Drive for reading discs. Secrets of choosing a CD-ROM for your computer
Information is read using a focused beam of a laser beam.
Now let's see how this DVD Rom works. Today it is still relevant, since many people still use disks as storage media. Therefore, you need to navigate this issue. But we won’t pay attention to other drives for now.
In general, only the advent of high technology made it possible to create such a thing as an optical drive. The disk has a reflective layer on which the laser beam is focused. It must be impeccably accurate and targeted. The layer on the disk seems smooth and shiny to us, but there are microscopic depressions there, which are nothing more than recorded information. The laser beam reads the reflected light from these “irregularities”.
First of all, order
But to make it clearer, we will consider everything in order.
Does everyone know what the abbreviations we already know stand for? I think not. So let's get this out of the way first.
- The abbreviation for CD Rom is compact disc. The full name is Compact Disc Read-Only Memory and it is used for reading only.
- Also, a short DVD Rom is a more universal disc. However, it is also used for reading only. Full name Digital Versatile Disc read only memory.
- There is her “blue ray” or Blu-ray. Information is recorded on this disk using a short-wave laser beam, blue-violet in color.
The picture clearly shows what exactly we call a DVD optical drive.
Installing DVD Rom yourself is easy. Usually it does not cause any difficulties. But it is important that the connection standard matches the device. There are two standards: “SATA” and “IDE”.
The first is considered the most modern, and the second is already outdated.
The most important things are indicated by numbers in the order of one to three.
- The first is the “master/slave” section of the jumper on the disk.
- The second number is the pin interface for connecting “ATA/ATAPI” devices. All nineteen holes.
- The third connector of four contacts is where “molex” is connected.
Now let's turn our attention to the back side. This is a SATA standard DVD Rom drive.
- The first connector is connected to a power cable consisting of fifteen contacts.
- The second connector is where the data cable is installed. It is flat and short. The connection occurs to the “SATA” controller located on the motherboard.
It should be noted that not all devices have a DVD Rom drive. For example, a netbook or tablet. In this case, an optical drive such as a USB DVD Rom will help out. After all, if you change the operating system, for example, there is nowhere to insert the disk. Then the optical drive is connected via a USB port.
Situations when this type of optical drive is necessary are not uncommon. For example, this netbook requires installation of an operating system, which can be done using this USB drive.
How is information recorded?
Many people more or less understand how recording on gramophone records occurs. At first, recording onto CDs happened in a similar way. And the name of the records was CD-R (Recordable). It was impossible to record something a second time on such a record. But then the disks became more and more advanced and it became possible to rewrite information several times. These are CD-RW (ReWritable) discs. And it's all about the nuances of production. Previously, recording took place directly onto a layer of plastic. Now a layer of metal alloy was made. And this layer under the influence of a laser beam is capable of changing its properties. You may even notice dark and light stripes on the surface. This technology allows you to rewrite information many times, maybe even a thousand times.
The disk platter has a layer onto which recording is made. This layer can be seen on all recording and rewriting discs. If the disc cannot be rewritten, then this can be determined by the layer on the platter. If the disc is recorded, the layer will change color. The process occurs from exposure to a laser beam and is irreversible.
Rewriting discs are equipped with an alloy layer that can change the reflective layer under the influence of the same laser beam.
All discs have a standard diameter of 120mm. The thickness does not exceed 1.2 mm. In the center there must be a hole with a small diameter of 15 mm. Under no circumstances should the surface of the disc have any scratches. And to prevent this, there is a protrusion on the outside of the disk. It is small 0.2 mm, but strictly performs its functions. On a flat surface the disc will not receive any damage.
Any disc is a multi-layer cake. But the pie is a little more than a millimeter thick. However, each layer has its own function and performs it. Look at what the disk looks like in the diagram and how many layers it has of different materials.
