1. Retail Package - Installation
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder -
Page 1
After
the DD1203 recorder, Optorite decided to support the Double Layer format
by releasing it's new DD1205 burner. Based for one more time on the Sanyo chipset,
the new recorder is ready to face the strong competition, competition which
has already moved onto 4X writing speed for DL media.
The dual burner offers 2.4X DVD+R9, 12X DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 4X DVD±RW
writing and 12X DVD-ROM reading. The drive also supports 40X recording for
CD-R media and 24X for HS-RW.
- Features
"Safe-BP" has achieved enough detection performance at more than 40x
speed with the improvement of the electric circuit for the detection of disarrangement
of pickup servo. When a disarrangement of this servo is detected at high speed
recording condition, a drive stops the recording immediately and restarts the
recording at lower recording speed.
Shock-BP always monitors the condition of focus servo and tracking servo and
stops the recording when it detects the change in rapid servo condition,
then, restarts the recording at the stop position after the servo condition
is recovered.
A
generic name for Flexible Speed and Flexible Strategy. 'FlexSS-BP' technology
automatically selects the optimum recording speed for each disc, because
some CDs cannot stand high speed recording with high recording power.
Flexible Speed
When a drive determines that it is barely tracing the placed disc correctly
due to the variations between discs, and it determines that the placed
disc cannot stand a high power laser at high speed recording, the drive selects
a suitable recording speed for the disc and continues to record.
Flexible Strategy
It measures and evaluates the recording condition of the recorded area at
the switching zones.
HD-BURN
Developed by SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., a high density recording technology
that doubles the recording capacity of conventional CD-R media (700MB).
- Specifications
Interface |
E-IDE / ATAPI (Ultra DMA mode2) |
Internal Buffer Size |
2MB |
Data tranfer speed ( ATA I/F) |
33MB/sec |
Random Access Time: |
|
Write Speed |
HD-Burn |
24X |
DVD+R |
12X |
DVD+RW |
4X |
DVD-R |
8X |
DVD-RW |
4X |
CD-R |
40X |
CD-RW |
24X |
Read Speed |
DVD+R
|
12X |
DVD+RW |
12X |
DVD-R |
12X |
DVD-RW |
1X2 |
CD-R |
40X |
CD-RW |
40X |
CD-DA |
40X |
DVD-ROM |
12X single
8X double |
CD-ROM |
40X |
Writng Type |
DVD+R: Incremental Write (Multi Session Support)
DVD-R: Disc at Once, Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Support)
DVD+RW: Random Write
DVD-RW: Rigid Restricted Overwriting, Incremental Write
CD-R/RW:
Disc at Once, Session at Once, Track at Once, Packet Writing (Multi Session Support) |
Support Media Type |
DVD-ROM, DVD single layer / Dual layer, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW,
CD-DA, CD-ROM [Mode1, Mode2 (Form1/2)], CD-ROM / XA, Mixed mode CD, CD-R/RW,
CD Extra, CD-TEXT |
Support Formats |
DVD-ROM (UDF Bridge), DVD-ROM (ISO 9660), DVD-ROM (UDF),
DVD-VIDEO, DVD-VR |
Disc Size |
8/12 cm discs |
OS Compatibility |
Windows 98SE/ME/XP/NT/2000 |
Dimensions (W*H*D) |
148.5x42.5x194.2mm |
Weight |
<1.0kg (2.2lb) |
Power Requirements |
DC +5V± 5% / 12V± 10%, Max. 2.0A |
MTBF |
> 30.000 POH (duty 20%) |
Enviromental Specifications |
Operating Temprature: 5°C to 45 °C
Storage Temprature -30°C to 60°C
|
Below
are the drive's main specifications as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:
As with the DD1203, the DD1205 also uses the RPC II region control, allowing
a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times. In our screenshot there
are 4 changes left since we had to set the first.
- Retail package
The
retail package includes the Optorite DD1205, a quick installation
guide, mounting screws and a sound cable. There are also
Nero v6 OEM version and Sonic MyDVD. We were also pleasantly surprised to
see included, an alternative black bezel.
On the rear panel you can see the analogue and digital outputs (SPDIF), the
IDE connector
and the power input.
Removing the screws and opening the drive's cover voids the drive's warranty.
For reference reasons, we post the following pictures. You can click on the mainboard
picture for a higher resolution image:
- Installation
The drive was installed as secondary master and WindowsXP recognized
it as "OPTORITE DVD RW DD1205".
