1. Package - Installation
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 1
The
latest external DVD writer from LiteOn is the SDW-431S. According to the
manufacturer, the drive supports 4x DVD+R, 2x DVD+RW and 2x for DVD-R/RW. Of
course, the
drive is also a CD recorder with support for speeds of 24x and 10x for CD-R
and CD-RW respectively, while as a reader, the drive can easily read DVD at
the
speed of 8x and CD at 40x. Below are presented analytically, the specifications
for the new drive as they have been declared by the manufacturer.
- Features
SMART-BURN avoiding Buffer UnderRun Errors, automatically adjusting writing
strategy & running OPC to provide the best burning quality.
SMART-X function adjusts CD-DA / VCD / DVD data extraction to the fastest
allowable speed according to both data request rate from host and disk
quality.
- FDSS® system reduces vibration and noise during recording and reading .
- Specifications
| |
|
Interface
|
USB 2.0 |
Buffer
Size
|
2 MB |
Access
Time
|
DVD Family :128 ms
CD Family : 110 ms |
Write
Speed
|
DVD Family
Writing speed: DVD+R 4x ( 4500KB/sec ) by Z-CLV
DVD-R 2x ( 2700KB/sec ) by Z-CLV
Re-writing speed DVD+RW 2x ( 2700KB/sec ) by Z-CLV
DVD-RW 2x ( 2700KB/sec ) by Z-CLV |
CD Family
Writing speed 24x ( 3600KB/sec ) by CAV
Re-writing speed 10x ( 1500KB/sec ) by CAV |
Read
Speed
|
DVD Family
8x ( 10800KB/sec ) by CAV |
CD Family
24x ( 3600KB/sec ) by CAV |
Supported
Read Formats
|
DVD Family
DVD single / dual layer ( PTP / OTP ), DVD-R ( 3.9 GB / 4.7 GB
) , DVD-R multi-borders, DVD+R, DVD+R multi-sessions, DVD-RW,
and DVD+RW |
CD Family
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
|
Writing
mode
|
DVD Family
DVD Data and Video |
CD Family
Support Fixed Packet, Variable Packet, TAO, SAO, DAO, Raw Mode
Burning |
Support
OS
|
Windows 98SE / ME / 2000 /
XP |
Dimensions
|
135.0 ( W ) x 22.0 ( H ) x
174.0 ( D ) mm |
Weight
|
405 g |
Support
both 8 cm and 12 cm disc of CD and DVD family
|
|
|
As shown in the above snapshots, the drive has 2MB buffer, is able to
write under TAO, DAO, SAO, and RAW modes but does not support Mount Rainier,
DVD-RAM
and
DVD+R DL reading and writing.
- Retail package
The
retail package includes the LiteOn external drive, a USB cable, an audio
connector cable for speakers or headphones and the power supply cable.
As for
software, the retail package includes CyberLink Power DVD XP for DVD-Video
playback and Sonic MyDVD for Video authoring. There is also a
floppy with USB 2.0 device drivers for Win98.
Finally there are two blank DVD
media, one DVD+R and one DVD-R, to get started with your first DVD writing.
- The drive
The drive's front panel, which is basically the loading tray, has
the activity
led indicator, the eject button and the emergency eject hole.
On the upper
side of the drive are placed the supported media format logos along with
LiteOn's logo and the power led indicator.
On the rear panel, there are the USB 1.1/2.0 connector, the
power adapter input and an audio line output, in case you want to connect
the drive to external speakers and use it as an audio playback device.
- Installation
Our test PC was a 1.8 GHz P4 configured with 512Mb RAM, an 80GB 7200rpm
hard drive and Windows XP Professional SP1. The drive was connected to our
test PC and was identified as "Slimtype DVDRW SDW-431S". All
reading tests were done with firmware vMSOJ.
For
the recording tests we updated the firmware to the latest vMSOK, released
just a few days before. The new firmware adds support for a lot more
media.
The following pages include test results for LiteOn drive in comparison with
two other external DVD burners, the FREECOM FX-50 DVD+/-RW and Pioneer DVR-SK12D
Dual DVD±RW recorders.
2. Data CD Reading Tests
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 2
Data CD Reading Tests
In order to test the reading performance of the LiteOn drive, we used the latest
version
of NeroCDSpeed with different CD media formats.