No matter how complex the information is from our point of view, all of it will be recorded in the form of pits and landings. In fact, these are recesses (pit) and surface (lands). In general, the result is a wavy path. The recesses are pressed into the polycarbonate layer, and the plane remains unchanged. When the beam is focused on a track, the light from the plane and the bumps is reflected differently. And the difference can be barely noticeable, but all this is recorded.
In simpler terms, all information looks like zero - a plane and one - a tubercle.
Notice how it looks under high magnification.
Now see what's on the surface that seems perfectly flat?
DVD Rom writes and reads information using a red laser. The wavelength is measured in nanometers and is 650 nm. But the pitch is only 0.74 micrometers. For comparison, in CD discs all indicators are twice as large. It is clear that reducing the laser wave made it possible to more accurately “examine” the surface of the disk and record all the pits. The constant reduction made the DVD disc almost dimensionless. At one time, when more than 4 gigabytes of information began to fit there, it looked fantastic!
Here are some numbers for comparison.
In a DVD disc, compared to a CD, the pit size is 0.4 microns versus 0.83.
A CD disc has a track width of 1.6 microns, while a DVD disc has only 0.74.
Some disks can simply hold a huge amount of information. For example:
- bilateral,
- two-layer.
Some discs can be either double-layered or double-sided. This sandwich will hold all 17 gigabytes.
More details about each
Double-layer DVDs are produced by pressing the first layer. Then the second layer is sprayed on top. The coating is translucent. The laser beam, when reading information, focuses on each layer, moving from one to another automatically.
If a DVD disc has two layers, then the thickness of each layer reaches 0.6 mm. When gluing the layers, the same 1.2 mm is obtained. It's very similar to a record; after listening to one side, you can turn it over.
In the diagram it looks like this:
Disk layout blue beam
Remember Blu-ray discs? They are somehow different from the usual DVDs and CDs. They are read using a blue-violet laser beam. Its length is less than required for reading DVD Rom and CD Rom (RW) discs. They use a beam length of 650 and 780 nanometers, respectively. But for a Blu-ray disc, the beam is only 405 nm long. And all because technology using a red laser beam can be said to have reached its limit. But the blue-violet ray is a real leap in development.
For such a beam, the width of the track is required less, and therefore the amount of information can be recorded more. However, due to the thinness of the relief on the information layer, it has become more difficult to read records at high speed. Therefore, it was necessary to reduce the protective layer of polycarbonate. Previously it was 0.6, but now it is 0.1 mm. As a result, the speed of work and the accuracy of reading information have increased.
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
To meet in our time a computer without CD-ROM/DVD drive almost impossible. A wide variety of programs, music, documents, digital photographs, etc. are recorded on CDs and DVDs. You can purchase both discs with already recorded data (for example, a music CD or DVD with a movie), and special discs on which you can (one or more times, depending on the disc and drive) record any information you need.
Apart from the not entirely correct name “ drive", devices for reading and writing CD/DVD discs are also called optical drives. Word storage device generally refers to all devices designed to store or read data. For example, HDD can be called a disk drive. The word "optical" refers to the method of reading data from disks. In CD/DVD drives, data is read and written from disks using a special laser beam.
There are several types CD-ROM and DVD drives, with and without recording support. Let's take a closer look at them.
- Regular drive CD— ROM allows only reading data from disks CD, CD— R And CD— RW. You cannot write data to any discs using it. Such drives are the cheapest, but are already outdated and cannot be installed in new computers.
- Drive CD— ROM with recording capability. Unlike the previous option, using this drive you can write data to write-once (CD-R) or write-once-repeat (CD-RW) discs.
- Drive DVD. This drive combines the capabilities of the two previous drives, i.e. allows you to write and read data from CDs, and can also read data from DVDs.
- Drive DVD with recording capability. This is the most versatile and popular drive option that is recommended for purchase. With this drive you can read and write any disc, including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+-R/RW.
- Also, drives with support for reading Blu-rey discs are becoming more and more popular every year.
Basic Types of Optical Discs
As you already understand, recording capabilities depend not only on the drive, but also on the discs themselves. Let's study the main types of optical disks that currently exist.
