1. Introduction
Today we take a look at a 16x DVD burner from LiteOn. Though the SH-16A7S is not new on the market, it comes with a SATA interface and supports all types of DVD media currently available.
Writing speeds for the LiteOn DVDRW drive are set at 16X for DVD±R, 8X for DVD±R DL, 8X for rewriting DVD+RW, 6X for rewriting DVD-RW, 12X for DVD-RAM,32X for CD-RW and 48X for CD-R.
The basic features of the drive include:
-
ATAPI/E-IDE Half-Height internal DVD+R / DVD+RW / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R9/ DVD-R9/ DVD-RAM /DVD-ROM / CD-R/ CD-RW / CD-ROM combination drive.
-
Supports Double Layer DVD +/- R9 Recording Function.
-
SMART-BURN avoiding Buffer UnderRun Error, Automatically adjusting writing strategy & running OPC to provide the best burning quality.
-
SMART-X function adjusts CD-DA / VCD / DVD data extraction to a fastest allowable speed according to both data request rate from host and disk quality.
-
ABS® system reduce vibration and noise during recording and reading.
-
Support Fixed Packet, Variable Packet, TAO, SAO, DAO, Raw Mode Burning & Over-Burn.
-
DVD read compliant: DVD single/dual layer (PTP/OTP), DVD-R(3.9GB/4.7GB), DVD-R multi-borders, DVD-RAM,DVD+R, DVD+R multi-sessions, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW.
-
CD read compliant: CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM/XA, Photo-CD, Multi-session, Karaoke-CD,Video-CD, CD-I FMV, CD Extra, CD Plus, CD-R, and CD-RW.
-
Support both 8 cm and 12 cm disc of CD and DVD family.
-
Conform to Orange Book : Part 2 CD-R Volume 1, Part 2 CD-R Volume 2 Multi Speed, Part 3 CD-RW Volume 1 ( 1x, 2x, and 4x ), Part 3 CD-RW Volume 2 : High Speed, Part 3 CD-RW Volume 3 : Ultra Speed.
-
Support Fixed packet, Variable packet, Disc-at-once, Session-at-once and Track-at-once.
-
Supported transfer mode: PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2 and Ultra DMA mode 4.
Specifications
DVD Family |
Write |
DVD+R |
16X maximum |
DVD-R |
16X maximum |
DVD+R9 |
8X maximum |
DVD-R9 |
8X maximum |
DVD-RAM |
12X maximum |
|
|
ReWrite |
|
DVD+RW |
8X maximum |
DVD-RW |
6X maximum |
Read |
16X maximum |
Access time |
160ms |
CD Family |
Write |
CD-R |
48X maximum |
ReWrite |
CD-RW |
32X maximum |
Read |
48X maximum |
Access time |
160ms |
Buffer Size
| 2MB (MAX) |
PC Required |
Pentium 4 1.3GHz or higher CPU and 128MB or higher RAM are
required. |
HDD must have access time < 20ms; with a minimum of 650MB free
space. |
9GB free space for creating a DVD image file (9GB for double layer;
5GB for single layer). |
Compatibility |
Microsoft Windows 98SE / ME / 2000 / XP |
MTBF (Life) |
70000POH |
S/N Ration |
> 75dB |
General |
Environment |
Operating |
5°C to 50°C; Relative Humidity: 15% to 80% |
Non-Operating |
-40°C to 65°C; Relative Humidity: 15% to 95% |
Dimension |
145(W) x 41.3(H) x 170(D) mm |
Weight |
< 0.9Kg |
Voltage Requirements |
+5V +/-5% and less than 100 mVp-p ripple voltage |
+12V +/-5% and less than 200 mVp-p ripple voltage |
The drive
The typical front panel on the drive includes the DVD Multi Recorder logo, indicating the multi-format support for the various DVD formats.
The rear panel on the drive is also typical, featuring the SATA interface.
Our test sample was manufactured in October 2006.
This drive is based on the MediaTek MT-1899E Chipset, as seen in the pictures below.
Installation
The LiteOn drive was connected via a SATA interface and was recognized as "LITE-ON DVDRW SH-16A7S". The basic features of the drive are given below, from Nero and DVDInfo Pro software utilities.