The drive arrived with firmware v100e.
Below is a screenshot from Nero Burning Rom, showing the drive's specs.
We will be comparing the Optorite drive with the previous model,
the DD1203 in order to observe the common and not so common points between
the two drives.
- Testing software
In order to perform our tests we used:
- Nero CD-DVD Speed
v3.21
- CDVD Benchmark v1.21
- ExactAudioCopy v0.9 beta5
- Nero Info Tool v2.27
- KProbe
v2.2.3 (Reader: Optorite LDW-811S firmware vHS0Q, Reading speed 8X CAV)
- PlexTools v2.16 (Reader:
Plextor PX-712A firmware v1.03, Reading speed 8X CLV for CD-R)
- DVDInfoPro v3.07
- Nero Burning Rom v6.3.1.20
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 2
Transfer Rate Reading Tests
- CD Format
The Optorite DD1205 supports up to 40X reading for the CD media. Our tests
confirmed this. Below are the transfer rate graphs:
The performance of the two drives is almost identical. There seem to be
very few changes here.
- DVD Format
The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially with the drive
starting reading from the inner part of the disc, which is the beginning of
each layer, progressing towards the outer range for each layer.
The first layer of an OTP dual layer DVD-ROM is read exactly the same way
as the first layer of the PTP disc we tested previously. The difference here
is the reading strategy of the second layer of the disc. The beginning of the
second layer is located in the outer part of the disc, so the drive starts
reading from the outer tracks toward the inner part of the disc. The average
reading speed was at 6.38X.
Reading performance with DVD media is again identical as
was the case with CD media.
The Optorite offers 9524 kb/s average ripping speed, which is more than adequate.
The difference here between the drives is negligible.
- Appendix
Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs
3. CD Error Correction Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 3
CD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests we check the drive's behavior when it comes to reading
scratched / defective discs. The test discs we use are the ABEX series
from ALMEDIO.
- ABEX TCD-721R
Errors total
|
Num: 1215438
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 59181
|
Avg: -72.5 dB(A)
|
Max: -5.6 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 4531
|
Avg: 1.3 Samples
|
Max: 599 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 81
|
Avg: 6.4 Samples
|
Max: 12 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
63.6 points (out of 100.0
maximum)
|
As with the DD1203, the DD1205's performance is poor with the
ABEX TCD-721R. The total error count is not all that high but the maximum
error level at -6.8 dB(A) is as is the error level in general, resulting in
high number of skipped samples. The
total
test result
score of
63.6
out of
100 is not all that good and is indicative of the drive's performance with
this disc.
- ABEX TCD-726
Errors total
|
Num: 0
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 18
|
Avg: -37.7 dB(A)
|
Max: -28.9 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: 0.0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 2
|
Avg: 576.0 Samples
|
Max: 576 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
79.4 points (out of 100.0
maximum)
|
The performance with the specific media is better than in the previous case,
which is logical since this disc is much easier to read. However, the total
test result score of 79.4 out of 100 is very low, especially when compared
to other drives which achieve scores in the high 90s and even
100. Skipped samples is also unusual for this disc.
- CD-Check Audio Test Disc
The CD-Check Test Disc is a very useful tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction
/ Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination
with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce
it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively
difficult tests. These tracks are referred as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.
The
files are reproduced (played) through a software multimedia player (i.e.
Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone coming
out
from the speakers is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or
looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction
of the tested device.
Error Level
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
Optorite DD1205
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
0/5
|
The drive passed the first four Check Levels of the test. The performance
is quite good offering better than average sound reproduction and error correction.
The fifth level includes an error size of 1.500mm, and the drive produced many
audible
clicks here.
The DD1203 exhibited similar performance.
- Conclusion
The CD error correction for the DD1205 drive is not one of its strong points.
Performance with the ABEX test discs could be better...
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 4
DVD Error Correction
Tests
In the following tests we examined the DVD reading capabilities of
the 1205 drive with scratched / defective
DVD media.
For the tests we used CDVD Benchmark and Nero CDSpeed. The reference test
media
came
from
ALMEDIO.
- Single Layer media
ABEX TDR-821
This is a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with a 4.7GB capacity, and its
surface has an artificial scratch of dimensions varying from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
The following transfer rate picture comes from the CDVD Benchmark v1.21 transfer
rate test.
ABEX TDR-825
This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of 4.7GB capacity. The
data structure of the disc is exactly the same as that of the TDR-821, with
the difference that there are no scratches on it but defective areas of dimensions
ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and
75 micrometers.