- Pressed CD results (Click for
CDSpeed results)
To check the reading performance of the LiteOn with pressed CD media, we
used
NeroCDSpeed and a data pressed disc.
The reading performance of the external Slimtype LiteOn SDW431-S was quite
acceptable, managing to reach and slightly surpass the 24X maximum reading
speed
as stated in the manufacturer' s specifications, with CAV strategy. The
seek times test
graph showed that the drive was fast but not the fastest of the comparison.
- CD-R results (Click for
CDSpeed results)
To check the reading performance of LiteOn with CDR media, we used NeroCDSpeed
and a clone of the previous tested pressed media.
With results very similar to those with the pressed disc, the reading test
with CD-R media finished
with an end speed of 24.81X and quite fast seek times.
- ReWritable Media (Click for
CDSpeed results)
To check the reading performance of the LiteOn with HS-RW media, we used NeroCDSpeed
and a HSRW disc from Mitsubishi Chemicals.
The reading performance of the LiteOn with CD-RW media was again very similar
to the results of previously tested media of the CD family. CAV reading strategy
and end speed
at 24.06X
were the results that NeroCDSpeed reported.
3. CD Error Correction Tests
LiteOn Slimtype
SDW-431SX - Page 3
Error Correction Tests
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:
779091
|
|
Errors
(Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num:
44218
|
Avg:
-73.8 dB(A)
|
Max:-
36.0 dB(A)
|
|
Error
Muting Samples
|
Num:
2488
|
Avg:
1.0 Samples
|
Max:
11 Samples
|
|
Skips
Samples
|
Num:
0
|
Avg:
0 Samples
|
Max:
0 Samples
|
|
Total
Test Result
|
77.1
points (out of 100.0 maximum)
|
The 721R test disc is generally difficult to read with most drives. The LiteOn
drive however, managed to finish the error correction test successfully
and the software awarded
the drive with a total score of 77.1 points out of 100. Throughout the
test, there were muting samples and an average loudness of -73.8 dB(A) but
there were no
skipped
samples, meaning that the drive managed to read all the defective areas. The
total number of errors is also quite low.
- ABEX TCD-726
|
Errors
total
|
Num:
0
|
|
Errors
(Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num:
4
|
Avg:
-174.0dB(A)
|
Max:
-174.0 dB(A)
|
|
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)
|
Since the LiteOn received a very good score with the 721R test disc, it
was expected that it should do well with the 726 Abex test disc, which somewhat
easier for most drives to handle.
The test finished quickly and the drive was awarded with a total score of
100.0 points (perfect).
- 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 reading music abilities
and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a progressively
difficult sequence. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through
Check Level-5.
The
tracks are reproduced (played) through a software multimedia player (i.e.
Winamp, PowerDVD, Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed,
if the tone coming out
from the speakers is clear and continuous without interruptions, skipping
or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound
reproduction
of the drive.
|
Error Level
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
|
BenQ DW822A |
5/5
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
0/5
|
0/5
|
The performance of the external LiteOn drive was satisfactory. The drive
managed to read the first three tracks of CD-Check Test Disc without
problems.
The last two tracks were played back but there were many audible clicks,
so these levels
could not
be considered as passed.
- Summary
|
Test Disc
|
Reading Speed
|
Score
|
|
ABEX TCD-721R
|
Max
|
77.1
|
|
ABEX TCD-726
|
100.0
|
|
Average Score
|
88.55
|
The overall performance of the external LiteON SDW-431S with the CD error
correction tests is very acceptable. The average score for the drive with
the Abex discs
is 88.55 points, and could be considered among the best.
4. DVD reading tests
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX -
Page 4
DVD reading tests
- Single Layer DVD-ROM (Click
for CDSpeed results)
To check the reading performance of the LiteOn drive with single layer DVD-ROM,
we used NeroCDSpeed and the 820A test disc from Abex.
The LiteOn and Pioneer drives returned almost the same reading speed
with single layer DVD-ROM while the Freecom was by far the fastest. The external
LiteOn drive, read the
disc under CAV mode, but as CDSpeed showed the speed of the drive was not constant.
With the seek times, the LiteOn returned slightly increased times
compared to the Freecom drive, but the times are still
quite acceptable.
