Secrets of choosing a CD-ROM for a computer. Connecting the CD-RW drive First of all, the order

IntroductionModern trends in the optical storage market are such that CD-RW drives are slowly and steadily taking up space in computers, which was reserved by conventional CD-ROM drives a few years ago. The constant decline in prices for products of this kind has led to the fact that more and more buyers prefer to see CD-RW drives as the "initial" optical device in their new computer. Indeed, the difference in price is 15-20 USD. in most cases, it is not critical for the wallet compared to the ability to expand the capacity of stored information by burning CDs. Probably, one can allow one to express a seditious thought - optical drives, designed only to work with ordinary CDs, have come to the apotheosis of their development. Their future looks increasingly bleak in light of the rapidly improving DVD burner and declining cost.
Before it's too late, and testing of CD-RW drives has not yet lost its relevance, we decided to bring to your attention a review of nine similar models, which for various reasons have not been consecrated by us before. All drives considered in this article have an internal design, an ATA interface and are in the price range from 31 to 45 USD.



ASUS CRW-5232AS

Test Methodology

Nero CD-DVD Speed ​​version 2.11;
Nero Info Tool version 2.07;
Nero Burning Rom version 5.5.10.35;
Nero CD DAE version 0.4B;
Nic Wilson Pro versions 2.28;
SlySoft CloneCD version 4.3.1.9;
Andre Wiethoff Exact Audio Copy (EAC) version 0.95 prebeta 3;
Ziff Davis Media CD WinBench 99.

Motherboard - Albatron PX865PE Pro;
Central processor - Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz;
Hard disk - IBM DTLA-307015 15 GB;
Graphics adapter - Radeon 7000 32 MB;
RAM - 256 MB;
The operating system is Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 and DirectX 9.0b installed.

Information and diagnostic utilities

CD WinBench 99

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Basic Tests

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

CD-ROM



CD-R, 800 MB



CD-R



CD-RW



CD-DA

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Write Transfer Rate

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Digitex 40X



Fujifilm 52X



TDK48X



TDK40X

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Overburning Test

Nero CD-DVD Speed: CD Quality Check

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Advanced DAE Quality Test

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Advanced DAE Error Correction Test

Exact Audio Copy

Nero CD DAE

CloneCD

Nero Burning Rom

Summarizing

nice design

complete set
reduced hull length

not found

good potential for using the drive in overburning mode

not the most the best choice to get high quality audio copies
poor work with discs that have mechanical damage to the working surface

high speed characteristics
support for Mount Rainier technology

not the best choice for quality audio copies
poor work with discs that have mechanical damage to the working surface

support for Mount Rainier technology
confident work with media with mechanical damage to the working surface

no headphone output

a good choice for quality audio copies
support for Mount Rainier technology

slow rewriting speed today
low “quality score” when reading a CD with damage to the working surface.

high speed characteristics
great potential for using the drive in overburning mode

poor choice for accurate audio copies
slow in practice with some media

High rewriting speed

inability to work with C2 Errors
not the best choice for accurate audio copies
slow in practice with some media

high speed characteristics

reduced hull length

confident work with all types of media
support for Mount Rainier technology
ability to default to low speed operation to reduce noise

no obvious flaws

a good choice for accurate audio copies
high-quality reading of media with a damaged working surface
confident work with almost all types of media
support for Mount Rainier technology

"Hard Tray"

How to choose a DVD drive for your computer

It is difficult to dispute the fact that DVD-carriers are slowly but surely disappearing into oblivion. They repeat the fate of their predecessors - floppy disks and CDs. No "revolutionary" solutions, such as the release of two-layer or two-sided DVDs, could radically change the situation, and the market digital media goes into the hands of manufacturers of flash memory and Blu-ray discs in small batches. However, the DVD format is still the most popular format in the distribution of movies, software, games and music (together with CDs), so the DVD drive is still considered an integral part of the personal computer.

Let's start, as usual, with the basics. "Scientifically" a DVD drive is an optical drive, a device designed to read and write data from digital media, which, in particular, include CD-R discs, CD-RW, DVD-/+R and DVD-/+RW. Many people still remember the days when a "burning" DVD drive was more of a luxury than a necessity. Today, it is almost impossible to find a simply “reading” drive for sale, and there is no particular need for this. Even if you rarely or never use this function (recording), it has practically no effect on the final price, so it makes no sense to purchase a regular DVD drive or even a CD-ROM burner. Unless you collect them.

If you buy a computer from scratch, then by default an internal (packed in the system unit) DVD drive is included in the package. This applies to both stationary PCs and laptops with netbooks, although the latter are equipped with their own, thinner and more expensive models of drives. The need for a separate purchase of a DVD drive can arise for only two reasons. Either your drive failed for some reason (there can be many reasons - from factory defects to carelessness when operating the device), or this model does not suit you for some parameters (noise, speed, design, compatibility), but find out this was possible only in the process of working with the drive.

