What is dvd rom on a car. Review of three CD-RW drives
Most likely, the most relevant thing to consider in an article devoted to optical drives would be testing DVD drives, but not everything is so simple. It is unlikely that in our time of rapid proliferation of drives capable of working with DVDs, any user will refuse to purchase them if they have sufficient financial resources. The only reasonable reason can be the lack of functional need for such drives. In this article, we will look at three CD-RW drives - devices that are not capable of working with DVD media, but allow, in addition to reading, also writing data on CDs.
Monitored drives
Mitsumi CR-488TE
The drive design is characteristic of all Mitsumi products in this category - there are practically no elements of “decoration”. The tray has a device type symbol. In addition, on the front panel we see an elongated media loading/unloading control button with rounded edges, an operating mode indicator light, and a headphone output with a signal level control. On the back of the drive there are power and interface connectors, analog and digital audio outputs, and a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the drive in the system.
The drive provides CD reading and writing speeds of up to 52x. For CD-RW there is a rewriting mode up to 32x. The buffer size is 2 MB. The stated average access time is 100 ms. The drive supports the E-IDE (ATAPI) interface. The drive can work with CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-RW, CD-ROM XA, CD-R, CD-I, Video-CD, Photo-CD, CD-Extra, CD-UDF, CD-Text media. The drive supports Mt.Rainier and Buffer underrun prevention technologies. The overall dimensions of the drive are 148.6 x 41.8 x 193.3 mm, and the weight is 1 kg.
The approximate retail cost of the drive is 39 USD.
Samsung SW-252FF
The Samsung drive can be easily distinguished from similar products from other manufacturers due to its distinctive front panel design. The end part of the tray has rounded edges, and a closed contour is also highlighted on it using a relief “groove”. Although the manufacturer's name is not on the front panel, there is a conventional symbol of the device type and its speed characteristics, allowing you to understand that you are dealing with a CD-RW drive. Under the tray, in a small recess, there is a round media loading/unloading control button and a miniature LED operating mode indicator. On the back of the case there are power and interface connectors, analog and digital audio outputs, and a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the drive in the system.
The drive can read and write CD media at speeds up to 52x. For CD-RW rewriting, a mode of up to 32x is provided. By the way, it is precisely in this parameter that the 252F modification differs from the 252B, which supports a 24x rewrite speed. So, for those who care about this, don’t make a mistake when purchasing. The buffer size is 2 MB. The stated average access time is 100 ms. The drive supports Ultra DMA Mode 2 and meets the Mt. specification. Rainier. The drive can work with CD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM/XA, CD-ROM, Video-CD, CD-I, Photo CD, CD-Extra, CD-TEXT media. The drive implements technology to protect the buffer from emptying, and reduces noise and vibration levels due to the DVA (Dynamic Vibration Absorber) innovation. The overall dimensions of the drive are 148.2 x 42 x 184 mm, and the weight is 0.77 kg.
The approximate retail cost of the drive is 25 USD.
Teac CD-W552G
There is no problem distinguishing a Teac drive from other models, thanks to the manufacturer's name on the tray; there is also a conventional symbol for belonging to the class of recordable drives. Under the tray there is a rectangular media loading/unloading control button, an operating mode indicator light and a headphone output along with a volume control. On the back of the case there are power and interface connectors, analog and digital audio outputs, and a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the drive in the system. Traditionally for optical drives from TEAC, one can note the reduced length of the case of this model, which makes life easier for the user when installing the drive in “tight” system units.
The drive provides CD reading and writing speeds of up to 52x. For CD-RW, rewriting mode up to 32x is supported. The buffer size is 2 MB. The stated average access time is 100 ms. The drive supports the IDE (ATAPI) interface. The drive can work with CD-ROM Mode-1/650 MB/700 MB, CD-DA/74 min/79 min, CD-RW, CD-ROM XA Mode-2 (Form-1)/650 MB/700 MB media , CD-MRW, CD-ROM XA Mode-2 (Form-2)/738 MB/795 MB, CD-I, Video-CD, Photo-CD (Multisession), CD-Extra. The drive supports Mt.Rainier and Burn Proof technologies. The speed of extracting audio tracks from audio discs reaches 52x. The overall dimensions of the drive are 148.4 x 42.8 x 170.0 mm, and the weight is 0.86 kg.
The approximate retail cost of the drive is 33 USD.
Testing methodology
In order to determine the performance characteristics of the drive, the following programs and utilities were used:
- Nero CD-DVD Speed version 3.12;
- Nero Info Tool version 2.11;
- Nero CD DAE version 0.4B;
- Andre Wiethoff Exact Audio Copy (EAC) version 0.95 prebeta 5;
- Nic Wilson DVDINFOPro version 2.35;
- SlySoft CloneCD version 4.3.2.2;
- Ziff Davis Media CD WinBench 99.
The test computer configuration was as follows:
- Motherboard – Intel Bonanza D875PBZ;
- Central processor – Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz;
- Hard drive – IBM DTLA-307015 15 GB;
- Graphics adapter – GeForce2 MX400 64 MB;
- RAM – 512 MB;
- Operating system – Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 and DirectX 9.0b installed.
The drives were connected to the second IDE channel in "master" mode.
Nero Info Tool and DVDINFOPro
Mitsumi CR-488ETE
Samsung SW-252F
TEAC CD-W552GIn the screenshots presented above, you see the information that the tested drives reported about themselves. The Mitsumi CR-488ETE drive was unable to work with graphics on CDs (CD+G). The Samsung SW-252F device cannot do anything about C2 errors. Only the TEAC CD-W552G drive “claimed” to have a full set of useful functions.
