Etc.).

Designed by [ by whom?] in the late 1970s, originally for reading CDs, to abstract from the format and type of disc, in common parlance called the generic name drive, based on the principle of reading information from the media.

The optical drive itself can be in the form of a component design as part of more complex equipment (for example, a household DVD player) or produced as an independent device with a standard connection interface (PATA, SATA, USB), for example, for installation in a computer.

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Varieties

The following types of drives exist:

• CD-ROM drive is the simplest type of CD drive, designed only for reading CDs.
• CD-RW drive - the same as the previous one, but can only write to CD-R/RW discs.
• DVD-ROM drive - its purpose is only to read DVDs.

• DVD/CD-RW drive - the same DVD-ROM, but capable of writing to CD-R/RW discs (combo drive).
• DVD-RW drive is a drive that can not only read DVDs, but also write to them.
• DVD-RW DL drive - unlike the previous DVD RW type, is also capable of recording on dual-layer optical DVD media, which differs from conventional ones in having a larger capacity.

• Blu-Ray drive (BD-ROM). This is an advanced optical media technology based on the use of a laser with a wavelength of 405 nm (blue spectrum). Reducing the laser wavelength made it possible to narrow the track width by half compared to a DVD disc and increase the data recording density. Reducing the protective layer thickness by a factor of six improves the reliability of read/write operations across multiple write layers. The discs are primarily designed for recording digital video. high resolution. For example, up to 2 hours of video in HDTV (high-definition television) format are recorded on a single-sided, single-layer disc at video bit rates of up to 54 Mbit/s.
• The BD-RE drive is capable of reading/writing to Blu-Ray discs.

• The HD DVD drive is a new generation of optical discs that are designed primarily for storing high-definition movies (HDTV). The new media format allows you to record three times more data compared to DVD. Single-layer HD DVDs have a capacity of 15 GB, double-layer - 30 GB. Generally, an HD DVD drive can read all formats of DVDs and CDs.
• HD DVD-ROM drive - a drive that reads HD DVD format discs. The format was closed in February 2008.
• HD DVD/DVD-RW drive - unlike the previous one, it is capable of recording to discs in formats such as DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, CD-R, CD-RW.

• GD-ROM drive
• UMD drive

Design

Structurally, drives of all types of disks are quite similar. It contains:

• chassis (with loading tray or slot loader);
• spindle motor, used to drive the disk into rotation at a constant or variable linear speed.
• The optical head system consists of the head itself and its movement system:
  • The head assembly contains a laser emitter based on an infrared laser LED, a focusing system, a photodetector and a pre-amplifier. The focusing system is a movable lens driven by electromagnetic system voice coil (voice coil), made by analogy with a moving loudspeaker system - changes in the magnetic field strength cause the lens to move and focus the laser beam.
  • The head movement system has its own drive motor, which 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 gear - pairs of gears spring-loaded in different directions.
• electronics board, where all the drive control circuits are located, the interface with the computer controller, interface connectors and audio signal output.

According to the forecasts of many experts, this year should be a turning point in terms of the mass transition from CD media to DVD. However, CDs are not yet going to give up their positions, and the release of CD-ROM and CD-RW drives continues, with manufacturers introducing increasingly high-speed models of these drives to the market month after month.

It is very gratifying that over the past year DVD media have become much more accessible. However, if we talk about the Russian market, the vast majority of DVDs sold here are films, while the number of DVDs released software products and multimedia projects aimed at domestic users are still relatively small. By the way, the growth rate of sales of drives with the ability to read DVDs is still noticeably lower than that of the DVD media market. This is due to the fact that many PC users, when purchasing films, prefer cheaper (albeit lower quality) CD recordings in DiVX (MPEG 4) format. At the same time, not all buyers of DVD-Video discs use a computer to play them.

Thus, it can be stated that for a fairly wide range of domestic users, purchasing a drive that supports reading DVDs has not yet become a necessity. Accordingly, there remains a certain demand for CD-ROM drives, which still remain the most popular type of optical drives used for assembling budget computers.

The following fact can be cited as indirect confirmation of the stability of demand for CD-ROM and CD-RW drives. In May last year, the department of the well-known company VIA Technologies, which produces chips for optical drives, was transformed into an independent company called VIA Optical Solution (VOS). The new company is wholly owned by VIA and produces chipsets for CD-ROM, CD-RW and DVD-ROM drives. According to VIA executives, this step is caused by growing demand for this type products.

If we talk about the current situation in the market for CD-ROM and CD-RW drives, it is very well illustrated by a quote from the well-known “Alice Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll: “you have to run as fast as you can just to stay in the same place!” If you want to get to another place, then you need to run at least twice as fast!” Well-developed technology and huge production volumes have led to the fact that retail prices for these components are steadily declining, rapidly approaching cost. Falling profits have led many companies to curtail production of CD-ROM and CD-R/RW drives. Those who managed to maintain their presence in this market are forced to work in conditions of fierce competition and constant price pressure from their rivals. In such a situation, differences between products different manufacturers are gradually leveling out, since the manufacturers of the “fundamental elements” of the drives - the optical reader with a semiconductor laser and chipsets - can currently be counted on the fingers of one hand. As a result, the task of the final drive manufacturer comes down to developing an original front panel design and finding ways to reduce the cost of the production process as much as possible.

Despite the fact that increasing the maximum reading speed (and, by the way, writing speed) from a practical point of view is hardly advisable, the race for the number of “x” continues. This can be explained solely by marketing purposes: the release of faster models is one of the few remaining means at the disposal of manufacturers to attract the attention of users to their products.

CD-ROM drives

Today, almost all manufacturers have CD-ROM drives that provide a maximum reading speed of 52x, and some have already introduced 54- and 56-speed models. All modern models CD-ROM drives comply with the MultiRead specification (that is, they allow you to work with rewritable media) and support reading in both constant linear velocity (CLV) and constant angular velocity (CAV) modes.

The dominant design continues to be pull-out tray drives; Moreover, almost all modern drive models have special latches that allow the drive to be used in a vertical position.

If we talk about the interface, the vast majority of internal CD-ROM drives produced today are connected via the ATA interface. Along with this, there are also models equipped with a SCSI interface (in particular, such products are present in the Plextor line of optical drives).

At the end of February 2003, the average retail price for 52-speed internal CD-ROM drive models with an ATA interface was $24. The main technical characteristics and prices of some internal CD-ROM drive models presented on the domestic market are given in Table. 1.

CD Writers (CD-R/RW)

Manufacturers of CD recording drives greeted the advent of last year with models with a speed formula of 24/12/40. By that time, some had already announced models with 32x CD-R recording speed, but their appearance was somewhat delayed by the overproduction crisis that arose at the end of 2001, which led to an overstocking of warehouses with 24-speed drives.

However, the respite caused by the unfavorable economic situation was short-lived, and the race to increase recording speeds soon resumed. Models with a maximum CD-R recording speed of 32x began to appear on the mass market: AOpen CRW3248 (12/32/48), ASUS CRW-3212A (12/32/40), Ricoh MP7320A (10/32/40), LG GCE- 8320B (10/32/40), Philips PCRW3210 (10/32/40), Samsung SW-232B (10/32/40), TDK CyClone 321040B (10/32/40), etc.

