Rating: 
Summary: Maybe great hardware, but the software is teaseware
Review: Bought and returned it after 2 frustrating days.1. Installed fine and was recognized, but
2. Sony forgets to tell you that it is not compatible with packet-writing software (untill after you buy it). I used my CDR for backup and that made my trusty backup program (and Roxio Easy CD 5)practically useless for me.
3. The included software is the usual teaseware - crippled versions of commercial programs. You can find freeware on the Internet that is better than that stuff.
4. It is slowwww... Writing a 2 GB DVD on an Athlon 2200 machine took almost 3 hours - most of it in processing of the video. When done, it would not run on my DVD players that usually recognizes and run even VCDs. It ran on my computer's DVD player, but that is not what you need from a recordable DVD. They claim that it is compatible with "most" players. Apparantly that does not include the two we have.
5. Manuals and/or instructions are very limited in size and usability. Other peeves:
* Probably my fault for missing this point, but you need to understand that a 4.7 GB dvd is not even close to the normal dvds (27 GB?!). It sounds like a lot, but when you try to write video it is very limited.
* Something in the installation process "killed" my USB keyboard's driver. Had to replace the hardware because Windows XP would not recognize it anymore - even after the DVD writer was removed and system restored. Maybe a coincidence... Final conclusion:
Stick to my trusty 48x CD writer for a while longer. With CDRs cost around $...each (after rebates) compared to $... for the cheapest DVD-R, and writing time of minutes compared to hours, I see no benefit at this time. Probably will check them again when the Blue-laser delivers the full promise, and/or writing speed reaches a usable level.
Rating: 
Summary: A definite DO NOT BUY.
Review: I bought this generation of Sony DVD+/-RW drives a few months ago based on several positive reviews but I sadly regret it now (specifically got the DRX-510UL/DRU-510 drive). The plus side is that the Sony drives have been very reliable so far - no failed burns, and has been able to take every kind of media I throw at it. The BIG reason I regret going with Sony now is that their DVD+/-RW drives do NOT allow you to change the bitsetting (ie. automatically done with Nero and most DVD-burning programs) to burn the standard DVD-ROM format. You can read more information on bitsetting and why it is so important if you want to make sure your DVDs are compatible with a much larger majority of DVD-players out there: http://www.dvdplusrw.org/Article.asp?mid=0&sid=2&aid=42 Sony and NEC are a handful of companies that have not released their bitsetting abilities so you can't burn in DVD-ROM format. Others ie. HP actively release tools to allow you to change the bitformatting / burn to DVD-ROM. Shame on Sony! - I plopped $400 on the Sony DVD-burners a few months ago and regret it everyday. I've tried burning DVD+Rs, DVD-Rs, and only half of them play on DVD-players out there whereas if I could have burned in DVD-ROM it'd be almost guaranteed to work. And yet every writer by Sony actually HAS the ability to write to DVD-ROM format, but Sony is unwilling to release a patch or allow you to write to this basic format. Why am I wasting my breath here on this? Because I don't want anyone to make the same uninformed decision to buy Sony/NEC DVD writers. If you know you only want to write DVD+R/-R and not in the more compatible DVD-ROM format, then go with this write - it's rock stable. But unless Sony changes their mind and releases the ability to write DVD-ROM on their current writers (which they could easily do if they wanted to), I am one very unhappy and previously loyal Sony customer.
Rating:
Summary: A definite DO NOT BUY.
Review: I bought this generation of Sony DVD+/-RW drives a few months ago based on several positive reviews but I sadly regret it now (specifically got the DRX-510UL/DRU-510 drive). The plus side is that the Sony drives have been very reliable so far - no failed burns, and has been able to take every kind of media I throw at it. The BIG reason I regret going with Sony now is that their DVD+/-RW drives do NOT allow you to change the bitsetting (ie. automatically done with Nero and most DVD-burning programs) to burn the standard DVD-ROM format. You can read more information on bitsetting and why it is so important if you want to make sure your DVDs are compatible with a much larger majority of DVD-players out there: http://www.dvdplusrw.org/Article.asp?mid=0&sid=2&aid=42 Sony and NEC are a handful of companies that have not released their bitsetting abilities so you can't burn in DVD-ROM format. Others ie. HP actively release tools to allow you to change the bitformatting / burn to DVD-ROM. Shame on Sony! - I plopped $400 on the Sony DVD-burners a few months ago and regret it everyday. I've tried burning DVD+Rs, DVD-Rs, and only half of them play on DVD-players out there whereas if I could have burned in DVD-ROM it'd be almost guaranteed to work. And yet every writer by Sony actually HAS the ability to write to DVD-ROM format, but Sony is unwilling to release a patch or allow you to write to this basic format. Why am I wasting my breath here on this? Because I don't want anyone to make the same uninformed decision to buy Sony/NEC DVD writers. If you know you only want to write DVD+R/-R and not in the more compatible DVD-ROM format, then go with this write - it's rock stable. But unless Sony changes their mind and releases the ability to write DVD-ROM on their current writers (which they could easily do if they wanted to), I am one very unhappy and previously loyal Sony customer.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome performance
Review: I buy Princo DVD-R media with the white top on ebay and they work flawlessly in this burner. I love it and have no complaints. By now they probably have faster burners, but for the money you can get this for now, it's worth it. Burn overnight. In the morning, you're done. I wanted an all-format in case I need to play DVD+R, but most stand alone DVD players will play DVD-R. I stick with DVD-R media and this drive has been wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome performance
Review: I buy Princo DVD-R media with the white top on ebay and they work flawlessly in this burner. I love it and have no complaints. By now they probably have faster burners, but for the money you can get this for now, it's worth it. Burn overnight. In the morning, you're done. I wanted an all-format in case I need to play DVD+R, but most stand alone DVD players will play DVD-R. I stick with DVD-R media and this drive has been wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: So Far! An Excellent Unit
Review: I have this same DVD burner in the external edition and have burned over 800 dvd's without a problem. At this point there are faster burners, but for the price these are now, you can save the $$, own a dvd writer and wait for the high speed recorders to get better and cheaper. Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Simply....The Best!
