Plextor PX-850SA
Last month we reviewed our first 22x DVD burner, Samsung?s SH-S223;
this month, Plextor presents us with a challenger in the form of the
PX-850SA?a similarly spec?d drive that rises to the occasion in some
respects, but falls short in others. Like Samsung?s new burner, the
PX-850SA boasts an industry-leading 22x speed rating for DVD+/-R media.
It lacks, however, the Samsung?s over-speed feature, which helped that
drive eke out a 4:46 (min:sec) Lab record when writing 4.38GB of data
to a single-layer DVD+R disc. By comparison, the Plextor took 5:36,
never breaching the 16x speed limit imposed by our Verbatim media. The
difference between the two drives? performance with double-layer media
was more expected. After all, Plextor?s PX-850SA is rated at just 8x
when writing to DVD+/- DL, compared to the Samsung drive?s rating of
16x. In practical terms, this means Plextor?s drive took 16:33 to fill
an 8GB disc versus the Samsung drive?s time of 13:13. But the Plextor
PX-850SA did have its triumphs. As a new addition to our optical drive
benchmarks, we test a drive?s ability to rip the contents of a
double-layer DVD to a hard drive. The PX-850SA had an average rip time
of 10:43, while Samsung?s drive was about 50 percent slower, with an
average rip time of 15:26. We must note that Samsung?s drive redeemed
its ripping reputation?and then some?with a firmware hack, but
Plextor?s PX-850SA gets props for being the faster drive out of the box
and for being competitive at rips against a host of other drives. The
Plexy also gets props for its good looks. The drive?s stylish, shiny
faceplate stands out against the generic facades of its peers. The
PX-850SA further differentiates itself by coming bundled with Roxio
Creator 10 CE as opposed to Nero?s package of DVD playing and burning
apps, although the two suites are pretty comparable. In the end, we?re
talking about a solid-performing drive, but the PX-850SA still takes a
backseat to Samsung?s SH-S223.
Samsung SH-S223
We?ll admit we?ve been perfectly content with Samsung?s SH-S203 DVD
burner for more than a year. Once we were writing 4.38GB of data to a
disc in five minutes flat, we were feeling pretty satisfied with the
state of DVD technology. Nevertheless, we?re not about to turn our nose
up at a performance increase. And that?s what Samsung?s latest DVD
burner, the SH-S223, offers. As you might have guessed from the name,
the SH-S223 represents a jump from 20x to 22x DVD+/-R burn speeds. In
our tests, this effectively shaved 12 seconds off the time it took to
fill a single-layer DVD+R disc. The SH-S223 took 4:46 (min:sec)
compared with the SH-S203?s flat 5:00. In both cases, we used 16x
media, the fastest-rated media that?s readily available. And in both
cases, the drives? ?over-speed? feature enabled them to burn data at
higher than rated speeds. In the course of its write, the SH-S223
steadily climbed from a starting speed of 8.38x to 20.7x. Besides the
boost in DVD+/-R speeds, however, the SH-S223 has identical speed
ratings to its predecessor for all other types of media. In our DVD+R
DL write test, the SH-S223?s 16x rating for that media amounted to a
write time of 13:13 using 8x media, a mere three seconds slower than
the SH-S203. Again, the SH-S223?s over-speed feature kicked in, with a
good portion of the burn occurring at 10x speed. The SH-S223 is rated
at 8x for DVD+RW and 6x for DVD-RW. We tested the drive with DVD-RW
media rated at 4x. This time, rather than burning beyond the disc?s
speed rating, the SH-S223 stuck to it, maintaining a 4x speed
throughout and writing 4.38GB to the rewriteable disc in 14:56. This
isn?t all that surprising, as drives typically perform much more
conservatively with rewriteable media, given its greater propensity for
write errors. Like the SH-S203 before it, the SH-S223 connects to a PC
using a SATA interface and comes bundled with a host of Nero apps.
While we see no need to graduate from a 20x DVD burner?particularly the
SH-S203?to the SH-S223, this is the drive to get if you?re currently
using anything less than an 18x model.
