Plextor PX-712A Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 12

KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2

In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the media we burned with the Plextor PX-712A. The software we used for all measurements is the KProbe v2.1.0, and the reader is a LiteOn LDW-811S with "patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives cannot report PO but PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition all discs have been scanned with PX-712A v1.01 using PlexTools v2.13 for comparison levels.

Comparing the KProbe/PlexTools scans we can see major differences at the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different readers, with different pickup/chipset combination, scanning at different reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). It's interesting to see the disc scanned at low & high speed, since when the error rate increases at a specific disc area, it should appear at both scans...else it would be, perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.

Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the asbolute criteria of the burning quality but as an indication level.

BenQ 4X DVD-R @ 4X

CMC Magnetics 8X DVD-R @ 8X

Maxell 8X DVD-R @ 8X

That's 8X DVD-R @ 8X

That's 4X DVD-R @ 8X

That's 4X DVD-R @ 6X

TraxData 4X DVD-R @ 4X

TraxData 8X DVD-R @ 8X

Verbatim 8X DVD-R @ 8X

Verbatim 4X DVD-RW @ 4X

Traxdata 4X DVD-RW @ 4X

- Summary

The best writing quality results came from 'That's 8X DVD-R' media. Most of the burned discs had low PI/PIF error rates. With the BenQ 4X DVD-R media, the drive produced a medium quality burn. Comparing LiteOn and Plextor scans, we can easily notice, that the Plextor drive, even reads at 2X CLV, will report a problem when it's there, where the LiteOn drive easily reports much higher PI/PIF error rates.

- Appendix