2. CD - DVD Reading
For our CD transfer rate tests, we used the Nero CD-Speed utility and a set of Pressed CDs. The drive can read CD media at a maximum speed of 48X. For reference, we present a comparison of the LiteOn DVDRW drive with the Plextor PX-760A, Memorex 525GE and Samsung SH S182D drives.
Pressed CD
With a 48X maximum reading speed for CD-R/ROM media, the LiteOn drive is among the fastest in this task.
US RW CD
The following CD Speed graph shows the reading performance with US-RW media. For all the CDSpeed graphs, you can click on the image to see the full CDspeed snapshot.
- AudioCD
In the CD Speed Advanced DAE quality test, the drive's average speed was 33.17X with a quality score of 100.
A typical DAE task with an 80min non-protected Audio CD produced a 33.7X average ripping speed.
- 90/99 mins Audio disc
Both the 90min and the 99 min audio CD readings returned an error, as you can see in the screenshots above.
- DVD Format
Now let's have a look at how the drive performs with DVD media. This time, a set of SL and DL DVD media was used. The drive is capable of reading at 12X maximum speed for single layer and at 8X for dual layer media.
DVD-ROM SL media -
PTP DVD-ROM -
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 its outer range.
OTP DVD-ROM -
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 and progresses towards the inner part of
the disc.
- DVD-R
/-RW
A 16X CAV reading strategy for DVD-R and DVD-RW media:
- DVD+R /+RW
- DVD+R DL
-DVD-R DL
-DVD-RAM
The drive had some problems reading Maxell's DVD-RAM disc we used in our test. In addition to the speed glitches in the transfer rate graph, the full seek time result is also increased.
- DVD Ripping speed.
Average - 11.632 KB/S (8.4x)
Maximum - 17.285 KB/s (12.5x)
The test was performed with a DVD-9 commercial DVD Video title. The ripping speed wit the LiteOn drive is quite satisfactory.
3. CD Error Correction
In the following tests, we check the drive's behavior when reading scratched / defective audio discs. The test discs used were the ABEX series from ALMEDIO.
- ABEX TCD-721R
Errors total |
Num: 1306052 |
Errors (Loudness) |
Num:46269 |
Avg: -71.3 dB(A) |
Max: -11.7 dB(A) |
Error Muting Samples |
Num:3848 |
Avg: 1.0 Samples |
Max: 7 Samples |
Skips Samples |
Num: 0 |
Avg: 0.0 Samples |
Max: 0 Samples |
Total Test Result |
76.7 points (of 100.0 maximum) |
This is average performance with the specific disc from the LiteOn drive .
- ABEX TCD-726
Errors total |
Num: 585 |
Errors (Loudness) dB(A) |
Num:42 |
Avg: -55.6 dB(A) |
Max :-19.8 dB(A) |
Error Muting Samples |
Num: 4 |
Avg: 1.0 Samples |
Max: 1 Samples |
Skips Samples |
Num: 2 |
Avg: 234.0 Samples |
Max: 234 Samples |
Total Test Result |
78.6 points (out of 100.0 maximum) |
The LiteOn drive produces errors quite early, revealing either problems in the optics or the error correction implementation. Some of the spikes are quite high, which means that unwanted noise or clicks may reach the speakers of a sound system when you playback this audio disc.
The performance in this test is not as good as it should be, since competitive drives in the main, do not produce any errors at all in the specific test.
- 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
more difficult tests. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through
Check Level-5.
The tracks are reproduced through a software multimedia player (e.g.
Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone
is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher
the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction
of the tested drive.
Error Level |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
LiteOn LH-20A1P |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
0/5 |
0/5 |
The drive achieved flawless reading with the first 3 tracks. Playing the fourth and fifth track produced audible sound interruptions and clicks.
- Summary
Overall, the drive appears to have average CD Error correction capabilities.
4. DVD Error Correction
In the following tests, we examine the DVD reading capabilities of the 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 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.
Very good reading with no read errors from the LiteOn drive.
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.
No issues for the LiteOn SH-16A7S drive, continuing its good performance. The drive dropped the reading speed while reading the data area between the defected ones, although no read error was reported.
- 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.
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 upon 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.