Drive speed and main media formats

The question is, what could be wrong with this or that drive? The main parameter that is allegedly worth paying attention to is the speed of reading and writing. For in fact, you can feel this speed only if you are going to read or write discs on a truly industrial scale. It is also worth deciding what media you will most often “feed” the device, because the same CDs are read much slower (more than 9 times) than DVDs. It is logical to assume that if most of the information on the market today is sold on DVD media, then you will mainly shove discs of this format into the drive.

The drive speed is indicated in 1x, where 1 corresponds to 150 Kb/s for CD-ROM and 1.385 Mb/s for DVD-ROM. The maximum volume of a standard CD, on which music albums and small ones are most often found on sale computer games(as well as databases and software) is 700 MB. By today's standards, the size is ridiculous, but quite sufficient for recording a dozen uncompressed music tracks, text files, programs or a disk with corporate information (catalogs, price lists, instructions, etc.). Theoretically, the CD reading speed is limited to 56x, but in practice this figure does not exceed 40x, because the faster the disc rotates in the drive, the more noise it creates during operation.

If you often and enjoy writing discs CD-R (single use) and CD-RW (rewritable), then your ability to read these media will be limited to 40x and 48x, or even 24x (for CD-RW). As far as recording is concerned, by default the drive will operate at the highest possible speed, which can be manually changed to a lower speed. 700 megabytes is usually filled within five minutes.

Now let's turn directly to DVD discs, which you will encounter most often, both in the process of reading and in the process of burning. We remind you that data exchange with DVD-media can be carried out only through a DVD-drive, a regular CD-ROM will not cope with this function by definition.

To date, the following DVD discs are distinguished. This is primarily the most common DVD-ROM, which is the basis for film products, games, software and other data produced and sold commercially. Recording to DVD-ROM at home is not possible, only reading. DVD-ROMs are single-layer and double-layer, with a capacity of 4.7 and 8.5 GB, respectively.

The most common disc format that you will encounter are DVD-R and DVD+R disposable discs, which are most often used to store "heavy" information like video and software. Why plus and minus? It's simple, minus discs appeared a little earlier at the suggestion of the well-known company Pioneer, while "plus" technologies belong to Sony and Phillips. The difference lies in the presence of special markings that facilitate the positioning of the drive head, and the use of a different reflective material. At first, these differences were critical for the quality of rewriting (of course, for DVD-RW and DVD + RW discs), but today most drive models can easily cope with any version.

The maximum speed of reading and writing to DVD-R and DVD+R discs is, depending on the drive model and the quality of the disc, from 8x to 24x, which, when fully loaded with data, will be approximately from 4 to 8 minutes. There are also two-layer disposable discs with the prefix DL (dual layer) in the name, with a capacity of 8.5 GB. However, the write speed for these "giants" is no more than 12x.

In terms of rewritable media, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM are distinguished. You have probably already come across the first two: 4.7 GB discs with a maximum write speed of 8x. As for DVD-RAM, which can be recorded simultaneously with the process of reading data, their mass use is limited due to prohibitive cost.

What else do you need to know about DVD drive speed? Given the fact that this device parameter directly depends on the media used in it, it is not advisable to strive to buy the fastest drive. Blanks that support high write and read speeds are expensive and are not sold everywhere. Remember that discs are extremely fragile media, subject to scratches, chips, and other physical surface deformations. At a high rotational speed, such interference can lead to the destruction of the disk, which simply shatters into fragments and can cause irreparable damage to the drive. As they say, you go quieter - you will continue.

Disk drive connection features and sales packaging

Probably everyone has seen the usual internal drive. Rectangle (148x42x198 mm) without unnecessary design frills weighing under a kilogram. There are also shortened versions (for compact cases) with a length of up to 170 mm and lightweight ones up to 750 grams. The most elegant are, of course, DVD drives for laptops - square in size (130x130 mm) with a thickness of only 13 mm and a weight of 120 grams. Nevertheless, these devices are very expensive and capricious in terms of installation, which is best left to professionals.

The appearance of a DVD drive for a laptop

The DVD drive, being an internal device, is connected via a cable to the computer's motherboard, and therefore there are two types of connection - via a parallel IDE interface or a serial SATA interface. IDE is now being replaced by more advanced SATA everywhere, so when buying a drive separately, you should check with the insides of your computer, or rather, with the connectors on the motherboard, so as not to get into a mess. Newer board models most likely already work with SATA, so you can safely purchase the appropriate drive. What is the advantage? Theoretically - in speed. But in practice, you probably won't notice the difference.