According to CD WinMark indicators, the TEAC CD-W552G drive is noticeably ahead of the other two devices, which demonstrated approximately the same results on all types of disks. Its superiority reaches approximately one and a half times the size.Among other indicators, it can be noted that the minimum access time in general is found in the Mitsumi CR-488ETE drive, and the maximum in the Samsung SW-252F.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Basic Tests (CD)
To carry out a group of basic tests according to the proven scheme, the following CD media were used: a “stamped” CD that comes as an application with a magazine about computers, seven hundred megabyte CD-Rs and CD-RWs with data recorded using the utility itself, an eight hundred megabyte CD R, prepared in a similar way, and a licensed audio disc.
DVD-ROM drive(DVD-ROM drive (DVD-ROM drive, DVD-R/RW drive) - a computer device designed for reading high-density optical discs (DVD), as well as playing audio, video and CDs. Writer models DVD-RW drives, which by 2006 began to dominate the market, are capable of not only reading, but also writing/rewriting discs of various formats (DVD and CD).
Data is read/written to DVDs in the same way as regular CDs (see CD-ROM drive), but DVD drives use a reduced laser beam (to 0.63-0.65 µm vs 0.78 µm in CD-ROM) of a long wavelength, which makes it possible to distinguish pits of smaller sizes (0.4 μm versus 0.83 μm in CD-ROM), which, together with a decrease in the distance between the turns of the track and other technological features, significantly increases the recording density on the disk. In addition, the use of a narrower laser beam in DVD drives led to a reduction in the protective layer of the disc by half, which made it possible to create double-layer DVD discs (DB, double layer) and double the storage capacity of the media. Modern DVD drives can change the focus of the laser beam, allowing data to be read from layers of a single-sided disc located one below the other. To read/write double-sided discs, drives with two independent laser heads can be used. Modern disk drives are capable of changing the wavelength and radiation power to read/write various CD formats (DVD and CD). Like CD-ROM drives, DVD drives differ in data transfer speed, access speed, buffer capacity, support for certain disc formats (including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW) and recording methods, as well as other characteristics.
DVD read/write speeds are designated by a multiplier (x1, x2, etc.) similar to the corresponding CD-ROM speeds, but the speed unit here is not 150 Kb/s, but 1,321 MB/s (video reading speed ). For playing DVD movies, the maximum possible read speed is not important since all movies are played at the same speed, but the speed of the drive may be important when writing/reading data.
Mass production of these drives began at the end of 1996, but their widespread introduction was delayed for more than a year. This was due, in particular, to the fact that the first versions of drives did not allow playing regular CD-ROMs. In addition, mass production of recordings on DVD-ROM had not yet begun and users did not yet have a sufficient number of recordings. However, it was already assumed from the outset that DVD drives and discs should oust the corresponding CD-ROM technology products from the market within a relatively short period of time. The beginning of active production and distribution of drives and disks of this type can be attributed to approximately the second half of 1997. American producers of film products and game programs showed the greatest activity in using the new medium.
At the end of 1997, second generation technology (DVD-2) appeared. Products produced using this technology do not have a number of disadvantages of earlier releases of devices that cannot read CD-R and CD-RW media, which are becoming increasingly popular as their prices decrease. Additionally, these drives are faster than DVD-1 drives. By the beginning of 1998, a significant number of games and films in MPEG-2 format were released on these media.
April 19, 2014 | comments: 0
Despite the fact that a flash drive is superior to a disk in all respects, you will still come across disk media one day and have the opportunity to compare.
To work with disks, you will need an optical drive, without which it is not possible to read information from disks, otherwise such a drive is called a CD-ROM. Here are some tips for choosing a CD-ROM for your computer.
Drives can be internal or external. It follows that the initial advice would be to select the correct internal drive.
After all, the quality of the drive determines the quality of work and significant savings in energy consumption. The productivity of the drive depends on the speed of writing or reading information from the disk media.
— CD-ROM (-RW) drives are used for reading from CD (-R, RW) disks. CD-RW differs from CD-R in that using the media you can not only read, but also write information repeatedly;
— DVD-ROM (-RW) drives are designed to read information from CDs and DVDs (many varieties) of disks.
DVD speed is 9 times faster than CD drive.
In relation to the storage media themselves, optical media also have differences:
— CD-ROM-disks that can only read information. This format has two sizes: 3.5 inches and 5.25 inches, which, respectively, contain 190-210 and 650-700 MB of memory. Industrially, data is written to them;
— CD-R disks are designed to record information once, that is, it is only suitable for reading. The capacity is the same as that of CD-ROM drives;
— CD-RW discs are rewritable, i.e., information is written, deleted, and written again many times. The capacity is the same as the above storage media; CD-RW discs are designed for frequent use: you can write, delete and write again over and over again. The amount of information is the same as that of CD-ROM discs;
— DVD-ROM disks are used only for reading information. The difference is that the drives have more capacity: 4.7 GB for single-sided drives and 8.5 GB for double-sided drives. The size of this media is 5.25 inches;
— DVD-R disks write data once in the amount of 3.95 MB;
— DVD-RW disks have an advantage in volume and can be rewritten many times;
— DVD-Dual disks record information in two layers. Despite the double advantage in volume, they did not spread;
— DVD-RAM disks are an additional type of rewriting device that allows you to write and read data simultaneously;
The second piece of advice is to decide on the type of media you often use and, depending on this, the necessary device. But it is profitable to install a DVD drive at once for the following companies: ASUS, NEC, Samsung, Pioneer, Sony, LG, Toshiba.
In addition, the price range between a CD-RW or DVD-ROM and a DVD drive is not that great.
Third tip. When choosing a CD drive, do not strive for higher speed. This happens because each time, in the process of reading, one strives to accelerate to its maximum speed. If at this speed it was not possible to read various damage, poor coverage, defects, then the drive reduces the speed required for reading. The advantage is that the higher the speed, the better the recording quality of the media. But these reasons can lead to your disc tearing into pieces, because with repeated use, the edge of the disc hole becomes covered with small cracks. For this reason, at high shaft speeds (from 10,000 rpm), the disk may not tolerate such a high voltage and “burst” into pieces. This will cause a lot of trouble for the user.
How to ensure silent operation and avoid disk “rupture”? The fourth tip comes from this. Special programs have been made that will ensure that the drive speed is set according to the requirements. In these programs, you need to select a speed of 8 for comfortable viewing of the video, and for the mp3 format it is enough to reduce the speed to 2.
It makes sense to mention Blue-ray Disk (BD-ROM). A universal drive that can read all formats and is especially designed for media with Blue-ray technology. This drive was created using a new technology using a blue-violet laser beam. Thanks to this, recording occurs much more densely, as a result of which the disk capacity increases to 50 GB. This is a big advantage over infrared DVD laser. Of course, this technology is the future. But the cost of BD drives and BD media does not allow for mass distribution.
When looking for a device for reading audio CDs (this is the last tip), focus on the existence of control buttons. This will allow you to avoid using system resources.
That's probably all the advice on choosing a computer drive
Introduction Current trends in the optical storage market are such that CD-RW drives are slowly and steadily taking up space in computers that was occupied by conventional CD-ROM drives just a few years ago. The constant decline in prices for products of this kind has led to the fact that more and more often buyers prefer to see CD-RW drives as the “initial” optical device in their new computer. Indeed, the price difference 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. We can probably express a seditious thought - optical drives, designed only to work with ordinary CDs, have reached the apotheosis of their development. Their future looks increasingly bleak as DVD burners improve rapidly and their costs fall.
Before it is too late, and testing CD-RW drives has not yet lost its relevance, we decided to bring to your attention a review of nine similar models that, for various reasons, were not covered by us earlier. All drives discussed in this article have an internal design, an ATA interface and are in the price range from 31 to 45 USD.
ASUS CRW-5232AS
The drive from ASUSTeK turned out to be the only model that came to us in a retail version. The drive design is typical for the products of this company. All possible controls and indications are located on the front panel. Under the tray, on which the manufacturer's name and the speed characteristics of the model are printed, there are two rectangular keys responsible for loading/unloading disks and for moving through audio tracks, two LED indicators reflecting the operating status of the drive during read and write operations. To this list you can add the presence of a headphone output and an audio volume control. On the back of the case there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as two sets of pins (for positioning the drive and its factory testing). The shortened length of the drive will allow it to be installed in small system units, in cases where the use of full-size models is impossible due to their “creeping” onto the motherboard.
The technical characteristics of the drive are at the top of the capabilities of devices of this class. The CD reading speed reaches 52X, and it can also decode music discs. The recording speed is also possible in 52X mode, and for dubbing this value is 32X. The random access time is 100 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB. The drive can be oriented horizontally or vertically.
A special feature of the CRW-5232AS model is that it is a single-chip solution: the digital signal processor and amplifier are combined in one integrated circuit. This approach is designed to reduce the final weight and dimensions of the device. In subsequent models, ASUSTeK plans to use an even more integrated circuit by adding DRAM memory to this chip.
According to information on the manufacturer's website, the CRW-5232AS drive belongs to the Quie Track line, which implies the use of the second generation stabilization system DDSS II (Double Dynamic Suspension System) and AFFM (Airflow Field Modification) air flow modification technology. True, whether this technology was implemented in the copy that came to us remained a mystery, since there was no mention of Quie Track on the box or documentation in it. The drive uses a CAV recording strategy, which implies operation at a constant angular velocity.
FlextraLink technology avoids write errors associated with buffer underruns. Another technology, FlextraSpeed, is designed to determine the optimal recording speed.
The drive includes an IDE cable, user manual, quick installation guide, CD with Nero Burning ROM, CD with Cyberlink 3 in 1 software (PowerDirector, ASUS DVD, MediaShow), emergency eject pin with instructions , four mounting screws and an audio cable.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 45 USD.
LG GCE-8522B
LG pays quite a lot of attention to CD-RW drives - at least this is the impression one gets from studying the list of models on the Internet. The GCE-8522B drive is made in the “soft” design characteristic of LG products of this class. On the front panel you can see the rounded lines of the tray, on which the manufacturer’s name, the speed characteristics of the model and the symbol of the device with the ability to rewrite are printed. The tray control key is made in the form of a round button. Again, the lines of the rectangular operating mode indicator light are slightly “smoothed out”. In addition, the front panel has a headphone output and a volume control. On the upper side of the case, stamped recesses are striking, designed to increase the rigidity of the structure. On the back of the drive there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device on the cable.
The technical characteristics of the drive allow it to read and write CDs at a speed of 52X, and for rewriting it can operate in 24X mode. The access time for this model is 100 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB. The drive can be used in both horizontal and vertical positions.
LG GCE-8524B
The LG drive with the index GCE-8524B has a very similar design to the previous model. The difference lies in the absence of a headphone jack and volume control, as well as in the appearance of the operating mode indicator light - in this case it is round. In addition, the manufacturer’s name, speed characteristics and device category symbol are printed on the tray in a different order. The tray control button has exactly the same round shape. The drive housing also has stamped recesses for increased rigidity. On the back of the drive there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device on the cable.
The technical parameters of the GCE-8524B model are slightly higher than those of the previous one. The speed of reading and writing CDs is 52X, and for the rewriting mode this value can already reach 32X. Access time has been reduced to 90 ms. The buffer size is standard 2 MB. The drive can be used in horizontal and vertical positions.
The drive features SuperLink technology to prevent write errors caused by buffer underruns and is compliant with the Mt. Rainier.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
LITE-ON LTR-40125S
The presented model has clearly obsolete characteristics, but more on that below. The design can safely be called inexpressive - it will please those users who do not like drives installed in the system unit to attract attention. The front panel looks completely colorless due to the absence of any inscriptions, except for the device category symbol “engraved” on the tray. Under the latter there is only an oblong tray control button and an operating mode light indicator made in the same style. On the back of the case there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device on the cable and another one intended for factory testing.
Now let's move on to the technical characteristics of the drive. The read speed of the drive reaches 48X. Recording of media can be carried out in 40X mode. The rewriting speed leaves much to be desired today - it is 12X. Typical access time is 80 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB. Declared support for high-capacity CDs (up to 99 minutes). The drive can be used in both vertical and horizontal positions.
The drive implements a large number of technologies, some of which can be highlighted. SMART BURN innovation allows the drive to automatically detect the quality of the media and, if necessary, limit the write speed in order to achieve the best results in a given session and the safety of data later - this function can be disabled. SMART-X technology allows the drive to decode audio discs at a maximum speed of 48X and work just as efficiently with VCDs. It is also worth noting that it meets the Mount Rainier specification. The combination of buffer underrun error protection, automatic write strategy adjustment, and OPC (Optimum Power Control) mode implemented in the drive allows it to operate in a wide variety of burning conditions. The special design of the VAS (Vibration Absorber System Mechanism) mechanism is designed to reduce vibration and noise during read and write operations.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 31 USD.
LITE-ON LTR-48126S
The second drive from LITE-ON IT, included in our review, has only minor differences in characteristics from the previous model, but there are some changes in appearance. A similar effect is achieved due to the presence of a headphone jack and an audio signal power control, which the LTR-4812S lacks. In addition, under the tray there is also an inscription indicating the speed characteristics of the drive. Of course, the drive has both a tray control button and an operating mode indicator light, made in the same style as the previous model from this company. On the back of the case there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device on the cable and another one intended for factory testing.
The drive can read CDs at 48X speed and write in the same mode. The maximum rewriting speed reaches 12X, which is not so much at the current time. Typical access time is 80 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB.
Now, as for the technological features of this drive, they are completely identical to the previous model.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 33 USD.
MITSUMI CR-485FTE
The Mitsumi drive has a rather strict design; a similar feeling is achieved due to the emphatically straight lines of the tray and the button that controls it. There are no inscriptions on the tray itself, with the exception of a symbol indicating the category of the device. The front panel has a headphone jack. The back of the case is where the interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device on the cable are located.
The declared technical characteristics of the drive immediately make us think of it as a potential leader. The speed of reading and writing CDs is a record 54X to date. The rewriting speed is also equal to the current maximum value for CD-RW drives – 32X. The average access time is 100 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB. The drive can be installed in both horizontal and vertical positions.
The drive uses proprietary Mitsumi Aegis Write technology, which controls and optimizes laser power, recording speed and quality. To prevent errors associated with buffer underruns, ExacLink technology is used. According to the manufacturer, the drive fully complies with Mount Rainier specifications.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 36 USD.
NEC NR-9400A
The front panel of the drive gives it a discreet, but quite pleasant appearance. On the tray, in addition to the device category sign, there is the name of the manufacturer. Under the tray there is a rectangular button for controlling loading/unloading disks, an operating mode indicator light and a headphone jack with a volume control. On the back of the case there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device.
The drive can record and copy CDs at speeds up to 48X. 32X mode is available for dubbing. Access time is 110 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB. The drive can be installed in horizontal and vertical positions.
The drive uses proprietary ACTOPC (Active Optimized Power Control) technology, which constantly checks the recording quality and adjusts the laser power to obtain the best results. The "High Resolution Writing Strategy" technology is also used, which increases the reliability of the recorded data due to increased laser modulation. The drive implements protection against errors associated with buffer underruns.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 39 USD.
SONY CRX230E
The Sony drive is made in a style that is already familiar to us. The front panel has a tray control button, an operating mode indicator light, a headphone jack and a volume control. The tray bears a sign that the drive belongs to the category of writing devices. In the design of the drive, one immediately notices the reduced length of the housing, which in some cases will allow it to be installed in system units where limited internal space becomes an obstacle to this. On the back of the case there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device.
The technical capabilities of the drive allow it to read and write CDs at a speed of 52X. For dubbing, it is possible to work in 32X mode. Access time is 100 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB.
The drive uses Power-Burn technology to avoid write errors caused by buffer underruns. The drive meets Mount Rainier specifications. As always, it turned out to be difficult to find more complete information on Sony products of this class. Keeping in mind the results of previous communication with CD-RW drives from this company, we managed to find out that this model supports Turbo Boost technology. The point of this innovation is that the drive reads and writes discs at 40X speed, not 52X, by default. This solution helps reduce noise and vibration during operation. If the user needs maximum speed, then to do this it is necessary to press the Eject button and hold it in this position for more than 5 seconds. After the indicator light blinks twice, this will mean that the drive is ready to operate in 52X mode.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 35 USD.
TEAC W552E
The appearance of the TEAC drive makes it easily recognizable among other models. The tray is marked with the company name and operating speed in blue characters. There is also a symbol of belonging to writing devices. Under the tray there is a rectangular button for controlling loading/unloading discs, two operating mode LEDs, a headphone jack and a volume control. On the back of the case there are interface and power connectors, digital and analog audio outputs, as well as a set of pins for positioning the device and another for factory testing.
The drive allows you to read and write CDs at 52X speed. A 24X mode is provided for rewriting. Access time is 100 ms. The buffer size is 2 MB.
The drive implements a system to protect against errors caused by buffer underruns. It fully meets Mount Rainier specifications. OPC technology allows you to dynamically change laser power while recording media.
The OEM drive comes without accessories.
The approximate retail price of the drive is 43 USD.
Testing methodology
In order to determine the performance characteristics of the drives, the following programs and utilities were used:
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 DVDINFOPro version 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.
The test computer configuration was as follows:
Motherboard – Albatron PX865PE Pro;
Central processor – Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz;
Hard drive – IBM DTLA-307015 15 GB;
Graphics adapter – Radeon 7000 32 MB;
RAM – 256 MB;
Operating system – Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 and DirectX 9.0b installed.
During testing, the Sony CRX230E drive operated at a maximum speed of 52X.
Information and diagnostic utilities
Using the Nero Info Tool and DVDINFOPro programs, the main technical characteristics of the drives were determined. The results obtained are shown in the screenshots.What can you pay attention to? ASUS CRW-5232AS supports almost all possible “desired” functions with the exception of Mount Rainier. The NEC-9400A drive did not report the ability to work with C2 Errors. The situation was even worse with the Mitsumi CR-485FTE drive. He did not report his ability to work with C2 Errors or support for Mount Rainier technology. On the most positive side, we can characterize the LITE-ON LTR-48126S and LTR-40125S, Sony CRX230E, TEAC W552E models - they informed the utilities that they support almost all functions important to the end user.
CD WinBench 99
The drives were tested using the CD WinBench 99 program using the original disc and two copies of it, made on CD-R and CD-RW discs.All results are summarized in a final table.
As can be seen from the CD-ROM WinMark values, the ASUS CRW-5232AS drive turned out to be the most productive - it has the maximum performance values on CD-R and CD-RW media and the third result on the original disk. Second place can be given to TEAC W552E, and third place goes to Sony CRX230E. The Mitsumi CR-485FTE drive turned out to be the slowest - it “stumbled” on the branded drive. His diagram with the CD-ROM transfer shows significant "dips" in the final reading stage.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Basic Tests
In order to conduct basic tests in the CD-DVD Speed program, five media were used: a “stamped” CD that came as an application with a magazine about computers, seven hundred megabyte CD-Rs and CD-RWs with data recorded using the utility itself, an eight-hundred-megabyte CD-R prepared in the same way, and an audio disc. This allows you to roughly evaluate the behavior of the drives when working with different types of media.ASUS CRW-5232AS
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
LG GCE-8522B
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
LG GCE-8524B
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
LITE-ON LTR-48126S
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
LITE-ON LTR-40125S
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
Mitsumi CR-485FTE
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
NEC NR-9400A
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
Sony CRX230E
CD-ROM
CD-R, 800 MB
CD-R
CD-RW
CD-DA
TEAC W552E
ASUS CRW-5232AS, Mitsumi CR-485FTE, Sony CRX230E, TEAC W552E and LITE-ON drives demonstrated quite confident reading of discs. The speed of their operation was well within the parameters declared by the manufacturers or even slightly exceeded them. One thing to keep in mind here is that the pressed CD was less than eighty minutes in length (73:43.20), which resulted in slightly lower results. The remaining three drives were unable to fully demonstrate themselves when working with media. This applies primarily to the TDK CD-R disc, which has a capacity of 800 MB. Both LG and NEC NR-9400A drives were forced to significantly reduce speed in order to read the information recorded on them, especially the latter of them. In addition, a similar reaction from the LG GCE-8522B followed the “stamped” CD. It is quite possible that these problems are local in nature and can be eliminated after using the next firmware version.
From the rest of the testing results shown in the table, you can note that the minimum measured access time was found for the Mitsumi CR-485FTE drive. The significant difference in data transfer speed from drives to the processor (Burst Rate) between drives is due to the fact that models capable of caching data produce noticeably better results.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Write Transfer Rate
This test was carried out in recording emulation mode and using four CD-R discs. Three of them had a capacity of 700 MB (Fujifilm 52X, Digitex 40X and TDK 48X), and one was eight hundred MB (TDK 40X).ASUS CRW-5232AS
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
LG GCE-8522B
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
LG GCE-8524B
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
LITE-ON LTR-48126S
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
LITE-ON LTR-40125S
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
Mitsumi CR-485FTE
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
NEC NR-9400A
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
Sony CRX230E
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
TEAC W552E
Digitex 40X
Fujifilm 52X
TDK 48X
TDK 40X
The NEC NR-9400A drive was unable to work with 800 MB TDK media. Both drives from LG and Mitsumi CR-485FTE, although they were able to “pseudo-write” to this disc, operated at a reduced speed and in CLV mode. In addition, the Mitsumi CR-485FTE was also unable to reach full speed on the Digitex carrier. The rest of the drives, with the exception of the ASUS CRW-5232AS and Sony CRX230E drives, also experienced certain difficulties when working with individual media - they did not enter the recording mode indicated on the disks. True, again, it can be assumed that some of these problems are solved by updating the firmware to a new version.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Overburning Test
One of the indicators of the “versatility” of drives is their ability to record onto discs a volume of information that exceeds its official capacity. In order to evaluate the drives' "overburning" capabilities, we used the same four CD-R drives as in the previous test. The maximum possible burning time set in the program was 99:57.74.