- CD, or CD. The simplest version of an optical disk. Such discs sell either music (music CDs) or various programs. You cannot write anything to such a disc.
- CD-R disc. On such a disk you can once write down the information you need. You can’t add it later. One CD-R disc can store up to 880 MB of data, depending on the disc capacity. Such disks are most often used to store important information that will not need to be changed in the future. This could be music, video files, etc.
- CD-RW disc. This disc has the same capacity as CD-R discs, but you can write data to it many times and delete data you don't need. In total, such a disk is designed for approximately 1000 rewrite cycles, which is more than enough, for example, for periodically recording Word documents, then deleting them and recording new files. CD-RW discs are more expensive than CD-R discs.
- DiskDVD-ROMorDVD Video. It is on these discs that DVD films are sold. You cannot write anything to such a disk. At the same time, the volume of a single-layer DVD disc is 4.7 GB, which is several times more than the volume of CD discs.
- DiskDVD— Rand diskDVD+ R. Just like CD-R discs, DVD-R and DVD+R discs can be one once write down the data you need. Unfortunately, at one time the companies producing optical disks and drives turned against each other and became irreconcilable enemies, as a result of which two standards that were completely incompatible with each other, DVD+R and DVD-R, appeared. Fortunately, optical drive manufacturers have solved this problem and now, for most drives, it doesn't matter which drive you use; Both types of disks will be supported.
- DiskDVD+ RWAndDVD— RW. Similar to CD-RW discs, DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs can be written to data repeatedly. With a disc capacity of 4.7 GB, this is very convenient for storing and backing up a wide variety of data, such as your music collection, etc. . The problem of incompatible standards exists here too, and it was solved in the same way - by releasing universal small format drives that support any type of disk.
- Diskblue— rey We have a huge capacity that allows you to record up to 80 gigabytes of information! Agree, this is a lot for an optical drive! In most cases, I record video with increased clarity on such discs, which allows me to achieve maximum film quality! The cost of such a drive can reach up to 2000 rubles!
Optical drive speed
The speed of an optical drive is usually indicated this way 52x/24x/52x. This means that CD-R discs are written from 52x, disc recording CD-RW happens at speed 24x, and reading CD-R/RW discs is also at a speed of 52x. In this case, the 1x indicator means a data transfer speed of 153 KB/s. Now let's calculate the speed of a disk drive with a read speed of 52 x. To do this, multiply 52 by 153, the result will be 7956 KB/s, i.e. almost 8 MB/s.
Compared to CD-ROM drives, rewritable DVD drives read and write data much faster. The speed of a 1x DVD-ROM drive is 1.35 MB/s, which is similar to the speed of a 9x CD-ROM. Therefore, the speed of modern DVD-ROM drives with a read speed of 20x corresponds to the speed of 180x for CD-ROM drives (27 MB / s), although, of course, such speed does not exist for CD-ROM drives.
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.
Bottom view of the reading head of the drive model NEC1100A
We are primarily interested in small trimming resistors installed directly on the head. These resistors regulate the current through the laser diode and, by changing their value, you can change the brightness of the laser radiation within certain limits. In the figure they are circled and designated by numbers 1 and 2.
The location of these controls can vary greatly between different drive models. For example, this photo shows the optical head of a newer drive:
You need to take a thin screwdriver and slightly increase the brightness of the desired laser. You can find the right regulator experimentally. Let's assume that our drive reads CDs well and reads DVDs very poorly. We take a marker and make marks on the resistors to remember the position of the engine, which was made at the factory when setting up the head. Then, we twist one of the resistors, for example number 1, to its extreme position counterclockwise. We assemble the drive and check the reading of CD and DVD discs. To do this, it is convenient to use the program Nero CD-DVD Speed. If the reading of CDs, which were previously readable well, has sharply deteriorated, it means that we have turned the regulator of the laser responsible for reading this format. We return the resistor slider to its previous position. If the quality of reading CDs has not changed, then we guessed the brightness control of the DVD laser.
