CD rom drive. What is CD-ROM. More about each
How is a CD arranged?
A standard disc consists of three layers: a polycarbonate substrate on which the disc relief is stamped, a reflective coating of aluminum, gold, silver or another alloy sprayed onto it, and a thinner protective layer of polycarbonate or varnish, on which inscriptions and drawings are applied. Some discs from "underground" manufacturers have a very thin protective layer, or do not have it at all, which is why the reflective coating is quite easy to damage.
The informational relief of the disk consists of a spiral path going from the center to the periphery, along which depressions (pits) are located. Information is encoded by alternating pits and gaps between them.
What recording formats are used in CD-ROM?
The CD-ROM uses the same technology as the conventional CD-DA sound system. The standards released by Philips and Sony for recording arbitrary data on CDs are known as yellow book("yellow book"), green book("green book"), Orange Book("orange book"), white book("white book") and blue book("Blue Book"); they all complement the core CD-DA standard described in red book("red book").
Separate "audio tracks" are used to record data. The standards mentioned do not refer to the disc as a whole, but only to the format of individual tracks, and tracks of different formats can coexist on the same disc. To read them, you need a player that supports either all formats presented on the disc, or skips unknown ones (many players and CD-ROM drives cannot skip tracks of unknown formats).
Yellow Book defines the basic formats for writing data to disk: CD-ROM mode 1 and CD-ROM mode 2. In both formats, within each of the frames of the track, with a volume of 2352 bytes, which are also called sectors, 12 bytes of synchronization are allocated, 4 bytes of the sector header and 2336 bytes for writing data. Thanks to the presence of synchronization and header bytes, it is possible to accurately locate the desired data sector, which is extremely difficult in a conventional audio disc.
In the mode 1 format used in most CD-ROMs, 288 bytes are allocated from the data area for writing EDC / ECC codes (Error Detection Code / Error Correction Code - error detection and correction codes), thanks to which data discs are read much more reliably than sound discs with the same workmanship. The remaining 2048 bytes are reserved for data storage.
In the mode 2 format, correction codes are not used, and all 2336 bytes of sector data are reserved for writing information. It is assumed that the recorded information either already contains correction codes or is insensitive to minor errors remaining after correction by a low-level Reed-Solomon code. This format is intended primarily for recording compressed audio signals and images.
A mode 1 format disc that combines sound programs and data is called a Mixed Mode Disk. In this case, data is recorded on the first track, and sound information is recorded on all subsequent tracks. Most audio players do not recognize the format of the tracks and if they hit a data track, they will try to play it, which can damage amplifiers and speakers.
The mode 2 format in its pure form is practically not used - on its basis, CD-ROM / XA formats (eXtended Architecture - extended architecture) of two options (Green Book) were developed. In the first variant, 8 bytes of subheading, 4 bytes of EDC and 276 bytes of ECC are allocated from a data block of 2336 bytes, leaving 2048 bytes for data, as in the "mode 1" format; in the second variant, ECC is not used and 2324 bytes remain for data. On one track of the XA format, sectors of both the first and second options can occur. The advantage of this approach is the possibility of simultaneous real-time reading of data and audio and/or video information, without unnecessary movement between tracks.
The CD-I format (CD-Interactive - interactive CD), described in the Orange Book, provides for recording a video image on XA format tracks and playing it using a special CD-I player on a household TV in parallel with listening to an audio program. Tracks in CD-I format are not included in the disc's TOC, so they are not visible on equipment that does not support this format.
For compatibility with standard audio players, the CD-I Ready format (“ready for playback on a CD-I player”) was proposed, in which an extended pause before the first audio track is used to record an image, ignored by most conventional players.
For compatibility with equipment for reading disks in the XA format, the CD-Bridge format (“CD-bridge”) was proposed, which is CD-I format tracks included in the general table of contents of the disk, containing address marks of both formats - CD-I and XA.
Orange Book also defines the format of recordable CD-R discs (CD-Recordable), which can be recorded in several steps (sessions), and also have an initial session stamped during manufacture (the so-called Hybrid Disk - a hybrid disc). Each session contains an introductory record (Lead In), data itself and an output record (Lead Out).
The White Book describes the VideoCD format, which is based on CD-Bridge and is used to store moving pictures encoded in AVI, MPEG, and the like. Blue Book describes the CD-Xtra format, which consists of two sessions - an audio session and a data session.
The organization of the file system on a CD-ROM is described by the ISO 9660 standard. Level 1 of this standard includes the MS-DOS and HFS (Apple Macintosh) file system formats. The nesting of MS-DOS directories cannot exceed 8, and the length of the name - 8+3 characters. Level 2 describes a file system with long names and nesting levels up to 32. The Rock Ridge extension describes the UNIX file system format.
A special case of CD-R is the Kodak Photo CD format used for multi-session recording of photo collections. Photo CDs use the CD-Bridge format formatted in the ISO 9660 file system. Photo CDs can be played with dedicated players on a home TV or read by computer CD-ROM drives.
How is the CD-ROM drive arranged?
A typical drive consists of an electronics board, a spindle motor, an optical readhead system, and a disc loading system.
The electronics board contains all the control circuits of the drive, the interface with the computer controller, the interface connectors and the sound signal output. Most drives use a single electronics board, however, in some models, separate circuits are placed on auxiliary small boards.
The spindle motor is used to bring the disk into rotation at a constant or variable linear speed. Maintaining a constant linear velocity requires changing the angular velocity of the disk depending on the position of the optical head. When searching for fragments, the disk can rotate at a higher speed than when reading, so a good dynamic response is required from the spindle motor; the motor is used for both acceleration and braking of the disc.
A support is fixed on the axis of the spindle motor, to which, after loading, the disk is pressed. The surface of the stand is usually covered with rubber or soft plastic to prevent disc slippage. Pressing the disk to the stand is carried out with the help of a washer located on the other side of the disk; the stand and the puck contain permanent magnets, the force of attraction of which presses the puck through the disk to the stand.
The optical head system consists of the head itself and its movement system. The head contains a laser emitter based on an infrared laser LED, a focusing system, a photodetector and a preamplifier. The focusing system is a movable lens driven by an electromagnetic voice coil system (voice coil), made by analogy with the movable loudspeaker system. Changes in the strength of the magnetic field cause the lens to move and refocus the laser beam. Due to the low inertia, such a system effectively monitors the vertical beats of the disk even at significant rotation speeds.
The head movement system has its own drive motor that drives the carriage with the optical head using a gear or worm gear. To eliminate backlash, a connection with an initial voltage is used: with a worm gear - spring-loaded balls, with a toothed gear - pairs of gears spring-loaded in different directions.
The disk loading system is carried out in two versions: using a special case for the disk (caddy), inserted into the drive's receiving hole, and using a drawer (tray), on which the disk itself is placed. In both cases, the system contains a motor that drives the tray or case, as well as a mechanism for moving the frame, on which the entire mechanical system is fixed, together with the spindle motor and the drive of the optical head, to the working position when the disc lies on the spindle motor stand.
When using a conventional tray, the drive cannot be installed in any position other than horizontal. In drives that can be mounted in a vertical position, the tray design provides latches that hold the drive when the tray is extended.
On the front panel of the drive, there is usually an Eject button for loading / unloading a disc, an indicator for accessing the drive, and a headphone jack with an electronic or mechanical volume control. In some models, the Play / Next button has been added to start playing audio discs and switch between audio tracks; the Eject button is usually used to stop playback without ejecting the disc. On some models with a mechanical volume control, made in the form of a knob, playback and transition are carried out by pressing the end of the regulator.
Most drives also have a small hole on the front panel, designed for emergency ejection of the disk in cases where it is impossible to do it in the usual way - for example, if the drive of the tray or the entire CD-ROM fails, if the power goes out, etc. You need to insert a pin or a straightened paper clip into the hole and gently press - this will unlock the tray or disc case, and it can be pulled out manually.
Through which interfaces do CD-ROMs work?
SCSI, IDE - The CD-ROM is connected directly to a SCSI or IDE (ATA) backbone with a device number for SCSI or Master/Slave for IDE. IDE CD-ROMs usually work in the ATAPI (ATA Packet Interface) standard.
Sony, Mitsumi, Panasonic are the three most common interfaces supported by many sound cards and separate adapters. Mitsumi and Panasonic use a 40-pin connection cable for IDE, while Sony uses a 34-pin connection cable for floppy drives.