The drive read the single layer test media without problems while no errors
were reported. The graph is clean indicating smooth, even reading.
- Dual Layer media
ABEX TDR-841
This is an 8.5GB dual layer, single sided DVD-ROM disc with artificial scratches
of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0mm, on both layers.
ABEX TDR-845
The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc with a capacity of
8.5GB. The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the
first includes
defective areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defective areas range
from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized from 65 to 75 micrometers.
Again, excellent performance...
ABEX TDV-541
The
TDV-541 is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc, with a capacity of 8.5GB.The
disc is based on the TDV-540 series which is designed for inspection
and adjustment of DVD-VIDEO players. The disc checks the layer switch operation
from layer 0 to layer 1 and also includes test pictures and test signals for
DVD sound files. The current TDV-541 also checks the error correcting
capabilities of the drive and includes scratches from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
Although reading started normally, at around 2GB the drive needed to
slow down in order to read the contents of the disc on the defective areas.
However,
no errors were reported and the task finished successfully.
ABEX TDV-545
The
TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV-540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer
DVD-VIDEO disc with a capacity of 8.5GB. The TDV-545 includes artificial black
dots on the disc surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75
micrometer fingerprints.
Black dots and fingerprints on the disc's surface were not a
problem for the drive.
- Summary
DVD error correction capabilities of the Optorite drive are
very good.
5. Protected Disc Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 5
Protected Disc
Tests
- Reading Tests
To create the image of the various protected titles to the hard disk, we
used Alcohol 120% software and the appropriate settings, according to the protection
type of the inserted discs. Below you can see the duration of each process
as well as the transfer rate in each case.
Game Title |
Protection Scheme |
Duration |
Reading speed |
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme" |
Lybcrypt |
04:49min |
313 sectors/sec |
Serious Sam The Second Encounter |
SafeDisc v.2.50.051 |
1:07:46min |
82 sectors/sec |
VRally II |
SecuROM v.2 |
05:17min |
1084 sectors/sec |
There's no improvement from the Optorite DD1205 over the DD1203,
continuing to offer slow, ripping performance.
- Writing Tests
The Optorite DD1205 supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking the
drive's EFM correction status, we used 3 different game titles with different
SafeDisc
2 versions having the latest software patches installed. After making the images
of the various titles onto the hard disk, we burned them (at maximum speed)
with Alcohol 120% v1.9.2.1705. Two different discs were created for each title;
one with the "Bypass EFM error" enabled and one more with the function
disabled.
- Fifa 2004 - Safe Disc v3.1x
- The Sims Superstar - Safe Disc v2.9x
- The Sims Unleashed - Safe Disc v2.8x
- Serious Sam Second Encounter - Safe Disc v2.51.021
- Max Payne - Safe Disc v2.51.020
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they
worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Drive
|
Fifa 2004
SD v3.1
|
Sims Superstar SD v2.9
|
Sims Unleashed SD
v2.8
|
Serious Sam-Second Encounter
SD v2.51.051
|
Max Payne
SD v2.51.020
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
Toshiba
SD-M1502
|
No
|
Yes |
Creative CD5233E
|
Optorite DD1205
|
The drive managed to create working backups only up to version 2.8. Newer
versions are still a problem for the DD1205 as they were for the DD1203.
6. DAE Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 6
DAE Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD
The Optorite DD1205 supports up to 40X CAV DAE speed. When using a pressed
AudioCD and its CD-R copy with EAC, we logged the following results:
Good performance...
- Advanced DAE Quality
The Optorite DD1205 received a score of 100 (perfect) in the Nero CD Speed
Advanced DAE test. CDSpeed showed that the average reading speed was 28.55X,
and
the drive supports reading of
SubChannel
data, Leadin / Leadout data and CD
Text.
- Reading 90/ 99mins AudioCDs
We also tried to rip the contents of both discs on our HD. The process finished
successfully with the 90min disc while with the 99min, the disc could go no
further than the 24th track out of the 26 tracks on the disc.
7. Protected AudioCDs
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 7
Protected AudioCDs
For the test procedure we used three audio discs with different
audio copy protections. The ripping process performed for all protected Audio
discs was carried out with Exact Audio Copy v0.9beta5.
