1. Introduction - Retail Package
NEC ND-3500A Recorder -
Page 1
NEC
recently joined the 16X DVD recording race with the introduction of their
latest drive, the ND-3500A. After the big success of the ND-25x0 series, which
was
indeed
a very
good quality
writer, the new ND model aims to take its place in the market, offering the
highest recording speed available for all media formats. The ND3500A delivers
even higher write and re-write speed functions than its
predecessor, the ND2510.
"High
resolution writing strategies" are again incorporated into the
ND-3500A, just as with ND-2510A model, which is in fact an improved version
of Active
Optimized Power Control (Active OPC). Active OPC constantly monitors the sensitivity
of the media and adjusts the laser strength to achieve the best possible results.
It does this by analyzing
the reflection from the media's surface. Buffer underrun error prevention technology
ensures that media will be recorded successfully, even if writing procedure
is interrupted or paused. You will find here a
simple diagram explaining the Active OPC technology.
- Features
This
MultiRead drive can read at 16X max DVD-ROM discs and 48X max CD-ROM discs.
The drive can burn a full 4.7GB +R/-R DVD disc in less than 6mins at 16X speed,
and can burn +RW and -RW media at 4X. Double Layer media is supported, as expected,
at 4X. Approximately 22~25mins are required for burning a full DVD+R9 disc
at this recording speed.
As a CD
recorder,
it can record at 48X max when CD-R discs are used, and 24X max with CD-RW discs.
- Specifications
Drive |
NEC ND-3500A |
Media |
DVD |
CD |
Transfer Rate Write |
+R |
16x CAV (9 - 22MBytes/sec)
|
-R |
48x CAV (3000-200kBytes/sec) |
13x CAV (7.3 - 17.5MBytes/sec) |
48xZCLV (3000-7200kBytes/sec) |
12x ZCLV (8.2 – 16.6MByte/sec) |
40x CAV (2550-6000kBytes/sec) |
8x ZCLV (5.5 -11MBytes/sec) |
40xZCLV (3000-6000kBytes/sec) |
6x ZCLV (5.5-8.2MBytes/sec) |
32xPCAV (2550-4800kBytes/sec) |
4x CLV (5.5 MBytes/sec) |
32x ZCLV (3000-4800kBytes/sec) |
2.4x CLV (3.3 MBytes/sec) |
24x PCAV (2550-3600kBytes/sec) |
+R9 |
4x CLV (5.5 MBytes/sec) |
24x ZCLV (3000-3600kBytes/sec) |
2.4x CLV (3.3 MByte/sec) |
16x CLV (2400kBytes/sec) |
+RW |
4x CLV (5.5 MBytes/sec) |
8x CLV (1200kBytes/sec) |
2.4x CLV (3.3 MBytes/sec) |
-RW |
24x ZCLV (3000-3600kBytes/sec) |
-R |
16x CAV( 9 - 22MBytes/sec) |
13x CAV (7.3 - 17.5MBytes/sec) |
12x ZCLV (8.2 – 16.6MByte/sec) |
16x CLV (2400kBytes/sec) |
8x ZCLV (5.5 -11MBytes/sec) |
6x ZCLV (5.5-8.2MBytes/sec) |
4x CLV (5.5 MBytes/sec) |
10xCLV (1500kBytes/sec) |
2x CLV (2.7 MBytes/sec) |
-RW |
4x CLV (5.5 MBytes/sec) |
2x CLV (2.7 MBytes/sec) |
4xCLV (600kBytes/sec) |
1x CLV (1.38 MBytes/sec) |
Transfer Rate Read |
DVD-R 16x CAV (max 22000 kb/s) |
CD-R 48x CAV (max 4800 kb/s) |
DVD-RW 4x CLV (5520 kb/s) |
DVD+R 16x CAV (max 22000 kb/s) |
CD-RW 16x CLV (max 2400 kb/s) |
DVD+RW 4x CLV (5520 kb/s) |
DVD+R9 4X CLV (5500 KByte/s) |
Access Time |
140ms |
120ms |
Mechanism |
motorized Tray load mechanism
for horizontal and vertical use |
Interface |
IDE / ATAPI |
Burst Transfer Rate |
PIO mode 4 / Ultra DMA 33 |
Cashe Memory |
2MB |
Audio |
digital-out and line-out at the back (MPC compatible) |
Modes supported |
DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-Video, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-Audio, CD Extra, CD Text, CD-IReady, CD-Bridge, Photo-CD, VideoCD, Hybrid CD |
Writing methods |
DAO(disc at once), SAO(session at once), TAO(track at once) with zero gap, variable or fixed packet, multisession |