There are also CD-ROMs with the so-called Proprietary Interface - the manufacturer's own interface, supplied complete with an adapter and a connecting cable.
Currently, CD-ROMs are available only with SCSI and IDE interfaces.
Why does the disk rotate at different speeds when running a CD-ROM?
The information on a CD is written at a constant linear density, so in order to achieve a constant reading speed, the rotation speed changes depending on the movement of the reading head. The standard disk rotation speed is 500 rpm when reading from internal zones and 200 rpm when reading from external ones (information is written from inside to outside).
What does "n-speed" CD-ROM mean?
With a standard rotation speed, the data transfer rate is about 150 kb/s. In two or more speed CD-ROMs, the disc rotates at a proportionally higher speed, and the transfer rate increases proportionally (for example, 1200 kbps for 8-speed).
Due to the fact that the physical parameters of the disc (mass inhomogeneity, eccentricity, etc.) are standardized for the main rotation speed, at speeds greater than 4-6, significant disc fluctuations already occur, and read reliability, especially for illegal discs, may worsen. Some CD-ROMs with read errors can reduce the speed of disk rotation, but most of them after that cannot return to maximum speed until the disk is changed.
At speeds above 4000-5000 rpm, reliable reading becomes practically impossible, so the latest models of 10-speed and higher CD-ROMs limit the upper limit of the rotation speed. At the same time, on external tracks, the transfer rate reaches the nominal one (for example, 1800 kb / s for 12-speed models, and as you approach the internal ones, it drops to 1200-1300 kb / s.
Why are "illegal" discs often read worse than "proprietary" discs?
The standard for compact discs determines their physical and optical parameters: the thickness and reflectivity of the aluminum layer, the depth and shape of pits (recording elements), the distance between tracks, the transparency of the protective layer, eccentricity, etc. The leading firms producing compact discs have proven technologies and reliable equipment to meet these parameters; The equipment and technologies of illegal manufacturers often do not provide this.
The mechanics and optics of various CD-ROM models have different tolerances and tuning possibilities, which is why some models can confidently read discs that are practically unreadable by other models. Also, as a result of operational wear and tear, the drive parameters deteriorate over time, which leads to deterioration in reading discs that were confidently read on a new drive.
Is it possible to visually determine the quality of a disc?
Approximately - it is possible. You need to carefully consider the working surface of the disc - it should be smooth, and it should not have scratches, cloudy areas, bulges or depressions, as well as "streaks" on the reflective layer. Then look at the disk in the light (working side towards you) - it may be slightly transparent, but without obvious holes in the reflective layer. The more transparent the disk, the higher the probability of its uncertain reading.
Cheap discs (especially made in China) usually do not have a protective varnish layer on the reverse side - even a small scratch on this side can lead to a complete failure to read the corresponding area of \u200b\u200bthe disk.
What is the quality of playing audio discs on CD-ROM?
Playing audio discs is a side function of the CD-ROM, and is usually done "according to the residual principle" - the simplest (often 12- or 14-bit) DAC and a simple output amplifier. Mass CD-ROMs are significantly inferior to stationary Hi-Fi players, some models are approaching inexpensive portable players. In any case, the quality of the signal at the headphone output (front panel) is worse than at the line output (rear wall) - due to additional distortion during amplification.
In addition to the quality of the DAC, most CD-ROMs do not resampling the digital signal to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, nor interpolation and masking - to smooth the curve and partially compensate for uncorrected errors. The lack of interpolation and masking leads to noticeable distortion and clicks when reading discs by mistake, while reading errors are not so noticeable on an audio player.
Many modern CD-ROMs have an additional digital audio output on the back wall (S / PDIF - Sony / Philips Digital Interface Format - Sony / Philips digital interface format), which can be connected to studio or home equipment that has an S / PDIF input or AES / EBU, which allows you to play the sound from the disc with virtually no distortion (some distortion may be introduced by the CD-ROM decoder).
What is the maximum capacity of a CD?
Approximately 650 MB (* 1024 * 1024 bytes) - 74 minutes of recording, data stream - 153600 bytes / s. This length of recording is defined by the standard, however, with a denser arrangement of tracks or the pits themselves on the disc, more playing time or amount of data can be obtained. Such discs with deviations from the standard may be read unstable by some drives, or not read at all.
What is CD-R and CD-E?
The system of single (CD-Recordable - recordable CD) and multiple (CD-Erasable - erasable CD) recording of CDs. The terms CD-R and CD-E refer to both recording devices and the discs themselves.
For a single recording, so-called “golden” discs are usually used, which are a regular CD in which the reflective layer is made of gold film, and the transparent plastic layer immediately adjacent to it is made of a material that darkens when heated. During the recording process, the laser beam heats up areas of plastic, which darkens and stops transmitting light to the reflective layer, forming a "gap" between "pits" - unchanged transparent areas of plastic.
To make it easier to follow the information track during the recording process, CD-R discs are produced with auxiliary markings. When reading, tracking is performed, as usual, along the recorded track of pits.
Some software versions (eg CDR Publisher) allow you to burn bootable discs. To boot from such disks, the computer's BIOS must support this feature (the latest versions of AWARD and Phoenix BIOS).
Why does noise appear when writing pure WAV to a CD-R?
Perhaps the reason is that some sound editors (for example, Cool Edit and Sound Forge) put their service information at the end of the WAV file, formatting it as an additional record in full accordance with the RIFF format. However, the software of some CD-Rs ignores the audio length field, treating the rest of the file after the header as a single audio fragment, with the result that the overhead is sent to the disc in digital audio format and reproduced as noise or clicks at the end of the program. To eliminate this phenomenon, you must either prohibit sound editors from saving service information in a WAV file, or remove it using other programs.
During multi-session recording of individual audio tracks, at the beginning and end of each session, introductory and outgoing zones are formed, hitting which during playback causes a random signal to appear. It is recommended to burn audio discs in one session, forming a complete sound file in advance, if the CD-R software does not allow you to merge files during the burning process.
In addition to the above, noise on recorded audio discs may occur due to instability of the data stream in the CD-R (internal buffer overflow or stream interruption), abnormal parameters of the recorded signal, laser operation mode or disc rotation speed, factory defects of the disc, as well as through the fault of players unable to confidently read specific instances of discs. In the case of poor-quality recording of data discs, the situation is often saved by large amounts of corrective codes provided in CD-ROM formats.
Can I use a driver from another model with an IDE CD-ROM?
In most cases, yes, if the CD-ROM works in the ATAPI standard. However, some drivers may not work properly with other CD-ROM models.
To read video discs, you need support from the drive itself and its driver, as well as the unpacking program (player) for the video format. Some combinations of drive, controller, driver and unpacker are incompatible with each other. You can try to change the driver or the unpacking program. There are also cases when, when installing a CD-ROM on one channel from the HDD, video discs are played back much more slowly.
You can - for this you need a CD-ROM that supports the Read Long command and is able to find sound sectors in direct access mode (for example, many of the drives with a SCSI interface, most Panasonic models), and a special program - grabber - for reading full sound sectors, for example, CDGRAB, CDDA, CDT, etc. Often such programs are accompanied by a list of CD-ROM models that support the long read command. Due to slight differences in interfaces, some drives do not work with some of these programs, but may work with others.
One of the main problems when reading audio discs is synchronization errors between sectors. They occur when the disk-reading program does not have time to issue a read command for the next sector before the CD-ROM internal buffer overflows and the data from the beginning of the sector is lost. In this case, the CD-ROM is forced to perform positioning, and the frame-by-frame structure of audio discs makes it impossible to start reading exactly from the right place. As a result of such failures, dropouts or the appearance of several extra signal samples appear in the file generated by the program. To deal with synchronization errors, some programs have a mode in which the correctness of the docking of neighboring sectors is checked. When using a CD-ROM with more buffer space, the chance of errors is reduced.
Out-of-sync as a result of positioning is often erroneously referred to as "jitter". In fact, the term jitter is used to denote the jitter of the phase of a digital signal due to rapid fluctuations in the flow rate generated by a change in the speed of rotation of the disk and its vertical beat. In a sense, timing violations are also higher-level phase errors, but applying the term jitter to them is not entirely correct.
