16X DVD ROM Drive. Let me guess this one won't do it all either? IF not what kind to get it is for a OptiPlex Desktop Intel Pentium 4 Processor 640 with HT...By the way what is the HT for?
Thanks for answers on this one too.

The only part of your question I actually understand is the part about what HT stands for. HT (when talking about an Intel CPU) means Hyper Threading. For a description of hyper threading read here

I was wanting to know "what" type of dvd cr rom driver I need that will do everything?

I believe the NEC ND-3550A is what you're looking for.

What is 'everything'? You want to be able to read everything? your drive will, except HD-DVD and BD-Rom/Blu-Ray.

You want to be able to write 'everything'? Well the one the last guy posted will except DVD-R DL, DVD-RAM, HD-DVD(R?), BD-RAM, etc..... these things are rare and/or expensive but you said 'everything'

What are you trying to do? Just copy DVDs? You need to be more specific!

When making the suggestion I did in my last post, I tried to come as close to "everything" as possible. There is no optical drive which will read and write everything..... but you're right, the OP does need to be more specific.

I want to be able to convert some MPG movies to ones that will be able to view on our cheapy model dvd player in our living room which came from walmart's. They only read certain ones. Not sure exactly which kind but think they are as long as they say VD movie on them it will play them. Also be able to take my photos and put them on a CD for later viewing with any type of machine.
Hope this is a little more clear. Not to exspensive just to do what I've stated above.
Thanks again for all the answers you have been giving me.

The NEC Burner I suggested will be able to burn + and - R, RW and DL (Dual Layer) disks. All you have to do is find out which format your living room DVD player can read.

most DVD players can read DVD-R, DVD+R or both. Because your cheap it might only read one. If you can find the specs online for it andffind out if it will read +or-, then you know what kind of media (blank disks) to buy. If you dont you dont need a dual layer drive, you just need a DVD burner

go to newegg.com, and buy the cheapest DVD burner you can find. itwill be under computer hardware/ optical drives

Sorry, didnt mean you were wrong at all, that did seem like what he was probably looking for, I was probably just being awkward

Yeah, any standard burner these days will be ok for that, it would be more an issue of software than the hardware, and how you set it up.

May I suggest AVI2DVD for converting them, its about as simple as these things get

Most .avi and .mpeg ummm.... 'completely legal freeware films' that you download are set up to fit onto a VCD/SVCD (around 700mb). All DVD players will read CD-Rs, so as a test I'd try burning an SVCD first, the software above will do that as well as DVD

The difference between a burner that can burn DL disks, and one that can't, is marginal. Just get one that can burn DL and and then never worry about it.