1. Introduction
After
the release of the 1653S, a 16X/12X (±R), LiteOn hits the market with
the 1673S model, a 16X/16X DVD burner. Since speed is the primary concern of
all potential buyers out there, note here that the 1673s can burn a full DVD
disc in almost 6 mins.
The 16X speed is supported for both formats. The drive's specs also report
a 4X DL writing speed and an 8X speed for +RW media, while for -RW media the
drive reaches the 6X burning speed.
- Features
SMART-X technology: the drive will rip the music / VCD data
as fast as possible with less errors, even on a poor quality media (e.g.
dirty, scratched), the drive will estimate if the ripped data will result
in audio
noise, interruptions or mosaic on screen, the rip speed can be reduced to get
more correctable data. While SMART-X provides the fastest possible ripping
speed, if you just want to listen to music or watch a movie,
it's
not necessary for the drive to maintain high speeds to read the data. It will
automatically operate at lower speeds to get better playability, hence
the smart in SMART-X.
- Specifications
Model |
16X DVD Dual Drive with Double Layer Writing |
Interface: |
ATAPI/E-IDE |
Data Buffer Memory |
2MB |
Data Transfer Rate (max) |
|
DVD+R Writing |
16X |
DVD+R DL Writing |
4X |
DVD+RW Rewriting |
8X |
DVD-R |
16X |
DVD-RW Rewriting |
6X |
DVD-ROM Reading |
16X |
CD-R Writing |
48X |
CD-RW Rewriting |
24X |
CD-ROM Reading |
48X |
Random Access Time |
120ms |
Support Media for Reading |
DVD : DVD Single/dual layer (PTP, OTP), DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R DL (8.5GB) |
CD : All CD-ROM/R/RW formats |
Installation Angle |
Horizontal/Vertical |
Audio Specification |
|
Line output level |
0.85±0.15 Vrms |
S/N Ratio |
75dB |
Environment |
|
Temperature |
Operating: 5°C to 45°C |
Storage: -20°C to 60°C |
Humidity |
Operating: 15-80% ( Non-condensation) |
Power Requirement |
DC+12V±5%, DC+5V±5% |
Compatibility |
Windows 98 SE/ME/XP/2000 |
Physical Dimensions |
|
WxHxD |
145 x 41.3 x 170mm |
Weight |
0.9kg (typical) |
Below are the drive's main specs as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:
The drive also uses the RPC II region control, allowing a
user to change the drive's region at most 5 times. However, since this is a
LiteOn drive, you can set the drive to region free using
several readily available utilities.
Below is some additional information from KProbe regarding
LiteON drives:
- European Retail package
The
retail package is the same that we have become used to with all LiteOn drives,
with the exception of the DVD+R and DVD-R media. It includes the LiteON
SOHW-1673S,
along with
the standard audio cable and mounting screws, plus the CDs with application
software, DVD authoring, writing and editing software,
DVD
playback
software,
BackUp software and User's Manual. Along with the all of the above, the kit
contains the Nero OEM Suite and the Power DVD 5 for your viewing
needs.
The front panel is the same as on previous LiteON models.
The activity led lights up
green when
the device is active while also on the front, the user will discern the
DVD+R Double Layer logo.
The rear panel has the usual analogue and
digital outputs (SPDIF), IDE connector
and power input.
Opening the device's case will void the warranty, so we advise against it. Instead, use the photos in this review for a closer look under the hood. Clicking on the image below will reveal a high resolution image:
..
- Installation
The drive was installed as secondary master and under Windows XP,
recognized as "LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1673S ". The drive
came to our labs with the JS02 firmware and was flashed with the latest release,
JS05, as it was reported by Nero's drive properties and shown
in the following image.
For the needs of comparison in this review, we will be demonstrating the
drive's capabilities against those of the NEC ND-3520A and Plextor
716S drives.
- Testing software
In order to perform our tests we used:
- Nero CD-DVD Speed v3.75
- CDVD Benchmark v1.21
- ExactAudioCopy v0.9 beta5
- Nero Info Tool v3.00
- PlexTools v2.20(Reader: Plextor PX-712A firmware v1.05, Reading speed 8X CLV for CD-R)
- DVDInfoPro v3.51
- Nero Burning Rom v6.6.0.8
- DVD Decrypter 3.5.4.0
- CopyToDVD 3.0.34.58
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
- CD Format
The LiteON SOHW-1673S supports up to 48X reading speed for CD-R media and
32X for CD-RW media. Below are the transfer rate graphs, where we compare its
performance
against the other two drives:
Although in the first graph we can see the LiteOn drive was the fastest
drive with pressed CD media, that is not the case with the CDR and USRW
media. With CD-R media the drive reached a maximum speed of 40X while with
the CD-RW, it could only manage 32X max. The Plextor drive had the most stable,
overall performance.
- DVD Format
Not the fastest drive with DVD media in the comparison. The Liteon
reported average speeds, with results that place it in
second
place. The Plextor drive once more showed it was the most stable performer.
Fairly consistent speeds with all formats from the 1673S but a little on the
slow side.