After we have found the desired regulator, we turn it approximately 5 - 10 degrees clockwise relative to the position that was set at the factory and which we marked with a marker. We reassemble the drive and check the readability of the DVD disc. If this does not help, we tighten the resistor further, ultimately achieving the best reading quality.
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 you use DVD+R discs, because for DVD-R it is registered by default. If you want the disc to be guaranteed to be readable on any player, even the most ancient one, you need to set the Book Type to DVD-ROM. It is recommended to set Book Type for two-layer (DVD+R9 DL) discs, because otherwise, they may well not be readable even on the most modern DVD players.
Lite-On IT DVD Drive – SOSW-833SX
SOSW-833SX Specifications:
Interface – USB 2.0
The maximum recording speed of DVD±R discs is 8x;
The maximum writing speed for DVD±RW discs is 4x;
The maximum recording speed of DVD±R DL discs is 2.4x;
The maximum writing speed of DVD-RAM discs is 5x;
The maximum writing speed for CD-RW discs is 24x;
The maximum writing speed for CD-R discs is 24x;
Buffer volume – 2 MB
Slim form factor
Weight - 362 gr.
DVD recorder DRW-1608P2S with support for recording on dual-layer media:
Lite-On IT releases a drive with LightScribe technology and 8X recording to DVD+R DL.
Characteristics 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
- Record to DVD+ / - R9
- SMART-BURN buffer underrun protection technology
- CD-DA/VCD/DVD SMART-X reading speed adjustment technology
- Noise and vibration suppression system for recording and reading VAS
- Supports Fixed Packet, Variable Packet, TAO, SAO, DAO, Raw Mode Burning & Over-Burn recording modes
- DVD reading: DVD single/dual layer (PTP/OTP), DVD-R (3.9 GB / 4.7 GB), DVD-R, DVD+R, multi-session DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW
- CD reading: CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM/XA, Photo-CD, multi-session, Karaoke-CD, Video-CD, CD-I FMV, CD Extra, CD Plus, CD-R and CD-RW
- Supports 80 and 120 mm CD and DVD
- Data exchange modes: PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2 and Ultra DMA mode 4
- Lightscribe support
ASUS CB-5216A1T: DVD/CD-RW drive with SATA interface
The CB-5216A1T supports proprietary ASUS FlextraLink, FlextraSpeed and DDSS II technologies.
FlextraLink technology prevents errors associated with buffer underload and eliminates the possibility of disk damage, and FlextraSpeed is designed to increase accuracy and reliability when reading/writing/rewriting media of different formats. In turn, the DDSS II Dual Dynamic Suspension System is designed to minimize vibration caused by the optical drive spindle motor and resonance between the drive and the computer case by stabilizing vertically and horizontally.
Technical characteristics of ASUS CB-5216A1T:
- CD-R writing speed: 52X
- CD-RW rewriting speed: 32X
- CD-ROM reading speed: 52X
- DVD reading speed: 16X
- FlextraLink technology
- FlextraSpeed technology
- DDSS II system
- AI Auto Speed Adjustment Technology
- Supports accelerated decoding of music CDs (max. speed - 52X) and Video CDs
- Mt support Rainier
- Supports DAO-RAW, TAO, DAO, SAO, Multi-Session, Batch Write and Overburn
- Supports 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 formats
- Vertical and horizontal installation possible
- SATA interface
Hitachi GSA-4166B
Hitachi introduced the drive - GSA-4166B supports all formats, including DVD-RAM.
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)
- LightScribe technology support
- Buffer volume - 2 MB
- Media loading - horizontal, automated
- Interface: IDE/ATAPI/Ultra DMA66
- Power: 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.
Data transfer rate:
- DVD-ROM: 22.16 Mb/s.
- CD-ROM: 6 Mb/s.
Data access time:
- DVD-ROM: 145 ms
- CD-ROM: 120 ms
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, batch recording
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 - one layer (single-layer disc), DL - two-layer.
