which it burnt at full speed in vrtual silence. The face-plate may be changed from standard beige to black (to suit your PC's color scheme) The extra face-plate came with the drive.
Were it not for the apparent conflict with the Windows XP driver, I would have enthusiastically recommended this DVD burner, but I refuse to have to hit RESET every time I start my system.
I have ordered an LG GSA 4163 model from Newegg.com (great company!), and this model IS fully supported ant warranteed by LG in the USA, so I predict no further problems.
So, in summary, "GSA-xxxx" = a model designed for use in the USA, "GWA-xxxx" = a model NOT designated for usage in the USA, and should probably be avoided.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 40.00
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
britguy
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Member: Ken
Location: Yonkers,New York
Reviews written: 52
Trusted by: 30 members
About Me:
Raised in England
Living in America
Wife and 2 kids
Lab Technologist and Photographer
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