can i add extra re writers to my PC tower?

Question

I have for the last year been videoing weddings,christenings and the like and up until a month or so back i coped quite well with one re-writer drive but recently demand has shot through the roof and i have a turnover of around 300-400 discs per week! as you can imagine i now have no free time at all due to me constantly swapping discs. What i need to know is will i be able to add extra dvdrw's as slaves to my system all theyhave to be able to do is copy more than one disc at a time that is from the master image on the hard drive i want to make simultaneous copies of the same image. can i do it?

Answer 1

You can add as many DVD burners as you have room and connections for but I'm not so sure that you will be able to use them simultaneously. A lot depends on your computer and if you can have 2 open and running windows of your burn software.

Perhaps replacing your existing DVD burner with a faster one will help.

Answer 2

Yup, you sure can do that, but the kit is a tad or two expensive.
There is a set-up which will copy 24 CD's simultaneously, taking up 3-4 metres of bench/floor space, made by good old Sony.
I don't know the latest price, but if your demand is such - probably a good investment. They work nicely, and are relatively easy to plug in and set up.
Seek advice etc from Sony UK, and they will keep you right.
All the best of luck,
Bob

Answer 3

You can on many PC's; however, it's a little bit involved.

First, you need to determine how your existing storage devices (hard drive(s) and re-writer(s)) connect to your motherboard. You need to note both what ports they use (Primary or Secondary IDE, or an SATA port) and also what type of cable they use in the case of IDE devices.

To connect another re-writer, you need to find an unused connection on one of the IDE ports. As you may connect up to two devices to each IDE port, if one of the ports has only one device connected to it then you can connect another re-writer to that port.

Next, you need to verify that you are using an 80-conductor IDE cable on the port to which you intend to connect the additional re-writer. This is typically a cable used to connect IDE hard disks to the motherboard. If you are not sure, or don't have one, go and purchase an 80-conductor IDE cable from your favourite computer store -- it's a standard, inexpensive part. Be sure that the length between the black and grey connectors is long enough to span the distance between your existing device and the place where you intend to connect the additional re-writer.

Once you have that, power the PC off completely, extract the existing device from your PC's case, and change its jumper setting to Cable Select. The jumper is located immediately beside where you plug in the IDE cable. Also change the jumper setting on the new re-writer to Cable Select. Skipping this step of changing the jumper settings to Cable Select will most likely cause your simultaneous burns to fail.

Now, remount your existing device in your PC case, and add your new re-writer. Connect the black and grey ends of the 80-conductor IDE cable to the devices, and the blue end to the motherboard IDE port. Close up, and power up.

Windows will automatically detect your new re-writer.

Now, all you need is software that allows simultaneous burning. I personally recommend Nero Burning ROM, avaiable from http://www.ahead.de

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

look on e bay for a CD cloning machine..that same as pirate johnny does when he copies CD's and DVD...

Answer 5

If your computer has room for an extra rewriter in it . you can . Or just purchase an extra one that runs externally of your computer for about $150.00 . Good Luck ! :)

Answer 6

as above