Buffalo DVSM-X516FBS and DVSM-X516IU2
Buffalo begins selling two new DVD drives.
For internal installation, it is equipped with a SATA-ATAPI adapter and supports both standards. Dimensions: 146 x 170 x 42 mm, and product weight 760 g. When connected via serial ATA, the DVSM-X516FBS model is compatible only with Win2K/XP.
The DVSM-X516IU2 external drive has IEEE 1394/USB 2.0 interface connectors. Its dimensions are 160 x 279 x 55 mm, weight 1.8 kg. Full compatibility with Win98 SE/Me/2K/XP and WinXP Media Center Edition 2005 is provided.
Both models are built on the basis of Hitachi DVD super multiple drive GSA-4167B. They provide the following data recording speeds: DVD+R DL 6x, DVD-R DL 4x, DVD±R (1-layer) 16x, DVD-RAM 5x, DVD+RW 8x and DVD-RW 6x. CD-R matrices are written at 48x, and CD-RW 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 set includes 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 begins sales of external DVD±R/RW drives. This model does not have a retractable “tray” element but uses “slot loading”.
For connection to a computer, a USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 interface is provided. The recording speed on DVD±R matrices is 16x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD±R DL 6x, and DVD-RW 4x. Regular CD-R discs are written at 48x speed, while CD-RW discs are written at 24x speed. The drive buffer size is 8MB. The device is equipped with an “Intelligent Recording” function that automatically selects the optimal recording speed. The products will be produced in a limited edition of 500 pieces in white cases. Dimensions 167.1x253.5x53mm, weight 1.7 kg.
Another external DVD±R/RW drive.
The design of the device is similar to the PX-716UFL, but the body color is black, and a traditional retractable “tray” is used to accept the disk. There is also a USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 interface, the recording speed for DVD±R is 16x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD+R DL 8x, DVD-R DL 4x and for DVD-RW 6x. CD-R matrices are written at 48x, and CD-RW at 32x. Buffer size 2MB. Dimensions 167.1 x 253.5 x 53 mm, weight 1.6 kg. All drives are guaranteed 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 0.92 kg
The drive is capable of working with almost all existing types of DVD media, with the exception of 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 disadvantage, but, nevertheless, all modern drives support it.
NU DDW-164 clearly needs improvement; most of the problems are related to the fact that the manufacturer needs to refine the recording strategies for most blanks and rework the list of supported blanks. These problems, as a rule, can be solved in a new firmware version, so we can only hope that the developers will quickly make the necessary changes, but for now the drive will suit you only if you mainly use “branded” blanks.
Q. Decided to buy DVD-RW?
A. NEC-ND3520 Q. NEC DVD-RW ND-2500A stopped reading and writing DVDs (reads CD-R/RW)?
A.Reading and writing DVD requires more laser power than writing CD. That is, the most likely reason is a decrease in radiation power. First, clean the head. If it doesn’t help, it means the laser emission is reduced, change the drive.
Q. Combo CD-RW/DVD Samsung 352F (OEM), the drive does not see the disc (the problem is not the disc), there is also a problem with a 7.9 GB DVD, the computer is very strained, but cannot read the files. Mother ECS P6S5AT. Percent Celeron 1.0 GHz, Windows XP Home system?
A. To write a DVD, you need to install a disc burning program. As for reading double-layer DVDs: your drive simply does not support them or a firmware update is required (check the drive manufacturer's website). In addition, Samsung optical drives have never been of high quality.
Q. I bought 552 TEAC. Was it worth taking the NEC 1100A instead?
A. Instead of NEC - it was not worth it, the reliability and quality of NEC drives has recently been noticeably higher.
The TT-15S1 features a perfectly flat, milky 28mm thick acrylic base, a belt drive, an aluminum tonearm with an anti-skating system and, of course, no preamps.
Speed 33 x 1/3.45 rpm ±0.2%,
Signal to noise ratio - 80dB,
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.
Vinyl record player released in limited edition and priced at ~$2400.
