External enclosure for internal DVD burner: fan necessary? TDK OK?Firewire worth it?

I have an extra 5.25" Pioneer internal DVD burner I want to put to use
and am looking at external enclosures for it, preferably with Firewire
connections. My main question is, are fans necessary? I could
understand for an external harddrive, but some posts elsewhere imply
that heat can be a problem with burners too.

Does anyone have experience with the supercheap TDK enclosures, that
go for under $20? Obviously they're partly plastic (though not
entirely, as opposed to the Galaxy cases from what I've heard) but
they look pretty sturdy. Macally makes a gorgeous aluminum enclosure
for $45, and I understand metal cases dissipate heat better.

So, is a fan advisable? For infrequent DVD burning, is a cheap
enclosure OK or just wasted money? Should I stick to a Firewire
connection for greater speed?

Thanks.

 

I have an extra 5.25" Pioneer internal DVD burner I want to put to use

Most burners give out quite a bit of heat off the bottom when they are
being used.

Nowhere near as well as if the case didn't retain the heat in the
first place. Kind of common sense, when you think about it.

Not unless you're deaf or work in a noisy environment.

Firewire might be recognized by the system more reliably. My external
USB2 drive is hit and miss. Frequently I have to disconnect the usb
cable then reconnect it for it to be "seen". I don't know if firewire
helps this situation or not. Perhaps others could comment on that.

You're not going to pay a lot more for a firewire plug on it.

Get one with a removable top and bottom cover or drill or punch a lot
of holes in it. Problem solved. Just say no to unnecessary fans.

 

Thanks, excellent ideas. My computer setup was never pretty, so I
don't care if the external burner looks good. The TDK does have
removable top and bottom covers, so I'll go with it for $14 plus
shipping on Ebay.

 

You'll be fine. Use the same principles to keep an external hard
drive cool as well.