LiteOn SOHW-1693S

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
3. CD Error Correction Tests
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
5. Protected Disc Tests - Reading Tests
6. DAE Tests
7. Protected AudioCDs
8. CD Recording Tests
9. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
10. Writing Quality Tests - Clover System Tests
11. DVD Recording Tests
12. Support Media list for fw KS04
13. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
14. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
15. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
16. Writing Quality Tests - Almedio AEC-1000
17. DVD+R DL - Page 1
18. DVD+R DL - Page 2
19. SOHW-1693S vs. SA300 - Page 1
20. SOHW-1693S vs. SA300 - Page 2
21. SOHW-1693S vs. SA300 - Page 3
22. SOHW-1693S vs. SA300 - Page 4
23. BookType Setting
24. Conclusion

The 1693S is the latest drive of the 16XX series from LiteOn, and it combines the 1673S technology along with DVD-R DL media burning support. At first look, this release seems similar in many ways to its previous, the 1673S, but as we will see later on, its not the -DL media format that makes the difference. An overall improvement has been made to this latest drives mechanism.

The max supported speed for both +R and -R media, is 16X while, the drive can burn -RW and +RW media, at 6X and 8X respectively.

- Features

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.
VAS® system reduce vibration and noise during recording and reading.

- 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-R DL Writing	4X
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), DVD-R DL (8.5GB)
Support Media for Reading	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
Temperature	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 and VSO inspector:

The drive also uses the RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times. As with all LiteOn drives, this one can also be set to Region free through the use of several utilities.

Below is some additional information from KProbe regarding LiteON drives:

- Retail package

The retail package remains the same as all previous releases, except for one extra item this time, the extra bezel included. LiteOn provides the user with one extra black bezel and a fill out form which is to be sent to LiteOn as a feedback on the new bezel. Everything else stays the same with the Authoring and DVD playback software as well as Nero OEM suite for your recording needs. No blank media present.

-The Drive

The external look of the drive is the same as the previous releases, with the DVD+R and DVD+R DL logos and activity led which turns green upon disc insertion. All these of course also apply to the black bezel.

The rear panel has the usual analogue and digital outputs (SPDIF), IDE connector and power input.

We opened the drive case to take a closer look at the inner workings of the drive. Opening the case, voids the drives warranty, so we strongly advise against it. By clicking on the image below you can see a larger, more detailed picture...

- Installation

The drive was installed as secondary master and under WindowsXP, recognized as "LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1693S ". The drive came to our labs with the latest firmware release, KS04, as it is reported by Nero properties in the image below.

For the needs of this review, we will be comparing the drives capabilities alongside the NEC ND-3530A and the BenQ 1640 drives, both 16X/16X drives and with overall, similar specs.

- Testing software

In order to perform our tests we used: