Best external DVD burner?

I have the basic Macbook with the combo drive, and I'm considering getting an external DVD burner so that I can actually burn DVDs (which I didn't think I'd be doing originally, which is why I got the baseline Macbook...oh well) and to use for watching movies while at home to save wear and tear on my internal drive.
I've heard a couple different things, that every external will work, that only some will, that the Sony burners work, that others don't... I know PC hardware backwards and forwards (used PCs for decades...but I'm much better now ) but as I'm new to Macs I want to make sure I do this right the first time. Can I get any old burner and stuff it in an external enclosure? Does it have to be FireWire, or is USB okay?
Thanks in advance!!

Hi,
It is an, "old," drive because it is a few years old, but I am using a Sony DRU-120A 5.25 inch half-height dive in an ADS brand firewire enclosure. Each item was about $40. Insstalling the drive in the enclosure was about a five minute task: snsp on the cables and install total of six screws. No special software is required with Tiger 10.4.8 and newer.
The ADS enclosure is cool because it is translucent aqua plastic and complements the Apple design ethos. The ADS enclosure is exactly the same footprint as an even older Sony USB burner I have, and even the little rubbery stacking feet mesh between the ADS and Sony box. I'd hazard a guess that ADS was the OEM supplier for Sony back then.
-Bill

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