What are the reasons for the poor performance of Samsung-631 CD-ROM drives?
Before starting to write an article about DVD-ROM drives, a treacherous thought crept into my head - is the game worth the candle. Indeed, the vast majority of users have long preferred to purchase devices for their computers with the ability to record, if not DVD media, then CD discs. For the latest drives, already by default, the ability to read DVDs is also implied. The fact is that more and more software and computer games are being released on DVD media, as the fleet of drives working with them is constantly increasing, and the price of discs has fallen to very attractive numbers. Thus, the current state of affairs in the computer industry has come close to a situation that can, in the language of a famous movie masterpiece, be described as "not there, not here" without a DVD. In addition to people who are interested in the possibility of recording on optical media, and they cannot do without it, there is also a category of users who want to save as much as possible. That is what this article is dedicated to.In addition to the low quality of the mechanism itself and the reading system, in these drives there is insufficient pressing of the disk to the spindle, which is why the disks slip during acceleration and braking. The reason for the weak pressing is the large gap between the spindle magnet and the metal disk, which is attracted by the magnet. Michael Svechkov [email protected]) recommends gluing a steel washer 1-2 mm thick to the magnet, choosing it so that the gap between the magnet and the metal disk is minimal, however, with the thinnest disks, they should not touch each other, otherwise the operation of the tray extension system will be disrupted.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
The first thing that catches your eye after removing the drive from the box is its shortened length. Thanks to this, users are more likely to install it in system blocks small size, where sometimes there is a "collision" on the motherboard slots. The drive that came to us had a black front panel. The tray bears the name of the manufacturer, the symbol of the type of device, its speed and one, and its correspondence to the QuieTrack family. On the front panel there is only an oblong button for controlling the loading / unloading of disks and an LED indicator of the operating mode. On the back of the case there are analog and digital audio connectors, power and interface connectors, a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the device in the system, as well as a set of pins for factory testing.
The entry of the drive into the QuieTrack family means support for DDSS II and AFFM technologies. The Double Dynamic Suspension System innovation aims to reduce vibration and associated noise, control resonance frequency, and increase reliability and improve disc readability. This is achieved through a patented double dynamic suspension system that stabilizes the optical head vertically and horizontally. Airflow Field Modification technology normalizes the airflow pressure inside the drive housing, resulting in a quieter and more stable operation of the device.
The drive provides reading DVD media at speeds up to 16x and CDs up to 48x. The average access time for both types of disks is 120 ms. The buffer size is 512 MB. The drive supports the standard ATAPI interface and can communicate in Ultra DMA/100 mode. The drive supports DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-18, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD-Video, DVD+R/RW, Audio CD, CD-ROM/XA , Video CD, CD-I, Multi-session Photo CD, Karaoke CD, CD-Extra, CD-TEXT. The overall dimensions of the device are 42.6 x 148.5 x 173 mm, and the weight is 0.8 kg.
The drive package includes a quick installation guide, a set of mounting screws, an audio cable, and an ASUS DVD software CD.
Estimated retail price of the drive is $27.
Plextor PX-130A
The front panel of the drive is noticeably enlivened by the clearly visible name of the manufacturer and model printed on the tray, as well as the conditional symbol of the device category. There is also a small rectangular button for controlling the loading / unloading of media and an LED indicator of the operating mode. On the upper side of the case, the stamped areas of the surface of a large area are striking. There are several ventilation holes on the right side of the drive to ensure good cooling of the device during operation. On the rear side of the drive there are analog and digital audio connectors, power and interface connectors, a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the device in the system.
The drive allows you to read DVD media at speeds up to 16x, in the case of CDs this is possible at up to 50x. The average access time for CDs is 90ms, for DVDs it is 100ms. The buffer size is 512 kb. The drive can work with media standards CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, Photo-CD, Video-CD, CD-Extra (CD Plus), CD Text, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD +R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW. The overall dimensions of the drive are 48 x 42.2 x 177.5 mm and the weight is 0.8 kg.
The estimated retail price of the drive is $35.
Sony DDU1615
The traditionally short case for Sony products makes it easier to integrate the drive into problematic system units. Very deep grooves on the top side of the drive are striking, adding to the rigidity of the computer. front panel This drive is made of silver plastic, which is a tribute to the current fashion for system units of this color. The tray has symbolic symbols for the device category. On them there is a button for controlling the loading / unloading of disks and an LED indicator of the operating mode. On the rear side of the case there are analog and digital audio connectors, power and interface connectors, a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the device in the system, as well as a set of pins for factory testing.
The drive allows you to read DVD media at speeds up to 16x. For CDs, the maximum read speed is 48x. It is worth noting here that by default the drive reads CD media in up to 40x mode. The fact is that Sony's optical drives have Turbo Boost technology. Its meaning is to reduce the noise level during the operation of the drive, since in most cases overspeed is not required when reading CDs. In a situation where the need to achieve maximum performance nevertheless arises, the user must, with the media loaded, press and hold the tray control button for about five seconds, after which the indicator light will “blink” a couple of times, indicating that the 48x mode is on. The average access time for CD media is 165 ms, in the case of DVD it is 220 ms. The buffer size is 512 KB. The drive can work with DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-Video (DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10), Audio CD, CD-ROM (mode 1, mode 2), Photo CD Multi Session, CD-I, Video CD, CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW, CD Extra, Mixed Mode. The overall dimensions of the drive are 41.4 x 146 x 171 mm, and the weight is 0.8 kg.
Sony DDU1622
The main visual difference between the DDU1622 drive and the DDU1615 described above is that its front panel has the usual white color, and under the tray, in addition to the media loading / unloading control button, there is also an audio output with a volume control. There are also no deep grooves on the upper side of the case. The back view is slightly different. The difference is that although we see there all the same analog and digital audio connectors, a set of pins for positioning the device in the system, interface and power connectors, as well as a set of pins for factory testing, the latter is this time on the right side, and not from the left, as usual.
Now for the technical specifications. They have not undergone fundamental changes. The drive is capable of reading DVD media at up to 16x, and for CD this value reaches 48x. True, as in the previous case, to do this, with a loaded disk, you will have to hold down the tray control button for a while until the drive switches to maximum performance mode. By default, CD media will be read at speeds up to 40x. The average access time for CD media is 85 ms, in the case of DVD it is 100 ms. The buffer size is 512 KB. The drive can work with DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-Video (DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10), Audio CD, CD-ROM (mode 1, mode 2), CD-ROM/XA media. (mode 1, mode 2), Video CD, CD Extra, CD-R, CD-RW. The overall dimensions of the drive are 41.4 x 146 x 176 mm, and the weight is 0.8 kg.
Estimated retail price of the drive is $24.
Toshiba SD-M2012
A distinctive feature of Toshiba optical drives is their not very expressive design. The front panel of the device does not differ in any frills. It is clear that they are only met by clothes, but still .... The tray has an embossed device category symbol, and below it is a rectangular media load/unload control button and an operation mode LED. On the back of the case, we see analog and digital audio connectors, power and interface connectors, a set of pins with a jumper for positioning the device in the system.
Now let's turn our attention to the technical details. The drive can read DVD media at speeds up to 16x. Thanks to the rather extensive information on the manufacturer's website, we can detail this information. For DVD-RAM media, the maximum read speed is 2x, and for DVDR/RW discs up to 6x. In the case of CD media, this value can be as high as 48x. The average access time for CDs is 100ms, for DVDs it is 110ms. The buffer size is 512 kb. The drive can work with DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R (Version 1.0), DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R (DL), CD-DA (Red Book), CD-TEXT, CD-ROM (Yellow Book Mode 1 & 2), CD-ROM XA (Mode 2 Form 1 & 2), Photo CD, CD-I /FMV (Green Book, Mode 2 Form 1 & 2 , Ready, Bridge), CD-Extra/CD-Plus (Blue Book), Video-CD (White Book). The overall dimensions of the drive are 42 x 148.2 x 184 mm, and the weight is 0.7 kg.
The estimated retail value of the drive is $22.
Test Methodology
The following programs and utilities have been used to determine the performance of DVD-ROM drives:
Nero CD-DVD Speed version 4.01;
Nero Info Tool version 3.01;
Nero CD DAE version 0.4B;
Andre Wiethoff Exact Audio Copy (EAC) version 0.95 prebeta 5;
Nic Wilson Pro versions 4.25;
Ziff Davis Media CD WinBench 99 version 1.1.1.