- Dual Layer PTP DVD-ROM (Click for
CDSpeed results)
The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially, with the drive
starting the read process from the inner tracks on the disc, where lies the
beginning of each layer and progressing outwards towards to the outer tracks
for each layer. The tools for this test are Nero CDSpeed and Abex 840 test disc.
Although the LiteOn did not perform smoothly with the previously tested single
layer DVD-ROM, the dual layer disc was read without problems and the test finished
with an end speed of 6.19x. The seek times graph shows that the LiteOn performed
faster
than the Pioneer but slower than Freecom drive.
- Dual Layer 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 on 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 inwards towards the inner tracks of the disc.
The CDSpeed screenshot shows smooth reading performance during the OTP reading
test. Speed-wise, the test finished with an average reading speed
of 4.60X and 6.14X at the end of the first layer. The drive used CAV reading
strategy.
- DVD Ripping Tests
We measured the DVD-Video ripping speed of the LiteOn drive using the latest
version of DVD Decrypter. The DVD Video title is the "Matrix" pressed
DVD-Video.
The LiteOn returned an acceptable average ripping speed after the
end of the ripping test. According to DVD Decrypter, the average read rate
was
6.730
KB/s (4.9X)
while during the test, the maximum read rate reached 8.651 KB/s (6.2X) The
above graph shows that the LiteOn was faster than the external Pioneer DVR-SK12D
but slower
than the Freecom external writer.
- DVD Recordable / Rewritable reading Tests
The chart below shows the Nero CDSpeed average reading speed results for
the following formats:
The LiteOn read all four tested writable and rewritable DVD's at almost
the same average speed. The LiteOn external device, read all discs under CAV
reading strategy and reported average speeds that ranged from 4.54X up to 4,57X
for all media. According to
the graphs, the LiteOn drive was faster than the Pioneer and about equal to
the Freecom.
5. DVD Error Correction Tests
LiteOn Slimtype
SDW-431SX - Page 5
DVD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests we examined the DVD reading capabilities of the LiteOn
with scratched / defective DVD media. For the tests we used CDVD Benchmark
and
Nero CDSpeed. The reference test media come 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.
The LiteOn managed to pass all the defective areas without problem.
The drive recognized the disc as a single layer DVD-ROM and used P-CAV reading
strategy.
As
shown in the above screenshot, a little after reaching top speed,
the speed alternated between 4.8X and 3.5X and that method was kept
until
the end of the test.
ABEX TDR-825
This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with 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 the surface and instead defective areas ranging in dimensions from 0.5 to 1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints with height between 65 and 75 micrometers.
Just as with the previous tested single layer DVD-ROM, so too with the ABEX
TDR-825 test disc the LiteOn drive read the entire surface without
problems, since the software did not report
any
errors.
The
drive used
the same reading strategy and read the disc with a maximum reading speed of
4.8X.
- 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 above screenshot shows the error correction performance
of the LiteOn with dual layer DVD-ROM. The drive
read both layers under P-CAV and with high end speed. Just as with the
previous single layer media, the drive alternated reading speed
between 4.8X and 3.5X,
a little after reaching top speed. The test
finished successfully without error messages.
ABEX TDR-845
This
disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-Rom disc with capacity of 8.5GB. The
only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the first includes
both defective areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defective areas
range from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints have height sized from 65 to
75 microns (micrometers).
Once again the same reading performance from the LiteOn, with
P-CAV reading strategy, high end speed and alternations in reading
speed between 4.8X
and 3.5X.
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 sized from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
NeroCDSpeed confirms the very good DVD error correction capabilities
of the LiteOn. The test finished quickly without changes to the reading
speed at the defective areas. Also, as NeroCDSPeed shows, the drive
had no problem during
the layer switch operation.
ABEX TDV-545
The
TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV-540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer
Video/S-2
disc with a capacity of 8.5GB. The TDV-545 includes artificial black dots on
the disc's surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75 micrometers
high
fingerprints.
Once again very good error correction performance from the LiteOn. Fast
average reading speed, with an end speed at 6.19x and no errors during the
reading test.