The tested protected Audio discs were:
- Sony's Key2Audio from "Celine Dion - New Day Has Come"
- Cactus Data Shield 200 from "Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island"
The Cactus Data Shield 200, contains artificial errors that are not easily
bypassed by the reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session,
causing problems for readers when they try to read the Table Of Contents (TOC).
The tested tasks are:
- Recognition of the inserted disc (Yes/No)
- Ripping all wavs (with EAC's Burst Mode) to the hard disk with copy&compare function.
- Listening to the produced wavs for any click/skips.
The Optorite DD1205 recognized up to the 12th Audio track of CDS200 disc,
and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed, the 13th Data
track was also recognized.
The test results are shown in the following table:
|
Key2Audio |
CDS200 |
Optorite DD1205 |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports
timing problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports timing problems, Read&Test CRC comparison not the same for all tracks |
The Optorite DD1205 will rip both Key2Audio and CDS200
protected audio discs. Both discs were recognized and their contents were
ripped
at the maximum speed. However, the drive may not rip 100% accurately the
discs since EAC reported timing problems. In the case of the CDS200 disc,
the process took us up to 37min where the first track was difficult
to be read.
The
rest of the disc was ok. Notice that other drives can read this disc without
slowing down.
- Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love Letter)
This
is a "special" CDS200 build, since it doesn't contain any artificial
errors during the ripping process. Most problems occur then trying to write
the ripped wav files, since the produced CD-R disc contains C2 and CU errors!
This "problem" is rumored to be connected with specific
chipset weaknesses.
We ripped the disc contents with EAC and burned the produced wav with the
latest Nero version as AudioCD+CD-Text. The burned media was checked for
C1/C2 errors with PlexTools software using Plextor PX-712A (firmware
v1.03).
|
CDS 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a |
Optorite DD1205 |
Reading performed
without any errors but writing results a high number of C2/CU errors. |
- C1C2 Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712A (8X CLV reading speed)
- BETA/Jitter Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712A
The C1/C2 error graphs indicate that the drive doesn't manage to produce
a 100% error free disc.
Lets try to extract all the wav files with the Plextor PX-712A and with
PlexTool DAE Error Correction 5th Level enabled:
Errors were reported for all tracks. The drive managed to backup the disc,
but not accurately.
8. CD Recording Tests
Optorite DD1205
Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 8
CD Recording Tests
The Optorite DD1205 supports up to 40X CD-R and 24X US-RW recording speeds.
The drive
supports 4X, 8X, 16X, 24X, 32X, and 40X writing speeds. Below
are
the recording speeds as detected by Nero Burning Rom.
According to Nero CDSpeed, the drive reached the maximum 40X speed. The test
started at 18.21X and finished at 41.17X having an average speed of 31.15X.
Click on the image to see the complete graph.
For the burning tests we created an 80min data compilation through Nero Burning
Rom, recording the data on a 700MB disc. The Optorite DD1205 finished the
task in
3:13 minutes, for the maximum 40X writing speed. This is the
same time as the DD1203.
The
writing performance varies according to the inserted media. The ExacLink
system will lower the writing speed if the media ID code is not found in the
drive's firmware. Below is a chart demonstrating
all recording times with various media. As you can see, in the case of Waitec
media the time rewuired was much longer since the speed was 16X.
- Other features
CD text reading/writing
|
Yes
|
Overburning with 80min CD |
81:47 |
Overburning with 90min CD |
91:52 |
Overburning with 99min CD |
81:47 |
The 99min media was recognized as 80min.
The DD1205 supports a maximum 24X P-CAV rewriting speed with Ultra Speed Rewritable Media
(US-RW).
Below you can see the Nero CD-DVD Speed writing simulation test with blank
24X US-RW media from Mitsubishi Chemicals.
We also used Nero Burning Rom in order to burn a data disc with 24X US-RW
media from MC. The data compilation we burned had a size of 651 MB and the
duration of the recording process was 3:43 minutes.
- CD-RW Mount Rainier Tests
Mount Rainier isn't supported.
9. Writing Quality - 3T Jitter Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 9
3T Jitter Tests
In the following page you can
see the 3T
Pit & Land Jitter graphs using various media burned at 40X CAV writing
speed.
- 3T Pit results
- 3T Land results
As it can been seen from the graphs above, the drive's CD writng quality is
mixed, with some media being good (acceptable) while with others (Waitec, Taiyo
Yuden and Benq) it needs improvement. The best choice
with this drive
is Traxdata
media
which
had the
lowest Jitter
levels.
In the following page we check the C1 and C2 error rates of the same discs,
to come up with more specific conclusions regarding quality.
10. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 10
C1 / C2 Error Measurements
We measured the C1 / C2 error rate on the recorded discs we burned at the
various supported writing speeds. The software we used was PleXTools Professional
v2.16, and particularly the built-in Q-Check utility. The reader was the Plextor
PX-712A (firmware v1.04)
BenQ CD-R 52X@ 40X
Maxell CD-R 48X@ 40X
MMore CD-R 48X@ 40X
SKC CD-R 52X@ 40X
Traxdata CD-R 52X @ 40X
Taiyo Yuden CD-R 48X @ 40X
Verbatim CD-R 52X@ 40X
Waitec CD-R 52X@ 16X
The CD recording quality is acceptable, although with specific media
(Waitec and Taiyo Yuden), C2 errors were reported, so we further tested that
media with
CDSpeed and both
discs were read without errors.
- Appendix
Media Label |
ID Code |
Manufacturer Name |
Lead Out TIme |
BenQ 80min 48X |
97m22s67f |
Daxon Technology |
79:59.74 |
Maxell 80min 48X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek |
79:59.70 |
SKC 80min 52X |
97m26s26f |
SKC Co., Ltd. |
79:59.73 |
MMore 80min 48X |
97m17s 6f |
Moser Baer India, Ltd. |
79:59.74 |
TraxData 80min 52X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek |
79:59.70 |
Taiyo Yuden 80min 48X |
97m24s 1f |
Taiyo Yuden |
79:59.72 |
Verbatim 80min 52X |
97m34s23f |
Verbatim |
79:59.73 |
Waitec 80min 52X |
97m28s26f |
Multi Media Masters & Machinery
SA |
79:59.74 |
11. DVD Recording Tests
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 11
DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
The Optorite DD1205 supports
the DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW writing formats. The maximum supported speed for
DVD+R is
12X ( P-CAV) & 4X CLV for DVD+RW
media. DVD-R writing offers 8X ( Z-CLV) maximum writing speed
and 4X CLV
rewriting speed. Nero Burning Rom reported speeds, are shown below. In addition,
the most important feature of this drive is Double Layer recording at 2.4X.
Below you can see the simulation writing tests with CDSpeed.
DVD+R@12X
DVD+R@8X
DVD-R@8X
DVD+RW@4X
DVD-RW@4X
The writing strategy for the Double Layer is CLV.
- Burning Tests
We burned 4315MB of data on various DVD±R, DVD±RW media.
We used the maximum allowed writing speed for each disc, with the ExacLink
feature enabled. For the 12X DVD+R burning speed, four of our media allowed
the speed. The best recording time for the DVD+R format came with Maxell
8X media at
6:44 mins burning time.
Below are all the burning results with the various
media types used. The disc information and the maximum allowed speed are
summarized as they were reported from DVDinfoPro.
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Traxdata 2.4X |
RITEK D01 |
2.4X |
37:44 |
Verbatim 2.4X |
MKM 001 |
2.4X |
37:41 |
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
CMC 8X |
CMC MAG E01 |
8X |
7:45 |
BeAll 8X |
BeAll000P80 |
8X |
8:00 |
SKC 4X |
BeAll000P40 |
4X |
- |
TDK 8X |
RICOHJPNR02 |
12X |
6:36 |
Traxdata 8X |
RITEK R03 |
8X |
7:51 |
Maxell 4X |
YUDEN000T01 |
4X |
- |
Taiyo Yuden 8X |
YUDEN000T02 |
12X |
6:36 |
BeAll 4X |
BeAll000P40 |
4X |
- |
Traxdata 4X |
RICOHJPNR01 |
4X |
- |
Optodisc 8X |
OPTODISCOR8 |
8X |
8:19 |
3A 8X |
Plasmon1C01 |
4X |
- |
3A 4X |
POMSC001002 |
4X |
- |
BenQ 4X |
DAXON AZ1 |
4X |
- |
Maxell 8X |
MAXELL 002 |
12X |
6:36 |
Intenso 8X |
PRODISC R03 |
8X |
7:48 |
Taiyo Yuden 4X |
YUDEN000T01 |
4X |
- |
MMore 4X |
MBIPG101R03 |
4X |
- |
Optodisc 4X |
OPTODISCOR4 |
4X |
- |
Philips 8X |
PHILIPS C08 |
4X |
14:12 |
Mitsubishi Chemicals 8X |
MCC 003 |
12X |
6:37 |
Mitsubishi Chemicals 4X |
MCC 002 |
4X |
- |
CMC 4X |
CMC MAG F01 |
8X |
8:11 |
Intenso 4X |
PRODISC R02 |
4X |
- |
MMore 8X |
MBIPG101R04 |
8X |
7:50 |
Infosmart 4X |
IS01 001 |
4X |
- |
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Traxdata 8X |
RITEKG05 |