Regarding the packaging. The fact that used drives are not worth buying is, I hope, clear without further ado, because all computer components have their own limited resource. The store will offer you two options: OEM and Retail. OEM - complete set "for the poor", which includes a plastic bag plus a disk with installation software. As part of the Retail kit, in addition to the drive itself, you will find wires (cable), bolts, blank discs, and if the manufacturer is generous, then an audio cable, and even replaceable panels. Naturally, the second option will cost you a little more than "polyethylene".

Manufacturers and prices

It's no secret that in the niche of DVD drives, the brand or trademark often becomes the determining factor in choosing one or another device. In the system unit, there are a lot of all sorts of elements, ranging from the motherboard, video card and ending with the power supply and, in fact, the system unit itself. But all these components, as a rule, are impersonal, because not everyone will think of going inside to look at the manufacturer of a sound or motherboard. Many, not too advanced, users are more focused on specific parameters, and not on the names of firms. With DVD drives it is different, they are just “faced” to the consumer, proudly decorating the system unit with an inscription like NEC, Sony or Plextor.

There is always a lot of subjectivity in the selection of a particular brand, because few people have to test drives from different manufacturers at home. Usually we become attached to the soul of a particular model, after which we don’t want to hear about changing it to something else. Nevertheless, there are a lot of players in this market, which we will talk about at the end of the article.

DVD-ROM by Plextor

If you have to deal with the recording process often and a lot, then there are actually two options. Either constantly change cheap devices, or occasionally face the need to purchase expensive models. For both, the resource is a parameter with a finite value. If you are more satisfied with the second option, then pay attention to the quality of the company Plextor, whose devices are distinguished by high reliability and performance. The cost of Plextor drives is not the only, but the most significant reason why only the elite can afford to communicate with this brand (from 5,000 rubles and more).

Approximately the same situation with the products of American companies Dell and Hewlett Packard (HP). Good, even remarkable quality, high speeds, reliability, but the price in the region of 4000-5000 rubles will not please everyone. Moreover, their products are rarely seen on store shelves, and the same Dell prefer to specialize in ultra-thin models for laptops.

Actuators produced with a label ASUS and Sony Optiarc (since 2006, the official merger of two companies - Sony and NEC)- strong middle peasants. At a cost of around 1000 rubles, they demonstrate high quality recordings, and discs created using these drives can be read without problems by devices from other manufacturers, as well as by many DVD players. Not noisy, stylish, practical - the best value for money.

Sony Optiarc DVD-RW Drive

Drives from Samsung, Toshiba and Pioneer are considered the most capricious in terms of the quality of discs. LG and Lite-On drives handle scratched media better than others. Of course, these conclusions were made during the testing process. specific models, which, as you know, can be both successful and not very successful. In other words, you might be extremely lucky and your Samsung DVD drive will be omnivorous and tireless, while the ASUS drive, highly praised by the "experts", will stumble at every turn.

In any case, when buying a DVD drive, pay attention to three things: the bundle (OEM or Retail), the connection method (IDE or SATA) and speed characteristics. Well, the design, of course, because the black NEC sticking out on the white body will be striking. Each brand has its advantages and disadvantages, however, in this market, if we are not talking about elite models of semi-professional quality, the main and determining factor is still the price of the device, which for the vast majority of DVD drives varies from 600 to 1500 rubles.

An optical drive is a data storage device with an optical read and write principle. The optical drive uses flat multilayer discs with a diameter of 8 or 12 mm as media. Among the "optics" there are several main types of these devices: CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, CD-RW-DVD, DVD-RW. These are far from all the listed types of optical drives, there is also Blu-ray and so on, however, we do not set ourselves the goal of telling about all devices of this type, but we only want to touch on the main ones that are on the market and are relevant and not very relevant. to date. Again, it is pointless to touch on the topic of Blu-ray, etc., there is a huge amount of information on the Internet dedicated to this type of device. In addition, Blu-ray drives are quite expensive today and are not in great demand. When these optical drives become available to the average consumer, we will certainly consider them as a potential purchase option.

We want to start our story with a story about the types of optical drives.

Types of optical drives

CD-ROM

The simplest of the devices of this type. This drive can only read regular CDs. The speed of most "modern" CD-ROMs reaches 52x, less often the maximum for this type of device is 56x. We'll talk more about speed below. To date CD-ROM drive obsolete and of interest in the most exceptional cases. Take, for example, the same office and a limited budget. Even here, CD-ROM is hard to fit somehow. Usually, offices have a local network, and it is more than realistic to buy one DVD-ROM drive for one of the personal computers. There is no attraction in CD-ROMs, CDs are not much cheaper than regular DVDs, and their capacity is much less.

