Freecom FX-50 DVD+/-RW 16X Burner - Page 2

Transfer Rate Reading Tests

- CD Format

The Freecom FX-50 DVD±RW supports up to 48X reading speed. Below are the transfer rate graphs along with the comparative results for the Memorex D²(F16) External and ASUS DRW-1604P drives:

With CD-R media, the ASUS drive clocked up the slowest speed while the Memorex external drive proved to be the fastest. The FX-50 burner held its own being only slightly slower in all tests than the Memorex. In contrast, the Memorex burner was the slowest with US-RW media and the Freecom drive the fastest.

- DVD Format

Although the Freecom drive was the slowest with Single Layer DVD media, the speed differences between the three drives are insignificant.

The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially with the drive starting the reading process from the inner part of the disc, which is the beginning of each layer, progressing towards the outer range for each layer. The Freecom FX-50 was the slowest and with quite a difference from the ASUS drive which was the fastest.

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 towards the inner part of the disc. Again, the same pattern here where the Freecom burner was slowest. The average reading speed was 5.41X with a start speed of 3.02X and end speed of 7.21X.

The Freecom FX-50 is a very fast reader with +/-R media, since it can read at a speed of up to 16X. With +/-RW media, it supports up to 8X reading speed and was marginally slower than either of the other two drives.

The FX-50 reported an average ripping speed of 5101kb/sec with DVD-Video discs, and proved to be slowest when it comes to DVD Video ripping. The Memorex drive was the fastest DVD Video ripper at just under 9000 kb/s.

Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs

• CD Pressed / CD-R / US-RW
• DVD Pressed SL / DVD Pressed DL / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R / DVD+RW