However, despite the change in the maximum write speed figures, the real gain in performance became increasingly elusive. The fact is that almost all models of 32-speed drives still used recording with an abruptly changing constant linear speed (Zone-CLV): on the internal turns of the disk, recording starts at a speed of 12-16x and increases through certain intervals as it moves away from the center of the media. gaps. Thus, the disk is divided into several zones, each of which uses a certain speed value.

It is quite obvious that drives using the Zone-CLV method only reach maximum speed while recording the very last, outer zone, and therefore the average speed is noticeably lower than the maximum speed. With an increase in recording speed characteristics, the area of ​​the media on which recording at maximum speed is possible gradually decreases and, accordingly, the difference in the performance of drives with different numbers of “x” becomes vanishingly small.

As an illustration, it would be appropriate to provide data obtained during comparative testing of CD-RW drives. Let's look at the results of testing two models from the same manufacturer (ASUS CRW-2410S and ASUS CRW-3212A), which differ in maximum write speed. To write a 702 MB file, the 32-speed model took 4 minutes 10 s, and the 24-speed model took 4 minutes 36 s. Thus, the productivity increase was only 10.4%, despite the difference in the maximum speed of these drives exceeding 30%.

You can achieve real performance improvements without increasing the maximum speed by using Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) recording mode. However, at that time, such a solution was implemented in recording drives from only one manufacturer - Yamaha (to be precise, they used the P-CAV mode).

The onset of spring and the approach of the annual CeBit exhibition stimulated manufacturers to master the next mark - 40x. The first such drive (PleXWriter PX-W4012A with a speed formula of 40/12/40) was presented by Plextor. This drive uses a new technology - Plextor VariRec (Variable Recording), which allows the user to adjust the laser power when recording CD-Rs at minimum (4x) speed. This innovation is intended mainly for those who want to achieve maximum sound quality from self-recorded audio format discs.

Following the PleXWriter PX-W4012A, 40-speed models from other manufacturers began to appear: AOpen EHW4048U (12/40/48), ASUS CRW-4012A (12/40/48), LG GCE-8400B (12/40/40), Mitsumi CR-480CTE (12/40/48), Philips PCRW4012P (12/40/40), Samsung SW-240B (12/40/40), TDK CyClone 401248B (12/40/48).

Note that Plextor released the 40-speed drive right after the 24-speed, skipping the 32x; Another manufacturer, TEAC, did the same. The TEAC CD-W540E (40/12/48) drive features two proprietary technologies: Fine Focus Control (improved laser beam focusing control) and Intelligent Speed ​​Control ( automatic detection optimal recording speed depending on the characteristics of the media used). In addition, the TEAC CD-W540E was one of the first drives to support the Mt. Rainier.

As has happened many times before, 40-speed drives predate media certified to write at that speed.

To avoid a similar situation when moving to 48-speed drives, some optical media manufacturers decided to pre-empt disk drive manufacturers. Although the appearance of a new wave of recording drives was expected only in the second half of the year, Ritek and CMC Magnetics began serial production of CD-R discs certified for recording at a maximum speed of 48x back in May.

By that time, the rapid growth of CD-R recording speeds, which had almost doubled in six months, was already in quite a strong contrast with the remaining unchanged (10-12x) indicators for rewritable media. However, the situation changed dramatically shortly before the introduction of the 48-speed recording drive generation to the mass market. On July 4 last year, the Orange Book Part III CD-RW Volume 3 v0.9 specification was updated on the Philips website, legalizing CD rewriting speeds of 16, 24 and 32x. Thus, at one point, manufacturers received the green light to increase the maximum recording speed on CD-RW by 2.5 times! Drive manufacturers were quick to take advantage of the new opportunities, and with the introduction of 48x CD-R recording speeds, many of them surpassed the 12-speed CD-RW speed limit for the first time. Most 48-speed drives of the first wave had a 16x rewrite speed, and in subsequent ones - 24x.

Perhaps the most unusual novelty of the summer was the Yamaha CRW-F1 drive: in addition to the “non-standard” speed formula 44/24/44, it boasted unique achievements at that time - the ability to record an entire disk with constant angular velocity (CAV) and the implementation of support for DiscT@ technology 2 (read as “tattoo disk”), which allows you to apply images on an area of ​​the working surface not occupied by data. It is also worth noting the large buffer capacity of the Yamaha CRW-F1 - as much as 8 MB.

The remaining new products, most of which had a speed formula of 48/16/48, often looked like twin brothers. Moreover, if in earlier models the maximum read speed, as a rule, exceeded the write speed, then starting from this generation these values ​​have become equal. As an example of a typical representative of the first wave of 48-speed recording drives, we can cite the BenQ CRW4816P, one of the first to be released. Its speed formula is 48/16/48. The buffer size is 2 MB; average read access time is 100 ms.

It should be noted that the transition to 48-speed recording still forced all manufacturers, following Yamaha, to implement a constant angular velocity (CAV) recording mode. For example, in the LG GCE-8480B drive with a speed formula of 48/16/48, recording CD-R media at speeds from 8 to 16x is performed in CLV mode, 24 and 32x in P-CAV mode, and 40 and 48x in CAV mode .

In September 2002, Plextor Europe introduced the PlexWriter 48/24/48A internal drive with a 48/24/48 speed formula. Along with the high speed of writing to CD-RW, this model is distinguished by an increased buffer capacity (4 MB), as well as a record average read access time of only 65 ms. Supports the Mt. packet recording format. Rainier, and BurnProof technology is used to protect against buffer underruns.

In the fall, the first announcements of models with support for 52-speed CD-R recording began to appear. ASUS was one of the first to make itself known, disseminating information in September about the release of an internal drive CRW-5224A with a speed formula of 52/24/52 and support for recording in CAV mode. By now, many manufacturers have already released 52-speed recording drives, but the assortment of companies selling computer components is still dominated by 48-speed devices. In table Table 2 shows the main characteristics of some modern models of CD-RW recording drives presented on the Russian market.

DVD-ROM drives

The sharp increase in production volumes of DVD-ROM drives, caused by growing demand for these products, has led to a significant reduction in their prices over the past year. Thanks to this, the price gap between DVD and CD drives has been significantly reduced: if just a year ago the prices for these types of optical drives differed by two to three times, now the cost of DVD-ROM drives is only about 50% higher than CD-ROM. At the same time, DVD drives are fully compatible with the entire range of CD media and allow reading AudioCD, CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW.

The speed characteristics of the drives have also increased. Representatives of the modern generation of DVD-ROM drives allow reading DVD media at a maximum speed of 16x, and CDs at a speed of 40-48x in CAV mode. The main technical characteristics and prices of some DVD-ROM drives on the Russian market are given in table. 3.

An important point One thing you should definitely pay attention to when choosing a DVD-ROM drive is the device’s compatibility with DVD media of various formats. If reading DVD-ROM and DVD-Video media is supported by all modern models of DVD-ROM drives without exception, then the situation with recordable and rewritable DVDs is much more complex and confusing. The reason for this is the notorious “format war,” which resulted in the presence of five types of incompatible (or partially compatible) recordable and rewritable DVD discs, under the tutelage of two opposing organizations: the Recordable DVD Consortium (RDVDC) and the DVD+RW Alliance. (RDVDC patronizes DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM formats, while the DVD+RW Alliance sponsors DVD+R and DVD+RW.)

Possibilities different models DVD-ROM drives (even those produced by the same manufacturer) can differ significantly in reading recordable and rewritable DVD media. Almost all modern DVD-ROM drive models can read DVD-R media, and many of them can read DVD-RW media. A number of models also support DVD+RW, but as for DVD+R and DVD-RAM media, most of the DVD-ROM drives currently on the market will not be able to read them.

DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drives

Recently, combination devices that combine the functions of DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives have become increasingly popular. Most of the combo drives produced are models for laptop computers. And this is understandable, because unlike desktop system units, many of which can accommodate two or three 5-inch devices, portable PCs have only one place for installing an optical drive.

Initially, combo drives were inferior in speed characteristics to CD-RW and DVD-ROM drives produced at the same time, but the situation is gradually changing. For example, on February 12 of this year, Samsung announced the release of the SM-352 combo drive, which has a speed formula of 52/24/52/16 and supports the Mt. Rainier. Thus, in terms of performance, the latest models of combo drives are already on par with more “highly specialized” optical drives.

The general trend towards lower prices for all types of optical drives has not bypassed combo drives, which has become an additional factor contributing to the growth of their popularity. Modern models of combo drives cost less than a pair of separate DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives with similar functionality, as a result of which the buyer of a combo drive receives not only ergonomic, but also quite tangible material benefits. For this reason, along with laptop computer users, desktop PC owners are also beginning to show increasing interest in combo drives. The range of combo drive models for desktop PCs on sale is still small, but it is expected that in the near future it will begin to gradually increase. Information about some models of combo drives is presented in

The price difference between CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives is gradually disappearing, and it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that this year the ratio of the number of CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives installed in new computers will gradually change in favor of the latter. True, we can hardly expect the appearance of CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives at the same price: this is due, firstly, to the more complex design of DVD drives, and secondly, to the higher licensing fees that manufacturers pay to DVD patent holders -technologies.

If we talk about the state of the market for CD-RW recording drives, then over the past year and a half its structure has changed noticeably: if previously there was a clear division into relatively low-speed cheap and the latest ultra-fast models, now new drives with higher recording speeds practically do not differ in price from the models of the previous wave and, thus, the stratification into different price classes (at least for internal drives with an ATA interface) has practically disappeared.

An eloquent confirmation of this fact was the departure of large companies, in particular Yamaha, from the CD-RW drive market. According to an official statement issued on February 5 of this year, fierce competition and rapidly falling retail prices for CD-RW drives have led to a significant reduction in the mid-class and high-end segments of drives, which Yamaha has traditionally specialized in the development and production of. For this reason, the company's management considered it inappropriate to continue its presence in the CD-RW drive market and invest additional funds in the development of this business. Production of CD-RW drives at the company's factories will cease until the end of March.

It is worth recalling that for similar reasons, in the fall of 2001, HP left the CD-RW recording drive market and switched to producing DVD+RW drives.

The fact that the history of the development of CD-RW drives is gradually approaching its logical conclusion is evidenced not only by the transition of these drives to the category of computer consumer goods and the gradual narrowing of the circle of manufacturers, but also by the non-viability of qualitatively new developments in this area.

Over the past two years, some manufacturers have tried to breathe new life into the increasingly obsolete compact disc format. For example, back in mid-2000, Sony unveiled plans to create double-density (1.3 GB) recordable and rewritable CDs. Hoping for the successful implementation of the DDCD (Double Density CD) standard, in the fall of 2001 Sony even began serial production of the corresponding drives and media. However, due to a certain conservatism of users and the incompatibility of DDCD media with conventional CD-ROM drives this technology has not received widespread use.

An equally sad fate befell the more promising technology of the so-called multi-level recording (MultiLevel Recording, ML), the principle of which was developed by scientists from the American company Calimetrics and implemented in hardware by specialists from the electronic giant TDK. Despite the tripling of capacity (to almost 2 GB for 120 mm media) and the potential compatibility of ML CD-R/RW media with conventional CD-ROM drives (which only required replacing the controller chip), further creation of exhibition prototypes of drives and ML CD media -R things didn't progress.

Thus, the most likely scenario for the development of events in the near future will be a continuation of the race for the number of “x” until equally inexpensive optical drives of a new generation appear on the market.

Manufacturers of DVD-ROM drives and DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drives still have some room for further development (besides increasing maximum speeds): as DVD burner drives become more affordable, the problem of ensuring compatibility with various recordable and rewritable DVD formats. Unfortunately, the challenges of achieving broader compatibility have less to do with overcoming technological challenges than with the policies of optical drive manufacturers, many of which are members of one of the two standards-setting organizations competing in the recordable DVD market.

Optical drives DVD-RW, undoubtedly occupy a leading position in the market today. The Russian market of computer components is no exception. DVD-RW not only reads CDs and DVDs, but also writes both CD-R/RW media and larger capacity DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/+RW. And if in addition there is Super-Multi, then the DVD-RAM format is also added here. These devices are, without a doubt, both relevant and promising today.

For 20-30 dollars you can purchase an optical drive, the functional set of which will satisfy the needs of the average consumer. Today it is difficult to imagine a modern PC without DVD-RW. After all, it is the most attractive device in terms of price and capabilities.

Blu-ray is the modern standard for optical drives

In addition to the devices listed above, mention should be made of such a modern high-tech format as Blu-ray. This format is used for high-density recording and storage of digital data. It got its name thanks to the use of a blue (blue, which is where the name comes from) short-wave laser in the writing/reading process.

During 2006-2008, Blu-ray competed with the then-existing alternative format HD DVD. But still, as a result of this “format war,” Blu-ray emerged victorious. It was predicted to have a great future and widespread distribution, but this never happened. Primarily due to the high cost of the device itself. Secondly, because of the high cost of disks. Even today such drives are installed in new system unit quite rare. And preference is given to its older brother DVD.

Discs of this format have from one to ten layers with a capacity of 25 to 320 gigabytes, respectively. Among them there are discs for one-time recording BD-R, as well as reusable BD-RE media.

A big step forward in its time was the appearance of storage devices on recordable and then rewritable optical media. They had significantly larger functionality compared to the standard CD drives that were common at that time. True, their rapid spread in system units was prevented high price for similar models. As time passed, the technologies implemented in CD-RW drives were constantly improved, and the cost of drives steadily decreased. The latter process occurred at a much faster pace compared to classic CD-ROM drives. The consequence of this is that the price gap between the two types of drives is currently about $30, which is no longer a serious obstacle to their purchase by most users. The ability to burn and rewrite CDs on CD-RW models is worth the money spent on them. It is for these reasons that an increasing number of buyers immediately prefer to purchase CD-RW drives. At the same time, those users who have CD-ROM drives, change them to models with recording capabilities or install the latter additionally - for working in tandem. Looking through the price lists of computer companies, you can notice that in terms of the number of offers for sale, CD-RW drives are beginning to outstrip classic models. This is the best evidence of the growing popularity of burner drives. On the other hand, it should be noted that CD-RW drives are increasingly being competed by combined models that allow reading DVDs and burning CDs. Constantly improving DVD drives in –RW, +RW, etc. versions are also beginning to play an increasing role in the market for drives with optical media with recording capabilities. But their wider implementation continues to be hampered by the price factor. In our current review, we will focus on more conventional CD-RW drives - ten models from seven manufacturers.