The LiteOn had a good ripping transfer rate but the Plextor is unbeatable
in this test.
- Appendix
Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs
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: 918141
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 51282
|
Avg:-74.1 dB(A)
|
Max: -34.7 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 2924
|
Avg: 1.0 Samples
|
Max: 11 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 2
|
Avg: 6.0 Samples
|
Max: 6 Samples
|
Total Test Result |
71.9 points (of 100.0 maximum) |
C2 Accuracy |
99.6% |
The performance according to the graph is good. From the results we see that
the total error count is low, which is good and the maximum error loudness
at just under -35 dB(A) is also good. Unfortunately, there were some skipped
samples which prevented the drive from attaining a higher total test result
score. Good performance otherwise.
- ABEX TCD-726
Errors total
|
Num: 0 |
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num:0
|
Avg: 0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: 0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: 0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
100.0 points (out
of 100.0 maximum)
|
The behavior of drive was much better in this case where it managed to correct
all the disc's errors. The result was a perfect 100.
- 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 ability 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
tracks 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
|
LiteON
SOHW-1673S
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
0/5
|
0/5
|
The drive passed only the first three Check Levels of the test. The performance
reveals average performance with the specific test disc. The fourth and the
fifth levels include an error size of 1.125mm and 1.500mm respectively, and
the drive produced continues audible clicks over those tracks.
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests, we examine the DVD reading capabilities of
the LiteOn SOHW-1673S drive with scratched / defective
DVD media.
For the tests we used CDVD Benchmark and Nero CDSpeed. The reference test
media
comes
from
ALMEDIO.
- Single Layer media
ABEX TDR-821
This is a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with 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.
The 1673S was capable of reading the 821 test media reporting some speed
fluctuations near the completion of the reading, due to the drives correction
mechanism. Notice that at this point the speed was near 16X.
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 instead, defective areas
of dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints sized
between
65 and
75 micrometers.
Once again good reading and would have been a great one if not for the
drop in speed right before the second defective area with the fingerprints.
- 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.
The performance here is also good and it would be absolute perfect if not
for the speed drop at the end of the second defect.
ABEX TDR-845
This test 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 discs is
that the first includes
defective areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defective areas ranges
from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized from 65 to 75 micrometers.
This time the transfer rate graph was very good. No errors reported.
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.
What we have here is a nearly excellent performance with a test disc which
usually produces average results with many common drives. But in this
case, we can only see a wobble in speed after the start of the second layer.
Nicely done by the 1673S.
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 data surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75
micrometer fingerprints.
Excellent, smooth graph.
- Conclusion
With what can be classified as a better than average error correction
mechanism, we move on to the protected disc tests of this review
of the 1673S burner.
5. Protected Disc Tests
- Reading Tests
Using Alcohol 120% and three protected discs, with the appropriate settings
depending on the protection type of each disc, we measured the duration
and transfer rate of the protected media, the results of which are given below.
Game Title |
Protection Scheme |
Duration |
Reading speed |
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme" |
Lybcrypt |
3:03 min |
493 sectors/sec |
Serious Sam The Second Encounter |
SafeDisc v.2.50.051 |
13:21 min |
418 sectors/sec |
VRally II |
SecuROM v.2 |
2:22 min |
2420 sectors/sec |
The drive was the fastest among the drives in this comparison with
SecuROM. With the PSX and SafeDisc protection, the drive was on the slow side.
The Plextor PX-716A gave the best overall performance.
- Writing Tests
The LiteON SOHW-1673S 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 (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 v3.1x |
Sims Superstar
SD v2.9x |
Sims Unleashed
SD v2.8x |
Serious Sam-Second Encounter
SD v2.50.051 |
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 |
Liteon 1673s |
No
|
Yes
|
6. DAE Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD
Using a pressed
AudioCD and its CD-R copy with EAC, we get the following results:
LiteOn proved to be the fastest among the three drives.
-Advanced DAE Quality
The LiteOn 1673S reported the best results, being the fastest of all three drives and received a score of 100 (perfect)
in the Nero CD Speed
Advanced DAE test.
- Reading 90/ 99mins Audio CDs
The drive could not read the 90mins media, reporting the above error.
In this case, the drive managed to successfully read the 99mins audio cd,
reporting some drops in speed near the completion of the reading process.
7. Protected AudioCDs
For this test procedure we used three audio discs with different
audio copy protection schemes. The ripping process 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
easy to bypass with a reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session,
causing
problems for readers when they attempt 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 clicks/skips.
The LiteON SOHW-1637S recognized up to the 12th Audio track of CDS200 disc,
and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed, it then recognized
the 13th track.
The test results are shown in the following table:
|
Key2Audio |
CDS200 |
LiteON SOHW-1673S |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports
no 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 LiteOn SOHW-1633S will rip both Key2Audio and
CDS200 protected audio discs. Both discs were recognized and their contents
were ripped
at the maximum speed.
- 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 when trying to write
the ripped wav files, since the produced CD-R disc contains C2 and CU errors!