6. Protected Disc Tests
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX -
Page 4
Protected Disc
Tests
- Reading Tests
To create an image of the various protected titles onto a hard disk, we
used Alcohol 120% and the appropriate settings, depending on the protection
type of the inserted discs. Below are summarized the capabilities of the LiteOn,
according to CloneCD software. The summary below shows that the drive supports
writing of CD+G under RAW DAO:
The game titles we used to test the reading speed for each protection scheme
are given in the table below:
Game Title
|
Protection Scheme
|
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme"
|
Lybcrypt
|
Serious Sam The Second Encounter v1.07
|
SafeDisc v.2.60.052
|
VRally II
|
SecuROM v.2
|
PSX Pressed Media
SafeDisc v.2
SecuROM v.2
The LiteOn returned slow ripping times with Securom and PSX protected games.
With the SafeDisc2 protected game the ripping speed was
acceptable but still not the fastest of the comparison.
- Writing Tests
The LiteOn supports the DAO-RAW writing mode.
For checking the drive's EFM correction status, we used 3 different game titles
with different SafeDisc versions.
After making the image files of the various titles to the hard disk, we burned
them (maximum speed) with Alcohol and we played each burnt disc on
the
following
three
devices. Two
different
discs
were
created
for each
title; one with the "Amplify
Weak Sectors " enabled and one with
the
function disabled.
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether
they worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Tested
Device |
Game Title /
Protection |
Max Payne
v2.51.020 |
Serious Sam
The
Second
Encounter v.2.60.052 |
The Sims Unleashed
v.2.8 |
The Sims Superstar
v2.9 |
Fifa 2004
v3.10 |
Amplify Weak Sectors
|
Enabled |
Disabled |
Enabled
|
Disabled
|
Enabled
|
Disabled
|
Enabled
|
Disabled
|
Enabled
|
Disabled
|
LiteOn
SDW-431S |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
NO |
NO |
Plextor
PX-712A
|
OK
|
OK
|
OK
|
OK
|
OK
|
OK
|
OK
|
OK
|
NO
|
NO
|
Toshiba
SD-M1502
|
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
NO |
OK |
NO |
NO |
The LiteOn drive made working backups, either with Amplify Weak sectors
on and off, of all game titles except for Fifa 2004. Even with
SafeDisc v2.9 the drive managed to make playable discs.
The written discs were
fully
playable on the LiteOn and Plextor drives, while the Toshiba drive could not
play the Safedisc v2.9 disc with the Amplify Weak
Sectors option enabled.
7. DAE Tests
LiteOn
Slimtype SDW-431SX -
Page 7
DAE Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results
The new LiteOn slimtype SDW-431S supports 24X maximum reading speed for
DAE media and uses CAV reading strategy, and Nero CDSpeed confirmed these specifications.
To test the ripping speed of the LiteOn we ripped the contents of the previously
used pressed audio disc to our hard disk, using the CDDAE software. Then we
repeated the same ripping process with a clone of the pressed disc to test
the ripping performance of the LiteOn with CD-R audio discs and we summarized
the results on the above graph. Both pressed and CD-R media gave back similar
average
speeds, but that speed was the slowest of the comparison.
- Advanced DAE Quality
CDSpeed advanced DAE quality test confirms that the LiteOn
is not an ideal solution for DAE. Although the drive managed to finish
the test without Data or Sync errors and awarded with quality score 100 (perfect),
the software reported that the drive cannot be safely used for OnTheFly copies
as a reader at speeds over 10x. On the advanced features, the drive supports
Subchannel Data bat according to the graph, LiteOn gave back the slowest reading
speed of the comparison.
- Support of 90/99mins AudioCDs
LiteOn managed to rip the contents of our 90/99min test discs successfully.
- Reading/Ripping Protected AudioCDs
For the test procedure we used two audio discs with different
audio protection schemes. We tested for both recognition and ripping to the
hard disk. The software used was Exact Audio Copy.
* Pressed Audio disc protected by Sony Key2Audio (Celine Dion
- New Day Has Come)
* Pressed Audio disc protected by Cactus Data Shield 200 (Natalie
Imbruglia - White Lilies Island)
| |
Key2Audio
|
CDS200
|
|
EAC
|
LiteOn SDW-431S
|
OK
|
OK
|
Freecom FX-50
|
No
|
OK
|
Pioneer DVR-SK12D
|
Recognizes disc contents but cannot
rip tracks
|
OK
|
It seems that the LiteOn is not the best solution for ripping DAE discs but
it can easily handle Audio protected media, as shown on the above table.
