MaximumPC 2003 12

LG Triple-Format DVD Burner

DVD-RAM? No thank you, ma’am

N

ow that it’s been drummed into your head that the only DVD burners
worth buying offer dual-format support, news of triple -format support
might automatically grab your attention. That is, until you realize that
the third format is DVD-RAM, aka the “Format That Would Not Die.”
Granted, there is something to be said for DVD-RAM, particularly for archi-
val purposes. After all, DVD-RAM is characterized by its tough plastic car-
tridge, perfect for protection. But if you want a rugged backup solution, the LG
triple-format burner is definitely not it. That’s because this drive doesn’t accept
actual DVD-RAM cartridges. You have to remove the disc from the cartridge in
order to use it, thus defeating the purpose of the protective casing.
With a street price of around $200, this drive’s DVD-RAM support doesn’t
cost a lot, but you’ll feel the pinch in write speeds to other recordable for-
mats. The write-once DVD+R and DVD-R speeds clock in at the standard 4x,
but DVD+RW is stuck at 2.4x, and burning to CD-R is capped at 24x.
That said, there’s
nothing wrong
with this drive’s
reliability; we had
no problems burn-
ing to any format
using the bundled
B’s Recorder Gold
5 software. The
fastest record-
able DVD speed
was achieved with

DVD+R, at an above-average 14:15 (min:sec). It took 40:21 to burn 4.25GB to

a 3x-certified DVD-RAM disk. Yes, that’s about the same time it takes to burn

to 2x DVD-RW, but DVD-RAM has write-verification built in, so it’s intrinsi-

cally slower (and thus more reliable for data storage).

If you want to reap the benefits of cartridge-protected DVD-RAM discs,

consider Panasonic, which

has burners that support

DVD-RAM cartridges as

well as DVD-R/W. Compared

with the Panasonic, LG’s

new triple-format burner

offers faster speeds in a few

formats, but its DVD-RAM

implementation is intrinsi-

cally flawed.

—LOGAN DECKER

Plextor 8x Dual-Format DVD Burner

Leading the way to third-degree burners

A

lthough labeled as an 8x DVD burner, the Plextor PX-708A marks a
return to zoned recording speeds. In plain terms, this means the PX-
708A begins its write process at approximately 6x, then ratchets up to
8x after burning the first 700MB of data, then slows back down to 4x at around
the 3.3GB point.
While we’re never thrilled when a company uses maximum speeds (as
opposed to actual speeds) as a descriptor, we’re pleasantly surprised with
Plextor’s results. The fastest format supported, 8x DVD+R, completed a 4.25GB
disc in 8:11 (min:sec). Compared with the 13:14 DVD+R burn time of the last
Plextor drive we reviewed (a burner spec’d at 4x), that’s a mighty significant
improvement, and only about a minute shy of what we hoped to see. Even
better, the 8:11 burn time was achieved using 4x media, thanks to some fancy
firmware footwork combined with the recommended Taiyo Yuden media. We
were surprised to find that we were able to burn discs using our own media at
speeds well above what the media was rated for. For example, our 4x DVD+R
media from Verbatim burned 4.25GB in 9:41, while 4x DVD+R media from TDK
burned in 9:49.
Another big boost to the PX-708A is an unprecedented CD-R speed of 40x (3:
21 to burn a 700MB
CD, to be exact).
Write speeds to all
the other formats
remain largely the
same. The only hic-
cup in our tests was
the drive’s refusal

to rip audio above 8x from two different commercially pressed audio CDs at

above 8x—Plextor’s “quality first” conservatism ratchets the speed down to

minimize errors.

Plextor’s optical drives have

always been pin-up favorites

of Optical Drive and Servo-

Mechanical Monthly, and the

PX-708A is no exception. The

access times remain the low-

est in the biz, and with 40x CD

burning, you can finally retire

that crusty old CD burner with

the grimy bezel.

—LOGAN DECKER

The fastest DVD burner available.

FLAMETHROWERS

BLAMETHROWERS

Audio extraction can be slow, and reading from

CD-ROMs remains at 40x.

$280, http://www.plextor.com

MAXIMUMPC VERDICT 9

ow that it’s been drummed into your head that the only DVD burners

-format support

might automatically grab your attention. That is, until you realize that

Granted, there is something to be said for DVD-RAM, particularly for archi-
val purposes. After all, DVD-RAM is characterized by its tough plastic car-
tridge, perfect for protection. But if you want a rugged backup solution, the LG
it. That’s because this drive doesn’t accept
actual DVD-RAM cartridges. You have to remove the disc from the cartridge in

The drive supports industry-standard 4x burning to

DVD-R and DVD+R.

QUICK LEARNERS

SLOW BURNERS

It’s questionable that you’ll ever find DVD-RAM,

as implemented in LG’s burner, of any use.

$200, http://www.lgeus.com

MAXIMUMPC VERDICT 6

708A begins its write process at approximately 6x, then ratchets up to
8x after burning the first 700MB of data, then slows back down to 4x at around

Plextor’s results. The fastest format supported, 8x DVD+R, completed a 4.25GB

better, the 8:11 burn time was achieved using 4x media, thanks to some fancy

BENCHMARKS* DVD CD

*The data CD burn test uses the bundled applications to create a 700MB CD-
R. The data DVD burn test uses the bundled applications to create a 4.25GB.
The audio-extraction test uses a commercially stamped 74 minute audio CD.
All tests were performed using Verbatim media, except where noted.

Average data transfer (MB/sec.) 9.3 4.7

Random/full-stroke seek (ms) 116/208 87/161

Audio extraction (min:sec) - 8:08

Data DVD/CD burn (min:sec) 8:11 (DVD+R) 3:31

Writes to:

DVD+R 8x

DVD-R 4x

CD-R 40x

Rewrites to:

DVD+RW 4x

DVD-RW 2x

CD-RW 24x

Reads:

DVD-ROM 12x

CD-ROM 40x

Writes to:

DVD-RAM 3x

DVD+R 4x

DVD-R 4x

CD-R 24x

Rewrites to:

DVD-RAM 3x

DVD+RW 2.4x

DVD-RW 2x

CD-RW 16x

Reads:

DVD-RAM 12x

DVD-ROM 12x

CD-ROM 32x

BENCHMARKS* DVD CD

Average data transfer (MB/sec.) 8.5 2.8

Random/full-stroke seek (ms) 97/183 97/183

Audio extraction (min:sec) - 4:16

Data DVD/CD burn (min:sec) 14:15 (DVD+R) 5:08

DVD-RAM

didn’t excite us then,

and it doesn’t excite us now.

Plextor cuts the ribbon

on 8x DVD burning—so now

you can piss off the Motion Picture

Association of America in less than nine minutes!

DECEMBER 2003 MAXIMUMPC 103

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