8X |
9:46 |
Taiyo Yuden 4X |
TYG01 |
4X |
- |
SKC 4X |
SKC Co Ltd |
4X |
- |
3A 8X |
POMS3A |
4X |
- |
Mitsubishi Chemicals 4X |
MCC 01RG20 |
4X |
- |
CMC 8X |
CMC MAG AE1 |
8X |
9:48 |
Datawrite 8X |
FUJIFILM03 |
8X |
9:45 |
Princo 4X |
PRINCO |
4X |
- |
BenQ 4X |
SONY04D1 |
4X |
14:38 |
Intenso 4X |
ProdiscS03 |
4X |
- |
Intenso 8X |
FUJIFILM03 |
8X |
9:43 |
Mitsubishi Chemicals 8X |
MCC 02RG20 |
8X |
9:44 |
TDK 8X |
TTG02 |
4X |
- |
Ritek 4X |
RITEKG04 |
8X |
10:57 |
MMore 4X |
MBI 01RG20 |
4X |
- |
Traxdata 4X |
RITEKG04 |
8X |
- |
BeAll 4X |
BeAll G40001 |
4X |
- |
Maxell 4X |
TYG01 |
4X |
- |
Optodisc |
OPTODISCOR004 |
4X |
- |
Maxell 8X |
MXL RG03 |
8X |
9:47 |
Mam 4X |
MAMG4X02 |
4X |
14:40 |
MMore 8X |
FUJIFILM03 |
8X |
- |
Infosmart |
SKC Co Ltd |
4X |
- |
Taiyo Yuden 8X |
TYG02 |
8X |
9:44 |
- DVD Overburning Tests
In order to test the drive's DVD overburning capabilities, we used two media
types, one from Mitsubishi Chemicals 8X DVD-R and one from Waitec 8X DVD+R.
The Optorite DD1205 can overburn the minus format up to 4768MB.
The Optorite DD1205 cannot overburn with DVD+R format.
- DVD+MRW Tests
Mount Rainier isn't supported.
12. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 12
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD+R/RW
media we burned with the Optorite DD1205. The software we used for all measurements
is KProbe v2.2.3, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q
patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV.
All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives
cannot report PO errors but only PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In
addition, all discs have been scanned with PX-712A v1.04 using PlexTools v2.16
for comparison
levels.
Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in
the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different
readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different
reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2~5X CAV for PlexTools).
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria
of the burning quality but as an indication level.
TDK 8X DVD+R @ 12X
Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD+R @ 12X
Maxell 8X DVD+R @ 12X
Mitsubishi Chemicals 8X DVD+R @ 12X
- Summary
According the PIE/PIF scans we can say that the Optorite DD1205 had good
performance. Although Kprobe reported increased PIE/PIF levels, the combination
of Plextools and Plextor is more reliable. Furthermore, all the discs were
playable on our standalone players.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
TDK 8X |
RICOHJPNR02 |
12X |
6:36 |
Taiyo Yuden 8X |
YUDEN000T02 |
12X |
6:36 |
Maxell 8X |
MAXELL 002 |
12X |
6:36 |
Mitsubishi Chemicals 8X |
MCC 003 |
12X |
6:37 |
13. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 13
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD+R/RW
media we burned with the Optorite DD1205. The software we used for all measurements
is KProbe v2.2.3, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware,
being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been
performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives cannot report PO
errors but only PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition, all discs
have been scanned with PX-712A v1.04 using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison levels.
Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the
reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different
readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different
reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2~5X CAV for PlexTools).
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria
of the burning quality but as an indication level.