Pioneer DVR-110
Model * records DL media on 8x DVD+R/-R, recording of regular DVD+R/-R discs is done on 16x. The remaining characteristics of the Pioneer DVR-110 are as follows:
Reading:
*Unfortunately, there is no mention of support for Blu-ray media.
Vinyl "blanks" CD-R
17/05/2005 The Russian company MIREX is launching CD-R MAESTRO blanks with VYNIL coating and a design stylized as vinyl records of yesteryear. MAESTRO is available in five versions, differing only in the color of the inner rings on the surface.
The disk capacity is 700MB and the maximum writing speed is 52x. According to the manufacturer, the main advantage of vinyl is double, enhanced protection of the information layer, which is especially important when the disc is frequently used and used in extreme conditions, for example, in high humidity or sudden temperature changes.
Benq with dual cooling system
Benq introduced the DVD+-R/+-RW burner drive. The model is called DW1640 and will be released with a front panel in black and white. The drive provides recording of dual-layer DVD+R DL discs at 2.4x speed. DVD-R DL support will be implemented via firmware. Other types of discs are written at 8x speed, so an 8.5GB disc is written in 16 minutes; only DVD-RW discs are written at 6x speed.
The new product is equipped with a dual cooling system Dual Cooling System (DCS) including the Air Flow Cooling System (AFCS), which enhances the heat transfer of metal parts due to constant air circulation and the Anti-Dust Cooling System (ADCS). The drive has an ATAPI interface and dimensions 146x178x42 mm.
JVC announced its development in the field of optical media with the development of dual-layer DVD-RW discs with a capacity of 8.5 GB on one side. By using highly sensitive recording layer materials and a new recording technology called N-Strategy, JVC engineers have significantly improved the rewritable disc manufacturing process and improved the quality of the latter.
The new drive allows you to store up to 8.5 GB of data or up to 11 hours of video on one side of the drive, i.e. the new product has 1.8 times more volume compared to traditional discs - single-sided and single-layer.
In addition, the method of pre-processing materials for recording layers, developed by JVC, will allow manufacturing companies to use existing equipment to produce new discs, if, of course, the proposal to standardize and adapt JVC's new DVD-RW discs receives a response in the DVD Forum, where JVC has submitted a corresponding application.
Unlike conventional dual-layer discs, JVC discs use a new material that improves both the read quality of the disc [from both layers] and improves their ability to erase and write.
In fact, physically, the disk consists of more layers [see Fig. below], but there are exactly two that are recorded - layers L1, L0, which in turn consist of reflective, protective, recordable, protective and the substrate itself.
JVC intends to continue to develop improvements to this technology with a view to future commercialization of this development.
Sony and Nichia demonstrate a prototype monolithic read/write unit
The presence of several ideologically similar formats for reading (writing) information from optical disks led to the fact that, starting from a certain moment (from the moment combo drives were released), laser heads with two separate diodes began to appear in drives (one for CD, the other for DVD), and then heads with pairs of crystals packed into a single diode housing, each of which emitted its own wavelength (such diodes, for example, are produced by Sony). The goal was quite specific: to replace a scattering of elements with a monolithic block, simplifying and reducing the cost of the design of the laser head, and simultaneously increasing its reliability.
The introduction of laser-recorded optical discs in the blue-violet range has become a real challenge for pick-up head designers. After all, now the reading unit needed to include another diode with its own matrix and its own beam path. In a surge of real enthusiasm, puzzling “three-in-one” designs began to appear one after another: from prisms, diodes and lenses. It's clear. First you need to make a device from what you have, and there were separate diodes and universal heads, and only then simplify this device.