BURN-Proof

One of the problems that owners of older models of CD-RW drives have encountered and continue to periodically encounter is the Buffer Under Run error. The consequence of this is that CD-R blanks are irretrievably damaged during the recording process. This is caused by the fact that the data from the buffer necessary for “burning” the disk begins to be “consumed” faster than it arrives there. As a result, the recording process stops at a certain point and cannot be resumed. In practice, this is caused by the fact that the computer is not able to provide “delivery” of data to the drive buffer faster than they are used in operation due to insufficient computer power in general or due to the fact that it uses part of its resources to solve some other problems. parallel tasks. The reason could also be that the write speed of the drive itself was too high. In all cases, the problem began to arise when a certain balance was disturbed between the capabilities of the drive and the computer during operation. The possibility of such a situation hampering the wider promotion of CD-RW drives on the market, which naturally did not suit the developers. And a solution was found.
In 2000, Sanyo proposed Burn-Proof technology (BufeR UndeRun ProoF), which prevented damage to blanks if the buffer was empty. Its meaning is as follows. The drive controller constantly monitors the state of the buffer during the recording process and, if a situation arises when it may be empty, stops recording. The position at which recording was stopped is remembered. Once the level of data in the buffer reaches the required level again, the writing process resumes. The gap (empty area) in the place where recording was stopped is in this case minimized and amounts to several microns, which does not affect the future when reading information from the CD.
Sanyo's innovation has been supported by many drive developers in the optical disks. They use Burn-Proof technology directly in their drives or modified versions of it under their own names. But

Overburn

Remember how one man wanted seven hats made from one skin. Similar desires sometimes seize many users who try, at all costs, to record onto a storage medium a volume of information that exceeds its official capacity. Let's not be too critical - in some cases it is really very disappointing when 5-10 megabytes do not fit on the disk, because of which you will have to take another disc. A way out in such a situation may be to use the Overburn mode, which translated into Russian will sound something like “overburning” or “overburning.” In general, something like that. With its help, you can exceed the manufacturer's capacity limit for the media. The fundamental possibility of this arises due to the fact that according to the Red Book specification for audio discs, at one time it was necessary to have a Lead out zone, which must be recognized by all optical media drives. This 90-second section of digital silence was supposed to inform the drive that all recordings had ended. The Lead out zone is not included in the declared disk volume and, under certain conditions, can be used, allowing you to record an extra 13-15 MB of data. In fact, this value may be even greater, but this can only be determined in practice. The exact numbers will depend on the combination of drive, media and software used. All drives have different abilities to write to disks a volume of information greater than that provided by the manufacturer due to their hardware capabilities and sometimes due to a specific firmware version. In the same way, media from different manufacturers, despite nominally the same capacity, may actually have different “additional” capacity. In order to perform Overburn you will also need software, allowing this procedure. A good opportunity for this is provided by the popular Nero - Burning Rom program from Ahead Software in our country. To do this, in the Preference option you need to select the Expert Features tab, check the box next to the item allowing Overburn mode and set the maximum recording length. Before trying to randomly “reburn” discs, it’s a good idea to check the media for this possibility using the CD Speed ​​program that comes with Nero. Having decided to write “excess megabytes” to the media, you need to be prepared for the fact that in certain situations you may damage the “blank” or some of the files will not be read. In addition, you must remember that a disc that you successfully “reburned” may not be readable on other drives.

UDF

Very often in life situations arise when, even if you have a burner drive, transferring information to CDs using special programs is not the best solution. It would be much simpler if the user could transfer the data he needs from the computer to optical media in the drive, treating them like regular floppy disks. Probably, guided by approximately these considerations, the OSTA (Optical Storage Technology Association) organization at one time showed concern for its neighbors and proposed the UDF (Universal Disk Format) specification in 1995, which in turn became an integral part of the ECMA 197 standard. The goal of developing a universal disk format was to maximize data exchange, minimize cost and ease of use. The shadow side of this technical solution is the loss of approximately one sixth of the media volume under file system.

Mount Rainier

The Mount Rainier specification was proposed by a group of the same name, which included such well-known manufacturers as Compag, Microsoft, Philips and Sony. Your name new standard takes its name from Mount Rainier in Oregon, at the foot of which the Microsoft headquarters is located. Another designation for this format is the abbreviation CD-MRW (CD Mount Rainier Rewrite). This new open standard is another step forward from UDF. It should have better support from the operating system and increased compatibility and performance from CD-RW drives. All users will be able to work with files in the usual “drag and drop” mode. Drives that pass the test for 100% compatibility with the new standard receive the “EASYwrite” logo. Microsoft plans to provide full support for this technology in the next version of its operating system, codenamed “Longhorn.”

The main advantages of Mount Rainier are the following:

Formatting in background. In order to transfer information to CD-RW using the UDF batch recording method, you must first format the disk. According to the Mount Rainier standard, recording to the media can begin before formatting is completed, which will occur in the background.

CD-RWs can be removed from the drive at any time, even while formatting. The process will continue automatically the next time the disc is loaded into the drive.

Unlike continuous burst write methods, which use data transfer in 64 KB blocks, Mount Rainier is based on working with 2 KB blocks. This significantly increases the efficiency of using disk space and reduces the time required to copy files.

Unlike UDF, which supports defect administration at the software level, the Mount Rainier specification performs this procedure at the hardware level and is assigned to the recorder. The result is liberation system memory and processing power to solve other problems.

ATIP (Absolute Time in Pre-Groove)

All optical CD-R and CD-RW media that goes on sale have a special zone on the surface in the non-working area (pre-written section) where some service information recorded by the manufacturer is stored. This area contains information about the manufacturer, batch number and some characteristics of the disc. The latter may include information about the disc type (for example, audio only), dye type, disc capacity, supported write speeds, absolute Lead-in time, the last address where information can be written, manufacturer recommendations for optimal laser power, etc. p. In addition, a special spiral track ensures correct positioning of the recording head and provides synchronization information to the burner drive.
In practice, not only media from the same batch may have slightly different properties from each other, but even the characteristics of the working surface of the disk in different areas may vary slightly. For this reason, many modern drives are not limited to only reading information from ATIP to perform high-quality recording, but use a number of special technologies for this purpose. This is also quite reasonable from the point of view that some of the information in ATIP may not always correspond to reality. This is due to the fact that some manufacturers of “blanks” purchase matrices for their production from other companies, and the information subsequently placed on the discs sold will refer only to the master disc of the company that made it.