The test computer configuration was as follows:
Motherboard - Intel Bonanza D875PBZ;
Central processor - Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz;
Hard disk - 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. When reading CD media, Sony's drives ran at the highest possible speed of 48x. All devices were tested by us on an "as is" basis, i.e. in the form in which they would get to ordinary buyers.
Nero InfoTool and DVDINFOPro
With the help of two utilities, some specifications monitored drives.ASUS DVD-E616P3
Plextor PX-130A
Sony DDU1615
Sony DDU1622
Toshiba SD-M2012
Let's see what you can pay attention to in the information reported to the utilities by the drives. For the Sony DDU1615 drive, instead of 512 KB of buffer size, only 254 KB were "diagnosed". The Sony DDU1622 drive did not report being able to handle DVD+R DL media and C2 errors. The Toshiba SD-M2012 drive, according to the information extracted from it, can work with DVD-RAM discs and C2 errors. We drew your attention to the last point, because during further testing it caused great doubt in its reality.
CD WinBench 99
As always, testing drives with CD WinBench 99 was carried out not only using a branded "stamped" CD, but also using two copies of it, made on CD-R and CD-RW media.ASUS DVD-E616P3
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-RW
Plextor PX-130A
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-RW
Sony DDU1615
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-RW
Sony DDU1622
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-RW
Toshiba SD-M2012
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-RW
As you can see in the presented internal transfer graphs, the Plextor PX-130A drive was the only one that had problems reading the final section of the surface of the branded test disk. In addition, he was the only one who turned out to have a very low speed when working with CD-R media, where, as a rule, all drives demonstrate maximum performance. Naturally, this is reflected in the overall performance determined by the WinMark indicator. In the Plextor PX-130A drive, it turns out to be minimal just in the case of CD-R. Based on the results of work with three types of media, Sony DDU1622 has the highest performance, which is quite a bit ahead of its relative - Sony DDU1615. Almost all drives confirmed the declared access time. The only exception was the Plextor PX-130A drive, which exceeded the nominal value of 90 ms when working with CD-ROM and CD-RW media. True, most likely, this is due to the problems of reading these particular disk instances.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Basic Tests (CD)
For the first stage of the main tests, we used five CD-media: a "stamped" CD that came as an application with a magazine about computers, seven hundred megabyte CD-Rs and CD-RWs with data written using the utility itself, an eight hundred megabyte CD-R prepared in the same way, and a licensed audio CD.ASUS DVD-E616P3
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-R 800 MB
CD-RW
CD-DA
Plextor PX-130A
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-R 800 MB
CD-RW
CD-DA
Sony DDU1615
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-R 800 MB
CD-RW
CD-DA
Sony DDU1622
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-R 800 MB
CD-RW
CD-DA
Toshiba SD-M2012
CD-ROM
CD-R
CD-R 800 MB
CD-RW
CD-DA
Working with CD media did not cause any problems in the work of any of the drives. Therefore, we will not make long comments on these tests. Those who wish can obtain detailed information on the aspects of operation of drives that are of interest to them from the tables and diagrams given.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Basic Tests (DVD)
The second group of main tests was devoted to the operation of drives with DVD media. To get a comprehensive picture of the capabilities of drives to work with them, six disks were used. These included the DVD-ROM with the movie and its copies recorded on DVD-R (Digitex), DVD-RW (TDK), DVD+R (Fujifilm) and DVD+RW (Verbatim). In addition, a two-layer DVD + R DL (RIDATA) media with films was used for testing.It is necessary to give some explanations to the test results given below. Some of the drives were not able to work with DVD-R media from the very beginning, but with the DVD+R DL disc, the situation turned out to be more subtle. Two drives read it normally while the top layer was running, when moving to the bottom one, further testing turned out to be impossible.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
DVD-ROM
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
DVD+R DL
Plextor PX-130A
DVD-ROM
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
DVD+R DL
Sony DDU1615
DVD-ROM
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
DVD+R DL
Sony DDU1622
DVD-ROM
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
DVD+R DL
Toshiba SD-M2012
DVD-ROM
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
DVD+R DL
From the above test results, you can see that the worst of all coped with our standard set DVD media drive ASUS DVD-E616P3. He had problems with two drives. In the case of Plextor PX-130A and Sony DDU1622 drives, there were one such "punctures" each. A rather low reading speed of DVD-ROM media was recorded for the Sony DDU1622 drive. This was accompanied by a curious dip in performance somewhere in the middle of the surface. What caused such a "pit" on the transfer schedule is not entirely clear.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Advanced DAE Quality Test
Using the extended DAE quality test, the hardware characteristics of the drive were determined that affect the process of obtaining accurate audio copies from CD-DA media. To solve this problem, we used two special CD-R media prepared using the Nero CD-DVD Speed program itself. The first audio disc was used in its original form - the situation was reproduced when the user works with normal media that do not have defects or damage. The second media had artificial scratches on the working surface, reflecting the case when the user uses a disc in the drive that has been in use for a long time and can no longer be considered high-quality.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
Plextor PX-130A
Sony DDU1615
Sony DDU1622
Toshiba SD-M2012
The first group of screenshots shows the results obtained during testing using high-quality audio media. What do we see? The ASUS DVD-E616P3 drive worked without problems, but it has a large amount of offset and could not read the output zone, which can make it difficult to get accurate copies. The Plextor PX-130A also achieved a 100% quality score at high average speed, but also had a noticeable offset and couldn't read the lead zone and CD Text. The Sony DDU1615 drive had no quality issues, ran at a high average speed, and had a very low offset, but struggled during on-the-fly copying and was only able to handle extracting data from the subchannel. Drive Sony DDU1622 - in relation to him, you can say almost the same words that were heard in the address of his relative. The difference between them is that it could also read CD Text, but it worked worse during on-the-fly copying and has a slightly larger offset. The Toshiba SD-M2012 drive showed a 100% result, reading the disk at a not very high average speed. Its offset value is minimal, but it could not read data from the input and output zones.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
Plextor PX-130A
Sony DDU1615
Sony DDU1622
Toshiba SD-M2012
Now let's turn our attention to the results obtained during the use of an audio carrier with a scratched working surface. The average speed of the ASUS DVD-E616P3 drive dropped by a factor of one and a half, but the quality score achieved by it can be considered quite satisfactory. The Plextor PX-130A didn't live up to our expectations. Despite the noticeable decrease in the average speed by him, the final "quality score" turned out to be very far from ideal. The Sony DDU1615 drive did not slow down in operation and, apparently, due to this, the final quality score was worse than that of the ASUS DVD-E616P3, but noticeably superior to that of the Plextor PX-130A. The Sony DDU1622 drive, like its counterpart, read a substandard audio CD at a high average speed and achieved a fairly high quality score. Oddly enough, the Toshiba SD-M2012 drive ran faster with scratched media than with normal media. The results of his activities can be considered quite satisfactory - this is evidenced by a fairly high score of quality, only one percent does not reach the maximum result.
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Advanced DAE Error Correction Test
A specialized Advanced DAE Error Correction Test was conducted to determine the drive's ability to deal effectively with errors during the extraction of audio tracks. It used the same special audio CD prepared with Nero CD-DVD Speed and had scratches on the work surface. The program during testing determines how many C2 errors should have been found by this drive, and how many of them were found in reality. Further, based on the results obtained, the accuracy of finding C2 errors (C2 Accuracy) is calculated and the "quality score" is determined. These two indicators reflect the effectiveness of the hardware error correction mechanism in optical drives. This test, unlike the previous one, allows you to evaluate not only the total number of errors recorded by the drive while reading the audio carrier, but also their ability to find them.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
Plextor PX-130A
Sony DDU1615
Sony DDU1622
Toshiba SD-M2012
In the case of the ASUS DVD-E616P3 drive, the number of missed C2 errors turns out to be quite large, although the final accuracy of finding them, calculated by the program, can be questioned based on the fixed numbers. The Plextor PX-130A drive, according to the test results, looked even worse than the ASUS device. According to the calculated indicator, the accuracy of finding C2 errors was less than one percent, although, based on the final data, this value is not entirely clear. The Sony DDU1615 drive finds errors very confidently. Although his final accuracy does not reach one hundred percent, it should be recognized as quite satisfactory. The second drive from Sony - DDU1622 demonstrated the accuracy of finding errors C2 is not inferior to its relative. Toshiba SD-M2012 turned out to be completely incapable according to the results of this test. He couldn't find any C2 errors.