CMC 8X DVD+R @ 8X
BeAll 8X DVD+R @ 8X
Traxdata 8X DVD+R @ 8X
Optodisc 8X DVD+R @ 8X
Intenso 8X DVD+R @ 8X
Philips 8X DVD+R @ 4X
With this media Plextools reported the following error message:
CMC 4X DVD+R @ 8X
MMore 8X DVD+R @ 8X
The previous error message is also appearing here:
- Summary
The DVD recording quality at speeds lower than the previous 12X is better
with some media but in some cases worse with high levels of PIE/PIF. Once
again, all the discs were playable on our standalone players.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
CMC 8X |
CMC MAG E01 |
8X |
7:45 |
BeAll 8X |
BeAll000P80 |
8X |
8:00 |
Traxdata 8X |
RITEK R03 |
8X |
7:51 |
Optodisc 8X |
OPTODISCOR8 |
8X |
8:19 |
Intenso 8X |
PRODISC R03 |
8X |
7:48 |
Philips 8X |
PHILIPS C08 |
4X |
14:12 |
CMC 4X |
CMC MAG F01 |
8X |
8:11 |
MMore 8X |
MBIPG101R04 |
8X |
7:50 |
14. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 14
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD+R/RW
media we burned with the Optorite DD1205. The software we used for all measurements
is KProbe v2.2.3, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware,
being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been
performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives cannot report PO
errors but only PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition, all discs
have been scanned with PX-712A v1.04 using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison levels.
Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the
reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different
readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different
reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2~5X CAV for PlexTools).
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria
of the burning quality but as an indication level.
Traxdata 8X DVD-R @ 8X
CMC 8X DVD-R @ 8X
Datawrite 8X DVD-R @ 8X
BenQ 4X DVD-R @ 4X
Intenso 8X DVD-R @ 8X
Verbatim 8X DVD-R @ 8X
Ritek 4X DVD-R @ 8X
Maxell 8X DVD-R @ 8X
Mam 4X DVD-R @ 4X
Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD-R @ 8X
- Summary
All the discs were playable on our standalone players and this is very important.
As for the quality, although Kprobe and Plextools reported completely different
results, we concluded that in general, the quality is acceptable.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Traxdata 8X |
RITEKG05 |
8X |
9:46 |
CMC 8X |
CMC MAG AE1 |
8X |
9:48 |
Datawrite 8X |
FUJIFILM03 |
8X |
9:45 |
BenQ 4X |
SONY04D1 |
4X |
14:38 |
Intenso 8X |
FUJIFILM03 |
8X |
9:43 |
Verbatim 8X |
MCC 02RG20 |
8X |
9:44 |
Ritek 4X |
RITEKG04 |
8X |
10:57 |
Maxell 8X |
MXL RG03 |
8X |
9:47 |
Mam 4X |
MAMG4X02 |
4X |
14:40 |
Taiyo Yuden 8X |
TYG02 |
8X |
9:44 |
With the latest firmware, v120E, the situation regarding the allowed
speeds for supported media hasn't changed, with the exception of Traxdata
8X DVD+R (RITEK R03) media, which can now be burned at 8X.
We can also confirm the maximum allowed speed for the Philips C08 and
C16, Taiyo Yuden YUDEN000 T01 which is 4X in all cases. For Optodisc (OPTODISC
OR8) the speed is 8X.
15. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 4
Optorite DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 15
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 4
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD-R/RW
media we burned with the Optorite DD1205. The software we used for all measurements
is KProbe v2.2.3, and the reader is the LiteOn SOHD-167T with "9S14
patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV.
All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives
cannot report PO but PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition,
all discs have been scanned with PX-712A v1.04 using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison
levels.
Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans, we can see major differences in
the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different
readers,
with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different reading speeds
(6X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools).
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria
of the burning quality but as an indication level.
Traxdata 2.4X @ 2.4X
Verbatim 2.4X @ 2.4X
- Summary
The DVD recording quality with Double Layer media is very good, approaching
that of pressed discs. Both Verbatim and Traxdata media reported low levels
for PIE/PIF. However, the discs were not playable on our standalone players
since there was
not bitsetting option.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Traxdata 2.4X |
RITEK D01 |
2.4X |
37:44 |
Verbatim 2.4X |
MKM 001 |
2.4X |
37:41 |
16. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
Optorite
DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder -
Page 16
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD-R/RW
media we burned with the Optorite DD1205. The software we used for all measurements
is KProbe v2.2.3, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q
patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X
CAV. All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn
drives cannot report PO but PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition,
all discs have been scanned with PX-712A v1.04 using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison
levels.
Comparing the KProbe/PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the
reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different
readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different
reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2~5X CAV for PlexTools). It's interesting
to see the disc scanned at low & high speed, since when the error rate
increases at a specific disc region, it should appear in both scans... else
it would be
perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute
criteria of the burning quality but as an indication level.