This "problem" is rumored to be associated 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 using the Plextor PX-712A (firmware
v1.05).
|
CDS 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a |
LiteON SOHW-1673S |
Reading performed without any errors, writing produces few C2 spikes |
- C1C2 Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712A (8X CLV reading speed)
- BETA/Jitter Error rate with the PleXWriter PX-712A
The C1/C2 error graphs show that the drive did not manage to produce a
100% error free disc.
We then tried to extract all the wav files with the Plextor PX-712A and PlexTools
DAE with Error Correction 5th Level enabled:
No errors were reported after extracting all files.
8. CD Recording Tests
The LiteON SOHW-1673S supports 48X CD-R and 24X US-RW recording
speeds.
The drive supports the following speeds for CD media recording,
illustrated in the screen shot below:
According to Nero CD Speed, the drive confirmed the maximum 48X speed. The
test started at 21.59X and finished at 48.83X, having an average speed of 36.95X.
Click on the image below for an enlarged view.
For the burning tests, we created an 80min data compilation through Nero
Burning Rom, recording the data on several 700MB discs. The LiteON SOHW-1633S
needed only 2:43 minutes to complete this task at the
maximum 48X writing speed.
In the following graph we can see the recording times the LiteOn 1673S needed
with various CD-R media.
The LiteON SOHW-1673S supports 24X Z-CLV 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.
The drive starts the writing task at 16.01X and reaches a maximum of 24.02X having an average speed of 22.48X.
9. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
We measured the C1 / C2 error rate on the recorded discs we burned at the
maximum supported writing speed of 48X. The software we used is PleXTools Professional
v2.16, and more specifically the built-in Q-Check utility. The
reader was the Plextor PX-712A (firmware v1.05).
- MMore 80min 52X CD-R @ 48X
- Summary
CD writing quality according to Plextools is very much dependent on the
inserted media. In almost all cases, there were C2 errors while in
the case of Traxdata
media, there were also CU errors. Only with Verbatim media did it manage a
good burn. We expect
a newer firmware release will improve this.
- Appendix
Media Label |
ID Code |
Manufacturer Name |
Lead Out TIme |
Intenso 80min 52X |
97m32s19f |
Prodisc |
79:59:71 |
MMore 80min 48X |
97m17s 6f |
Moser Baer India, Ltd. |
79:59.74 |
Traxdata 80min 52X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek Co. |
79:59:70 |
Philips 80min 48X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek Co. |
79:59:70 |
Verbatim 80min 52X |
97m34s23f |
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation |
79:59:73 |
10. Writing Quality Tests - Clover System Tests
The Clover Systems CDX Compact Disc Analyzer is a high-speed tool to quantitatively measure the quality of a CD. It will analyze CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-I, CD-R, Photo-CD, Enhanced CD and CD-RW discs at 4X, 8X, 24X, 32X or 40X speed. It effectively measures disc quality by examining the quantity and severity of CIRC errors generated during playback. It also provides the capability to measure signal parameters related to pit geometry, such as asymmetry and reflectivity. Together, all these bits of information provide a thorough analysis of disc quality. The Clover Systems Analyzers can also perform various format-checking tests on data discs, and do bit-for-bit data comparison on all types of CDs. All tests are carried out at the maximum speed of 40X.
CIRC error correction uses two principles to detect and correct errors. The first is redundancy (extra information is added, which gives an extra chance to read the disc), and the second is interleaving (data is distributed over a relatively large physical area). The CIRC error correction used in CD players uses two stages of error correction, the well known C1 and C2, with de-interleaving of the data between the stages.
The error type E11 means one bad symbol was corrected in the C1 stage. E21means two bad symbols were corrected in the C1 stage. E31 means that there were three or more bad symbols at the C1 stage. This block is uncorrectable at the C1 stage, and is passed to the C2 stage. Respectively, E12 means one bad symbol was corrected in the C2 stage and E22 means two bad symbols were corrected in the C2 stage. E32 means that there were three or more bad symbols in one block at the C2 stage, and therefore this error is not correctable.
BLER (Block Error Rate) is defined as the number of data blocks per second that contain detectable errors, at the input of the C1 decoder. Since this is the most general measurement of the quality of a disc, you will find BLER graphs for all media tested below. If you click on the images you can see a more detailed table, indicating error levels. The Red Book specification (IEC 908) calls for a maximum BLER of 220 per second averaged over ten seconds. Discs with higher BLER are likely to produce uncorrectable errors. Al low BLER shows that the system as a whole is performing well, and the pit geometry is good. However, BLER only tells us how many errors were generated per second, and it does not tell us anything about the severity of those errors.
- Summary
The test confirms Plextools' results we saw in the previous page.
- Appendix
Media Label |
ID Code |
Manufacturer Name |
Lead Out TIme |
Intenso 80min 52X |
97m32s19f |
Prodisc |
79:59:71 |
MMore 80min 48X |
97m17s 6f |
Moser Baer India, Ltd. |
79:59.74 |
Traxdata 80min 52X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek Co. |
79:59:70 |
Philips 80min 48X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek Co. |
79:59:70 |
Verbatim 80min 52X |
97m34s23f |
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation |
79:59:73 |
11. DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
The maximum supported speed is 16X for both the DVD+R and DVD-R
formats. For DVD+RW, the speed is 8X while for DVD-RW 6X.