Nero CD DAE
Using the very old and very simple Nero CD DAE utility, we evaluated the speed of the drives when extracting audio tracks from the standard audio disc we used earlier and converting them to Wav files.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
Plextor PX-130A
Sony DDU1615
Sony DDU1622
Toshiba SD-M2012
According to the results obtained, the Plextor PX-130A and Sony DDU1615 drives were the fastest in this work, and the Toshiba SD-M2012 was the slowest. It should also be noted that the only drive that had errors when extracting tracks was the Sony DDU1622.
Exact Audio Copy
The second program designed to extract audio tracks from audio CDs and also used by us for testing - EAC, differs from Nero CD DAE in its principle of operation. Unlike the previous utility, in this case, the emphasis is on providing the user with the opportunity to use the specific hardware characteristics of the optical drive in order to obtain the highest possible quality in their work.Before proceeding with the extraction of audio tracks using the Drive Options option, the hardware characteristics of the drive were determined. In order to accurately establish the possibility of working with C2 errors, in addition to a general diagnosis of the properties of the drive, our special audio disc was also used, prepared with the Nero CD-DVD Speed program and having scratches on the working surface. Further, using the most efficient "precise mode" (Secure Mode), audio tracks were extracted from the same disk as in the case of the Nero CD DAE utility, with their conversion to Wav files.
ASUS DVD-E616P3
Plextor PX-130A
Sony DDU1615
Sony DDU1622
Toshiba SD-M2012
As you can see from the screenshots, caching support was not found for Sony DDU1622 and Toshiba SD-M2012 drives. The last drive also did not have the ability to work with C2 errors. The ASUS DVD-E616P3 drive took the longest to extract audio tracks. The Plextor PX-130A and Sony DDU1622 drives turned out to be the fastest in completing the task assigned to them - the difference in time between them is negligible.
Summarizing
Oh, and it's usually hard work to choose the most worthy from several approximately identical drives. It was not so easy this time either. Let's try to go by the method of exceptions. The Toshiba SD-M2012 drive proved to be very good during testing. Pretty good results in all tests, including the extended one for extracting audio tracks from audio CDs. However, there was one moment that blurred the favorable impression of meeting him. It's about its ability to deal with C2 errors. He "informed" the Nero Info Tool about it, but he could not prove it in practical tests. This means that when working with media that is not of ideal quality, the result may not be what the owner expects.The Plextor PX-130A drive showed high performance in almost all tests, but it also has its weak points. In this case, we are talking about a large offset and problems when working with low-quality disks. The accuracy of finding C2 errors is disappointing. It is not suitable for high-quality audio copies. Could not read DVD-R media. It is necessary to say about such an aspect, which manifested itself in the testing process, as a periodic "disappearance" of the drive in the system. It was expressed in the fact that sometimes after loading the next disk, the drive ceased to be seen by the computer, and it was necessary to reboot in order to return to normal operation. I don't want to unfoundedly lay all the responsibility for this on the drive, perhaps its interaction with a specific motherboard has an influence here. Nevertheless, all of the above, combined with the higher price of traditional Plextor products, gives reason to think about the advisability of purchasing it.
The ASUS DVD-E616P3 drive did not cause any comments in terms of overall performance, demonstrated quality work with C2 errors, which gives hope for obtaining acceptable results even when reading media of poor quality. However, it also has its own Achilles' heel. This includes a large value such as the offset parameter, the inability to read DVD-R and DVD + R DL media, as well as the long time it took to extract audio tracks in the test using the EAC program. True, in the latter case this may also be a consequence of his more thorough and accurate work with C2 errors.
The Sony DDU1622 drive, despite a small offset, quite high-quality work with media that had damage on the working surface, could not read a DVD + R DL disc, and with DVD-ROM this procedure took place at a noticeably lower speed than its opponents. He was the only one who also had errors when extracting audio tracks in the Nero CD DAE test.
So, by the elimination method, we got to the Sony DDU1615 drive. It is possible that this device also has its own "skeleton in the closet", but this time we could not find it. In accordance with the results of tests conducted by us, it caused the least amount of criticism or questions. He did not have obvious vulnerabilities in his work, and it is he who can be recommended for acquisition, since the price for it is quite affordable.
Naturally, we present our subjective opinion, formed on the basis of specific testing. It is likely that some of the problems we fixed can be solved with the appearance of new firmware versions.
View from below on the reading head of the drive model NEC1100A
We are primarily interested in small trimming resistors mounted directly on the head. These resistors regulate the current through the laser diode and, by changing their value, it is possible to change the brightness of the laser radiation within certain limits. In the figure, they are circled and marked with numbers 1 and 2.
The location of these regulators for different models of drives can vary greatly. For example, this photo shows the optical head of a newer drive:
You need to take a thin screwdriver and add a little brightness to the desired laser. You can find the right regulator by experience. Let's assume that our drive reads CDs well and reads DVDs very badly. We take a marker and make notes on the resistors to remember the position of the engine, which was made at the factory when setting up the head. Then, one of the resistors, for example number 1, is unscrewed to the extreme position counterclockwise. We assemble the drive and check the reading of CDs and DVDs. To do this, it is convenient to use the program Nero CD-DVD Speed. If the reading of CDs that were previously well read has deteriorated sharply, then we have turned the laser regulator responsible for reading this format. We return the resistor engine to its previous position. If the quality of reading CD discs has not changed, then we guessed the DVD laser brightness control.
After we have found the desired regulator, we turn it about 5 - 10 degrees clockwise relative to the position that was set at the factory and which we marked with a marker. We assemble the drive again and check the readability of the DVD disc. If it doesn’t help, we twist the resistor again, in the end, 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 DVD+R discs are used, because DVD-R has it by default. If you want the disc to be guaranteed to be read on any even the most ancient player, you need to set the Book Type to DVD-ROM. It is recommended to set Book Type for double-layer (DVD+R9 DL) discs as well. otherwise, they may well not be read even on the most modern DVD players.
Lite-On IT DVD Drive - SOSW-833SX
Specifications of SOSW-833SX:
Interface - USB 2.0
The maximum recording speed of DVD±R discs is 8x;
The maximum recording speed of DVD±RW discs is 4x;
The maximum recording speed for DVD±R DL discs is 2.4x;
The maximum write speed for DVD-RAM discs is 5x;
The maximum recording speed of CD-RW discs is 24x;
The maximum recording speed of CD-R discs is 24x;
Buffer size - 2 MB
Slim form factor
Weight - 362 gr.
DVD burner DRW-1608P2S with support for recording on dual-layer media:
Lite-On IT releases LightScribe drive with 8X DVD+R DL recording.
Features of SHW-16H5S:
- Interface: ATAPI/E-IDE
- Support DVD+R / DVD+RW / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R9 / DVD-R9 / DVD-ROM / CD-R / CD-RW / CD-ROM
- Recording to DVD+ / - R9
- Buffer underrun protection technology SMART-BURN
- CD-DA/VCD/DVD SMART-X Speed Adjustment Technology
- Noise and vibration suppression system for writing and reading VAS
- Support for Fixed Packet, Variable Packet, TAO, SAO, DAO, Raw Mode Burning & Over-Burn recording modes
- DVD Reading: DVD Single/Dual Layer (PTP/OTP), DVD-R (3.9GB/4.7GB), DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+R Multisession, DVD-RW and DVD+RW
- CD Reading: CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM/XA, Photo-CD, Multisession, Karaoke-CD, Video-CD, CD-I FMV, CD Extra, CD Plus, CD-R and CD-RW
- Support 80 and 120mm CD and DVD
- Communication modes: PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2 and Ultra DMA mode 4
- Lightscribe Support
ASUS CB-5216A1T: SATA DVD/CD-RW Drive
The CB-5216A1T supports ASUS FlextraLink, FlextraSpeed and DDSS II proprietary technologies.
FlextraLink technology prevents buffer underrun errors and eliminates the possibility of disc corruption, while FlextraSpeed is designed to increase accuracy and reliability when reading/writing/rewriting media of various formats. In turn, the DDSS II Dual Dynamic Suspension System is designed to minimize vibration caused by the optical drive's spindle motor and resonance between the drive and the computer case by stabilizing both vertically and horizontally.
