Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Main points: Plays and burns CDs and DVDs (not Blu-ray). Has same read/write specs as Samsung 208GB and older Samsung slim burners. Main difference: this 218GN has MyStory photo- and comment-sharing software (Windows only). Only needs power of one USB port, but some devices don't have enough USB power. They can still use this with a powered USB hub, docking station, or Y cable (not included). Windows burning software is included. For most Windows versions additional software is required to view DVD movies (free trial software included with these new models). For Macs, Samsung slim burners are plug-and-play for playing and burning. Android doesn't support burning, but it can use the Samsungs to read/play discs (see note below). Chrome only supports reading *data* CDs and DVDs. Plays DVDs and CDs quietly. Burning or reading data is louder. Plays/burns dual-layer DVDs and M-discs. Plays home photo and video files on TVs (AV mode). Different than older Samsung models in (1) lower power needs, (2) burning M-discs, and (3) eject button on top. USB cable included. Reads/writes most DVDs at 8x speed, DVD-RAM 5x, CDs 24x. Reads/writes dual-layer and DVD-RW at 8x/6x. Writes M-discs at 4x. System requirements Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 Mac OS 10.4.6 or higher Android 3.1 or higher (read/play only) Chrome (read data only) Pentium 4 (2 GHz), Atom (1.8 GHz), Core Duo, i3, i5, i7, etc 2 GB RAM (1 GB for some uses) USB 2.0/3.0 Fuller version: This is one of the new Samsung slim DVD burner models intended to replace the very popular Samsung models that have long been top sellers at Amazon. The other new Samsung model on Amazon is the 208GB. The product descriptions don't say, but according to a Samsung representative, the difference between this model and the 208GB is styling and bundled software: "Function is the same. Cosmetic is different. In addition, 218GN has 'My Story' software that you can download all of your posts in Facebook, Instagram, and Google+. if you follow 3 to 4 steps, you will get all of your pictures and comments from your family and friends will be secured in your PC or in a disc." MyStory works on Windows machines only. (It isn't supported for Windows Vista, though, only XP, 7, and 8, according to the Samsung website.) If you want the sharing software, this is the one to get. If you don't use a Windows machine or don't care about that software, the 208GB is just as good, which is what I decided to get. As a player, both models do exactly what I wanted, play DVDs and CDs smoothly and *quietly*--important for watching a movie or listening to music. I'm only using mine to play DVDs and CDs, so I haven't tried burning them, but others have reported they work fine for that. The cosmetic differences among the Samsung slim models are minor. Both new models look good and are almost exactly the same size, about 5-3/4 inches square and a bit over 1/2-inch thick including the foam pads on the bottom. They weigh just under a half-pound. Very portable. The housing is sturdy plastic. The tray pops out about an inch and you pull it out the rest of the way and close it manually. My 208GB tray (which is the same as the 218GN tray) feels a little delicate but like it will hold up fine under normal use. The included USB cable for the new and old Samsungs, standard-A-to-mini-B type, is short. The one I got is two feet including the connectors, unusually thick and fairly stiff. The mini-USB port is the only port/receptacle on the machine. Improvements/changes The listed performance specs for the new Samsung drives are the same as for the old. The improvements/differences from the older models are: -- Improved power efficiency. -- The new ones can burn M-discs (archival quality DVDs). You had to pay extra for that on the old ones. -- The eject button is on top and is sensibly sized. The older models have the eject button in front. Operating systems For Windows, you may need to install the included CyberLink Power2Go Essentials software for burning, or use your own third-party software. You may need your own player software to watch ordinary DVD movies. Most versions of Windows require additional software to watch DVD movies on any device. A 30-day free trial of PowerDVD is included, and other software is available from other sources. (Free trial versions of PowerBackup, PhotoDirector, LabelPrint, and PowerDirector are also included.) On Macs, it's entirely plug-and-play, no software installation required, since OS X includes basic DVD- and CD-playing and burning software. Android doesn't currently support writing to discs, but you can use this to read/play discs. NOTE FOR ANDROID: Android users need to change to AV mode each time they plug the drive in (very easy and quick to do, instructions included). In AV mode, the drive must convert the file structure to a different