The supported burning speeds as given by Nero:
By using Nero CD-DVD Speed with DVD-R and DVD+R media, we are
able to see the supported speeds for the drive.
The drive completed successful DVD writing at 8X in 8:36mins.
The test started at 5.39X, reached a maximum writing speed of 8.03X and
reported an average speed of 7.71X.
The test started at 5.36X,
reached a maximum writing speed of 12.04X and reported an average speed of 9.56X.
- 16X DVD+R Single Layer writing
The drive completed successful DVD writing at 16X in 6:05mins. The test started at 6.62X, reached a maximum writing speed of 15.86X and reported an average speed of 11.85X.
- 8X DVD-R Single Layer writing
The test started at 5.42X, reached a maximum writing speed of 8.03X and reported an average speed of 7.72X.
- 12X DVD-R Single Layer writing
The test started at 5.34X, reached a maximum writing speed of 12.04X and reported an average speed of 9.56X.
- 16X DVD-R Single Layer writing
The drive completed successful DVD writing at 16X in 5:41mins. The test started at 6.67X, reached a maximum writing speed of 15.97X and reported an average speed of 11.96X.
- Burning Tests
The drive supports up to 16X writing speed with -R media. Best burn was with
Verbatim media, burned in 6:19 mins.
In this case, best performance came with TDK media, burned in only 6:10
mins.
- Comparison with other drives
As we can see from the above graph, the Liteon drive was only slightly behind
the NEC burner although time differences between the burners are
negligible.
As with the previous case, we have drives that support the same
burning speeds with all formats, so we can see the differences in times
is negligible
except for the NEC drive with DVD+RW media, which reported a very fast time.
- DVD Overburning Test
Unfortunately, the drive does not support DVD overburning with both -R
and +R media formats, giving the above error messages.
- DVD+MRW Tests
The drive does not support the Mount Rainier feature.
12. Media Support list for FwJS05
You can see a comprehensive list of media supported by this
burner in the following tables (the tables apply for firmware version JS05).
DVD-R |
DVD+R |
4M SYS 202C1/52 [4x]
AML /52 [4x]
AN30 /52 [4x]
AN31 /52 [4x]
AN32 /52 [4x]
Auvistar /50 [2x]
BeAll G00001/50 [2x]
BeAll G16001/00 [6x,8x,12x]
BeAll G40001/52 [4x]
BeAll G80001/52 [4x,6x,8x]
CMC MAG. /50 [2x]
CMC MAG. AE1/52 [4x,6x,8x]
CMC MAG. AF1/52 [4x]
CMC MAG. AM1/00 [6x,8x,12x]
CMC MAG. AM3/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
DATA TRACK /52 [4x]
DAXON004 /52 [4x]
DAXON008S /52 [4x,6x,8x]
DAXON016 /00 [6x,8x,12x]
DAXON016S /00 [6x,8x,12x]
DKM_01 /52 [4x]
Dvsn /52 [4x]
FORNEX001 /50 [2x]
FORNEX101 /52 [4x]
FUJIFILM03 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
GSC001 /50 [2x]
GSC001 /52 [4x]
GSC002 /52 [4x]
GSC003 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
GSC005 /00 [6x,8x,12x]
INFODISC-R01/52 [4x]
INFODISC-R20/52 [4x,6x,8x]
ISSM 01 /52 [4x]
LD /50 [2x]
LEADDATA /50 [2x]
LEADDATA S03/52 [4x,6x,8x]
LEADDATA S04/00 [6x,8x,12x]
LEADDATA01 /52 [4x]
LGE04 /52 [4x]
LGE08 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
LGE16 /00 [6x,8x,12x]
LONGTEN 001 /52 [4x]
LONGTEN 009 /52 [4x]
MAM4XG01 /52 [4x]
MBI /50 [2x]
MBI 01RG20 /52 [4x]
MBI 01RG40 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
MBI 03RG30 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
MBI 03RG40 /00 [6x,8x,12x]
MCC 00RG200 /50 [2x]
MCC 01RG20 /52 [4x]
MCC 02RG20 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
MCC 03RG20 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
MCI4XG01 /52 [4x]
MCIG01 /50 [2x]
ME 153 /52 [4x]
MEI 00V001 /50 [2x]
MUST 001 /52 [4x]
MXL RG01 /50 [2x]
MXL RG02 /52 [4x]
MXL RG03 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
MXL RG04 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
NAN YA A01 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
NAN YA F02 /00 [6x,8x,12x]
NANYA-JC001 /52 [4x]
ONIDTECH /52 [4x]
OPTODISCK001/50 [2x]
OPTODISCK001/52 [4x]
OPTODISCR004/52 [4x]
OPTODISCR008/52 [4x,6x,8x]
OPTODISCR016/00 [6x,8x,12x]
Plasmon1A /52 [4x,6x,8x]
POSG04 /52 [4x]