Specifications ASUS CB-5216A1T:
- CD-R Write Speed: 52X
- CD-RW rewriting speed: 32X
- CD-ROM reading speed: 52X
- DVD reading speed: 16X
- FlextraLink Technology
- FlextraSpeed technology
- DDSS II
- AI Auto Speed Adjustment Technology
- Support for accelerated decoding of music CDs (max. speed - 52X) and Video CD
- Mt support. Rainier
- Support for DAO-RAW, TAO, DAO, SAO, Multi-Session, Packet Write and Overburn
- Support for CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, Photo CD, Mixed Mode CD-ROM, CD-I, CD-Extra, CD Text, Video CD, DVCD and Bootable CD
- Vertical and horizontal installation possible
- SATA interface
Hitachi GSA-4166B
Hitachi introduced the drive - GSA-4166B supports all formats, including DVD-RAM.
The main characteristics of the device:
- Super Multi Drive supporting 5x DVD-RAM and 16x DVD±R recording
- Compatible with dual-layer ±R discs
- Speed formula: 16x/6x/5x/16x/8x (DVD-R/RW/RAM/+R/+RW)
- Support for LightScribe technology
- Buffer size - 2 Mb
- Media loading - horizontal, automated
- Interface: IDE/ATAPI/Ultra DMA66
- Power supply: 12V/5V
- Supported OS: Win9X,\Win2K,XP, Media Center Edition
- DVD-R: SL 2x, 4x CLV, 8x ZCLV, 12x PCAV, 16x CAV, DL 2x, 4x CLV
- DVD-RW: 2x, 4x CLV, 6x ZCLV
- DVD-RAM: 2x, 3x, 5x CLV (Ver.2.2)
- DVD+R: SL 2.4x, 4x CLV, 8x ZCLV, 12x PCAV, 16x CAV, DL 2.4x, 4x CLV, 6x ZCLV
- DVD+RW: 2.4x, 4x CLV, 8x ZCLV
- CD-R: 10x, 16x CLV, 24x ZCLV, 32x, 40x, 48x CAV
- CD-RW: 4x, 10x, 16x CLV, 24x, 32x ZCLV
- DVD-R/RW/ROM: 10x/8x/16x max.
- DVD-RAM (Ver.1.0/2.1) : 2x, 3x, 5x CLV
- DVD+R/+RW: SL - 10x max., DL - 8x max./8x max.
- CD-R/RW/ROM: 48x max/32x/48x max
Transfer rate:
- DVD-ROM: 22.16 Mbps
- CD-ROM: 6 Mb/s.
Data access time:
- DVD-ROM: 145ms
- CD-ROM: 120ms
Supported formats (media) and recording methods:
- DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R (SL, DL)/RW, CD-R/RW
- DVD-RAM/+RW: random (any) recording
- DVD-R: Disk-at-once, incremental recording
- DVD-R DL: Sequential Recording
- DVD-RW: Disk-at-once, incremental recording
- DVD+R, +R DL: sequential recording
- CD-R/RW: Disk-at-once, Session-at-once, Track-at-once, Packet Write
Reading discs (formats):
- DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R(SL,DL), DVD-RW, DVD+R(SL,DL), DVD+RW; CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-DA, CD-I, CD-Extra, CD-Text, Photo CD, Video CD
* SL - single layer (single layer disc), DL - double layer.
Buffalo DVSM-X516FBS and DVSM-X516IU2
Buffalo launches two new DVD drives.
For installation inside, it comes with a SATA-ATAPI adapter and supports both standards. Dimensions: 146 x 170 x 42 mm, and the weight of the product is 760 g. When connected via serial ATA, the DVSM-X516FBS model is only compatible with Win2K/XP.
The external drive DVSM-X516IU2 has IEEE 1394/USB 2.0 interface connectors. Its dimensions are 160 x 279 x 55 mm, weight 1.8 kg. Fully compatible with Win98 SE/Me/2K/XP and WinXP Media Center Edition 2005.
Both models are based on Hitachi DVD super multiple drive GSA-4167B. They provide the following data write speeds: DVD+R DL 6x, DVD-R DL 4x, DVD±R (1-layer) 16x, DVD-RAM 5x, DVD+RW 8x and DVD-RW 6x. Matrix CD-Rs are written at 48x, and CD-RWs at 32x. Reading speeds for DVD are: DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-ROM DL 8x, DVD±R (1-layer) 10x, DVD±R DL 8x, DVD±RW 8x, and for DVD-RAM 5x. CDs are read at 48x for CD-ROM and 40x for CD-RW. The kit comes with a set of software "Easy Media Creator 7 Basic" and "MyDVD 6".
Cost of internal drive DVSM-X516FBS - US$130
External DVSM-X516IU2 - US$160
Plextor starts selling external DVD±R/RW drives. This model does not have a "tray" retractable element, but uses a "slot loading".
USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 interface is provided for connecting to a computer. Recording speed on DVD±R matrices is 16x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD±R DL 6x, and DVD-RW 4x. Regular CD-R discs are written at 48x, while CD-RWs are written at 24x. Drive buffer size is 8Mb. The device is equipped with the "Intelligent Recording" function, which automatically selects the optimal recording speed. The products will be released in a limited edition of 500 pieces in white cases. Dimensions 167.1x253.5x53mm, weight 1.7 kg.
Other external DVD±R/RW drive .
The design of the device is similar to the PX-716UFL, but the color of the case is black, and a traditional sliding "tray" is used to receive the disk. There is also a USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 interface, the write speed for DVD±R is 16x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD+R DL 8x, DVD-R DL 4x and for DVD-RW 6x. Matrix CD-Rs are written at 48x, and CD-RWs at 32x. Buffer size 2MB. Dimensions 167.1 x 253.5 x 53 mm, weight 1.6 kg. All drives are guaranteed to be compatible with WinMe/2K/XP.
NU DDW-164
Specification
- Interface:IDE/ATAPI(UDMA33)
- Reading speed:
- CD-ROM: 40x Max.
- DVD-ROM: 16x Max.
- Write speeds:
- CD-RW: 24x
- CD-R: 40x
- DVD-RW: 4x
- DVD+RW: 4x
- DVD+R/DVD-R: 16x
- DVD+R DL: 4x
- Recording formats: CD Disc at Once (DAO), Session at Once (SAO) and Track at Once (TAO) recording, DVD+R Incremental Write, DVD+RW Random Write
- Data buffer size: 2MBytes
- Dimensions: 148mm x 42mm x 170mm
- Weight 0.92kg
The drive is able to work with almost all existing types 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 minus, but, nevertheless, all modern drives support it.
NU DDW-164 clearly needs to be improved, most of the problems are related to the fact that the manufacturer needs to improve the burning strategies for most discs and rework the list of supported discs. These problems can usually be solved in new version firmware, so it remains to be hoped that the developers will promptly make the necessary changes, but for now the drive will suit you only if you mainly use "branded" blanks.
Q. Decided to buy a DVD-RW?
A. NEC-ND3520 Q. NEC DVD-RW ND-2500A stopped reading and writing DVDs (CD-R/RW reads)?
A. Reading and writing a DVD requires more laser power than writing a CD. That is, the most probable cause is a decrease in the radiation power. First, clean your head. If it does not help, then the laser emission is reduced, change the drive.
Q. Combo CD-RW/DVD Samsung 352F (OEM), the drive does not see the disc (it's not the disc), there is also a problem with the 7.9 GB DVD, the computer is very stressed, but it cannot read the files. Mother ECS P6S5AT. Proc Celeron 1.0 GHz, Windows XP Home system?
A. To burn a DVD, you need to install a program for burning discs. As for reading dual-layer DVDs: your drive simply does not support them or a firmware update is required (look at the drive manufacturer's website). In addition, Samsung optical drives have never been of high quality.
Q. Bought 552 TEAC. Was it worth taking instead of NEC 1100A?
A. Instead of NEC - it was not worth it, the reliability and quality of NEC drives have been noticeably higher lately.
The TT-15S1 is a perfectly smooth "milky" surface of the 28 mm thick acrylic base, a belt drive, an aluminum tonearm with an anti-roll system and, of course, no preamps.
