LG or Sony BR burner?

[hdtvnut]

Am a newbie with HD. Last summer I bought this system:

Dell 530 w/Q6600, ATI 2600XT, RAID drive for video, Firewire card, 1920 x 1080 monitor

Windows XP

Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9.0 (build 55)

HD source: Canon HV30

I have been able to download HDV from tape, edit, and make a second tape.
Now I'd like to burn BD-R disks compatible with most or all players. Have been watching price on the BWU-300S for some months, but it doesn't seem to be coming down. But have also read that the GGW-H20LK, at half the price, has been doing well for people.

What opinions can you give whether the LG would be a safe buy? Is there another drive I should consider?

Also: what SW should I add to view fullscreen HD from disk, tape, BD drive, etc. or to aid in editing? I see Nero and PowerDVD mentioned frequently.
If I understand correctly, my Vegas Plat 9.0 can burn BD's OK.

Thanks

Hal