Slot Loading DVD/CDRW

XanthosXanthos Fairfax, VA
edited February 2004 in Hardware
Hi Everyone,

I'm a long time reader/lurker of the news and forums at Icrontic, but I had a tech issue I was stuck on so I figured I'd give the forums a try.

I'm working on a installation project for work and we are mounting a bunch of minitowers case in a rack horizontally rather than in their natural vertical configuration. Because of this I'm looking to find a slot loading DVD/CDRW to replace the one we are purchasing with the boxes. I've looked long and hard for one, but have been unsuccessful in find any who manufactures one. Does anyone know a company who has a slot loading drive? Speed is not really an issue for the CDRW writing. Also price really isn't an issue either.

If no one has any suggestions on a slot loading unit, does any one have any suggestions on how to keep CD from falling out the tray while loading?

Thanks,
Xanthos

Comments

  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Hi Xanthos :)

    I think Pioneer has a patent on that slot-load and i know they have DVD and CDROM´s that uses this type of tray.

    However, a standard cdrw or a dvdxx should have 4 tabs that you flip over the disc to make it stay on the tray. At least on the last 5 or 6 drives i have had, the tabs have been there. On Sony´s drives for sure.

    /me hits the eject buttons on all drives
    I´m dead wrong here, lol. The 2 i have now doesn´t have the tabs. Wonder when they decided to remove those?

    On my PS2, no tabs are available but mounting it vertically works as good as horizontally and the same should be for theese type of drives. If you have a CDxx now, check it´s user manual if vertical mounting is supported or not.
  • CyrixInsteadCyrixInstead Stoke-on-Trent, England Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Well, you can get slot-loadingDVD/CD-RW drives on Apple iMacs, but a quick search on Google wasn't very helpful.

    Oh, and Pioneer only do slot-loading DVD drives, not combo's.

    So sorry, I can't help you.
  • FlintstoneFlintstone SE Florida
    edited June 2003
    I know it might be too expensive an alternative, but what about notebook drives. As I recall, the disk snaps over the spindle and can't fall out.
    Just a thought.

    Flint
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited June 2003
    Like Mackanz suggested, I think that just getting a drive which has support tabs for the disc is all you will need.

    I also had a quick look and it seems Apple are the only people who make CDRW/DVD slot loading drives. So my advice would be just to ring around and find yourself a drive which has those support tabs, Creative I know are quite fond of them. Might be worth checking some of their drives out.

    Cheers
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    I found this one from panasonic

    http://www.mke.panasonic.co.jp/en/device/storage/dvd_cd/cw_8121_b.html

    I dunno how it's mounted, but it's a start, i guess...or is it a notebook drive?
  • RRLedfordRRLedford Chicago, IL
    edited February 2004
    I will only buy slot load DVD drives.
    I own two already - the 1st one was the type that pulls the disk in as it starts to enter. The 2nd one was a hard time finding since I needed a black face. It is Pioneer too. I don't like it so much because the disk must be pushed FIRMLY almost all the way in before it loads. This puts too mucu stress on the disks and my kids end up treating them too toughly.
    I thought the drive was DOA at first, being reluctant to push so hard.

    To fin them just type into your favorite search engine => slot-load DVD
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