8. CD Recording Tests
LiteOn Slimtype
SDW-431SX -
Page 8
CD Recording Tests
- CD-R Writing Tests
To test the writing speed and writing method of the drive we used a blank
80min
CD-R disc from TY and NeroCDSpeed to emulate the writing process.
The above screenshot comes from NeroCDSpeed and shows that the external
LiteOn SDW-431S, uses P-CAV writing strategy. The writing process started at
10.01X and finished at 24.05X verifying the manufacturer's specification
for 24X writing.
- Recording Times
We created an 80min data compilation with Nero Burning Rom and recorded it
on a 700MB disc.
The graph shows different writing times between the drives, something
that was expected since each device supports a different maximum recording
speed
According to the above graph, at the 24X maximum writing speed for the LiteOn
SDW431-S, the Freecom drive's time was about 2minutes faster, This is due to
their different writing strategies.
- CD-RW Writing Tests
To test the writing speed and writing method of the drive we used a blank
74min CD-RW disc from TY and NeroCDSpeed to emulate the writing process.
Below we provide a comparison of the three drives where we used Nero Burning
Rom software to burn a 651MB data compilation onto 10X US-RW media from TY.
Both the LiteOn and Pioneer drives support 10X maximum re-writing speed
and therefore their burning times were about equal. Freecom was faster with
24X maximum
re-writing
speed.
9. 3T Jitter Tests
LiteOn
Slimtype SDW-431SX -
Page 9
Writing Quality Tests - 3T Jitter Tests
The LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431S supports a maximum writing speed of 24x and uses
P-CAV writing strategy for the writing tasks. We expect to see quality values,
since
the
supported
writing speed could be considered as a safe writing speed for all writers since
most currently available CD and DVD writers, support much faster writing CD-R
speeds up to 52x and 40x respectively.
- 3T Pit results
The LiteOn drive did not manage to meet our expectations. The quality measurements
returned increased Pit values, especially at the end of each disc's
surface. The
worst results are with Maxell media, written at 24X which turned
TimeOut errors at the 70min mark. Although all discs returned values
over the
35ns
RedBook limit, the values of all the media brands except for Maxell,
can be considered as acceptable.
The average Pit Jitter of the four written media, are represented
on the above graph. The average Pit Jitter with Maxell media exceeds the 35nd
RedBook limit while TY media is on the border. According to the graph, the
lowest values
come from MAM media.
- 3T Land results
The Land results are slightly increased in comparison to those of the Pit
values. The highest value, as with Pit values, comes with Maxell media while
MMore had
the lowest measurement.
On the above graph we summarized the average Land values of each written media.
In comparison to average Pit values, the average Land values are slightly increased.
Three of four written media had average values over the 35ns RedBook
limit. According to the graph, the best results come from MMore at 34.37ns
and MAM at 35.68ns.
|
Recording Speed
|
Average 3T Pit Jitter (ns)
|
Average 3T Land Jitter (ns)
|
> 35ns
|
Max 3T jitter values (ns)
|
|
MMore 52X
|
33.76
|
34.37
|
Yes
|
39 Pit, 40 Land
|
|
MAM 48X
|
31.49
|
35.68
|
Yes
|
41 Pit, 43 Land
|
Maxell 52X
|
39.88
|
40.71
|
Yes
|
55 Pit, 54 Land
|
TY 48X
|
34.20
|
37.39
|
Yes
|
37 Pit, 42 Land
|
The above table summarize the maximum and average Pit/Land Jitter values for
all written media. According to the table, all discs gave back values over
the
35ns RedBook limit.
10. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 10
Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
The C1 / C2 error rate was measured for the recorded discs, burned during
the previous writing tests (jitter). The software used was Plextools v2.11
and the reader was the Plextor Premium drive.
-
Taiyo Yuden 48x recorded at 16x
-
Taiyo Yuden 48x recorded at 20x
-
Taiyo Yuden 48x recorded at 24x
-
Plextor HS-RW 10x recorded at 10x
The quality measurements of the discs showed that the LiteOn drive can be
safely used with some media for quality writing tasks at the maximum writing
speed
of 24X,
while others gave back increased C1/C2 errors at the end of their surface.
According to the measurements, TY and MMore can be used for quality writing.
11. DVD Recording Tests
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 11
DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
The LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431S, is a dual writer so it supports both minus
and plus formats. The supported speeds are 4X for +R and 2.4X for +RW media.
