Defective Samsung Writemaster DVD RW

I bought a Samsung Writemaster (SHL-183) for a computer I put built over the summer. It has never burned a cd or dvd correctly. I worried at first that maybe it was an issue with using Ubuntu but after further testing it became clear that the drive was defective. I plan to return it for repair or replacement soon, though I've not heard particularly good things about Samsung's RMA process. My last DVD burner was a Benq and I'm starting to wish I had just kept it because it was the best burner I've ever owned. Benq and Lite On merged in 2006 so I think I may choose Lite On optical drives in the future.