POSG06 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
POSJ 01 /50 [2x]
PRINCO /50 [2x]
PRINCO /52 [4x]
PRINCO8X01 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
PRINCO8X02 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
ProdiscF01 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
ProdiscF02 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
PRODISCG02 /50 [2x]
ProdiscS03 /52 [4x]
ProdiscS04 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
ProdiscS05 /00 [6x,8x,12x]
PVC001001 /00 [2x]
PVCR001002 /52 [4x]
RITEKF1 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
RITEKG03 /50 [2x]
RITEKG04 /52 [4x]
RITEKG05 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
RITEKG07 01/00 [6x,8x,12x]
RITEKM02 /52 [4x]
SKC Co.,Ltd./52 [4x]
SKC M801 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
SONY /50 [2x]
SONY04D1 /52 [4x]
SONY08D1 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
SONY16D1 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
TAIYOYUDEN /50 [2x]
TAROKO-MX4 /52 [4x]
TDKG02000000/50 [2x]
TTG01 /52 [4x]
TTG02 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
TTH01 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
TTH02 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
TYG01 /52 [4x]
TYG02 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
TYG03 /00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
UME01 /52 [4x,6x,8x]
VANGUARD /52 [4x]
VDSPMSAB 01 /52 [4x]
VDSPSAB 01 /52 [4x]
Yi Jhan 001 /52 [4x] |
AML /001/00 [4x]
AML /002/00 [6x,8x]
BeAll000/P40/00 [4x]
BeAll000/P80/00 [6x,8x]
CMC MAG /E01/00 [6x,8x ]
CMC MAG /F01/00 [4x]
CMC MAG /F01/01 [6x,8x]
CMC MAG /M01/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
CMC MAG /R01/00 [2.4x]
DAXON /AZ1/00 [4x]
DAXON /AZ2/00 [6x,8x]
DAXON /AZ3/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
DAXON /CY3/00 [6x,8x,12x]
DDT 01 /001/01 [4x]
DT-D02 /02 /00 [4x]
DT-D03 /004/00 [6x,8x]
EMDP /000/00 [6x,8x]
GSC502 /002/00 [4x]
GSC503 /H01/00 [6x,8x]
INFODISC/R10/02 [4x]
INFODISC/R20/00 [6x,8x]
INFOME /R20/00 [6x,8x]
INFOME /R30/00 [6x,8x,12x]
ISSM /001/00 [6x,8x]
LD /001/00 [2.4x]
LD /A02/00 [4x]
LD /S03/00 [6x,8x]
LGEP16 /001/00 [6x,8x,12x]
LONGTEN /002/00 [4x]
MAM /M02/00 [6x,8x]
MAXELL /001/00 [4x]
MAXELL /002/00 [6x,8x]
MAXELL /003/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
MBIPG101/R03/00 [4x]
MBIPG101/R04/01 [6x,8x]
MBIPG101/R05/01 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
MCC /001/00 [2.4x]
MCC /002/00 [4x]
MCC /003/00 [6x,8x]
MCC /004/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
MEDIA ID/001/00 [4x]
MPOMEDIA/001/00 [2.4x]
MPOMEDIA/040/00 [4x]
MPOMEDIA/080/00 [6x,8x]
MUST /002/01 [6x,8x]
MUST 002/ /02 [4x]
NANYA /CHX/00 [6x,8x]
NANYA /CLX/00 [6x,8x]
NANYA /DR /00 [ 2.4x]
NANYA /RJB/00 [4x]
OPTODISC/OP1/00 [2.4x]
OPTODISC/OP2/00 [2.4x]
OPTODISC/OR4/00 [4x]
OPTODISC/OR8/00 [6x,8x]
OPTODISC/R16/00 [6x,8x,12x]
Philips /081/00 [6x,8x]
PHILIPS /C08/00 [6x,8x]
PHILIPS /C16/01 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
Plasmon /c01/00 [6x,8x]
PRODISC /R01/00 [2.4x]
PRODISC /R02/00 [4x]
PRODISC /R03/00 [6x,8x]
PRODISC /R04/04 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
PRODISC /R05/01 [6x,8x]
RICOHJPN/R00/00 [2.4x]
RICOHJPN/R00/00 [4x]
RICOHJPN/R01/02 [4x]
RICOHJPN/R02/03 [6x,8x]
RICOHJPN/R03/04 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
RITEK /M02/01 [4x]
RITEK /P16/01 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
RITEK /R01/00 [2.4x]
RITEK /R02/01 [4x]
RITEK /R03/01 [6x,8x]
RITEK /R03/02 [6x,8x]
RITEK /R04/01 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
SKYMEDIA/R01/00 [2.4x]
SONY /D01/00 [4x]
SONY /D11/00 [6x,8x]
SONY /D21/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
TDK /001/00 [4x]
TDK /002/00 [6x,8x]
TDK /003/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x]
ULTRAN /202/00 [6x,8x]
VDSPMSAB/001/01 [4x]
WINGSHIN/001/31 [6x,8x]
WINGSHIN/G04/00 [4x]
YUDEN000/T01/00 [4x]
YUDEN000/T01/01 [4x]
YUDEN000/T02/00 [6x,8x]
YUDEN000/T03/00 [6x,8x,12x,16x] |
DVD-RW |
DVD+RW |
CMCW02 /00 [2x]
CMCW03 /00 [4x]
CMCW04 /00 [4x,6x]
DAXON_RW2X01/00 [2x]
JVC/VictorT7/00 [1x]