Testing methodology

Write drives differ from read-only models by having a large number of additional features. For this reason, their testing is based on a group of tests used for “reading” drives, plus additional tests that serve to determine their “writing” properties.
CD Winbench 99 ver. 1.1.1 of the company was used to determine the CD-ROM WinMark 99 indicator, which reflects the performance of hard drives, and a number of more specific tests that determine the speed of reading data from the surface of the media with a graph, access time and processor load factor. In order to better identify the ability of drives to operate with various types media from a branded stamped CD, copies were made on CD-R and CD-RW discs and all tests were duplicated with their help.
Nero CD Speed ​​was used to perform the vast majority of tests. With her help it was carried out complete set basic tests with four types of media. Their roles were: a standard stamped disk that comes as an appendix to a computer magazine, a CD-R disk with data recorded using the CD Speed ​​program itself, a CD-RW disk with an Mpeg4 format film recorded on it, and a licensed audio disk. In addition, a number of specialized tests were carried out. Firstly, the drive’s ability to operate in Overburn mode was determined. For this purpose, recording on CD-R media Memorex 8X and TDK 48X was emulated. Secondly, an Advanced DAE Quality Test was carried out using an audio disc specially prepared using the CD Speed ​​program. It allows you to evaluate how well the drive is able to “extract” audio tracks. Thirdly, a CD Quality Test was carried out to determine the ability of drives to work with media that has mechanical damage to the working surface. For this purpose, a specially prepared disc with scratches was used. Fourthly, a recording test (Transfer Rate) was carried out in emulation mode on blank CDR media.
The CD ROM Drive Analyzer utility version 2.32 was used to remove the transfer graph from the surface of disks (stamped, CD-R, CD-RW).
The CD DAE program was used to determine the speed and quality of extracting audio tracks from an audio disc.
Using the CloneCD utility, we determined the time required to create an image from an audio disk on the hard drive and the time required to copy it to CD-RW media.
Sandra 2003 Professional was used to determine the performance index for two pressed CDs. One goes as an attachment to the magazine and the second with a movie in Mpeg4 format.
Nero Burning Rom version 5.5.10.0 was used to determine the time required for the drive to burn Mpeg4 format films onto CD-R and CD-RW media.
Finally, the Nero InCD utility version 3.5.9.1 was used to study the operation of drives with media in burst write mode. The time required to format CD-RW disks according to UDF and Mount Rainier standards, as well as the speed of data transfer to these media from the hard drive, were measured.
In addition to test programs, two information utilities were used - Nero Info Tool version 1.0.3.2 to determine the hardware capabilities of the drives and CD-R Diagnostic version 1.7.2, showing information about the media recorded by the manufacturer.
The list of the above tests does not pretend to be completely comprehensive, nor to be the ultimate truth. You can only take into account those that inspire you with more confidence. All drives were tested in the form in which they reach users (AS IS). This means that the firmware of the drives was not modified, and Plextor models operated in the “default” speed mode specified by the manufacturer.

Test platform configuration:

Motherboard – Elitegroup K7S5A
Processor – Athlon 700 MHz
RAM – 128 MB SDRAM
Graphics adapter – ATI Radeon 8500 64 MB
Hard drive - IBM DTLA 3070 30 GB UDMA/5

All drives were connected to the second IDE channel and worked with system settings UDMA as Master. Operating system I had Windows XP with Service Pack 1 installed.
For testing external drive Plextor PX-W4824TU with USB 2.0 interface used an EpoX EP-8K9A motherboard and 128 MB DDR SDRAM. All other elements of the system remained the same.
The absence of data in the tables with final results indicates that this test was not performed or failed for some reason.

Drives reviewed

Technical data table. Part 1

Model	Read/write and overwrite modes	Read/Overwrite/Write Speed ​​X	Interface	Buffer size MB
NEC NR-9200A	n/a	40/12/40	ATAPI (E-IDE)	2
SONY CRX175E	n/a	40/24/10	ATAPI (E-IDE)	2
Mitsumi CR-48XETE	n/a	48/12/48	ATAPI (E-IDE)	2
TEAC CD-W548E	CAV and CLV/P-CAV and CLV	48/16/48	ATAPI (E-IDE)	2
Yamaha CRW-F1	CAV	44/24/44	ATAPI (E-IDE)	8
Plextor PX-W4824TA	CAV and CLV/CAV, P-CAV and CLV	48/24/48	ATAPI (E-IDE)	4
Plextor PX-W4824TU	CAV and CLV/CAV, P-CAV and CLV	48/24/48	USB 2.0	4
Plextor PX-W4012TA	CAV/Z-CLV and CLV	40/12/40	ATAPI (E-IDE)	4
ASUS CRW-5224A	CAV/CAV and P-CAV	52/24/52	ATAPI (E-IDE)	2
ASUS CRW-4816A	CAV/P-CAV and CLV	48/16/48	ATAPI (E-IDE)	2

Technical data table. Part 2

Model	Access time ms	Mt support Rainier	Availability of headphone output	Cost $
NEC NR-9200A	n/a	No	No	60
SONY CRX175E	n/a	No	Yes	51
Mitsumi CR-48XETE	n/a	No	Yes	60
TEAC CD-W548E	100 average	Yes	Yes	80
Yamaha CRW-F1	130 average	Yes	Yes	117
Plextor PX-W4824TA	65 average	Yes	Yes	120
Plextor PX-W4824TU	65 average	Yes	Yes	220
Plextor PX-W4012TA	120 average.	No	Yes	120
ASUS CRW-5224A	100 typical	Yes	Yes	83
ASUS CRW-4816A	100 typical	Yes	Yes	70

ASUS CRW-4816A

ASUSTeK has recently begun to pay great attention to appearance of its products. This is clearly visible in the design of the drive. Everything that could be squeezed out of his image to make him one of the faces of the company was done. The tray contains the name of the manufacturer and the speed characteristics of the model. It also has two thin horizontal grooves stamped on it, improving the aesthetic perception of the drive. The maximum possible functionality of the drive is easy to notice from the front panel. In addition to the obligatory tray eject button, there is also a second one designed for switching between tracks. Both keys are shaped like elegant, thin rectangles. There are also two operating mode indicator lights. The picture is completed by a headphone jack and volume control. The rear side of the drive has a standard appearance with a small addition. In addition to the interface, power, digital and analog audio connectors, as well as a block of pins for setting the operating mode, there is another set of six pins in the left corner, intended for factory testing. The body has four stamped grooves that increase its rigidity.
The drive can read and write discs at speeds up to 48X, and rewrite at speeds up to 16X. The buffer size is standard and equal to 2 MB. The drive implements a number of proprietary technologies. FlextraSpeed ​​is designed to provide high quality recording in situations where the drives used require the use of variable speed. The drive uses this technology to automatically adjust speed depending on the media being written to. The results of its application are maximum use of the drive's capabilities, minimization of CPU usage and improved acoustic performance with extended life cycle electric motor.
FlextraLink technology is essentially a variation of the BURN-Proof program. It is also designed to prevent media corruption caused by buffer underruns. During recording, the state of the buffer is continuously monitored and if the amount of data in it begins to amount to approximately 1% of the total volume, the process stops and the stopping point is remembered. Once the buffer is full, recording resumes from the last position. FlextraLink uses a minimum amount of system resources and the computer remains usable for other applications.
Another proprietary innovation implemented in the drive is DDSS II (Double Dynamic Suspension System). This is the second generation of anti-vibration system designed to stabilize the drive read head in horizontal and vertical directions, making positioning and focusing more accurate. Another benefit of DDSS II technology is reduced vibration noise and improved disc reading and playback. The system is based on the use of a dynamic mass design.
In addition to the above technologies, we can note the AI ​​Auto Speed ​​Adjustment system implemented in the drive. With its help it is carried out automatic setting reading speed in accordance with the quality of certified media of different formats.
Finally, it is necessary to note the support for the Mount Rainier standard.
The model includes an instruction manual, a quick installation guide, an IDE cable (UDMA/33), an audio cable, a set of mounting screws, a wire extractor, a CD with Nero software and two blank discs (CD-R and CD-RW ). Everything you need to start working fully on the drive after purchase.