As can be seen from the final table, in which the highest results are highlighted in blue, the Mitsumi CR-485FTE drive looks better than other models. On two media he was able to show the best possible result. The LG GCE-8522B drive also looks very good from the point of view of the possibility of reburning - on three out of four media it exceeded the bar of 93 minutes. Owners of LG GCE-8524B, TEAC W552E and, to some extent, NEC NR-9400A drives also have a good chance of recording an excess amount of data - for this you just need to choose the right discs. All other drives demonstrated completely standard capabilities for “reburning” disks.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: CD Quality Check
Using a “stamped” CD with data that had mechanical damage to the working surface, a quality test was carried out, which made it possible to indirectly assess the ability of the drives to work correctly with low-quality media. In order to more conveniently assess the balance of forces in this test, the most important figures are summarized in a general table.
If we approach it from a formal point of view, then five models showed a 100% result in the test where the maximum read speed was used, but if we remember that the information utilities of drives from NEC and Mitsumi did not reveal the ability to work with C2 pointers, but therefore, they cannot detect such errors, then the list of winners will be shorter by two positions. It is curious that the Sony CRX230E drive, when used in the default mode, where the reading speed is 40X, also demonstrates the maximum quality value.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Advanced DAE Quality Test
In order to determine the ability of drives to efficiently extract audio tracks from audio discs, we conducted the Advanced DAE Quality Test. Strictly speaking, the tests in this case took place in two stages. The first of them used a special test disk (CD-R), created using the program itself. This case is typical for a situation when you are working with a normal audio disc that does not have defects.The test results shown in the table indicate that all drives coped with the task ahead of them almost without problems, and all earned the maximum quality value. True, already here you can notice some differences between them. Firstly, this concerns the accuracy of their positioning on audio discs, which is reflected in the Offset indicator. The minimum displacement from the “specified location” is demonstrated by LITE-ON LTR-48126S, Sony CRX230E and TEAC W552E drives. The Offset indicator is slightly higher for the second drive from LITE-ON. All other drives have significantly higher offset rates, making it difficult to obtain accurate audio copies using them. Secondly, the drives showed different abilities to work with specific service information. The best drives here were LITE-ON and Sony CRX230E. Three data drives were capable of reading information from the input and output zones, data from subchannels and CD text. For other models, these capabilities turned out to be significantly less, which also makes it difficult to obtain accurate audio copies on them.
The second stage of testing the drives was the use of a disk specially prepared using the program itself, which, unlike the previous copy, had artificial scratches on the working surface. Using audio media with such defects, the ability of the media to achieve maximum performance when the CD has mechanical damage was determined.
From the results presented in the table, it is clear that there has been a noticeable division among drives in terms of their actual ability to efficiently extract audio tracks from an audio disc. The ASUS CRW-5232AS drive entered a state of permanent disk reading and, after a long wait, was simply stopped. Not much better was the Mitsumi CR-485FTE, which also showed very low speeds with a lot of data errors and suffered timing errors - its final quality score was very low. At the same time, the Sony CRX230E drive performed very well, looking clearly better than other drives and ultimately “knocked out” a hundred points out of a possible hundred. The drives from LITE-ON and TEAC W552E coped with the task assigned to them a little worse, but on the whole, their quality score was close to one hundred percent.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Advanced DAE Error Correction Test
There is always the possibility of errors occurring when drives read data stored on audio discs. In such cases, it is very desirable that your drive can handle C2 errors in general and do so as best as possible in particular. New versions of the CD-DVD Speed test have an option that allows you to use a test audio disc prepared with the program and known to it to determine how correctly the drives can handle C2 errors. In our case, we used the same media with scratches on the working surface as in the previous test. The program determines how many C2 errors should have been found by this drive in general, and how many of them were actually found. In addition, the number of synchronization errors is diagnosed. Next, based on the data obtained, the “Quality Score” is determined, as well as the accuracy of finding C2 errors (C2 Accuracy).
The results of the test indicate that the obvious outsiders in the struggle to obtain the most accurate audio copies are the Mitsumi CR-485FTE and NEC NR-9400A drives. These drives were unable to detect a single error and, in addition, made a significant number of synchronization errors. Things look completely hopeless for the Mitsumi CR-485FTE drive, which was rated by the program "with the steering wheel" according to two final quality indicators: C2 Accuracy and Quality Score. The NEC NR-9400A drive at least received a “quality score” of 81. At the same time, the Sony CRX230E drive proved itself to be the best, scoring almost the highest possible results in both main performance indicators. Very similar performance indicators for error correction were found within each of the two related pairs of drives from LG and LITE-ON.
Exact Audio Copy
Let us remember that the EAC program differs from other utilities designed for extracting audio tracks from audio discs in that it tries to use the hardware capabilities of a particular drive to the maximum extent possible to obtain the most correct final result. Using the Drive Options option, we diagnosed the presence of three important functions for achieving high-quality audio copies. We are talking about drive support for such parameters as data caching, “accurate flow” and working with C2 error data. The presence of the first function makes it difficult to obtain accurate audio copies, and the other two contribute to this. The results obtained are shown in the table.
As you can see from the drive characteristics, all tested drives support the “precise flow” function. LG drives and the NEC NR-9400A drive do not cache these data. The program was unable to detect the ability to work with C2 pointers in NEC NR-9400A, Mitsumi CR-485FTE and both LG products. For the last two drives this looks a little strange, since other utilities have found this ability.
Next, using the EAC program, we also measured the time required to extract eighteen audio tracks of an audio disc and convert them into Wav files. The procedure took place in a precise mode (Secure Mode), which, unlike the high-speed mode (Burst Mode), allowed us to achieve the highest possible quality of work. True, the other side of the coin in this case is the longer time it takes to retrieve tracks.
If you look at the final results in the table, you will notice that almost the fastest were the four drives for which the EAC program could not detect the ability to use information about C2 errors. So in this case, their speed has a completely logical explanation - they do not detect C2 errors and do not spend time correcting them. Among the remaining models, the ASUS CRW-5232AS drive turned out to be the fastest, with the Sony CRX230E slightly behind it. LITE-ON and TEAC W552E drives took a very long time to extract audio tracks.