CD-RW

The next stage in the development of optical drives. CD-RW allows not only to read information from ordinary CDs, but also to write it to CD-R and CD-RW matrices. The relevance of CD-RW is also a big question, only the office - and then in exceptional cases.

DVD-ROM

Another stage in the evolution of optical drives - now you have a device that can read not only ordinary CDs, but also DVDs. The speed formula of the device is as follows: 16x for DVD and 52x for CD. The prospect of buying a DVD-ROM is much more rosy compared to its progenitor in the form of a CD-ROM: use cases are obvious this device to download any information or software from DVD and CD media.

DVD-CD-RW Combo

The so-called Combo drive, which combines the functions of such devices as DVD-ROM and CD-RW and, accordingly, can write CD-R and CD-RW discs, read both regular CDs and DVDs.

Some time ago DVD-CD-RW was the most popular optical drive, but its prospects are doubtful. These devices are practically not produced, although there is a very small supply on the market. We see some prospect of using DVD-CD-RW in an office or educational institution, when you need to burn CD-R and CD-RW discs and load information from CD and DVD media, but the budget is very limited, and you want to save at least a small amount of money.

DVD-RW

DVD-RW is the undoubted market leader in optical drives today. These devices are the most popular in the Russian information technology market. DVD-RW allows you not only to read CD / DVD discs, but also to write both ordinary CD-R / CD-RW media, and much more capacious DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD + R / DVD + RW. And in the case of the Super-Multi-drive, DVD-RAM will also be added to support a significant list of formats.

The prospect and relevance of this type of devices are beyond doubt. For a price of about 40-55 USD, you get an optical drive that has sufficient functionality for most consumers. Without DVD-RW it is difficult to imagine a modern home personal computer.

DVD-RW in terms of format support, features and price is the most attractive device to date. If you are going to buy an optical drive, then it should definitely be DVD-RW.

From the type we are smoothly moving to the form factor of optical drives.

Form factor

Optical drives are available in several form factors. On the Russian market, you can find these devices both in internal and external versions.

The most common are internal drives, which are installed in the 5.25-inch bay of a conventional desktop case. Such devices are the most popular and demanded by the market at the moment.

5.25" DVD-RW drive

5.25" DVD-RW drive

Among such devices, two so-called subtypes can be distinguished, which are characterized by the possibility of loading: tray and slot. In the first case, the CD is placed in the output tray; in the second, it is simply thrust into the slot, and the device takes it away.

There are on sale and optical drives designed for laptops. Their form factor can also be described as internal, but they are made in the so-called Slim-version, which, in general, is not surprising, given the size of modern mobile personal computers.

Notebook DVD-RW drive

Notebook DVD-RW drive

As in the case of 5.25-inch devices, "Slim-optics" has several options for loading media into the drive: slot and tray. The principle is the same, it is only necessary to make a reservation that the tray in Slim-drives does not leave automatically, but only opens a little and is subsequently pulled out manually.

Interface

Interface

Internal drives are equipped with two interfaces: Parallel ATA and Serial ATA. If you have enough Serial ATA ports, you can buy an appropriate optical drive, but you won't notice much of a performance difference. Nevertheless, there are nice bonuses in the case of using a serial interface: a thin Serial ATA cable is more convenient to fit in a case than 40- or 80-wire IDE analogs, and the prospect of an upgrade is not scary: it’s very unpleasant that one fine day, having changed system board, you will have to buy a new drive. There is a clear trend towards fewer IDE connectors in modern motherboards, chipset manufacturers no longer support Parallel ATA, this is done by motherboard manufacturers themselves, equipping their products with third-party chips.

In addition to internal optical drives, there are external ones. These devices are connected to a personal computer via a USB or FireWire interface. The design of such devices is quite diverse - there are large, angular models in the "square-practical-gut" style with an external power supply that require additional power from the network, there are also very stylish Slim models that can work without additional power, being content with the fact that is in USB 2.0.

Slim model DVD-RW drive

Slim model DVD-RW drive

The market share of external optical drives is small. As a rule, these devices are used in conjunction with single-spindle laptops, in which there is no drive at all. However, it is worth mentioning that there are few such laptops.

Having considered the types and form factors of optical drives, it is worth talking a little about formats.

A little about formats and speed

You may have already noticed that the read / write speed of optical drives is measured in the so-called x: 1x, 16x, 48x. It is worth bringing a little clarity and linking the so-called x to a more specific parameter that measures speed. So, for ordinary CD media, the speed of one X is 150 kb / s, and for DVDs, this parameter is already 1.385 MB / s. One more feature can be noted in reading CDs and DVDs. So, the latter rotate at a speed three times faster than the reading speed of conventional CD-carriers. Having resorted to arithmetic, it is easy to see that 16x for DVD is similar to 48x for CD.