On
the minus format the supported speeds are slower at 2X for both writable and
rewritable
media.
4X DVD+R
The LiteOn supports 4x maximum DVD+R writing. The screenshot from NeroCDSpeed
shows that the writing process started at 2.4x but after only few sectors(100MB)
the
speed was increased to 4x and that speed was kept constant until the end of the
process.
2.4X DVD+RW
For the plus rewritable media the supported speed is 2.4x. The drive wrote
the disc under CLV with average writing speed 2.47x.
2X DVD-R/-RW
The supported speed for both writable and rewritable minus
media is 2X and the drive writes both disc under the same strategy.
- Burning Tests
The following graphs show the maximum writing speed of the three devices
with all available DVD writable and rewritable media.
The LiteOn supports 4X for plus writable media and therefore needed about
14:50 minutes to finish the writing task with the +R disc, while with supported
speed at
2.4X for the +RW format, the writing process finished after about 22:30minutes.
With the minus format, the LiteOn and Pioneer external writers finished each
task at almost the same time while Freecom was faster at 4X with writable
discs. The LiteOn
returned acceptable times with all four tested media.
Since the external LiteOn drive does not support the current fastest DVD writing
speeds, it had problems with specific media certified for writing at 8X. Despite
this, the LiteOn recognized and wrote most tested media at the appropriate
supported
speed.
12. KProbe PI/PO quality tests
LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 12
KProbe PI/PO quality results
The following screenshots show the PI/PO scans for various DVD-/+R and DVD-/+RW
media, recorded with the LiteOn 8x Dual writer at the maximum permitted speed.
The software used for the measurements was KProbe v2.0.1, the ECC was set
to 8 and the reading at 4x with reader the LiteOn LDW-811s. The specific methodology
is very dependent on the drive used as a reader, while the reliability of the
PI/PO provided output is also not technically confirmed. Hence, we cannot safely
come up with conclusive results, although we do make a comparison of the drive
behavior when using various DVD recordable/rewritable media.
The recordable discs we used came from TraxData, CMC, More, Maxell, MC
and Ritek. Further details about each disc type are presented at the bottom
of this page.
-
CMC DVD+R 8x (Recorded at 4x)
-
MCC 4x DVD+R (Recorded at 4x)
-
CMC 4x DVD+R (Recorded at 4x)
-
TraxData 4x DVD+R (Recorded at 4x)
-
CMC 4x DVD-R (Recorded at 2x)
-
MCC 4x DVD-R (Recorded at 2x)
-
MMore 4x DVD-R (Recorded at 2x)
-
Pony 4x DVD-R (Recorded at 2x)
-
TraxData 4x DVD-R (Recorded at 2x)
- TraxData 4x DVD+RW (Recorded at 2.4x)
-
Maxell 4x DVD-RW (Recorded at 2x)
The PI/PO quality measurements for the +R written media are good. Kprobe
reported acceptable PI errors and quite low PO errors. Also, during the CDSpeed
read process with the +R written media, no read errors occurred. For the minus
format. although the supported speed is only 2X, the quality measurements of
all written media returned values over the acceptable level and slightly
increased compared to the -R measurements. Notice also, that the MMore DVD-R
media was the only writable media that gave had read errors during the read
process.
With the rewritable format, both +RW and -RW media had acceptable
values and the media was fully readable.
13. Bitsetting Tests
LiteOn
Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 13
Bitsetting Tests
The LiteON IT Book Type Utility allows you to freely
choose a DVD+RW or DVD+R disc to be written as DVD-Rom book type, the most
recognizable format for DVD players.
The user is able to set the Booktype Setting to either the drive itself, in
order to record all DVD+R/+RW media as a "DVD-ROM" or to already
recorded DVD+RW discs. Note that the bitsetting of a recorded DVD+R cannot
be changed. In the majority of cases, you will not need to change the book
type of your DVD media, as most
DVD players and DVD-ROM drives have no problem reading recordable DVD media.
However,
some players (especially older models) cannot recognize discs that are characterized
as
DVD+RW/-RW or DVD+R/-R book types. In these instances, this compatibility issue
can be
easily resolved by changing the book type of the DVD media being written to
DVD-ROM.