Nero CD DAE
Another specialized program we used to evaluate the speed of drives with audio discs was CD DAE. The drives extracted eighteen audio tracks from the audio disc at the maximum speed they could handle.
The data presented in the final table indicates that the winner was the ASUS CRW-5232AS drive - it managed to slightly outstrip the TEAC W552E in the first place. The slowest among all drives was the LG GCE-8522B, which also made a fairly large number of errors. Another drive that had errors when extracting audio tracks was the NEC NR-9400A.
CloneCD
In order to evaluate the performance of drives when working with media storing copy-protected information, a disk with the game “Cossacks” was copied into an image file on the disk. The speeds with which these drives were able to perform this operation are shown in the table.
The fastest to cope with the task assigned to them was a trio of two drives from LITE-ON and Sony CRX230E. The Mitsumi CR-485FTE was the slowest to copy.
Nero Burning Rom
Even if the write speed is nominally the same, all drives in practice demonstrate different values of the time required for this. In order to find out the situation with the tested drives using the Nero Burning Rom program, a movie was recorded in MPEG4 format with a capacity of 693 MB on CD-RW discs. For drives capable of recording at 24X and 32X speeds, Verbatim Data Life Plus 16X-24X media with a capacity of 700 MB was used. LITE-ON drives worked with Digitex 4X-12X disk. The final nominal write speed for the two groups of devices was 24X and 10X, respectively.
The results presented in the table indicate that among the drives operating in 24X mode, the Sony CRX230E drive required the minimum time to transfer information, followed by the Mitsumi CR-485FTE and ASUS CRW-5232AS. The LG GCE-8522B drive took the longest time to record a movie in this group. Both LITE-ON drives spent almost the same time writing CD-RW media, which, for obvious reasons, turned out to be more than twice as long as the drives of the first group.
Summarizing
Let's try, before determining the best drive in our testing, to note the most important positive and negative properties of each model. The only point that is immediately worth noting in order to avoid unnecessary repetitions is that all drives operating at maximum speed, according to subjective sensations, create a fairly high noise level, which manufacturers cannot reduce to acceptable values, despite all their attempts.ASUS CRW-5232AS
Pros:
nice design
full set
reduced body length
Minuses:
not found
LG GCE-8522B
Pros:
good potential for using the drive in Overburning mode
Minuses:
not the best choice for obtaining high-quality audio copies
poor performance with discs that have mechanical damage to the working surface
LG GCE-8524B
Pros:
high speed characteristics
Mount Rainier technology support
Minuses:
not the best choice for obtaining high-quality audio copies
poor performance with discs that have mechanical damage to the working surface
LITE-ON LTR-48126S
Pros:
Mount Rainier technology support
confident work with media that has mechanical damage to the working surface
Minuses:
no headphone output
LITE-ON LTR-40125S
Pros:
a good choice for obtaining high-quality audio copies
Mount Rainier technology support
Minuses:
Low rewrite speed today
low “quality score” when reading a CD with damage to the working surface.
Mitsumi CR-485FTE
Pros:
high speed characteristics
Great potential for using the drive in Overburning mode
Minuses:
poor choice for getting accurate audio copies
slow in practice with some media
NEC NR-9400A
Pros:
High rewrite speed
Minuses:
inability to work with C2 Errors
not the best choice for obtaining accurate audio copies
slow in practice with some media
Sony CRX230E
Pros:
high speed characteristics
reduced body length
confident work with all types of media
Mount Rainier technology support
ability to operate in reduced speed mode by default to reduce noise
Minuses:
has no obvious disadvantages
TEAC W552E
Pros:
good choice for accurate audio copies
high-quality reading of media with damaged working surface
confident work with almost all types of media
Mount Rainier technology support
Minuses:
"Hard tray"
Here we come to the finale. Probably those people who were able to read the article to the end have already formed their own opinion about the quality of this or that drive, but it seems to us that the choice of the winner will not cause disagreements - it was the Sony CRX230E, which managed to outperform other models in the vast majority of parameters we tested. Considering the not too big price gap with other drives, it seems to us ideal for purchasing and using in computers that perform a wide range of tasks.
How to choose a DVD drive for your computer
The fact that DVD media is slowly but surely disappearing into oblivion is difficult to dispute. They repeat the fate of their predecessors - floppy disks and CDs. No “revolutionary” solutions such as the release of double-layer or double-sided DVDs could radically change the situation, and the digital media market in small batches is falling into the hands of flash memory and Blu-ray disc manufacturers. However, the DVD format is still the most widespread in the distribution of movies, software, games and music (together with CDs), so the DVD drive is still considered an integral part of a personal computer.
Let's start, as usual, with the basics. “Scientifically”, a DVD drive is an optical drive, a device designed for reading and writing data from digital media, which, in particular, includes CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-/+R and DVD-/ +RW. Many still remember the times when a DVD burner was more of a luxury than a necessity. Today, finding a simply “reading” disk drive on sale is almost impossible, and there is no particular need for it. Even if you rarely or never use this function (recording), this has practically no effect on the final price, so it makes no sense to purchase a regular DVD drive or even a CD-ROM writer. Unless you collect them.
If you buy a computer from scratch, then by default the internal (packed in the system unit) DVD drive is included in the package. This applies to both desktop PCs and laptops with netbooks, although the latter are equipped with their own, thinner and more expensive, drive models. The need to separately purchase a DVD drive may arise for only two reasons. Either your drive has failed for some reason (there can be many reasons - from factory defects to carelessness in operating the device), or this model does not suit you for some reason (noise, speed, design, compatibility), but find out This was only possible while working with the drive.