There were no errors and the drive read the disc flawlessly at 12X CAV.
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.
- Summary
Overall, excellent error correction mechanism with DVD media.
5. Daxon CDR
For this test, each CD-R disc was burned to its maximum capacity and at its maximum speed. Then the same disc is read with the CDSpeed software, and the disc scanned for digital errors (BLER, C1 and C2) with our system provided by Clover Systems. To simplify the presentation, we present the BLER, E31 and E32 error rates for each disc, which unveil the most serious errors.
Disc Info
We weren't able to retrieve information about the inserted media through CDSpeed,
so we checked the disc using another drive and we got the following output:
Manufacturer |
Daxon |
MID |
97m22s67f |
Capacity |
79:59.74
703 MB |
Writing strategy - 37.25X Average
Writing time - 2:39 min
Reading strategy - 37.05X Average
Writing Quality - Clover Systems
Despite a FAILED rating, the disc produced low E31 and no E32 (uncorrectable) errors.
- About Clover Systems
The Clover Systems CDX Compact Disc Analyzer is a 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 speed of 4X.
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.
6. Verbatim CDR
Disc Info
Again, we weren't able to retrieve information about the inserted media with CDSpeed,
so we checked the disc using another drive and got the following output:
Manufacturer |
Verbatim |
MID |
|
Capacity |
79:59.73
703 MB |
Writing strategy - 37.21X Average
Writing time - 2:38 min
Reading strategy - 37.04X Average
Writing Quality - Clover Systems
No uncorrectable errors, excellent results.
7. Ritek CDR
Disc Info
We weren't able to retrieve information about the inserted media with CDSpeed,
so we checked the Memorex CD-R disc using another drive and got the following output:
Manufacturer |
Ritek |
MID |
97m15s17f |
Capacity |
79:59.70
703 MB |
Writing strategy - 37.07X Average
Writing time - 2:40 mins
Reading strategy 36.90X Average
Writing Quality - Clover Systems
8. Taiyo Yuden CD-R
Disc Info
Again, we weren't able to retrieve information about the inserted media with CDSpeed,
so we checked the disc using another drive and got the following output:
Manufacturer |
Taiyo Yuden |
MID |
97m24s01f |
Capacity |
79:59.72
703 MB |
Writing strategy - 37.07X Average
Writing time - 2:38 mins
Reading strategy 36.90X Average
Writing Quality - Clover Systems
Nearly perfect writing quality with the Taiyo Yuden CD-R disc.
9. Verbatim US-RW
Disc Info
We weren't able to retrieve information about the inserted media with CDSpeed.
The disc is a 32x US-RW from Mitsubishi Chemicals, commercially available under the Verbatim brand.
Writing strategy - 24.47X Average
Writing time - 3:52 mins
Reading strategy 26.19X Average
Writing Quality - Clover Systems
10. The DaTARIUS DVD Analyzer R 2x
The DaTARIUS DVD Analyzer R 2x is one of the cornerstones in DVD quality control equipment, and is truly unique in the industry. It allows checking of replicated DVDs with single and dual layer structure (DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-14, DVD-18) and written DVD recordable, at 1X and 2X speed. It is based on the Pulstec Reference Pickup and Drive, developed in close co-operation with Pulstec and according to the standards of the DVD Forum.
In short, the device's features include:
- Analysis of pre-recorded DVDs, single and dual layer, and written DVD Recordable
- Analysis of pre-recorded DVDs, single and dual layer, and written DVD recordable
- Double and single speed analysis
- Double-check function at reference speed
- Double-check function at reference speed
- Multi-dimensional calibration
- HF, jitter, mechanical and tracking parameters checked
- Radial tilt control, focus offset compensation and slicing level adjustment for jitter measurement
- Local defect detection/missing pits
- Error flag analysis (PI-errors, PI-fail, PO-fail)
- According to DVD Forum specification
- Double-Check function
- Control datasimulation
- DVD-9 OTP sector number check
An explanation of the various parameters the DaTARIUS DVD Analyzer R 2x offers is available here. At the same page, you can read more details about the error signals and a brief analysis the possible meaning of its parameter in the overall quality of each burn.