Sony BWU 300S Blu-Ray Burner
For more than a year, LG has been sitting pretty with the only 6x
Blu-ray burner available for retail, but now that Sony?s BWU 300S
offers 8x BD-R write speeds, LG?s supremacy has come to an end. Sort
of. The 300S is uncommonly fast?given the right circumstances. The
drive managed to fill a 25GB BD-R disc with data in a blistering 13:56
(min:sec), compared with the LG GBW-H20L?s time of 22:16, but only when
the drive was fed manufacturer-recommended Panasonic 6x media. And good
luck finding that?our online search for the media was fruitless. When
using more common 4x media, the 300S stuck closely to that speed
rating, taking 22:56 to complete the same task. This is an interesting
point of comparison since LG?s drive is tuned to overburn 4x BD-R media
at 6x speeds, which seems like a really nifty feat, until you see that
its overall average speed remains 4x. More impressive is the fact that
the LG drive can perform the exact same trick with 2x BD-R media. But
we digress. Like the rest of the competition, the 300S is rated at 2x
for rewriteable BD media, which resulted in a 45:20 time to fill a 25GB
BD-RE disc, almost six minutes slower than LG?s drive. In our DVD+R
burn tests, the two drives, which both feature 16x write ratings, ran
neck and neck. The 300S took 5:49 to write 4.38GB of data to a
single-layer disc, while the GBW-H20L took 5:43. We?ll give Sony props
for making BD-R writes truly speedy, but our enthusiasm is tempered by
the unavailability of the Panasonic 6x media that makes those speeds
possible. What?s more, even when using an equally rare 6x TDK disc,
Sony?s drive wouldn?t overburn to its maximum 8x ability. It?s that
particular. So in real-world terms we?re really looking at a drive that
performs about the same, or marginally worse, than LG?s GBW-H20L, yet
costs $100 more. Even the bundled Men in Black BD disc doesn?t justify
that premium. Heck, we?re not convinced that Blu-ray is worth even the
lower price.
LG BE06 External Blu-Ray Burner
We expected LG?s new 6x external Blu-ray burner to perform similarly to
the company?s GBW-H20L internal offering, what with the two having
identical read/write speed ratings, but we were wrong. The external
drive is a bigger, more expensive letdown. Like the GBW-H20L, the BE06
external model boasts an industry-leading 6x BD-R write rating. And
here the latter performed accordingly, writing 22GB of data to a
single-layer BD-R disc in a brisk 22:43 (min:sec). In BD-RE writes,
however, the BE06 faltered?badly. Boasting the same 2x rating for
rewriteable media as the GBW-H20L, the BE06 took more than twice as
long as that drive to write 22GB of data to a BD-RE disc?a full hour
and 28 minutes! That?s actually slower than just about any Blu-ray
burner we?ve tested in recent memory. Not good. The BE06 redeemed
itself with DVD-R writes. The drive is rated at 16x and was able to
write 4.38GB to a single-layer disc in 5:42?a second faster than the LG
GBW-H20L. The drives were as closely matched on DVD-R reads. While
there?s something to be said for the convenience of an external drive
with a USB 2.0 interface, this is offset by the BE06?s gargantuan size.
The enclosure is nearly 3 inches longer and an inch wider than its
internal brethren?and $100 more expensive. Blu-ray is a tough enough
sell as it is without tacking on this drive?s compromises. We?re
unimpressed.
LG GBW-H20L
When we reviewed LG?s GGW-H20L Blu-ray burner in December 2007 we
applauded its superior BD-R write speeds and ability to also read HD
DVD media. Now that the latter feature is irrelevant, we welcome LG?s
new GBW-H20L. It boasts all the same DVD and BD read and write specs as
its predecessor, sans the HD DVD reader?and comes with a healthy price
cut. LG makes next-gen optical seem like a viable option. LG remains
the only manufacturer offering 6x write speeds for BD-R media, and it?s
a notable distinction. Even when burning to 2x media, LG?s drives are
far speedier than the 4x competition at filling a BD-R disc with 22.5GB
of data?taking just over 20 minutes (the 4x Lite On drive we reviewed
last month took 48 minutes to complete that task!). LG?s BD burner
offers a 16x DVD+R write rating. While it?s shy of the 20x rating
you?ll find on top-end dedicated DVD drives, we?re satisfied with the
real-world results. When writing 4.38GB of data to a singled-layer
DVD+R disc, LG?s GBW-H20L took 5:43 (min:sec), compared with the Lab
record time of 5:00 set by Samsung?s SH-S203 DVD drive. Most Blu-ray
burners we?ve reviewed have capped DVD+R speeds at 8x or 12x, including
the Lite On drive reviewed last month, which took 7:09 to fill a
single-layer DVD. While LG?s previous GGW-H20L wins the majority of our
benchmarks, the GBW-H20L comes well within spitting distance of that
drive. And at $280, the GBW-H20L is almost $200 less than its
predecessor. We like that.
Lite On 4x Blu-ray Triple Writer DH-4B1S
Lite On?s new drive may sport a faster 4x BD-R write rating, but it
performs worse than its 2x kin. It doesn?t matter a lick to us that
Blu-ray has prevailed in the high-def format war if the hardware
remains expensive and uninspiring. We have to admit, we thought the
tide was turning when we reviewed LG?s GGW-H20L Blu-ray burner back in
December. That drive represented a dramatic price drop (falling to $500
from its predecessor?s $1,200 price tag in a matter of months?and now
settled at $400 MSRP), and its 6x rating for BD-R media resulted in
burn times we could actually live with (22.5GB in a little over 20
minutes). Sadly, Lite On has not followed LG?s lead. True, the
company?s latest Blu-ray burner is cheaper than the Lite On LH-2B1S we
reviewed in July 2007 ($450 vs. $600) and has a faster BD-R write
rating (4x vs. 2x), but we?re not the least bit moved by these changes.