ASUS CRW-5224A

The fastest model among the ASUS writing drive family. The design of the drive is completely identical to the previous drive. Nice and original front panel. The wide functionality of the model will appeal to those who like to listen to audio CDs through headphones. Fortunately, in addition to the corresponding connector for connecting them with a volume control, there is also a button for moving from track to track. Two LED indicators make it easier to control operating modes. The ASUS inscription on the tray indicating the speed modes will always allow your friends and acquaintances to understand without words what kind of drive is installed in your computer. On the back of the case there are the usual interfaces for connecting power and IDE cables, digital and analog audio connectors, a block of pins for selecting the operating mode and six additional pins used for factory testing. The body has four stamped grooves that increase its rigidity.
The drive can read and write at high speeds of 52X, and rewrite at speeds up to 24X. The buffer size is 2 MB. There is no difference in technological equipment between this drive and the previous generation CRW-4816A model. The drive features the same proprietary innovations. FlextraSpeed ​​allows you to automatically select the optimal recording speed. FlextraLink technology protects against possible problems associated with buffer underruns. The second generation of DDSS reduces vibration and promotes positioning and focusing accuracy. AI Auto Speed ​​Adjustment Technology allows the drive to automatically select the optimal reading speed. Mount Rainier technology will allow you to work with media like regular floppy disks.
The model includes an instruction manual, a quick installation guide, an IDE cable (UDMA/33), an audio cable, a set of mounting screws, a wire extractor, a CD with Nero software and two blank discs (CD-R and CD-RW ).

Mitsumi CR-48XETE

The design of this drive can be called not very expressive, which is generally typical for Mitsumi drives. On the front panel there is, in addition to standard button tray pullout, headphone jack with volume control and operating mode indicator light. There are no inscriptions about brand affiliation or model name. The back side of the drive has a familiar appearance. There are power and IDE interfaces, digital and analog audio connectors, a block with pins and a jumper for setting the operating mode. In addition, there is a block of six more pins intended for factory testing. Unlike other models, it is located on the right, next to the power interface.
The Mitsumi drive allows reading and writing speeds up to 48X and rewriting speeds up to 12X. The buffer size is two megabytes. Unfortunately, there is no information about this particular model on the manufacturer’s website.
The OEM delivery option does not include anything with the drive.

NEC NR-9200A

The NEC drive with the NR-9200A index turned out to be quite difficult, or rather impossible, to find on the corporate WEB site. It is possible that this model is intended only for supplies to OEM partners, and not for retail sales. However, it is sold in our country, and we will try to tell you everything we managed to find out about it.
The drive design is very ascetic. It is clear that no attempts were made to somehow diversify it. The only thing that may interest a number of users in this aspect is the black color of the front panel. This kind of performance doesn't happen very often. At the same time, you can find enough on the market large number cases in colors other than white. And here a small problem arises. Standard write drives with white front panels do not look very nice in dark cases. The way out of the situation could be models similar in color to the NEC NR-9200A. True, the drive we are considering may repel some potential buyers, with its minimal functionality. There is only a tray eject button on the front panel. The headphone output so beloved by many users is missing. There is one operating mode indicator light on the panel. The back side of the drive shows us a completely familiar picture. There are power and interface connectors, digital and analog audio connectors, as well as a block of pins designed to set the operating mode.
The drive is capable of reading and writing (CDR) discs at up to 40X speeds and rewriting CD-RWs at up to 12X speeds. The buffer size is 2 MB.
The drive is equipped with zero components, except for the plastic bag as an element. There is nothing unusual about this. The model has an OEM version and, accordingly, nothing comes with it.

Plextor PX-W4012TA

Plextor has long been deservedly considered one of the leading developers of optical drives. Three of its models were included in this review.
The design of the drive makes it immediately recognizable as a Plextor product. On the end of the tray there is the inscription PleXWriter 40/12/40TA in blue letters, which also allows you to evaluate its technical capabilities. In order to somehow enliven the appearance of the white front panel, it has a narrow horizontal groove. The latter contains a tray eject button, a headphone jack, a volume control and an LED indicator. The back side of the drive is made entirely according to the standard design. It has power, interface, digital and analog audio connectors, as well as a block with a jumper for setting the operating mode. On the latter, using an additional jumper, you can disable the default Ultra DMA mode and switch the drive to Multiword DMA.
The drive allows you to read and write (CD-R) discs at 40X speed and rewrite CD-RW blanks at 12X speed. The buffer size is 4 MB. In order to ensure high-quality operation of the drive, it uses proprietary Plextor technologies. BURN-Proof provides protection against buffer underrun errors during writes. When the data level in it decreases to 10%, the process stops and resumes when the data volume increases.
The PoweRec-II (Plextor Optimized Writing Error Reduction Control) innovation is a further development of the proprietary PoweRec technology. Its main difference from its predecessor is the use of a special “smart” algorithm that checks the quality of the media at every stage of the recording process. This ensures optimal recording speed and maximum quality are continuously maintained. Mechanism feedback, implemented through firmware, allows you to monitor the results of the recording process so that they always meet quality standards. PoweRec-II technology is actually a symbiosis of several innovations. It is based on a combination of PoweRec, OPC, Z-CLV recording methods, as well as the use of the Buffer Underrun Proof system. In practice, the application of PoweRec technology looks like this. When recording begins, the drive uses OPC to determine the optimal power for the first Z-CLV section. At the end of the first section, the drive uses Buffer Underrun Proof technology to stop recording. PoweRec-II then checks the data recorded at the end of the zone for recording quality. If the recording quality is sufficient to increase the speed, then it increases before the next zone begins recording. Recording occurs in a similar manner in the future. With each step the speed increases until it reaches the optimal speed. After each step, the drive tests the media to ensure it can support faster write speeds.
VariRec (Variable Recordung) technology is designed to achieve maximum audio recording quality. It allows you to manually change the laser power. This makes it possible to optimally adjust the sound recording level to the audio player on which the disc will then be listened to. VariRec is used when working in Track-at-Once (TAO) and Disk-at-Once (DAO) modes. CD_DA discs on CD-R media are written at 4X speed in this case, although in many cases the nominal speed could be higher. Thus, the price to pay for using VariRec technology is longer audio recording times.
The complete set of the model immediately provides all the minimum necessary for the work of its buyer. In addition to the drive, the box contains an instruction manual, mounting screws, an audio cable, an interface cable (UDMA 33), an additional jumper, a wire extractor, and two CDs. One of them contains Nero and InCD programs, and the second contains a set of proprietary Plex Tools software. To get started right away, the drive comes with five CD-Rs and one CD-RW disc. As you can see from the above, everything is thought out to the smallest detail.