Speed 33 x 1/3.45 rpm ±0.2%,
Signal to noise ratio - 80 dB,
Frequency response - from 20Hz to 20kHz,
Impedance - 0.66 kOhm,
Power consumption - 5W
The dimensions of the TT-15S1 are typical for its class - w440 mm x t110 mm x d350 mm, weight - 8.9 kg.
The vinyl player is a limited edition priced at ~$2400.
Pioneer DVR-110
Model * burns DL media to 8x DVD+R/-R, regular DVD+R/-R discs are recorded at 16x. Other characteristics of the Pioneer DVR-110 are as follows:
Reading:
*Unfortunately no support for Blu-ray media.
Vinyl "blanks" CD-R
17/05/2005 The Russian company MIREX launches CD-R MAESTRO blanks with VYNIL type coating and design stylized as vinyl records of past years. MAESTRO is available in five versions, differing only in the color of the inner rings on the surface.
The disks have a capacity of 700MB and a maximum write speed of 52x. According to the manufacturer, the main advantage of vinyl is a double, reinforced protection of the information layer, which is especially relevant for frequent use of the disc and its operation in extreme conditions, such as high humidity or sudden changes in temperature.
Benq Dual Cooling System
Benq introduced the DVD+-R/+-RW burner. The model is called DW1640 and will be released with a black and white front panel. 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 recorded at 8x speed, so an 8.5GB disc is written in 16 minutes, only DVD-RW discs are written at 6x speed.
The novelty is equipped with a dual cooling system Dual Cooling System (DCS), which includes 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 of 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 been able to significantly improve the manufacturing process of rewritable discs and improve 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, ie. the novelty has 1.8 times more volume than traditional discs - single-sided and single-layer.
In addition, JVC's recording layer pre-treatment method will allow manufacturers to use existing equipment to produce new-style discs, if, of course, the proposal to standardize and adapt JVC's new-style DVD-RW discs receives a response in the DVD Forum, where JVC has filed a corresponding application.
Unlike conventional dual-layer discs, JVC discs use new material, which 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 prototype monolithic read/write unit
The presence of several ideologically similar formats for reading (writing) information from optical discs has led to the fact that, starting from a certain moment (since the release of combo drives), first laser heads with two separate diodes (one for CD, the other for DVD), and then heads with a pair of crystals packed in a single diode housing, each of which emitted its own wavelength (such diodes, for example, are produced by Sony). At the same time, the task pursued was quite definite: to replace the scattering of elements with a monolithic block, simplifying and reducing the cost of the design of the laser head, simultaneously increasing its reliability.
The appearance of blue-violet laser-recorded optical discs has become a real challenge for designers of pick-up heads. Indeed, now it was required to include another diode with its own matrix and its own beam path in the reading unit. In a surge of real enthusiasm, three-in-one puzzling structures began to appear one after another: from prisms, diodes and lenses. This is clear. First you need to make a device from what is, but there were separate diodes and universal heads, and only then simplify this device.
It was about the development of a prototype of such a "brought to mind" universal laser head unit that the tandem from Sony and Nichia announced today. This pair of manufacturers, let me remind you, concluded in April of this year an unlimited cross-licensing agreement on the joint development of blue-violet laser diodes and pick-up heads based on them, which they will sell and produce, however, each separately. The created prototype will be sent to mass production by the end of 2005. By then, presumably, its versatility will only increase. Because at the moment the new laser unit is not quite universal: it emits only waves 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 unit is different: its execution is simply striking in its "conciseness":
The design principle is clear from the block diagram, and we will not dwell on it. We only note that such a prism design is as reliable as possible (all three optical sections are enclosed in a monolithic block) and easy to assemble. In addition, such a unit will need only 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 has issued an official press release announcing the release of a "Pro" version of its renowned 16-speed DVD±RW drive that 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 it at 2.4x speed. That is why the company did not change the drive index, limiting itself to the "Pro" suffix. Also, both drives now come with a proprietary QScan utility that allows the user to quickly check the quality of the disc and determine the optimal speed and recording parameters.
However, if we remember the specs and price of LG's anticipated super-universal GSA-4163B drive, then all of the above is no longer too important. Q. For some time now I have started having problems with DVD and CD playback. When watching a video, listening to audio by any program, "slips" periodically occur. Those. there is a movie, for example, and then immediately jumps a couple of seconds ahead. Same with MP3 when played directly from the drive. The frequency of the phenomenon is 5-20 minutes. Everything reads fine from the hard drive (SATA interface). It is copied from / to the hard drive, discs are written, discs are copied and everything else is normal and at the same speed. When playing an AudioCD, everything is also normal, but at the same time I do not use digital playback, but "analogue", i.e. The sound output does not go through the mother 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 closes on IDE interface. The drives hang on the secondary IDE: Plextor PX-712A (Master) and Plextor PlexWriter Premium (Slave). Motherboard ASUS P4C800, RAM PC3200 512 MB Kingston, P4 Presscott 3GHz processor, operating system WinXP Professional SP1.
A. Either the discs are scratched a little, or while watching a movie or listening to music, the system wants to access some services, so there is a short-term disappearance and jumps. Maybe the laser head is dusty (clean it). When reading an Audio CD, you don't need such spin-up speeds (max - 4x) as when watching movies. Advice - rewrite films first on a screw (with a DVD, of course, it is more problematic than with a CD), otherwise you will slowly ruin your DVD / CD-Rom.
DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc Random Access Memory)
In July 1997, the DVD Forum approved the DVD-RAM format (Digital Versatile Disc Random Access Memory), which was developed by three Japanese companies: Hitachi, Matsushita and Toshiba. But in the personal computer market, DVD-RAM hasn't really caught on. Perhaps this happened because the two opposing camps, one of which promoted DVD + RW, and the other DVD-RW, were so engrossed in promoting their own rewritable DVD formats that they simply did not get around to the third format. Although the reason why manufacturers began to turn away from DVD-RAM may be different, namely, DVD-RAM discs were supplied both in cartridges and without, which somewhat complicated the work with discs (cartridges could be collapsible or non-collapsible) , and dictated the need to produce drives with a tray for cartridges.
The DVD-RAM format turned out to be more in demand in the corporate sector, when DVD-RAM drives were introduced into robotic libraries for storing data. This format was chosen by corporations because DVD-RAM specifications, in terms of the number of maximum possible rewrite cycles, compare favorably with DVD±RW, promising 100,000 erases and rewrites, which is significantly more than 1,000 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 to gain popularity among ordinary users. After all, perhaps only non-separable cartridges could guarantee the promised number of rewriting cycles at the expense of cost and ease of storage. What the mass market was not ready to go to. In the end, support for DVD-RAM recording in some drives produced today only serves to strengthen the manufacturer's reputation, but by no means a standard.
However, now, according to some indications, the "cartridgeless" DVD-RAM format is beginning to gain momentum. One of its developers, Hitachi, is taking the most active steps to bring DVD-RAM back to the market. 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 master the market of DVD-RAM media and drives! Is it possible that the achievement of the upper limit of the speed of writing DVD±R discs has frightened manufacturers so much that they are ready to bring something new to DVD drives by any means, expanding their functionality, even at the expense of not very popular features? It's like with mobile phones, which from "just calling" have turned into a kind of "Swiss knives" from, not even communications, but from entertainment or something. Be that as it may, the 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 the launch of new products by the second quarter of 2005. But LG Electronics releases such drives regularly. In the spring of 2004, LG announced the Super Multi drive model, which indeed supported all formats, including the latest dual-layer (GSA-4120B drive).
Super Multi drive LG GSA-4160B.
Not so long ago, this model was upgraded to version GSA-4160B. The update affected only the speed of writing DVD+R discs: it has grown from 12x to 16x. All other parameters remained unchanged: DVD-R - 8x, DVD-RAM - 5x, DVD+RW and DVD-RW - 4x, CD-R - 40x, CD-RW - 24x; CD reading speed - 40x, DVD - 16x.
Q.How to format a DVD disc?
A.Nero InCD - format your disc there, you will get the UDF format, and then you can work with it like a large floppy disk (most likely, I mean not formatted, but a blank DVD disc). If we are talking about DVD + / - RW , then when erasing in Nero, select "Complete erasing of a rewritable disc".