We have more or less figured out the speed, now let's look at the main formats that modern optical drives read / write.

CD- the most common pressed CDs that are used exclusively for reading. Music, software and other information - all these CDs you could repeatedly see in various stores. The maximum capacity of this media type is 700 MB. Speed ​​characteristics range from 40x to 56x. It is worth noting that for most CDs this parameter is 40x, 40x and a little; 52x and 56x are rare. At such high speeds, optical drives simply howl, especially if the media itself is of poor quality.

CD-R- CDs for one-time recording of information. In terms of speed characteristics for the reading parameter, they are similar to CD-brothers. As for recording, the maximum speed at which a standard 700 MB CD-R can be recorded is about 40x and 48x, in practice it is 3-4 minutes. Intermediate speeds are also available. That is, if your optical drive does not support such high recording speeds or you yourself for some reason do not want to record matrices at the maximum possible x, you can limit yourself to 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32x.

CD-RW-rewritable CDs with a resource of about 1000 times. The capacity is the same as that of CD and CD-R, but the reading speed is slightly lower: most media are read at 32x and 24x. CD-RWs are clearly tied to a specific write/rewrite speed: CD-RW (1-4x), Hi-Speed ​​CD-RW (4-12x), Ultra Hi-Speed ​​CD-RW (12-24x) and Ultra Hi-Speed+ CD-RW (24-32x). As you can see, there is no CD-R speed flexibility here, but do not be upset about this, modern optical drives support maximum write/rewrite speeds for CD-RW and are backwards compatible with slower matrices.

DVD-ROM- Stamped DVDs. Such media can be found in any video store that sells films. On sale there are both single-layer and double-layer media, which differ in capacity: 4.7 GB (single layer) and 8.5 GB (double layer). The maximum reading speed is 16x.

DVD-R and DVD+R- DVD-matrix for one-time recording of information with a capacity of 4.7 GB. In terms of reading speed, such CDs are similar to stamped counterparts, 16x is the maximum, if the optical drive is old, then it can read DVD-R and DVD + R at lower speeds: 8x, 10x. There are practically no differences between plus-discs and minus-disks, these designations have remained since the format war, today it is all irrelevant, and modern optical drives support both plus and minus discs.

The maximum recording speed of the media data is about 16x, which corresponds to a time period of 6.5 minutes. However, the speed flexibility of CD-R is inherent in both DVD-R and DVD+R, so you can burn these discs at speeds below the maximum 16x: 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x.

DVD-R DL and DVD+R DL– These CDs are similar to DVD-R and DVD+R, but have two layers instead of one, and as a result, their capacity is about 8.5 GB. In terms of read and write speeds, they are largely inferior to their single-layer progenitors: reading is 8x, and in most cases it is 4-6x, writing is 8x for DVD+R DL and 4x for DVD-R DL.

View from below on the reading head of the drive model NEC1100A

We are primarily interested in small trimming resistors mounted directly on the head. These resistors regulate the current through the laser diode and by changing their value, it is possible to change the brightness of the laser radiation within certain limits. In the figure, they are circled and marked with numbers 1 and 2.

The location of these controls different models drives can vary greatly. For example, this photo shows the optical head of a newer drive:

You need to take a thin screwdriver and add a little brightness to the desired laser. You can find the right regulator by experience. Let's assume that our drive reads CDs well and reads DVDs very badly. We take a marker and make notes on the resistors to remember the position of the engine, which was made at the factory when setting up the head. Then, one of the resistors, for example number 1, is unscrewed to the extreme position counterclockwise. We assemble the drive and check the reading of CDs and DVDs. To do this, it is convenient to use the program Nero CD-DVD Speed. If the reading of CDs, which were previously well read, has deteriorated sharply, then we have turned the laser regulator responsible for reading this format. We return the resistor engine to its previous position. If the quality of reading CD discs has not changed, then we guessed the DVD laser brightness control.

After we have found the desired regulator, we turn it about 5 - 10 degrees clockwise relative to the position that was set at the factory and which we marked with a marker. We assemble the drive again and check the readability of the DVD disc. If it doesn’t help, we twist the resistor still, in the end, achieving best quality reading.

Bitsetting

The Bitsetting function allows you to change the bit responsible for the media type (ROM, -R, +R), the so-called Book Type. This bit is located in the Lead-in area of ​​the disk and can take one of three values. But you can change it only if DVD+R discs are used, because DVD-R has it by default. If you want the disc to be guaranteed to be read on any even the most ancient player, you need to set the Book Type to DVD-ROM. It is recommended to set Book Type for double-layer (DVD+R9 DL) discs as well. otherwise, they may well not be read even on the most modern DVD players.