Plextor PX-W4824TA

This model is practically no different in appearance from the previous one. Absolutely identical design. The difference in the drives installed in the system unit can only be noticed by the inscription on the end of the tray - PleXWriter 48/24/48A. On the horizontal groove of the front part of the case there is a tray eject button, a headphone jack, an audio recording level control and an operating mode indicator. On the back side there is a standard set of connectors: power, interface, digital audio, analog audio and a unit for configuring the drive. In the latter, you can use an additional jumper to disable the UDMA mode and switch the drive to Multiworld DMA.
The model is one of the fastest in the Plextor product line. The drive can read and write (CDR) discs at up to 48X speeds (reading CD-RWs is possible at up to 40X speeds), and rewrite CDRWs at 24X speeds. The buffer size is 4 MB. The drive incorporates many of Plextor's proprietary developments aimed at ensuring maximum efficiency and stability. BURN-Proof prevents damage to blanks during the recording process.
The PoweRec-II (Plextor Optimized Writing Error Reduction Control) innovation ensures high quality recording. This is achieved because the drive automatically identifies the media inserted into it and selects for it best mode records. A list of media previously tested by Plextor with optimal recording modes is stored in the firmware and is updated when it is updated. In practice it works like this. When a “blank” disk is inserted into the drive, information is read from ATIP. Next, the manufacturer, model and special properties of the media are identified. The received information is compared with the media directory stored in the firmware. The media parameters are determined. PoweRec selects the recording strategy - laser power and recording speed, in accordance with preset optimal modes for of this disk. The drive then performs an OPC (Optimum Power Control) procedure to fine-tune the laser power. To do this, the drive writes 15 blocks in a special reserved area of ​​the disk, using a fixed range of power levels (15 values). Then the recorded data is analyzed and the reflectivity of the “burned-in” recording elements (pits) in each of the blocks is checked. Too much reflectivity means the power is too low, and too little reflectivity means the power is too high. Thus, the drive tries to take into account individual differences between disks defined as “compatible media”. PoweRec then continuously monitors the recording quality in real time, working in conjunction with the running OPC system, which is designed to take into account possible changes in the quality of the disk's working layer.
SpeedRead technology allows the user to independently enable data reading mode at the highest speed. The default read speed is 40X, but for pressed discs and CD-Rs you can use the 48X mode. To manually enable SpeedRead mode, you must hold down the tray eject button for more than three seconds. The indicator light will blink green three times and the tray will slide out of the housing. SpeedRead mode can also be disabled manually. To do this, simply pull out the tray again or turn off the power to the drive. Another way to enable speed mode is through software. For this they serve proprietary utilities PlexTools. If the SpeedRead mode is enabled for disc categories not intended for this, then reading will still occur at a speed not exceeding 40X. These default speed limits are designed to avoid damage to the drive if substandard media is used. An interesting feature of this model is the ability to conduct self-diagnosis (Self-Test Diagnostics). True, for this procedure you will have to remove the drive from the system unit or, at least, provide yourself with access to its rear side with the connectors. Then you need to disconnect the cables and close the pins in the Cable Select and Slave positions with two jumpers at the same time. Then you need to reconnect the power cable and while pressing the Eject key, turn on the computer's power. The LCD indicator will flash green, and the tray will come out of the housing. After this, you need to put a “clean” CD-R disc from the list recommended by Plextor into it. Then the self-diagnosis procedure begins. If it went well, then the disc comes out on the tray. In case of problems, the disk does not eject; the indicator light blinks green once - a writing or reading error, or twice - an initialization error. The last technical nuance of this model is that the black color of the inside of the tray was not chosen by chance, but in order to reduce jitter and improve recording quality. A drive of this level, as you would expect, supports Mount Rainier technology.
The drive includes an instruction manual, a quick installation guide, an IDE cable (UDMA 33), a set of mounting screws, a disc ejector, a blank CD-R disc, and a CD with a software package. The list of the latter is quite extensive and allows you to fully satisfy the needs of the user who purchased the drive. The software package includes Roxio Easy CD Creator, Roxio DirectCD, SimpliCD by Oak Tecnologies, Plextor Liquid Player, Stomp Click’N Design 3d.

Plextor PX-W4824TU

The only external model in our review was the drive from Plextor. Not many drives with a USB 2.0 interface are available for sale on the Russian market. Therefore, the drive aroused particular interest - whether it could really compete in performance with models that have the same declared speed, but use the familiar ATAPI interface. The design of the model is very stylish. The metal body is silver in color and has a matte finish. The front and rear panels of the case are made of gray plastic and have rounded edges. On the top of the case there is the name of the manufacturer and the model brand with all its characteristics. The front panel of the drive is black. It has a tray eject button, a headphone jack and a volume control for the audio signal in it. There is one operating mode indicator light. The end of the tray is labeled PlexWriter 48/24/48U. The standard appearance of the front panel is slightly enlivened by the horizontal groove in which the above-mentioned organs are located. Due to the fact that the model has an external design, the appearance of its rear side is significantly different from standard drives. There are power and self-diagnosis buttons. In addition, on the rear panel there are connectors for connecting 12 V power, USB and two composite audio (left and right). To make it easier to work with the drive, there are marks on the upper part of the case on this side with information about the organs that are located underneath them. Inspecting the drive and working with it allows us to note the thoughtfulness of its design. Quite a large weight (more than 2 kg) and four small rubber-like pads on the underside of the body increase the stability of the platform and help minimize vibration during operation, and, consequently, achieve higher quality and efficiency in the operation of this model. Another aspect of the drive design is the low noise level and soft running of the tray.
The operating parameters of the model are almost completely identical to the previous one. A suspicion creeps in that this drive is completely identical to the PX-W4824TA in its “stuffing” and they are siblings, and the difference lies only in the interface and external image. In any case, both models identify themselves the same in the Nero Info Tool. The drive can read and write (CD-R) discs at up to 48X speeds and rewrite CD-RWs at up to 24X speeds. The buffer size is 4 MB. The model implements all the best Plextor technologies. BURN-Proof will provide protection against buffer underruns. The PoweRec innovation will allow you to achieve maximum recording quality. VariRec technology is designed to improve the quality of audio recordings. Just like the previous model, you can increase the reading speed from the default 40X to 48X using the SpeedRead function. A self-diagnosis mode is also possible. The black color of the tray is made specifically to reduce jitter and improve the quality of recorded discs. The drive supports Mount Rainier technology.
The high characteristics of the drive declared by the manufacturer can only be realized when using the USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed ​​USB) interface directly. This note is made so that you purchase this drive specifically for it. It can also work with USB 1.1, but the speed in this case will be several times lower and the money spent on this generally expensive model will be spent ineffectively.
The drive comes with a power adapter, an instruction manual, a USB cable, a special wire extractor for removing discs from the drive, and two CDs. One with Nero Burning ROM and InCD programs, and the second with proprietary Plex Tools software. When purchasing this model, its owners can immediately start working. To do this, the box with the drive contains five blank CDs and one CD-RW disk. Finally, it can be noted that the high price of this drive– $230 makes it not very affordable, even for most owners of computers that have a USB 2.0 interface and are freed from the need to purchase special controllers.

SONY CRX175E

The model has a rather nice “soft” design. A similar impression is created due to the rounded corners of the tray and the Eject button on the front panel, made in the same style. Audiophiles will love the presence of a headphone output and volume control. There is one operating mode indicator. The rear side of the drive is made according to the generally accepted design. There are power and interface connectors, as well as digital and analog audio interfaces. The picture is completed by a block of pins with a jumper to set the operating mode. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find information on this particular model on the manufacturer’s website.
The Sony drive is not the latest generation model. Its speed characteristics are quite modest today. The read speed can reach up to 40X, while the write speed is limited to 24X. Dubbing is possible at 10X speed. The buffer size is 2 MB.
OEM delivery does not include any components with a drive.

