Need an indestructible DVD drive! This is the fourth one I've been through. Argh!

I don't understand it (Warning: grammar [but not spelling] out the window beyond this point).

I've spent over a hundred dollars on recommendations from my tech savvy friends and within a few months, the drives always crap out. It'll play movies crappily (both sound and picture are choppy, that is, when it wants to work) and the burner won't burn anything altogether. The problem can't be with PowerDVD, Real Player, VLC, Winamp, or Windows Media Player Classic as they can play other files and CDs on my computer just fine. It can't be viruses, trojans or spyware because I've done full scans (in both safe and normal modes) and have come up clean with a-squared, AVG, AntiVir, HijackThis!, Prevx, and Spybot. I've felt the DVD itself and it isn't the least bit hot. Overheating is out of the equation since my computer is on cold cock, tile (I know, I know, blatant misuse of the phrase). It can't be outdated drivers as I'm a stickler for keeping everything up to date. The blood vessels in my eyes are about to burst from strain as I've spent way too much time staring blankly at my monitor, trying to blindly fix this over the past couple of months. I don't want to spend anymore money. I'm absolutely frustrated. I'm at a loss for what to do. ****... just ****...:cry

 

Problems with dvd writers abound, and I have found that most problems are through writing programs.
But, first I would check/change the IDE cable, in case.
Then I would uninstall the writing software, and do a fresh writing software installation.
Let us know how you get on, or, if you have done that.