Some of the features that the Lite-On SHW-1635SX includes, which makes this product attractive, are the ability to perform limited dual layer DVD burning, read various types of CDs and interface with the USB 2.0 port. Conversely, it cannot connect to a computer through a firewire port, read DVD-RAM, CD-TEXT or CD-I disks and cannot create/print labels.

The slowest part of this DVD burner pertains to rewriting to a CD or burning a DVD using the DVD-R Dual Layer format. This burner only allows you to burn this type of disk at 4x instead of 8x. Every other type of media that you might be interested in using with this burner will perform much faster.

We contacted the support department for Lite-On on a Monday morning and we did not receive a response until Thursday of that week. Moreover, the response we received was general information that we already read on their website, they did not give us a specific answer. Since email is the only way to contact Lite-On, you are pretty much on your own, unless you can find answers in the FAQs.

By and large, the Lite-On SHW-1635SX external DVD burner performs most of the functions that you would be looking for in a DVD burner. However, Lite-On could use a little work on their customer service.