It was the development of a prototype of such a “polished” universal laser head unit that the tandem from Sony and Nichia announced today. Let me remind you that this pair of manufacturers entered into a time-limited cross-licensing agreement in April of this year for the joint development of blue-violet laser diodes and pick-up heads based on them, which, however, they will each sell and produce separately. The created prototype will be sent into mass production by the end of 2005. By then, one must assume, his versatility will only increase. Because at the moment the new laser unit is not entirely universal: it emits only waves with a length of 660 nm and 405 nm. In other words, it only works with DVD and Blu-ray discs. Without CD support, the value of this module drops more than noticeably. However, the real advantage of the reader block is different: its execution is simply amazing in its “laconicism”:
The design principle is clear from the block diagram, and we will not dwell on it. We only note that this prism design is as reliable as possible (all three optical sections are enclosed in a monolithic block) and is easy to assemble. In addition, such a unit will only need one focusing lens, since the source of blue and red radiation is the same diode.
BenQ is releasing a "Pro" version of its "dual-layer" DW1620 drive.
BenQ issued an official press release announcing the release of a "Pro" version of its famous 16-speed DVD±RW drive, which also supports DVD+R DL discs:
Actually, there is only one difference between the DW1620 Pro drive and the DW1620 - the new product writes double-layer DVD+R discs at 4x speed, while its predecessor could only do this at 2.4x speed. That is why the company did not change the drive index, limiting itself to the suffix “Pro”. Also, both drives now come with a proprietary QScan utility, which allows the user to quickly check the quality of the disc and determine the optimal speed and recording parameters
However, if we remember the specifications and price of the expected super-universal drive GSA-4163B from LG, then everything described above becomes not too important. Q.For some time now I have been having problems playing DVDs and CDs. When watching videos or listening to audio with any program, “slips” periodically occur. Those. a movie is playing, for example, and then immediately skips forward a couple of seconds. It's the same with MP3 when played directly from the drive. The frequency of the phenomenon is 5-20 minutes. Everything is readable from the hard drive (SATA interface). It is copied from/to the hard drive, discs are written, discs are copied, and so on, normally and at the same speed. When playing AudioCD, everything is also fine, but I’m not using digital playback, but “analog”, i.e. The sound output does not go through the motherboard via the IDE cable, but through the digital audio output of the drive directly to the sound card, where it is decoded, while the drive works like a simple CD player. It turns out that the circle is closed on the IDE interface. The drives hang on the secondary IDE: Plextor PX-712A (Master) and Plextor PlexWriter Premium (Slave). ASUS P4C800 motherboard, PC3200 512 MB Kingston RAM, P4 Presscott 3GHz processor, WinXP Prof SP1 operating system.
A. Either the discs are a little scratched, or while watching a movie or listening to music, the system wants to access some services, so short-term disappearances and jumps occur. The laser head may be dusty (clean it). When reading an Audio CD, spin-up speeds (max - 4x) are not required as when watching movies. Advice - first rewrite movies onto a hard drive (with DVD, of course, it’s more problematic than with CD), otherwise you’ll slowly ruin your DVD/CD-Rom.
DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc Random Access Memory)
In July 1997, the DVD Forum approved the multi-recordable DVD format - DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc Random Access Memory), which was developed by three Japanese companies: Hitachi, Matsushita and Toshiba. But DVD-RAM has not gained significant popularity in the personal computer market. Perhaps this happened because the two opposing camps, one of which promoted DVD+RW, and the other DVD-RW, were so keen on promoting their own multi-recording formats for DVD media that they simply did not get around to the third format. Although there may be another reason why manufacturers began to turn away from DVD-RAM, namely, DVD-RAM discs were supplied both in cartridges and without, which somewhat complicated the work with discs (cartridges could be collapsible or non-separable) , and dictated the need to produce drives with a tray for cartridges.
The DVD-RAM format became more popular in the corporate sector when DVD-RAM drives were included in robotic data storage libraries. Corporations chose this format because the specifications of DVD-RAM, in terms of the number of maximum possible rewrite cycles, compared favorably with DVD±RW, promising 100 thousand erases and rewrites, which is significantly more than 1 thousand for DVD±RW discs. But even the potential possibility of such a huge number of rewrites, as we see, could not help the DVD-RAM standard gain popularity among ordinary users. After all, perhaps, only non-separable cartridges could guarantee the promised number of rewrite cycles at the expense of cost and ease of storage. What the mass market was not ready to do. In the end, support for DVD-RAM recording in some drives produced today only serves to strengthen the manufacturer's reputation, but not the standard.