Q.DVD-RW drive NEC ND2510A. It turned out that he does not read discs recorded by himself. But, if you just insert a DVD disc, for example with a movie or game, then everything is OK. It seems to be reading images written to disk - that is, if there is an installer, then it will launch it. But, before it gave an error cyclic redundancy check, and now: "Incorrect Function". How do you think this is resolved?
What I tried:
A. Have you tried writing to normal Verbatim? All the NECs I saw were characterized by a frank dislike for the "left" discs. And the cheapest Noname was not even read by Pioneer after recording (although household players BBK somehow played them - albeit not for long: then the recording layer peeled off).
Q. DVD+RW NEC 2510A (new) won't write DVDs
A. DVD+R or DVD-R discs? If you give it the second type, then everything is simple - it doesn’t know how to work with them, but if the first type, go to the warranty. This device is very fastidious, it writes only those disks that it "knows" in its firmware the names of disk manufacturers are hardwired, and those that he recognizes, those he will write, and those that he does not "know", those will not. And you can't fix it by changing the firmware - it's checked!
1. Check if the ASPI driver is installed.
2. Download the new firmware from the manufacturer's website.
3. Are the discs good?
Plextor: PX-740A Dual Layer DVD Drive
Plextor has announced the PX-740A internal dual-layer IDE DVD drive. This is a normal, solid drive i.e. without any special features like the flagship PX-716A.
Recording time for an 8.5 GB disc on a PX-740A drive is ~15 minutes. At the same time, the drive records a single-layer disc in less than 6 minutes.
PX-740A drive features:
- Buffer size 2 Mb
- Buffer Underrun Proof technology
- 16 x DVD±R recording
- 8x DVD+R DL recording
- 4x DVD-R DL recording
- 8x DVD+RW recording
- 6x DVD-RW recording
- 16x DVD-ROM reading
- 48x CD-R recording
- 32x CD-RW dubbing
- 48x CD-ROM reading
- Support direct recording method DVD±VR (Video Recording)
DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital versatile disc or, more simply, a high-capacity compact disc. Virtually every DVD-ROM drive is a CD-ROM drive; drives of this type can read both regular CDs and DVDs. Digital versatile discs use the same optical technology as CDs, only with a higher recording density. The DVD standard greatly increases the amount of storage and therefore the amount of applications that can be written to CDs. CD-ROMs can hold a maximum of 737MB of data (an 80-minute disc), which at first glance seems like a pretty good amount. Unfortunately, this is no longer enough for many modern applications, especially with the active use of video. DVDs, on the other hand, can hold up to 4.7 GB (single layer) or 8.5 GB (dual layer) of data on each side, which is about 11.5 times more than standard CDs. The capacity of a double-sided DVD is, of course, twice that of a single-sided DVD. However, at present, to read data from the second side, you have to turn the disk over.
A DVD can contain up to two information layers, while the capacity of a standard single-sided single-layer disc is 4.7 GB. The new disc has the same diameter as CD discs, but is twice as thin (0.6 mm). Using MPEG-2 compression, 133 minutes of video can be placed on the new disc - a full-length film with three channels of high-quality sound and four channels of subtitles. By using both layers of a single-sided disc, a 240-minute movie can be recorded on it. There is no cabalism in the capacity values of optical discs. DVD discs were directly associated with film production, and the film industry had long considered this type of media to be cheaper and more reliable than video cassettes.
Digital versatile discs have replaced CDs and videocassettes. Purchased or rented DVDs perform the same functions as a VCR tape, but with higher sound and picture quality. Like CDs, which were primarily intended for music recordings, DVDs can be used for a variety of purposes, including storage of computer data.
Note!
It is very important to understand the difference between DVD-Video and DVD-ROM. The first disc contains only video and plays in a DVD player, while the second includes different types data and read using the DVD drive in the computer. These two types of discs can be compared to a music CD and a CD-ROM. DVD drives can play DVD-Video movies (using a hardware or software MPEG-2 encoder), but DVD-Video players cannot be used to access DVD-ROM data.
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4. CD/DVD-ROM drive
The CD/DVD-ROM drive is an integral part of a computer these days, as almost everything software now distributed on CD, and some multimedia programs - on DVD. DVD drives support both regular CDs and DVDs, making them more versatile. Modern systems have long had the ability to boot from CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drives.
To achieve the desired effect when using a CD-ROM, it is recommended to choose a drive with an EIDE interface of at least 32x or 40x, or a DVD-ROM with a speed of 8x.
I would recommend purchasing both CD-RW and DVD-ROM. They're not the cheapest devices yet, but once you get them, you'll immediately experience the benefits of using them: burning your own CDs, 4.7-17 GB of data to DVD, and more. Another reason to install a CD-RW drive and a CD-ROM/DVD drive at the same time is that you can save the contents of an optical disc without having to copy it to HDD.
Burning your own CDs will help you save your data with a minimum of effort. CD-RW drives are used to write both CD-RW (write-once) and CD-R (write-once) media. Note that many older CD-ROM drives (without the MulliRead label) do not support CD-RW discs, while almost all CD-ROM drives are compatible with the CD-R standard.
Advice. For CD-RW discs to be as reliable as possible, one technique is needed to prevent buffer overruns. BURN-proof, JustLink or Waste-Proof are such technologies that eliminate the possibility of incorrect recording (and, therefore, damage) of discs.
5. Keyboard and mouse
Obviously, the computer will need a keyboard and a cursor positioning device, such as a mouse. The choice of a specific modification of these devices directly depends on the personal preferences of the user. Different users like different types of keyboards, so you will have to try a lot of models before you find the one that suits you best. Some people like keyboards with springy keys that can be "feeled" while others prefer "soft" keyboards that allow easy keystrokes.
There are two types of keyboard connectors, so please make sure that the keyboard connector matches the connector installed on the motherboard when purchasing. The original 5-pin DIN connectors and the newer 6-pin mini-DIN connectors are electrically compatible, allowing you to adapt one type of keyboard connector or another to your existing keyboard. The most modern keyboard interface is the USB bus; USB connectors are the most widely used, not least thanks to "legacy-free" computers containing exclusively USB ports.
When using a USB keyboard, like any other device of this type, USB support is required at the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) level. If you want to use a USB keyboard outside of the Windows GUI, then your system BIOS must support a technology called Legacy USB or USB Keyboard and Mouse. This feature is supported by almost all modern BIOSes. In the meantime, try to find a model that also works with traditional keyboard ports so that you can use a USB keyboard on both newer and older systems.
The same applies to other cursor positioning devices (such as a mouse). Everyone can choose the most suitable option among a wide variety of modifications. Before finally deciding what to buy, try several options. If your motherboard has a built-in mouse port, make sure the connector you choose matches it. A mouse with this connector is commonly referred to as a PS/2 mouse because this type of mouse port was first used on IBM's PS/2 systems. Many computers use a serial port to connect a mouse, but if you can use the mouse port built into the motherboard, it is better to use it. Some USB mice work with the PS "2 port without any problems, but mostly mice of this type are only for the USB port. I think the most acceptable option is a dual-mode mouse that works on any system. Do not forget about the existence of wireless versions of the mouse.
Tip: Don't skimp on the keyboard and mouse! An "uncomfortable" keyboard and mouse can cause illness! Personally, I recommend high quality keyboards with capacitive sensors.
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is gradually replacing all other standard I/O ports. The USB interface supports PnP technology and allows you to connect up to 127 external devices to one port, and the data transfer rate of the USB bus is about 60 MB / s. As a rule, a USB hub is connected to the USB port integrated into the system board, and all devices are connected directly to it. At the moment, USB ports are present in almost all motherboards.
The range of devices connected to USB is unusually wide. These include modems, keyboards, mice, CD-ROM drives, speakers, joysticks, tape and floppy drives, scanners, camcorders, MP3 players, and many others. However, when connecting multiple devices to the same low-speed USB 1.1 port, there may be some issues that should be resolved with a USB 2.0 interface. When buying a new system, pay special attention to the availability of USB 2.0 ports.
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N OS-6). It should be noted that the replacement of computer parts is unprofitable to consider as an upgrade. For an accountant, this is a lot of work. By the amount of modernization in accounting, you need to increase the initial cost of the computer. This means that the cost of modernization will not have to be written off immediately, but gradually, as depreciation is accrued. Therefore, in practice, upgrading a computer, if possible ...
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