JVC0VictorD7/00 [4x]
JVC1Victord7/00 [4x,6x]
JVC_VictorW7/00 [2x]
MCC 00RW11N9/00 [1x]
MCC 01RW11n9/00 [2x]
MCC 01RW4X /00 [4x]
MKM 01RW6X01/00 [4x,6x]
OPTODISCK001/20 [1x]
OPTODISCK001/21 [2x]
OPTODISCW002/21 [2x]
OPTODISCW004/21 [4x]
PRINCO /20 [1x]
PRINCO /21 [2x]
PRINCORW0004/31 [2x]
Prodisc DW04/21 [2x]
Prodisc DW06/00 [4x]
ProdiscDVDRW/00 [1x]
PVCW00D002K9/21 [2x]
PVCW00V00245/00 [2x]
RITEK000V11A/00 [1x]
RITEKW01 /00 [2x]
RITEKW04 /00 [4x]
RITEKW06 /00 [4x,6x]
SONY000000U9/00 [1x]
TDK501saku]3/20 [1x]
TDK502sakuM3/00 [2x]
TDK601saku /00 [4x]
TDK701saku /00 [4x,6x] |
CMC MAG /W01/00 [2.4x]
CMC MAG /W02/00 [4x]
DAXON /D41/00 [4x]
DAXON /D42/00 [4x]
INFODISC/A01/00 [2.4x]
INFODISC/A10/00 [4x]
MBIPG101/W03/00 [2.4x]
MBIPG101/W04/00 [4x]
MCC /A01/00 [2.4x]
MKM /A02/00 [4x]
MKM /A03/00 [6x,8x]
NANYA /DRW/00 [4x]
NANYASC /DRW/00 [2.4x]
OPTODISC/OP1/00 [2.4x]
OPTODISC/OP4/01 [4x]
PHILIPS /010/02 [4x]
PHILIPS /041/00 [4x]
PHILIPS /RW8/00 [6x,8x]
PRODISC /W01/00 [2.4x]
PRODISC /W02/00 [4x]
PRODISC /W03/00 [6x,8x]
RICOHJPN/W01/00 [2.4x]
RICOHJPN/W11/01 [4x]
RICOHJPN/W21/01 [6x,8x]
RITEK /001/01 [2.4x]
RITEK /004/30 [4x]
RITEK /008/30 [6x,8x]
RITEK /W04/00 [4x]
SENTINEL/W01/00 [2.4x]
SENTINEL/W02/00 [4x]
SONY /S11/00 [4x] |
13. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we
used two readers with two software applications:
- The LiteON SOHD-167T with patched firmware being able to read DVD5 up to 16X CAV and DVD9 up to 10X CAV. For the transfer rate tests we used the latest Nero CDSpeed version.
- The Plextor PX-712A with the latest available firmware. For scanning the disc, we used the latest PlexTools version at 2X CLV reading speed, BURST mode, with middle accuracy.
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve,
very low PIE/POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though
a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth
containing drop offs. Due to the fact that we oversped the reading capabilities
of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer
area of the disc.
The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.
16X DVD+R Writing Speed
.
- Summary
The writing quality is average at 16X. Although the PIE levels were low in
all cases, some of the discs failed the CDSpeed reading test.
14. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we
used two readers with two software applications:
- The LiteON SOHD-167T with patched firmware being able to read DVD5 up to 16X CAV and DVD9 up to 10X CAV. For the transfer rate tests we used the latest Nero CDSpeed version.
- The Plextor PX-712A with the latest available firmware. For scanning the disc, we used the latest PlexTools version at 2X CLV reading speed, BURST mode, with middle accuracy.
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve,
very low PIE/POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though
a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth
containing drop offs. Due to the fact that we oversped the reading capabilities
of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer
area of the disc.
The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.
16X DVD-R Writing Speed
- Summary
Not very good writing quality with the DVD-R format. High PIE and all
but one CD-Speed scan produced terrible graphs, indicating low writing
quality.
15. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we
used two readers with two software applications:
- The LiteON SOHD-167T with patched firmware being able to read DVD5 up to 16X CAV and DVD9 up to 10X CAV. For the transfer rate tests we used the latest Nero CDSpeed version.
- The Plextor PX-712A with the latest available firmware. For scanning the disc, we used the latest PlexTools version at 2X CLV reading speed, BURST mode, with middle accuracy.
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve,
very low PIE/POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though
a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth
containing drop offs. Due to the fact that we oversped the reading capabilities
of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer
area of the disc.