However, now, according to some signs, the DVD-RAM format in a “cartridge-free” version is beginning to gain momentum. The most active efforts to return DVD-RAM to the market are being taken by one of its developers - Hitachi. According to the Internet resource Clubic, LG-Hitachi currently produces 2 million laser heads per month, capable of recording DVD-RAM discs, among other formats. And, most importantly, other manufacturers are also going to explore the market of DVD-RAM media and drives! Has reaching the upper limit of the writing speed of DVD±R discs really scared manufacturers so much that they are ready to introduce something new into DVD drives by any means, expanding their functionality, even at the expense of not very popular properties? It’s like with mobile phones, which from “just a call” have turned into a kind of “Swiss knives” for, not even communications, but for entertainment or something. Be that as it may, laser heads for drives compatible with DVD-RAM are going to be produced by Sanyo , which owns from 30% to 40% of the laser head market in general. DVD Super Multi heads, according to Clubic, Sanyo will release by the end of this year or early next year. Super Multi chipsets are supplied to the market by Matsushita, Renesas and MediaTek. If for the first two the DVD-RAM format is “native”, then MediaTek is its “voluntary” supporter, which indicates an increase in interest in DVD-RAM. Taiwanese companies Lite-On and Accesstek are developing their DVD-RAM-compatible drives, preparing for the launch of new products by the second quarter of 2005. But LG Electronics regularly produces such drives. In the spring of 2004, LG announced the Super Multi drive model, which actually supported all formats, including the latest dual-layer (GSA-4120B drive).
Super Multi drive LG GSA-4160B.
Not long ago this model was updated to version GSA-4160B. The update affected only the writing speed of DVD+R discs: it increased from 12x to 16x. All other parameters remained unchanged: recording speed of DVD-R discs – 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?
A.Nero InCD - format your disc there, you will get a UDF format, and then you can work with it like a large floppy disk (most likely, this means not a formatted, but a blank DVD disc). If we are talking about DVD +/-RW , then when erasing in Nero, select “Full erase of a rewritable disc.”
Q.DVD-RW drive NEC ND2510A. It turned out that he does not read the blanks he himself wrote down. But, if you just insert a DVD disc, for example with a movie or game, then everything is OK. It seems to read the images written to the disk - that is, if there is an installer, it will launch it. But, before it gave a cyclic redundancy check error, but now: “Incorrect Function”. How do you think this can be solved?
What I tried:
A.Have you tried writing to normal Verbatim? All the NECs I have seen were characterized by an outright dislike for “left-handed” discs. And the cheapest Noname couldn’t even be read by Pioneer after recording (although household players BBKs somehow played them - albeit not for long: then the recording layer peeled off).
Q. DVD+RW NEC 2510A (new) does not write DVDs
A. DVD+R or DVD-R discs? If you give him the second type, then everything is simple - he doesn’t know how to work with them, but if the first type - go to the warranty. This device is very picky, it writes only those disks that it “knows” are in its firmware The names of the disk manufacturers are hardcoded, and those that he recognizes, he will write, and those that he does not “know,” he will not. And changing the firmware will not fix this - checked!
1. Check if the ASPI driver is installed.
2. Download new firmware from the manufacturer’s website.
3. Are the wheels good?
Plextor: PX-740A Dual Layer DVD Drive
Plextor has announced the PX-740A internal dual-layer IDE DVD drive. This is an ordinary, high-quality drive, i.e. without any special features, like the flagship PX-716A.
The recording time for an 8.5 GB disc on the PX-740A drive is ~15 minutes. In this case, the drive writes a single-layer disc in less than 6 minutes.
PX-740A Drive Specifications:
- Buffer capacity 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
- Supports DVD±VR (Video Recording) direct recording method