We used the latest version of Book Type Utility v1.0.6 and a rewritable
DVD+RW
media.
When
we launched Book Type Utility and the Query button was pressed, the disc was
recognized as DVD+RW. By
pressing the change button a new window popped up.
The SetBookType dialog box prompts us to select a new book type for the media
and we chose
DVD-ROM.
The
Info dialog box informed us that the Set Book Type was OK!
Although
the previous message reported that the process ended successfully, the disc
was still recognized as DVD+RW and not DVD-ROM as expected.
The end user should also notice the above limitations:
- Only DVD+RW discs can “Change” the Book type after recording.
DVD+R discs cannot change the Book type after recording.
- The
Book type must be set prior to recording the DVD+R disc on your
DVD ReWritable drive.
- This tool only used for LITEON drives (specific models only). Not all
of the LITEON DVD ReWritable drives support this BookType utility.
14. Conclusion
LiteOn
Slimtype SDW-431SX - Page 14
Conclusion
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
- Slim and lightweight
- Good CD
/ DVD error correction
- Low Seek
times
- Can playback/rip
audio protected discs
- Accurate
and fast DVD ripping
- Fast DVD-Ripping
- Backup protected
Safedisc2 games
- Support
99min discs
|
- Low DAE
speed
- Slow DAE
ripping speed
- Increased CD writing times
- Only 10X CD-RW
writing speed
- BookType change
feature
|
The LiteOn Slimtype SDW-431S is the latest external DVD writer from the LiteOn
company. The drive is an all in one device, supporting both plus and
minus DVD
formats while it can also be used as a CD writer. As a reader, it supports
almost all known media except for the latest DVD+R DL format.
The drive is stylish and the retail package includes everything that the user
needs for the installation. We setup the External LiteOn through the only available
connection, USB, where it was easily recognized on a windows XP environment.
The error correction capabilities of the LiteOn proved to be a strong feature
of the drive.
The
EAC software awarded the drive with a very good overall score meaning that
it can easily read old and scratched CD-R media without problems.
With the DVD reading tasks, the LiteOn used the CAV reading strategy for all
single/dual layer tested DVD media. We need to mention that during the single
layer DVD-ROM
media reading tests, the drive unexpectedly alternated the reading speed,
resulting in a lower overall average reading speed, but despite this, the
overall performance of
the
drive
was quite
good. The external LiteOn also proved fast on the DVD Decrypter test (ripping
process) with an end speed of 6.2X. We also checked the DVD error correction
capabilities of the LiteOn SDW-431S, where the drive had no problems, finishing
all tests successfully.
The LiteOn proved to have very good backup capabilities. The drive managed
to backup most tested games and returned working backups, up to the tested
SafeDisc version 2.90, while the Pioneer, when tested only managed up to v2.60.052.
Along with
its protected games backup capabilities, the Liteon also proved good
for backing up Audio protected discs. The drive managed to backup all
tested audio CD-ROMs, but proved slow on DAE ripping.
We tested the writing capabilities of the LiteOn with both DVD
and CD-R media .
For the CD family, the supported writing speed of the LiteOn is 24X, while
for DVD, it is 4X for +R and 2X for -R.
During the CD writing tasks, the LiteOn was slow with all tested media at
the maximum available speed of 24x. The drive uses P-CAV reading strategy with
start speed at only 10X and therefore in order to write a full 80min data
CD-R compilation, the device needed about 5:46min, whereas the accepted
time is
about 4:00 minutes. Moreover, the quality measurements with the written media
returned increased C1/C2 errors.
And last but not least, we checked the DVD writing times and quality of the
external LiteOn writer. The 4X supported speed for plus format is quite
acceptable for an external device but the minus writing speed is restricted
at 2X. The LiteOn
had fast writing times and satisfactory PIPO measurements with
all written/tested +R media and all discs were fully readable with the LiteOn
drive. But the same didn't happen with the minus format. Although the writing
speed, as we
mentioned before is restricted to 2X, the PIPO values were increased, in comparison
to plus format. During the reading test of the written media, one disc,
MMore DVD-R,
returned back a read error.
Finally we tested the BookType change option of the LiteOn, using the Book
Type Utility available at LiteOn's website. Although the utility recognized
the
disc, the BookType option didn't work although it seems that LiteOn which supports
the feature, will fix this with a future firmware release.