Lite-On IT DVD Drive - SOSW-833SX

Specifications of SOSW-833SX:

Interface - USB 2.0

The maximum recording speed of DVD±R discs is 8x;

The maximum recording speed of DVD±RW discs is 4x;

The maximum recording speed for DVD±R DL discs is 2.4x;

The maximum write speed for DVD-RAM discs is 5x;

The maximum recording speed of CD-RW discs is 24x;

The maximum recording speed of CD-R discs is 24x;

Buffer size - 2 MB

Slim form factor

Weight - 362 gr.

DVD burner DRW-1608P2S with support for recording on dual-layer media:

Lite-On IT releases LightScribe drive with 8X DVD+R DL recording.

Features of SHW-16H5S:

• Interface: ATAPI/E-IDE
• Support DVD+R / DVD+RW / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R9 / DVD-R9 / DVD-ROM / CD-R / CD-RW / CD-ROM
• Recording to DVD+ / - R9
• Buffer underrun protection technology SMART-BURN
• CD-DA/VCD/DVD SMART-X Speed ​​Adjustment Technology
• Noise and vibration suppression system for writing and reading VAS
• Support for Fixed Packet, Variable Packet, TAO, SAO, DAO, Raw Mode Burning & Over-Burn recording modes
• DVD Reading: DVD Single/Dual Layer (PTP/OTP), DVD-R (3.9GB/4.7GB), DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+R Multisession, DVD-RW and DVD+RW
• CD Reading: CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM/XA, Photo-CD, Multisession, Karaoke-CD, Video-CD, CD-I FMV, CD Extra, CD Plus, CD-R and CD-RW
• Support 80 and 120mm CD and DVD
• Communication modes: PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2 and Ultra DMA mode 4
• Lightscribe Support

ASUS CB-5216A1T: SATA DVD/CD-RW drive

The CB-5216A1T supports ASUS FlextraLink, FlextraSpeed ​​and DDSS II proprietary technologies.

FlextraLink technology prevents buffer underrun errors and disc corruption while FlextraSpeed ​​is designed to increase accuracy and reliability when reading/writing/overwriting media different formats. In turn, the DDSS II Dual Dynamic Suspension System is designed to minimize vibration caused by the optical drive's spindle motor and resonance between the drive and the computer case by stabilizing both vertically and horizontally.

Specifications ASUS CB-5216A1T:

• CD-R Write Speed: 52X
• CD-RW rewriting speed: 32X
• CD-ROM reading speed: 52X
• DVD reading speed: 16X
• FlextraLink Technology
• FlextraSpeed ​​technology
• DDSS II
• AI Auto Speed ​​Adjustment Technology
• Support for accelerated decoding of music CDs (max. speed - 52X) and Video CD
• Mt support. Rainier
• Support for DAO-RAW, TAO, DAO, SAO, Multi-Session, Packet Write and Overburn
• Support for CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, Photo CD, Mixed Mode CD-ROM, CD-I, CD-Extra, CD Text, Video CD, DVCD and Bootable CD
• Vertical and horizontal installation possible
• SATA interface

Hitachi GSA-4166B

Hitachi introduced the drive - GSA-4166B supports all formats, including DVD-RAM.

The main characteristics of the device:

• Super Multi Drive supporting 5x DVD-RAM and 16x DVD±R recording
• Compatible with dual-layer ±R discs
• Speed ​​formula: 16x/6x/5x/16x/8x (DVD-R/RW/RAM/+R/+RW)
• Support for LightScribe technology
• Buffer size - 2 Mb
• Media loading - horizontal, automated
• Interface: IDE/ATAPI/Ultra DMA66
• Power supply: 12V/5V
• Supported OS: Win9X,\Win2K,XP, Media Center Edition

• DVD-R: SL 2x, 4x CLV, 8x ZCLV, 12x PCAV, 16x CAV, DL 2x, 4x CLV
• DVD-RW: 2x, 4x CLV, 6x ZCLV
• DVD-RAM: 2x, 3x, 5x CLV (Ver.2.2)
• DVD+R: SL 2.4x, 4x CLV, 8x ZCLV, 12x PCAV, 16x CAV, DL 2.4x, 4x CLV, 6x ZCLV
• DVD+RW: 2.4x, 4x CLV, 8x ZCLV
• CD-R: 10x, 16x CLV, 24x ZCLV, 32x, 40x, 48x CAV
• CD-RW: 4x, 10x, 16x CLV, 24x, 32x ZCLV

• DVD-R/RW/ROM: 10x/8x/16x max.
• DVD-RAM (Ver.1.0/2.1) : 2x, 3x, 5x CLV
• DVD+R/+RW: SL - 10x max., DL - 8x max./8x max.
• CD-R/RW/ROM: 48x max/32x/48x max

Transfer rate:

• DVD-ROM: 22.16 Mbps
• CD-ROM: 6 Mb/s.