Drive speed and major media formats
The question arises, what could be wrong with this or that drive? The main parameter that you should pay attention to is the read and write speed. Because in fact, you can only experience this speed if you are going to read or write disks 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 mostly be stuffing discs of this format into the drive.
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 capacity of a standard CD, on which music albums and small-sized computer games (as well as databases and software) are most often found on sale today, 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 disk rotates in the drive, the more noise it creates during operation.
If you often and enjoy writing discs CD-R (one-time use) And CD-RW (rewritable), then your ability to read these media will be limited to speeds of 40x and 48x, or even 24x (for CD-RW). As for recording, by default the drive will operate at the maximum possible speed, which can be manually changed to a lower speed. 700 megabytes usually fills up within five minutes.
Now let's turn directly to DVD discs, which you will encounter most often, both during the reading and writing process. We remind you that data exchange with DVD media can only be carried out using a DVD drive; a regular CD-ROM cannot cope with this function by definition.
Currently, the following DVD discs are distinguished. This is first and foremost the most common DVD-ROM, which is the basis for film products, games, software and other data produced and sold in series. Writing to DVD-ROM at home is impossible, read only. DVD-ROMs come in single-layer and double-layer formats, with capacities of 4.7 and 8.5 GB, respectively.
The most common disc formats that you will encounter are disposable discs DVD-R and DVD+R, which are most often used to store “heavy” information such as video and software. Why plus and minus? It's simple, negative disks appeared a little earlier at the instigation of the famous company Pioneer, while “plus” technologies belong to the pen of Sony and Phillips. The difference lies in the presence of special markings that make it easier to position the drive head, and the use of different reflective material. At first, these differences were critical for the quality of multiple rewrites (of course, for DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs), but today most drive models can easily cope with any version.
The maximum reading and writing speed on DVD-R and DVD+R discs is, depending on the drive model and disc quality, from 8x to 24x, which, when fully loaded with data, will take approximately 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 recording speed on these “giants” is no more than 12x.
Media that support rewriting are distinguished between DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM. You've probably already encountered the first two: 4.7 GB disks with a maximum write speed of 8x. As for DVD-RAM, which can be written to simultaneously with the process of reading data, their mass use is limited due to the prohibitive cost.
What else do you need to know about DVD drive speed? Considering the fact that this parameter of the device directly depends on the media used in it, it is not advisable to strive to buy the fastest drive. Discs that support high write and read speeds are expensive and are not sold everywhere. Remember that discs are extremely fragile media, susceptible to scratches, chips and other physical surface deformations. At high rotation speeds, 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, the quieter you go, the further you will go.
Features of connecting the drive and sales packaging
Probably everyone has seen a regular internal disk drive. A 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. However, these devices are very expensive and capricious in terms of installation, which is best left to professionals.
Appearance of a DVD drive for a laptop
The DVD drive, being an internal device, is connected using a cable to the computer's motherboard, and therefore there are two types of connection - through the parallel IDE interface or the serial SATA interface. IDE is now being widely replaced by the more advanced SATA, so when purchasing a drive separately, you should check the insides of your computer, or rather, the connectors on the motherboard, so as not to get into trouble. New board models most likely already work with SATA, so you can safely purchase the appropriate drive. What's the advantage? Theoretically - in speed. But in practice, you most likely will not notice the difference.
Regarding 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 is a package “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), screws, blank disks, and if the manufacturer is generous, then an audio cable and even replacement panels. Naturally, the second option will cost you a little more than the “polyethylene” one.
Manufacturers and prices
It's no secret that in the niche of DVD drives, a brand or trademark often becomes the determining factor in choosing a particular device. There are many different elements in the system unit, starting from the motherboard, video card and ending with the power supply and, in fact, the system case itself. But all these components, as a rule, are impersonal, because not everyone would think of going inside to look at the manufacturer of the sound board or motherboard. Many, not very advanced, users focus more on specific parameters rather than on company names. It’s different with DVD drives; they are “facing” 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 specific brand, because few people have to test drives from different manufacturers at home. Usually we become attached to a particular model, after which we don’t even want to hear about its replacement with something else. Nevertheless, there are quite a lot of players in this market, which we will talk about at the end of the article.
DVD-ROM from 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 buy expensive models. For both of them, 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 characterized by high reliability and performance. The cost of Plextor drives is not the only, but the most significant reason why only a select few can afford to communicate with this brand (from 5,000 rubles and above).
The situation is approximately the same with the products of American companies. Dell And Hewlett-Packard (HP). Good, even remarkable quality, high operating 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 Dell prefers to specialize in ultra-thin laptop models.
Drives available with label ASUS And Sony Optiarc (since 2006, the official merger of two companies - Sony and NEC)- strong middle peasants. At a cost of around 1,000 rubles, they demonstrate high recording quality, and discs created using these drives can be read without problems by devices from other manufacturers, as well as by many DVD players. Quiet, stylish, practical - optimal value for money.
DVD-RW drive Sony Optiarc
Drives from Samsung, Toshiba and Pioneer are considered the most capricious in terms of blank quality. LG and Lite-On drives handle scratched media better than others. Of course, these conclusions were made in the process of testing specific models, which, as we know, can be both successful and not very successful. In other words, you may be incredibly lucky and your Samsung DVD drive will be omnivorous and tireless, while the ASUS drive, highly rated by “experts,” will stumble at every step.
In any case, when buying a DVD drive, pay attention to three things: packaging (OEM or Retail), connection method (IDE or SATA) and speed characteristics. Well, and the design, of course, because a black NEC sticking out on a white case will be striking. Each brand has its own advantages and disadvantages, but in this market, unless we are 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 1,500 rubles.