Review: I would not purchase another DVD drive, period. After reading countless reviews and searching for compatibility with all formats, I had settled on this drive's predessor but found myself unable to locate one anywhere. The DRU-500AX suddenly appeared on Sony's website and I ordered one immediately. This drive is awesome. The multi-format capability alone is enough to make me say this. Add to that solid construction and quiet operation and we have a winner! As to the software package: don't bother! I found most of the applications completely worthless, buggy, and just plain cheap. While I don't expect a lot in bundled software, I do expect more than what came with this drive. Really, don't even install these applications. For burning DVDs, you could do a lot worse than Roxios latest Easy CD/DVD software. It is worth making the investment in a stand-alone software package and the Roxio product does a decent job without breaking the bank. DVD X-Copy is also super! I would be very careful with what other packages you purchase unless you are willing to spend a lot more than $... The quality of what is out there varies greatly.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Piece of Hardware but The Software is For The Birds!
Review: I would not purchase another DVD drive, period. After reading countless reviews and searching for compatibility with all formats, I had settled on this drive's predessor but found myself unable to locate one anywhere. The DRU-500AX suddenly appeared on Sony's website and I ordered one immediately. This drive is awesome. The multi-format capability alone is enough to make me say this. Add to that solid construction and quiet operation and we have a winner! As to the software package: don't bother! I found most of the applications completely worthless, buggy, and just plain cheap. While I don't expect a lot in bundled software, I do expect more than what came with this drive. Really, don't even install these applications. For burning DVDs, you could do a lot worse than Roxios latest Easy CD/DVD software. It is worth making the investment in a stand-alone software package and the Roxio product does a decent job without breaking the bank. DVD X-Copy is also super! I would be very careful with what other packages you purchase unless you are willing to spend a lot more than $... The quality of what is out there varies greatly.
Rating:
Summary: A good drive
Review: Installation: Went smoothly (I set the DRU-500AX to be the "slave" and my original CDR/W to be the "master"). Compatibility: I have not had any problems with playing discs recorded on the drive (Memorex DVD-R and Sony DVD+RW) on my regular DVD player (Toshiba SD3755). What I like about the drive:
1) Compatibility with most formats
2) Can make backup copies of my DVDs (cannot use any of the supplied software to do so - get DVDXCopy)
3) Can convert my Camcorder miniDV tapes to DVD to archive my home movies and share them on DVDs (using the supplied MyDVD software)
4) Can backup up to 4.7 Gb on a single disc when previously a home backup would involve swapping a bunch of CDs. Cons: Backing up a multi-layer DVD movie can take a while (up to 2.5 hours), especially if it has to go on two DVDs. Also, I've read reviews where people have had problems with Verbatim discs. Update: The slow speed above was due to my older slower computer (PII 400MHz). On my new PC (P4 2.4GHz), this drive cooks - entire DVD backup process takes 35 minutes. In addition, the latest firmware update (2.0g) now supports 4X RW speeds.
Rating:
Summary: A good drive
Review: Installation: Went smoothly (I set the DRU-500AX to be the "slave" and my original CDR/W to be the "master"). Compatibility: I have not had any problems with playing discs recorded on the drive (Memorex DVD-R and Sony DVD+RW) on my regular DVD player (Toshiba SD3755). What I like about the drive:
1) Compatibility with most formats
2) Can make backup copies of my DVDs (cannot use any of the supplied software to do so - get DVDXCopy)
3) Can convert my Camcorder miniDV tapes to DVD to archive my home movies and share them on DVDs (using the supplied MyDVD software)
4) Can backup up to 4.7 Gb on a single disc when previously a home backup would involve swapping a bunch of CDs. Cons: Backing up a multi-layer DVD movie can take a while (up to 2.5 hours), especially if it has to go on two DVDs. Also, I've read reviews where people have had problems with Verbatim discs. Update: The slow speed above was due to my older slower computer (PII 400MHz). On my new PC (P4 2.4GHz), this drive cooks - entire DVD backup process takes 35 minutes. In addition, the latest firmware update (2.0g) now supports 4X RW speeds.
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