TEAC CD-W548E

The fastest model in the TEAC family of writing drives has a completely traditional corporate design. The front panel is not particularly fancy. In addition to the tray eject button, headphone jack and volume control, which is quite common, we can only note the presence of two operating mode indicators. There are no hints about the manufacturer on the front panel. Four transverse grooves are stamped on the top of the drive, which is apparently intended to increase the rigidity of the case and reduce vibrations. The back of the drive is made almost according to the traditional design. We have to make a reservation due to the fact that in addition to the interface and power connectors, the block of pins for setting operating modes, as well as digital and analog audio connectors, there is another set of pins (6 pieces) on the left edge, intended for factory testing.
The drive can read and write discs at up to 48X speeds, and rewrite CD-RWs at up to 16X speeds. The buffer size is 2 MB. The drives implement proprietary TEAC technologies.
Fine Focus Control minimizes deviations in laser focusing in various modes. The laser beam is positioned strictly at a given position at all recording speeds, significantly increasing the quality of this process.
Another innovation that allows for high recording stability is Intelligent Speed ​​Control. This system allows you to test the condition of the media before starting the recording process and use a number of its parameters to determine the maximum possible recording speed with best quality. For this purpose, an assessment of the number of tracks, disk balance, laser power, disk type, and possible vibrations at high speed can be used.
Like all modern models, the drive is protected against errors associated with buffer underruns during recording - it implements Bufer-under-run Prevention technology.
Compliance with Mount Rainier specifications can make life significantly easier for future owners of this model.
The drive we were considering was an OEM version, which in this case means the absence of any accessories in its configuration.

Yamaha CRW-F1

Yamaha is one of the leading developers of optical drives with original technical solutions. The CRW-F1 model is no exception. The design of the drive as a whole is closer to standard, but it is noticeable that Yamaha has made certain attempts to personalize its product. At the bottom of the bezel there is a horizontal groove with two thin slits in it. The tray eject key is made in the form of a thin flat rectangle. The only indicator light shows blue and lilac. It seems like a trifle, but still a nice detail that gives some individuality to the acquired drive. Those who like to listen to audio CDs will not be disappointed either. The front panel has a headphone jack and a volume control. The brand identity of the drive is easy to understand by the Yamaha inscription on the tray. The back of the case has a standard appearance. All connectors are made according to the standard design.
The model has read and write speeds of 44X and rewrite speeds of 24X. The buffer volume of this drive is large and equal to 8 megabytes. This solution is one of the three key components of the proprietary SafeBurn innovation, designed to combine maximum recording speed and high process reliability. The buffer size allows it to store a large amount of data, which reduces the likelihood of buffer underruns. Buffer Under Run Protection prevents the possibility of an error caused by a buffer underrun. The gap when recording is stopped is about 1 µm. The last, third element of SafeBurn technology is Optimum Wright Speed ​​Control. With its help, the recording speed is automatically adjusted for a specific media type.

One of the exclusive technologies first implemented in the CRW-F1 drive was DiscT@2, which can be translated into Russian roughly as a disk tattoo. Its meaning is about the same as tattoos among people. In normal mode, write drives leave burnt areas of information 0.001 mm in size on the surface of the discs, which cannot be seen by the human eye. DiscT@2 technology allows you to increase this size to 0.1 mm and, after finishing recording on the disc, apply graphics and text to its unused outer areas. Whether it is necessary or not is up to you to decide. Not all people want to wear a tattoo. Moreover, there are some restrictions on the type of media suitable for this purpose. In addition, creating such images on disks “finalizes” them and makes them unsuitable for further recording of data on them.
Another interesting proprietary innovation implemented in this model is Advanced Audio Master Quality Recording. Thanks to its use, a number of goals are achieved. These include improving sound quality, extending the life of audio discs, extending the life cycle of backup discs, limiting skips and pops in mobile CD players, improving compatibility with older CD players, and protecting your valuable data. The effect of using Advanced Audio Master Quality Recording technology is achieved by reducing the jitter level by 30%, using wider information storage elements (pits and lands). In addition to the original 4X write speed, the CRW-F1 also supports 1X and 8X modes for this innovation.
The drive is capable of recording and rewriting using Full CAV technology. A constant angular rotation speed is maintained on the inner and outer parts of the disks. The electric motor spindle spins CD-R discs at an angular speed of 8700 rpm during the recording process. A 700 MB disc can be written in 163 seconds. To a certain extent, high-quality recording at high speed is achieved through the use of a special damping mechanism, which significantly reduces vibration and noise.
Greater role in improving technical characteristics The drive is played by the new YDC-132-VLSI chip, which, according to the figurative expression of the developers, is the heart and brain of this model. This chip supports a number of key technologies:

laser power control
disk rotation control
CAV recording strategy
DiskT@2
Advanced Audio Master Quality Recording

The drive supports Mount Rainier technology.
In the OEM version, the drive is supplied without any accessories.

How to choose a DVD drive for your computer

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

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

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

Drive speed and major media formats

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

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

If you often and enjoy writing discs CD-R (one-time use) And CD-RW (rewritable), then your ability to read these media will be limited to speeds of 40x and 48x, or even 24x (for CD-RW). As for recording, by default the drive will operate at the maximum possible speed, which can be manually changed to a lower speed. 700 megabytes usually fills up within five minutes.

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

Currently the following are distinguished: DVDs. This is first and foremost the most common DVD-ROM, which is the basis for film products, games, software and other data produced and sold in series. Writing to DVD-ROM at home is impossible, read only. DVD-ROMs come in single-layer and double-layer formats, with capacities of 4.7 and 8.5 GB, respectively.

The most common disc formats you will encounter are disposable discs DVD-R and DVD+R, which are most often used to store “heavy” information such as video and software. Why plus and minus? It's simple, negative disks appeared a little earlier at the instigation of the famous company Pioneer, while “plus” technologies belong to the pen of Sony and Phillips. The difference lies in the presence of special markings that make it easier to position the drive head, and the use of different reflective material. At first, these differences were critical for the quality of multiple rewrites (of course, for DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs), but today most drive models can easily handle any version.

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

Media that support rewriting are distinguished between DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM. You've probably already encountered the first two: 4.7 GB disks with a maximum write speed of 8x. As for DVD-RAM, which can be written to simultaneously with the process of reading data, their mass use is limited due to the prohibitive cost.

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

Features of connecting the drive and sales packaging

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

Appearance of a DVD drive for a laptop

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

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

Manufacturers and prices

It's no secret that in the niche of DVD drives, a brand or trademark often becomes the determining factor in choosing a particular device. There are many different elements in the system unit, ranging from motherboard, video cards and ending with the power supply and, in fact, the system case itself. But all these components, as a rule, are impersonal, because not everyone would think of going inside to look at the manufacturer of the sound board or motherboard. Many, not very advanced, users focus more on specific parameters rather than on company names. It’s different with DVD drives; they are “facing” the consumer, proudly decorating the system unit with an inscription like NEC, Sony or.

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

DVD-ROM from Plextor

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

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

Drives available with label ASUS And Sony Optiarc (since 2006, the official merger of two companies - Sony and NEC)- strong middle peasants. At a cost of around 1,000 rubles, they demonstrate high recording quality, and discs created using these drives can be read without problems by devices from other manufacturers, as well as by many DVD players. Quiet, stylish, practical - optimal value for money.

DVD-RW drive Sony Optiarc

Drives from Samsung, Toshiba and Pioneer are considered the most capricious in terms of blank quality. LG drives also handle scratched media better than others. Of course, these conclusions were made during testing specific models, which, as we know, can be both successful and not so successful. In other words, you may be incredibly lucky and your Samsung DVD drive will be omnivorous and tireless, while ASUS drive, which was highly rated by “experts”, will stumble at every step.

In any case, when buying a DVD drive, pay attention to three things: packaging (OEM or Retail), connection method (IDE or SATA) and speed characteristics. Well, and the design, of course, because a black NEC sticking out on a white case will be striking. Each brand has its own advantages and disadvantages, but in this market, unless we are talking about elite models of semi-professional quality, the main and determining factor is still the price of the device, which for the vast majority of DVD drives varies from 600 to 1,500 rubles.

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