Data access time:

• DVD-ROM: 145ms
• CD-ROM: 120ms

Supported formats (media) and recording methods:

• DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R (SL, DL)/RW, CD-R/RW
• DVD-RAM/+RW: random (any) recording
• DVD-R: Disk-at-once, incremental recording
• DVD-R DL: Sequential Recording
• DVD-RW: Disk-at-once, incremental recording
• DVD+R, +R DL: sequential recording
• CD-R/RW: Disk-at-once, Session-at-once, Track-at-once, Packet Write

Reading discs (formats):

• DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R(SL,DL), DVD-RW, DVD+R(SL,DL), DVD+RW; CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-DA, CD-I, CD-Extra, CD-Text, Photo CD, Video CD

* SL - single layer (single layer disc), DL - double layer.

Buffalo DVSM-X516FBS and DVSM-X516IU2

Buffalo launches two new DVD drives.

For installation inside, it comes with a SATA-ATAPI adapter and supports both standards. Dimensions: 146 x 170 x 42 mm, and the weight of the product is 760 g. When connected via serial ATA, the DVSM-X516FBS model is only compatible with Win2K/XP.

The external drive DVSM-X516IU2 has IEEE 1394/USB 2.0 interface connectors. Its dimensions are 160 x 279 x 55 mm, weight 1.8 kg. Fully compatible with Win98 SE/Me/2K/XP and WinXP Media Center Edition 2005.

Both models are based on Hitachi DVD super multiple drive GSA-4167B. They provide the following data write speeds: DVD+R DL 6x, DVD-R DL 4x, DVD±R (1-layer) 16x, DVD-RAM 5x, DVD+RW 8x and DVD-RW 6x. Matrix CD-Rs are written at 48x, and CD-RWs at 32x. Reading speeds for DVD are: DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-ROM DL 8x, DVD±R (1-layer) 10x, DVD±R DL 8x, DVD±RW 8x, and for DVD-RAM 5x. CDs are read at 48x for CD-ROM and 40x for CD-RW. The kit comes with a set of software "Easy Media Creator 7 Basic" and "MyDVD 6".

Cost of internal drive DVSM-X516FBS - US$130

External DVSM-X516IU2 - US$160

Plextor starts selling external DVD±R/RW drives. This model does not have a "tray" retractable element, but uses a "slot loading".

USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 are provided for connecting to a computer. Recording speed on DVD±R matrices is 16x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD±R DL 6x, and DVD-RW 4x. Recording conventional CD-R discs happens at 48x, while CD-RWs are written at 24x. Drive buffer size is 8Mb. The device is equipped with the "Intelligent Recording" function, which automatically selects the optimal recording speed. The products will be released in a limited edition of 500 pieces in white cases. Dimensions 167.1x253.5x53mm, weight 1.7 kg.

Other external DVD±R/RW drive .

The design of the device is similar to the PX-716UFL, but the color of the case is black, and a traditional sliding "tray" is used to receive the disk. There is also a USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 interface, the write speed for DVD±R is 16x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD+R DL 8x, DVD-R DL 4x and for DVD-RW 6x. Matrix CD-Rs are written at 48x, and CD-RWs at 32x. Buffer size 2MB. Dimensions 167.1 x 253.5 x 53 mm, weight 1.6 kg. All drives are guaranteed to be compatible with WinMe/2K/XP.

NU DDW-164

Specification

• Interface:IDE/ATAPI(UDMA33)
• Reading speed:
  • CD-ROM: 40x Max.
  • DVD-ROM: 16x Max.
• Write speeds:
  • CD-RW: 24x
  • CD-R: 40x
  • DVD-RW: 4x
  • DVD+RW: 4x
  • DVD+R/DVD-R: 16x
  • DVD+R DL: 4x
• Recording formats: CD Disc at Once (DAO), Session at Once (SAO) and Track at Once (TAO) recording, DVD+R Incremental Write, DVD+RW Random Write
• Data buffer size: 2MBytes
• Dimensions: 148mm x 42mm x 170mm
• Weight 0.92kg

The drive is able to work with almost all existing types DVD media, excluding DVD-RAM and DVD-R DL media. Of course, the lack of support for the DVD-R DL format is not yet such a significant minus, but, nevertheless, all modern drives support it.