The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.
8X DVD+R Writing Speed
4X DVD+R Writing Speed
- Summary
The writing quality with DVD+R media at 8X is good. In almost all cases,
the error levels are low. CMC Magnetics, Datawrite and Maxell had the smoothest
CDSpeed graphs.
16. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 4
In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned
media we used two readers with two software applications:
- The LiteON SOHD-167T with patched firmware being able to read DVD5 up to 16X CAV and DVD9 up to 10X CAV. For the transfer rate tests we used the latest Nero CDSpeed version.
- The Plextor PX-712A with the latest available firmware. For scanning the disc, we used the latest PlexTools version at 2X CLV reading speed, BURST mode, with middle accuracy.
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve,
very low PIE/POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though
a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth
containing drop offs. Due to the fact that we oversped the reading capabilities
of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer
area of the disc.
The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.
8X DVD-R Writing Speed
4X DVD-R Writing Speed
- Summary
The 8X speed seems to be much better with DVD-R media than
at 16X. Low error levels and better CDSpeed graphs.
17. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
In order to test the writing quality and readability of the
burned media we are used two readers with two software applications:
- The LiteON SOHD-167T with patched firmware being able to read DVD5 up to 16X CAV and DVD9 up to 10X CAV. For the transfer rate tests we used the latest Nero CDSpeed version.
- The Plextor PX-712A with the latest available firmware. For scanning the disc, we used the latest PlexTools version at 2X CLV reading speed, BURST mode, with middle accuracy.
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve,
very low PIE/POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though
a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth
containing drop offs. Due to the fact that we oversped the reading capabilities
of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer
area of the disc.
The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.
4X, 6X, 8X ±RW Writing Speed
- Summary
As we can see, both the DVD-RW and +RW formats reported some high error
values in most cases, but fortunately, the media that was burned at 6X and
8X gave
pretty good results, which means that the drive supports them fully as
stated in the specs and can give some nice burns.
18. DVD+R DL - Page 1
- Writing Tests
We burned two DVD+R DL discs with DVD-Video content. The source
disc was "Gladiator Movie - Special Edition" disc1 with a total
size of 6.86GB. First, we transferred the movie to the hard disc with DVD
Decrypter in ISO format (single file). Afterwards, we used CopyToDVD, the
latest available version at the time of the review. After choosing the "GLADIATOR.ISO" image
we selected the LiteON SOHW-1673S burner.
The writing process was finished after 37:27 minutes.
The average speed was 2.35X as reported by the CopyToDVD software. The recorded
disc had DVD+R9 format booktype setting.
The writing process was finished after 22:34 minutes.
The average speed was 3.89X. Nice 4X supported writing speed.
The writing process was finished after 37:27 minutes. The average speed was 2.35X.
The writing process was finished after 22:36minutes. The average speed was 3.98X. Again we have a nice 4X burning speed.
For comparison reasons, we post DL burning times for
other writers, with the same disc content and same recording software:
Drive |
Time (mins) |
LiteON SOHW-1673S
|
22:34
|
NEC ND-3520A |
22:35
|
Freecom FX-50 |
22.40 |
Sony DRU-710A
|
23:04
|
Pioneer DVR-108 |
23:10 |
ASUS DRW-1604P (4X) |
23:10 |
Plextor PX-716A |
23:33 |
The LiteON was the fastest burner in the above
list.
19. DVD+R DL - Page 2
- Writing Quality
In order to test the LiteON SOHW-1673S DVD+R DL writing quality, we used the LiteOn SOHD-167T and the Plextor PX-712A drives.
- CMC Double Layer media @ 2.4X
Although the reading process completed without any errors, we can see that
there was a lot of "turbulence" in the graph line in the first layer
of the DL media.
Using Plextools, we can see the very high levels with
the PI reaching all the way to almost a 1000 while some POE. No serious
errors reported but then again, not a very inspiring performance.
- Philips Double Layer media @ 4X
Great smooth line excellent reading, even though we are looking at a 4X burned speed DL media. Excellent performance in this case.
Somewhat high PI/POE in this case, a good deal above the 280
limit for a good plex-scan. But it's fairly good overall.
- Traxdata Double Layer media @ 2.4X
Same smooth graph with the Philips media, only this time it's 2.4 burned speed, nice reading.
Though the reading may be good, with Plextools it's not the
case. Extremely high PI/PO which cannot be excused since
the burning speed was the usual 2.4X.
- Verbatim Double Layer media @ 4X
And here we have excellent reading, smooth line from the beginning
of the scan till the end and the plex-scan that follows, confirms this
very good writing with DL media, burned at 4X speed.
Philips and Verbatim had the best writing quality. Although the
Traxdata Plextools scan reported high PIE error levels, the CDSpeed graph seems
to be as smooth as it gets. Overall, the DL writing quality is good.
20. SOHW-1673S vs. SA300 - Page 1
For checking exactly what
the SOHW-1673S reports, we used three different media, burned with other
recorders. The three media have been measured with the well known AudioDev
SA300 DVD
CATS system at 1X.