In the following pages, we present the writing quality measurements of various DVD recordable and rewritable media, burned with the LiteOn LH-2B1S.
11. CMC MAG E01
We start our DVD writing quality measurements with DVD+R media. A variety of different MIDs were selected and were burned at the maximum allowed speed. In each of the following pages you can find detailed information about each disc, the burning and reading procedure as well as the related signal measurements that construct the overall quality picture for each disc.
You can always navigate across the different MIDs of this test, using the page navigation drop down menu.
Media Info -
Writing - 8X (7.81X average) in 8:24
Reading - 16X (12.20X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
The measurements are summarized in the below table. You can see the limits for each signal, the average and maximum value as it was reported by the DaTARIUS equipment and the values at three specific positions on the disc (radius 25.0mm, 40.0mm and 55.0 mm).
Very good results with the CMC MAG E01 disc at 8x.
12. CMC MAG M01 000 (00)
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.06X average) in 5:52 mins
Reading - 16X (12.20X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Despite good CD-DVD Speed graphs, the DaTARIUS system reveals not so good writing with especially high PISum8.
13. MAXELL 003 000 (00)
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.09X average) in 5:50 mins
Reading - 16X (12.20X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
No uncorrectable errors, but relatively high Jitter. Still a good result for 16X recording.
14. DAXON AZ3 (000)
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (11.80X average) in 6:42
Reading - 16X (12.08X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Near excellent writing quality with the DAXON AZ3 disc.
15. MCC 004 (000)
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.07X average) in 5:50 mins
Reading - 16X (12.19X average)
DataRIUS Scans -
The quality of the specific burn could be considered as satisfactory, despite the PISum8 error rate which has exceeded the limits.
16. OPTODISC OR8
Media Info -
Writing - 8X (7.80X average) in 8:54 mins
Reading - 16X (12.19X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Very bad writing quality with very high PISum8. Seems like the LiteOn drive is not well tuned to this MID.
17. YUDEN000 T03
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.06X average) in 5:51 mins
Reading - 16X (12.18X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Very good quality.
18. RICOHJPN R03 (004)
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.07X average) in 5:51 mins
Reading - 16X (12.21X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Bad writing quality, with the PISum8 error rate exceeding the limit.
19. OPTODISC R016
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.07X average) in 5:55 mins
Reading - 16X (12.15X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
20. DAXON016S
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (11.97X average) in 6:00 mins
Reading - 16X (12.18X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
21. InfodiscR20
Media Info -
Writing - 8X (7.74X average) in 8:27 mins
Reading - 16X (12.18X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
A good burn for the INFODISCR20 disc, with low digital errors.
22. MBI 01RG40
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.09X average) in 5:52 mins
Reading - 16X (12.17X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
23. MCC 03RG20
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (12.09X average) in 5:54 mins
Reading - 16X (12.19X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
24. Prodisc F02
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (11.96X average) in 6:03 mins
Reading - 16X (12.17X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
25. RitekF1
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (11.97X average) in 6:02 mins
Reading - 16X (12.21X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
The PISum8 value has exceeded the limit.
26. TTH02
Media Info -
Writing - 16X (9.51X average) in 7:14 mins
Reading -
The drive was unable to read the disc.
DaTARIUS Scans -
27. MKM 01 RD30
Media Info -
Writing - 4X (3.97X) in 28:20 mins
Reading - 12X (9.19X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Layer 0
Layer 1
Very good writing quality on both layers.
28. MKM 03 RD30
Media Info -
Writing - 8X (6.80X) in 18:24 mins
Reading - 12X (9.19X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Layer 0
Layer 1
Again, both layers showed very good writing quality.
29. MKM 003 (000)
Media Info -
Writing - Failed
The drive failed to burn the disc.
30. RITEK S04 001
Media Info -
Writing - Failed
The drive failed to burn the disc.
31. MKM 01RW6X01
Media Info -
Writing - 6X (5.74X average) in 10:45 mins
Reading - 12X (9.22X average)
Writing Quality - Almedio AEC-1000
The quality test reported no POF.
About Almedio AEC-1000
The AEC-1000 consists of a DVD Drive and the "ALChecker" error measurement application which can check the written data quality. The application is capable of 1X CLV measurement as well as 4X CLV on DVD-Video/ROM and finalized DVD+R/-R media.