For starters, the new DH-4B1S is still more expensive than the
aforementioned LG GGW-H20L, and its ?improved? BD-R rating has actually
made burning to that media slower! It took us 48:00 (min:sec) to burn
22.5GB to a single-layer disc. Certain this was a mistake, we ran the
test again?for a time of 48:14! (With the 2x Lite On drive, this very
task took just 46:14.) The DH-4B1S was actually faster burning to BD-RE
media?where it?s rated at just 2x?writing 22.5GB to a rewriteable disc
in 46:12. With such pathetic Blu-ray performance, it might seem moot to
discuss the DH-4B1S?s other attributes, such as DVD burn times, but
here you have it: The drive is rated at 12x for DVD+R single-layer
discs; in our tests, it wrote 4.38GB of data to that media in 7:09
(min:sec). That?s a decent time, but LG?s GGW-H20L, which is rated at
16x, took just 5:40 to complete this task. Like all the Blu-ray burners
we?ve ever tested, the DH-4B1S comes bundled with a collection of
CyberLink applications for backup, copying, playback, and authoring
chores. We can?t hold the drive responsible, but we?d appreciate
CyberLink?s software more if it weren?t so twitchy. Aesthetically, the
drive is pretty standard, although it does sport an LED strip across
its front that signifies drive operation and whether it?s working with
CD, DVD, or BD media. The DH-4B1S smartly sports a SATA interface. We
always expect technology to progress by leaps and bounds, but a drive
such as this makes us feel like Blu-ray is at a standstill.
Lite-On 20A4PU EZ-Dub Optical Drive
One of the most obvious differences between an external optical drive
and its internal brethren is in appearance. A device that?s going to
sit out in the open for anyone to see, after all, has to look the part.
Lite-On?s latest EZ-Dub optical drive accomplishes this with a
fashionable white and black aesthetic that would surely do Apple proud.
It?s an update from the more staid look of the previous EZ-Dub model,
which was also nearly two inches longer and a half-inch taller. As with
the older model, this EZ-Dub comes with a stand, so you can set the
drive on its side to save desktop space. Another distinction of
external drives is convenience. The EZ-Dub connects to a PC via USB and
is ready to go with you anywhere. Lite-On also equips the drive with
two touch-sensitive buttons to make common optical chores easier: a Dub
button for disc-to-disc copies and a File button for backing up files
to a disc. Pressing the button automatically launches the bundled
EZ-Dub software, and then it?s just a couple steps to completing the
aforementioned tasks. In the end, it saves a bit of time, but these
tasks aren?t all that laborious when you use the traditional means: The
drive also comes bundled with the Nero 7 Essentials package. Of course,
what should matter most about any optical drive is its performance. The
EZ-Dub is rated for 20x DVD+R write speeds, just like the Samsung
SH-S203 that we?ve been recommending for many months. But Lite-On?s
drive took a full minute longer than Samsung?s to write 4.38GB to a
single-layer DVD+R (6 minutes vs. 5 minutes). And when writing to a
double-layer disc, Lite-On?s drive took 17:56 (min:sec) to Samsung?s
13:10. Still, these scores are solid, if not stellar?and if what you?re
after is an external drive solution, Lite-On?s EZ-Dub is a credible
choice.
LG Super Multi Blue GGW-H20LI
It?s no surprise that high-def optical drives are getting less
expensive while their specs improve?that?s the trajectory of all
emergent technologies?but we are still taken aback by the dramatic
strides LG?s GGW-H20LI represents. Just a few months ago, in our
September issue, we reviewed this drive?s predecessor, the GGW-H10NI,
and not only is its follow-up better in every respect, it?s half the
price! Granted, at $1,200 the earlier model was priced out of the
stratosphere?consumers paid a premium for its unique ability to read
both HD DVD and Blu-ray media (while writing to just the latter). The
GGW-H20LI also offers this convenience. Plus, it offers a welcome speed
increase for Blu-ray burns. Rated at 6x for BD-R media, the GGW-H20LI
took 21:23 (min:sec) to write 22.5GB to a single-layer disc in our
tests. That?s a 6-minute savings over this drive?s 4x predecessor.
(Frankly, we were expecting to see more savings, since the 4x drive
nearly halved the times of its 2x competitors, but we?ll take what we
can get.) We saved just about 6 minutes when writing to rewriteable
media as well, with the GGW-H20LI filling a single-layer BD-RE disc in
39:38. But really, given the high cost of Blu-ray media ($12 to $15 per
single-layer disc), not to mention the still-lengthy burn times, this
drive?s DVD performance matters as much or more to most users. Rated at
16x, the GGW-H20LI took 5:40 (min:sec) to fill a single-layer DVD+R,
while its predecessor took more than 10 minutes. Even dedicated DVD
burners aren?t much faster?the Samsung SH-S203B, our pick for ?Best of
the Best? (see page 46)?took 5 minutes to complete this task. Its reign
might not last long, but for now the GGW-H20LI is the fastest, most
versatile high-def optical burner available and made all the more
attractive by its handsome fa硤e and SATA interface.