Maxell 4X DVD+RW @ 4X
Traxdata 4X DVD+RW @ 4X
Mitsubishi Chemicals 4X DVD-RW @ 4X
Traxdata 4X DVD-RW @ 4X
- Summary
The writng quality with rewritable media is rather good. Both Kprobe
and Plextools reported PI/PIF levels below the limit. For one more time all
the discs were playable on our standalone players.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time
(mins) |
Maxell DVD+RW |
PHILIPS 041 |
4X |
13:43 |
Traxdata DVD+RW |
|
4X |
13:47 |
MC DVD-RW |
MCC01RW4X |
4X |
14:39 |
Traxdata DVD-RW |
|
4X |
14:42 |
17. HD - BURN
Optorite
DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder -
Page 17
HD - BURN
HD-BURN allows writing twice the amount of data than can normally
fit on a CD-R disc. This means that up to 1.4GB of data can be recorded
on 700MB CD-R media. The Optorite DD1205 supports 24x writing speed with
the HD-Burn option.
To check the performance of the Optorite DD1205 under HD-Burn, we used
NeroBurning Rom, which supports the HD-Burn function. The available HD-Burn
compilations
are CD-ROM (ISO, UDF, ISO/UDF, Bootable), HD-BURN -Video or just copy an
HD-BURN disc.
The supported reading speed for the HD-BURN according to the manufacturer
is 74X. In our test, the drive reached 80X reading speed at the end
of the test.
Our output HD-Burn disc was playable without problems under Windows Media
Player.
18. BookType Setting
Optorite
DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder -
Page 18
BookType Setting
The DD1205 doesn't support the bitsetting option, and for this reason the
produced DVD+R DL media wasn't playable in our test standalone DVD players
from
Philips and Pioneer.
19. Conclusion
Optorite
DD1205 Dual DVD±RW Recorder -
Page 19
The Optorite DD1205 is a good CD reader with high speeds and low seek times.
However we would like error correction to be better, as it
performed below
average with our defective test CD media.
According to our DVD reading tests, the drive performed very well with
fast speeds and once again low seek times. The DVD error correction here is
strong
and all of our test media did not pose a problem for the drive. The
DVD ripping speed is also very good.
With protected games, the drive had poor performance. The ripping speed for
all the game protections we tried was low while the drive didn't manage to
make working backups with SD protection over v2.8. The performance is the same
as its predecessor, the DD1203.
The DD1205 managed to play and rip both Key2Audio and CDS200 protection
schemes. However, the drive may not rip
the discs 100% accurately since EAC reported timing problems. Our 90min
test disc was played successfully while the 99min reports problems in the last
few tracks.
The CD recording quality is good with most media we tried, something that
has been fixed since the DD1203.
As for the writing quality with DVD media, it was good, while in the case
with DL and RW, very good. However, there were cases with increased PI/PIF
levels. This is also something that we would like to see improved. However,
no matter
what the recording quality was, all the media we burned were playable on
our standalone DVD players from Pioneer and Philips, excepting DL media
since there is no bitsetting option, something else that we would like to see
fixed as
soon as possible.
Concluding, we can say that as a reader, the DD1205 performs identically with
the DD1203. Some differencies that you might see are negligible.
As a
writer, the
drive
has improved its media compatibility and writing quality. However, we would
like to see more 4X certified media burned at 8X and better recording quality.
The most important difference is the Double Layer writing option.
At the time of the writing of this review, the retail price was around US$70,
which is rather low making the burner a good choice since at the same price
you can
usually buy only
8X
and DL.
- The Good
- Double Layer recording
- 12X DVD+R recording
- Good DVD error correction
- HD-Burn feature
- Fast ripping with DVD-Video discs
- Supports protected Audio discs (CDS200, Key2Audio)
- Second bezel included (different color)
- Good support
- The Bad
- Doesn't support Booktype Bitsetting
- DVD±R needs improvement as
drive produces high PI error rates and PI failures in many cases
- CD error correction is not very good
- Doesn't support C2 error reporting
- Doesn't backup SafeDisc v2.9 & 3.1x protected discs
- Slow SafeDisc protection ripping
- Doesn't support reading of DVD-RAM media
- Cannot be used to scan (measure) CD/DVD media (this could be fixed with
a newer UMDoctor version)
- Like to be fixed
- DVD±R writing performance and quality
- CD recording quality with several media (can be fixed with firmware upgrade)