There are three measurement modes:
- Fine Mode: checks a series of eight consecutive ECC blocks,
- Rough Mode: checks eight consecutive ECC blocks every 100h ECC blocks
- Quick Mode: checks three specified areas
The checking status is shown graphically in real time while you can save the error graph at the end of the test. The reported errors are the PI and the UncPO. In the case of PI, it counts the number of rows corrected by the PI error correction in each group of eight consecutive ECC blocks. In the case of UncPO, it counts the number of ECC blocks in which more than one byte is uncorrectable in eight consecutive ECC blocks. For our quality scans, we set for 1X CLV and Fine Mode which is the slowest and with the safest results. Also, we chose to measure all the media burned at the maximum available writing speed.
32. RITEKW06
Media Info -
Writing - 6X (5.73X average) in 11:17 mins
Reading - 12X (9.21X average)
Writing Quality - Almedio AEC-1000
The quality test reported many digital errors.The quality of the burned disc is very bad.
33. MKM A03
Media Info -
Writing - 8X (7.21X average) in 8:20 mins
Reading - 12X (9.25X average)
Writing Quality - Almedio AEC-1000
34. RIDOHJPN W21 001(01)
Media Info -
Writing - 8X (7.22X average) in 8:19 mins
Reading - 12X (9.23X average)
Writing Quality - Almedio AEC-1000
35. MXL16 DVD-RAM
Media Info -
Writing - 5X (1.95X average) in 35:10 mins
Although the drive recognized the media as 5X compatible DVD-RAM media, the writing process never reached speeds greater than 2X.
Reading - 5X (4.47X average)
36. Media List
In the following table we have gathered the findings of the DVD quality measurements tests. Note that each disc was measured under the same conditions with the Datarius equipment. On the left side of the table you can find the discs that did not produce uncorrectable digital errors, while on the right side those that did. For detailed measurement data, visit the corresponding pages.
Media type |
Digital errors within limits |
Digital errors exceed limits |
DVD+R |
CMC MAG E01 (000) burned at 8X |
CMC MAG M01 (000) burned at 16X |
MAXELL 003 000 (00) burned at 16X |
MCC 004 000 (00) burned at16X |
DAXON AZ3 000 (00) burned at 16X |
OPTODISC0R8 burned at 8X |
YUDEN000 T03 (000) burned at 16X |
RICOHJPN R03 004 (04) burned at 16X |
DVD-R |
DAXON016S burned at 16X |
RITEKF1 burned at 16X |
INFODISC-R20 burned at 8X |
TTH02 burned at 16X |
OPTODISCR016 burned at 16X |
|
MBI 01RG40 burned at 16X |
|
MCC 03RG20 burned at 16X |
|
ProdiscF02 burned at 16X |
|
DVD-R DL |
MKM 01RD30 burned at 4X |
|
MKM 03RD30 burned at 8X |
|
DVD+R DL |
- |
- |
DVD-RW |
MKM 01RW6X01 burned at 6X |
RITEKW04 burned at 4X |
|
RITEKW06 burned at 6X |
DVD+RW |
|
RICOHJPN W21 (001) burned at 8X |
|
MKM A03 000 (00) burned at 8X |
- Burning times
Here we have gathered the results of the burning tests for DVD media. Numbers in bold indicate the best recording time for each format.
For more information about the test done with each disc, you can visit the corresponding pages of this review.