NU DDW-164 clearly needs to be improved, most of the problems are related to the fact that the manufacturer needs to improve the burning strategies for most discs and rework the list of supported discs. These problems, as a rule, can be solved in the new firmware version, so it remains to be hoped that the developers will promptly make the necessary changes, but for now the drive will suit you only if you mainly use "branded" blanks.

Q. Decided to buy a DVD-RW?

A. NEC-ND3520 Q. NEC DVD-RW ND-2500A stopped reading and writing DVDs (CD-R/RW reads)?

A. Reading and writing a DVD requires more laser power than writing a CD. That is, the most probable cause is a decrease in the radiation power. First, clean your head. If it does not help, then the laser emission is reduced, change the drive.

Q. Combo CD-RW/DVD Samsung 352F (OEM), the drive does not see the disc (it's not the disc), there is also a problem with the 7.9 GB DVD, the computer is very stressed, but it cannot read the files. Mother ECS P6S5AT. CPU Celeron 1.0 GHz, Windows system XP Home?

A. To burn a DVD, you need to install a program for burning discs. As for reading dual-layer DVDs: your drive simply does not support them or a firmware update is required (look at the drive manufacturer's website). In addition, Samsung optical drives have never been of high quality.

Q. Bought 552 TEAC. Was it worth taking instead of NEC 1100A?

A. Instead of NEC - it was not worth it, the reliability and quality of NEC drives have been noticeably higher lately.

The TT-15S1 is a perfectly smooth "milky" surface of the 28 mm thick acrylic base, a belt drive, an aluminum tonearm with an anti-roll system and, of course, no preamps.

Speed ​​33 x 1/3.45 rpm ±0.2%,

Signal to noise ratio - 80 dB,

Frequency response - from 20Hz to 20kHz,

Impedance - 0.66 kOhm,

Power consumption - 5W

The dimensions of the TT-15S1 are typical for its class - w440 mm x t110 mm x d350 mm, weight - 8.9 kg.

The vinyl player is a limited edition priced at ~$2400.

Pioneer DVR-110

Model * burns DL media to 8x DVD+R/-R, regular DVD+R/-R discs are recorded at 16x. Other characteristics of the Pioneer DVR-110 are as follows:

Not so long ago, this model was upgraded to version GSA-4160B. The update affected only the speed of writing DVD+R discs: it has grown from 12x to 16x. All other parameters remained unchanged: DVD-R - 8x, DVD-RAM - 5x, DVD+RW and DVD-RW - 4x, CD-R - 40x, CD-RW - 24x; CD reading speed - 40x, DVD - 16x.

Q.How to format a DVD disc?

A.Nero InCD - format your disc there, you will get the UDF format, and then you can work with it like a large floppy disk (most likely, I mean not formatted, but a blank DVD disc). If we are talking about DVD + / - RW , then when erasing in Nero, select "Complete erasing of a rewritable disc".

Q.DVD-RW drive NEC ND2510A. It turned out that he does not read discs recorded by himself. But, if you just insert a DVD disc, for example with a movie or game, then everything is OK. It seems to be reading images written to disk - that is, if there is an installer, then it will launch it. But, before it gave an error cyclic redundancy check, and now: "Incorrect Function". How do you think this is resolved?

What I tried:

A. Have you tried writing to normal Verbatim? All the NECs I saw were characterized by a frank dislike for the "left" discs. And the cheapest Noname was not even read by Pioneer after recording (although household players BBK somehow played them - albeit not for long: then the recording layer peeled off).

Q. DVD+RW NEC 2510A (new) won't write DVDs

A. DVD+R or DVD-R discs? If you give it the second type, then everything is simple - it doesn’t know how to work with them, but if the first type, go to the warranty. This device is very fastidious, it writes only those disks that it "knows" in its firmware the names of disk manufacturers are hardwired, and those that he recognizes, those he will write, and those that he does not "know", those will not. And you can't fix it by changing the firmware - it's checked!

1. Check if the ASPI driver is installed.

2. Download the new firmware from the manufacturer's website.

3. Are the discs good?

Plextor: PX-740A Dual Layer DVD Drive

Plextor has announced the PX-740A internal dual-layer IDE DVD drive. This is a normal, solid drive i.e. without any special features like the flagship PX-716A.

Recording time for an 8.5 GB disc on a PX-740A drive is ~15 minutes. At the same time, the drive records a single-layer disc in less than 6 minutes.

PX-740A drive features:

• Buffer size 2 Mb
• Buffer Underrun Proof technology
• 16 x DVD±R recording
• 8x DVD+R DL recording
• 4x DVD-R DL recording
• 8x DVD+RW recording
• 6x DVD-RW recording
• 16x DVD-ROM reading
• 48x CD-R recording
• 32x CD-RW dubbing
• 48x CD-ROM reading
• Support direct recording method DVD±VR (Video Recording)