Even after more than half a decade of relentless innovation, DVD writers continue to advance at a breakneck pace. Where once creating a full 4.7GB DVD disc took more than 30 minutes, the new crop of 8X DVD+R drives can do it in about 8 minutes.

And while the four models we tested for this story represent the best the industry has ever had to offer, even more advanced burners are just around the corner. Dual-format models that can record both +R and –R media at 8X speeds are expected to ship soon (the models here drop to 4X speed for DVD-R media), and 12X units should hit the market by midyear. Another big shift: Recorders that support dual-layer DVD+R media—which nearly doubles the 4.7GB capacity of today's discs—are already being demonstrated.

Some buyers may prefer to wait for these new technologies before making a purchase, but given the plummeting prices of today's 8X DVD writers (now as low as $200), simply buying the current state of the art can make just as much sense. If you want stable, cost-effective technology that's already on the shelves, you'll find the latest generation of 8X drives tough to beat.