Disposable Optical Drives?

What is with the quality and longevity of optical drives? I have worked with mostly Lite-On (Plextor) DVD-writers and recorders, but also Sony/NEC. My Lite-On DVD writers worked well for up to 16 months then are no longer recognizable. Same problem with Lite-On set top recorders. By doing research on multiple sites, I found the same complaint for LG, Samsung drives. Doesn't anyone make quality drives anymore (cost does not equal better quality)?

Here's what I typically experience. After successfully using Lite-On DVD/CD write drives for months, they suddenly start to not recognize blank disks (both high end and cheap) on occasion. Later the tray drawer won't respond to opening commands or button (occasionally). Eventually, the drives aren't recognized in the BIOS, then recognized but drop out of Windows, then permanently not recognized in BIOS or Windows. Nothing else changes in hardware or software. I run these drives on the PATA/IDE chain, but research shows other users see the same issue on the SATA controller. The very same issues occurred on my Lite-On DVD recorder for the TV after 12 months. In on-line forums, users complain of the same issue for LG, Samsung and Plextor drives so it isn't manufacturer specific. My two Sony DVD-RW's showed the same problems. The drives just fail in any number of systems running all versions of WinXP, VISTA regardless of over-use or under-use.

It appears that optical storage drives have achieved a point where read/write speeds are splitting hairs with minimal gains, yet performance of the drives is no different in the $20 drive or the $300 drive. All seem to have a disposable lifespan of about 12 to 20 months (or less). I read (in this forum) about the advice of which drives a newcomer should purchase. Amusingly, the preference is only related to personal taste and not price or quality. Does anyone else experience the conditions of drive failure (low MTBF) for opticals? Are we reduced to replacing optical storage drives every 3 Web years on average? OR has someone discovered the cause of these drives spontaneously degrading?