DVD+R BURNING RESULTS |
|
Media Manufacturer |
Manufacturer ID |
Average Burning Speed |
Burning Time (mins:secs) |
LiteOn SH-16A7S |
CMC Magnetics DVD+R 8X |
CMCMAG E01 000 (00) |
7.81X |
8:54 |
CMC Magnetics DVD+R 16X |
CMCMAG M01 000 (00) |
12.06X |
5:52 |
Daxon DVD+R 4.7GB 16X |
DAXON AZ3 000 (00) |
11.80X |
6:42 |
Maxell DVD+R 4.7GB 8X |
MAXEL 003 000 (00) |
12.09X |
5:50 |
Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB 16X |
MCC 004 000 (00) |
12.07X |
5:50 |
Optodisc DVD+R 4.7GB 8X |
OPTODISC 0R8 000 (00) |
7.80X |
8:54 |
Ricoh DVD+R 4.7GB 16X |
RICOHJPN R03 004 (04) |
12.07X |
5:51 |
Taiyo Yuden DVD+R 4.7GB 16X |
YUDEN000 T03 (000) |
12.06X |
5:51 |
DVD+R DL BURNING RESULTS |
|
Media Manufacturer |
Manufacturer ID |
Average Burning Speed |
Burning Time (mins:secs) |
LiteOn SH-16A7S |
Ritek DVD+R DL 8x |
RITEK S04 001 (01) |
- |
- |
Verbatim DVD+R DL 8x |
MKM 003 (000) |
- |
- |
DVD+RW BURNING RESULTS |
|
Media Manufacturer |
Manufacturer ID |
Average Burning Speed |
Burning Time (mins:secs) |
LiteOn SH-16A7S |
Verbatim DVD+RW 4.7GB 8X |
MKM A03 (000) |
7.21X |
8:20 |
Ricoh DVD+RW 4.7GB 8X |
RICOHJPN W21 (001) |
7.22X |
8:19 |
DVD-R BURNING RESULTS |
|
Media Manufacturer |
Manufacturer ID |
Average Burning Speed |
Burning Time (mins:secs) |
LiteOn SH-16A7S |
BenQ DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
DAXON016S |
11.97X |
6:00 |
Infodisc DVD-R 4.7GB 8X |
INFODISC-R20 |
7.74X |
8:27 |
Moser Baer DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
MBI 01RG40 |
12.09X |
5:52 |
Verbatim DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
MCC03RG20 |
12.09X |
5:54 |
Optodisc DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
OPTODISCR016 |
12.07X |
5:55 |
Prodisc DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
ProdiscF02 |
11.96X |
6:03 |
Ritek DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
RITEKF1 |
11.97X |
6:02 |
TDK DVD-R 4.7GB 16X |
TTH02 |
9.51X |
7:14 |
DVD-R DL BURNING RESULTS |
|
Media Manufacturer |
Manufacturer ID |
Average Burning Speed |
Burning Time (mins:secs) |
LiteOn SH-16A7S |
Verbatim DVD-R DL 8.5GB 4X |
MKM 01RD30 |
3.97X |
28:20 |
Verbatim DVD-R DL 8.5GB 8X |
MKM 03RD30 |
6.80X |
18:24 |
DVD-RW BURNING RESULTS |
|
Media Manufacturer |
Manufacturer ID |
Average Burning Speed |
Burning Time (mins:secs) |
LiteOn SH-16A7S |
Verbatim DVD-RW 4.7GB 6X |
MKM 01RW6X01 |
5.74X |
10:45 |
Traxdata DVD-RW 4.7GB 6X |
RITEKW06 |
5.73X |
11:17 |
- Booktype Settings
The SH-16A7S supports the Booktype feature only with SL media.
- DVD Overburning
The LiteOn drive does not support overburning with DVD recordable media, according to CDSpeed.
37. Conclusion
Lately we have been testing 18x and 20x DVD burners, which turn out to be mainstream as soon the major PC (HP, Dell, etc) makers decide to use them as a replacement for the 16x drives in their PCs. However, the 16x burning speed for recordable DVDs had been the limit and possibly not without a reason. Higher speeds push hardware to its limits and the overall control of the burning procedure is more difficult, while media are also required to perform satisfactorily and within specs while under extreme conditions. For many reasons therefore, a 16x DVD burner is a sane solution for your daily recording needs.
The LiteOn SH-16A7S comes with a SATA interface which is a positive point, considering that the latest motherboards offer better support for SATA compared to the traditional PATA interface.
To summarize the performance of the drive, we should mention its very good error correction capabilities with defected DVDs, the fast reading speed with CDs and DVDs, as well as the very good writing quality with specific recordable DVD media - something we have not seen when testing the faster DVD burners of late.
On the weak points, we should mention the average CD error correction, the strange behavior of the drive with a popular DVD+R DL brand where it refused to burn the disc, as well as some writing quality issues with DVD rewritable media.
The SH-16A7S can be found at around US$40-50.