format, which takes about 30 seconds per GB before the disc is recognized. The delay doesn't mean the drive isn't working as it's supposed to. Chrome OS doesn't support playing or burning discs. It only supports reading data CDs and DVDs, such as software installation discs. This and pretty much any other external optical drive can be used for that. Power needs and workarounds The Samsung slim models only require one powered USB 2.0 (or 3.0) port, no other power is needed. The Samsung rep says the new models use less power than the older ones, but some tablets, laptops, and even some desktop computers might still not supply enough power through their USB ports. If you have power issues using battery power, try it with your computer plugged into a power outlet. Some Surface Pro 3 owners have found this works, even if using battery power doesn't. Try all the USB ports you have before giving up--sometimes they aren't all equally powered. You can use a separate powered USB hub or docking station if your device's USB port is underpowered. You can also use a Y cable that plugs into two USB ports instead of one, like this one: 1 Feet USB Y Cable - USB A to mini B. (For the Surface Pro, one branch of the Y goes into the USB port on the power cord brick, the other into the USB port on the computer itself.) Speed and quality burning/reading test CDRLabs did a detailed review of the 208GB, which is supposed to be the same functionally as this 218GN, so I've included some of the results here. It found that the drive met its specs for max speeds, which are good for a portable burner. (It found access times below average, but they're faster than the published specs.) The quality, in terms of errors, was generally good. The average burn time for a full DVD+R or DVD-R was around 11 minutes. It took 16:39 to burn an M-disc. A dual-layer DVD+R DL took about 22:30. For DVD+R 16x media, the review found that the burning quality was good with Sony and Taiyo Yuden discs, but not so much with MBI (Moser Baer India) and Verbatim. For DVD-R 16x media, it was good with Sony, Taiyo Yuden and MBI, but not Verbatim. The quality for a Milleniata M-disc was fairly good. The test found that a full Verbatim 52x CD took a little over 5 minutes to burn. The quality was good for all three brands tested, Verbatim, MBI and Memorex. (The link to the CDRLabs review is given in the first comment to this review--Amazon removes links from reviews but not comments.) AV mode This drive offers an AV mode that allows it to be used with Android devices (see note above) and audiovisual devices like TVs that have USB ports. You can use it to view photos and videos in the most common formats used for home media creation. It takes about 30 seconds per GB for the drive to convert the file system before a disc is recognized in this mode. This is *not* for playing commercial DVDs on TVs--that requires decoding that is done by regular DVD players or computer software. To use AV mode, you have to switch to it each time you plug the drive in. Very quick and easy to do, instructions are included. Manual, firmware updates, support phone number For Windows users the included software CD has the manual and a Live Update program that will automatically update the firmware. For non-Windows users the included software CD that includes the manual and firmware update program doesn't work. I've given links for the manual and a Mac firmware update page in the first comment to this review. I don't know if there's a way to update the firmware for Android or Chrome users, but it's unlikely there will be any reason to need to update it for reading or playing discs anyway. The support phone number for this drive is also in the first comment to this review. Warranty There's a one-year repair-or-replace warranty. Details Though this drive works with USB 3.0 ports, it won't work any faster than it does with USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is plenty fast for the specs on this. The tray opens normally only if the unit is plugged into a powered USB port. There's a little hole in the front to open it with a paper clip if there's no power or the powered mechanism fails. The DVD region code is firmware-based, RPC-2 (not same as region code 2), and can be changed five times by the user. This is a "two-sheep" burner (a classification used in connection with SafeDisc). Additional specs Average access time: CD-ROM: 210ms, DVD-ROM: 220ms Supported media formats: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-ROM, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD-RAM, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW Supported data formats: DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, DVD Data (ISO/UDF/FAT), CD Data (ISO/UDF/FAT), CD-DA, CD+E(G), CD-MIDI, CD-TEXT, CD-ROM XA, Mixed Mode CD, CD-I, CD-I Bridge (Photo-CD, Video-CD), Multisession CD (Photo-CD, CD-EXTRA, Portfolio)