The drive is capable of reporting PI/PIF errors, so we will compare those
measurements at 4X reading speed.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested LiteON SOHW-1673S drive. Using other drives, even another SOHW-1673S, can produce totally different
results. Be aware!
#1st Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed
From the above graphs, we can see that the error line trend follows the same
pattern as the original CATS scans.
21. SOHW-1673S vs. SA300 - Page 2
For checking exactly what the SOHW-1673S reports, we used three different media, burned with other recorders. The three media have been measured with the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system at 1X.
The drive is capable of reporting PI/PIF errors, so we will compare those measurements at 4X reading speed.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested LiteON SOHW-1673S drive. Using other drives, even another SOHW-1673S, can produce totally different results. Be aware!
#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed
In this case, the graph patterns differ from the CATS error line pattern.
22. SOHW-1673S vs. SA300 - Page 3
For checking exactly what the SOHW-1673S reports, we used three different media, burned with other recorders. The three media have been measured with the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system at 1X.
The drive is capable of reporting PI/PIF errors, so we will compare those measurements at 4X reading speed.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested LiteON SOHW-1673S drive. Using other drives, even another SOHW-1673S, can produce totally different results. Be aware!
#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed
Using MCC DVD-R media scanned at 4X, we can see an almost identical
line, although slightly more increased.
23. SOHW-1673S vs. SA300 - Page 4
For checking exactly what the SOHW-1673S reports, we used three different
media, burned with other recorders. The three media have been measured
using the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system at 1X.
The drive is capable of reporting PI/PIF errors, so we will compare those measurements at 4X reading speed.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested LiteON SOHW-1673S drive. Using other drives, even another SOHW-1673S, can produce totally different
results. Be aware!
#3rd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed
24. BookType Setting
All LiteOn based drives support Booktype setting, allowing the user to
maximize compatibility. Users should change to
the preferred booktype setting prior to burning +R, +RW or +R9 media.
At first we used Kprobe to change the booktype setting of a DVD+R DL media.
As it can be seen from the following image, we got the "F/W not support
message".
Then we used the LiteOn Booktype utility version 1.35 and we got the drive
to successfully change the booktype of a DVD+RW media. Note that this utility
is the only one that can successfully change the booktype setting of any +R
media with the 1673S.
Prior to change...
And with the booktype changed successfully.
Concluding the Bit setting section of the 1673S, note this: in order to achieve
the booktype change, even with the LiteOn utility, you have to change the booktype
and then burn the media, else the change won't show on any media info tool.
As you can see in the above screen shot, we had to click the "Change" button
and then the "Write Now!" button for the utility to write the information
needed for the media to be recognized as DVD-ROM.
25. Conclusion
The
LiteOn 1673S is your everyday 16X/16X burner. It's a fast CD reader, supporting
up to the maximum supported 48X speed. The DVD reading speed even though is
not by any means slow, is not the fastest around either.
DVD ripping is nice, though the drive is not the faster ripper, while audio
extraction reported good results, successfully ripping all protected pressed
audio discs.
On the other hand, protected games were not a strong point of the LiteON
drive managing to make working backups of SafeDisk protected
games
up to v.2.8. In the error correction department, the drive did quite well,
managing to successfully read all tested media and producing a total of
100 points result
in the DAE quality test.
Even though the drive is a fast reader, it's not a quality CD writer. Burning
CD media at the maximum supported burning speed of 48X, the drive produces
poor quality burns, while when the burning speed drops, the quality
rises.
In the quality scan pages earlier in this review, you will notice the difference
between the 48X burn and the 40X burn which was the best burn the drive could
give using
CD media. This leads us to the obvious conclusion that if the user wants
quality burns, he/she must actually burn the media at lower than max speed.
The drive can make a full burn at 16X in almost 6 mins, both with DVD+R and
-R media. Though the speed is somewhat satisfactory, the quality isn't. As
most LiteOn burners are lacking in this area, the 1673S is no exception. Overburning
isn't included in
the drives capabilities as far as DVD media goes, while the Booktype
setting which was LiteOn's biggest advantage is not fully supported now and
can be only be achieved through the LiteOn Booktype utility. Last
but not least, the 1673S proves to be a good DL recorder, successfully burning
DL
media
at
4X and surprisingly with good quality for such high speed, always referring
to the DL speed limit, which is currently at 6X.
The price at the time of the review for the burner was at around US$60.
- The Good
- Good DVD error correction
- Supports protected Audio discs (CDS200, Key2Audio)
- CD reading speed
- Can overburn 99mins CDs
-
Region free utilities
- Can be used for DVD media error measurements
- The Bad
- Doesn't accurately backup SafeDisc2 v2.9x+ protected discs
- Single Layer media writing quality at 16X
- Doesn't support DVD overburning
- Like to be fixed
- DVD writing quality at 16X mostly
- CD writing quality at 48X
Retail Package |
|
Reading |
|
Error Correction |
|
Protected Discs |
|
Writing |
|
Features |
|