Compatibility |
MPC Level 3, MultiRead, PC2001 |
Weight |
1.01 kgr |
Dimensions |
148mm x 42mm x 190mm |
The drive cannot read DVD-RAM media, it does not support Mount Rainier and
it uses the well known RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the
drive's region at most 5 times. Below are the drive's main specs as given by
NeroInfoTool, VSO Inspector and DVDInfoPro:
- The drive / Retail Package
The
retail version of the ND-3500A comes with "electronic manuals" in six
languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch) on the software
CD-ROM,
all parts necessary to assemble the drive (screws, IDE and audio cable) and a
full featured software solution from Ahead (Nero Express 6, Nero InCD 4, Nero
Vision Express 2, Nero Back IT Up, Nero StartSmart, Nero Recode 2 and Nero Showtime).
On the drive's front panel, you can see the eject button, the
activity led and the eject hole. There are no volume control or headphone jack.
The
drive is also available in black, and coming soon, in silver
as well.
On the rear panel you will find the analogue and digital
audio outputs (SPDIF), the IDE selection pins, the IDE connector
and the power input.
Opening the device's case will void the warranty, so we advise against it. Instead, use the photos in this review for a closer look under the hood. Clicking on the image below will reveal a high resolution image.
The main chipsets come from NEC, with part numbers NEC
D63635GM and NEC C333500. The same chipsets are used in
the TDK 1616N, the Pioneer DVR-108
and ASUS DRW-1604P.
Model name |
C3335 |
Process |
Bi-CMOS 0.35 |
Voltage |
5V |
Package |
120-pin TQFP (14x14mm) |
Power consumption |
0.66W (8x DVD playback) |
0.74W 8x DVD recording) |
Speeds |
DVD playback |
16x CAV |
DVD-RAM playback |
4x |
DVD recording |
16x |
CD playback |
48x |
CD recording |
48x |
Model name |
D63635 |
Process |
CMOS 0.15 |
Voltage |
1.5V core, 3.3V I/O |
Package |
216-pin LQFP (24x24mm) |
Power consumption |
0.35W (8x DVD playback) |
0.95W (8x DVD recording, LVDS) |
Interface |
Host |
ATA/ATAPI5 |
Buffer |
16Mbit SDRAM |
Speeds |
DVD playback |
16x CAV |
DVD-RAM playback |
4x |
DVD recording |
16x |
CD playback |
48x |
CD recording |
48x |
The following picture shows the laser lens assembly of the NEC ND-3500A. By clicking
on the picture, you can see a higher resolution image.
Compared to the TDK
1616N laser lens, you can see that these two laser lenses are identical.
- Installation
The device was connected to our test PC and was identified
as "NEC DVD_RW ND-3500AG " under
WinXP. You can see that the book type option is supported, just as with the
NEC ND-2510A. This option was missing in the TDK 1616N drive.
The drive arrived with v2.16 firmware revision, meanwhile NEC had contacted
us to inform us that a new version was available. We flashed the drive successfully
with their latest firmware version, v2.07. Writing strategies and the support
media list with this firmware will be discussed later on this review.
In this review, we will be comparing the drive to a wide range of DVD recorders with similar specifications, the Pioneer DVR-108, the Memorex D²(F16) and the BenQ DW1620A.
- Testing software
In order to perform our tests we used:
- Nero CD-DVD Speed v3.21
- CDVD Benchmark v1.21
- ExactAudioCopy v0.9 beta5
- Nero Info Tool v2.27
- KProbe v2.4.2 (Reader: LiteOn LDW-811S firmware vHS0Q, LiteOn SOHD-167T firmware 9S13, LiteOn XJ-HD165H firmware CH11, and LiteOn LTD-163 firmware GH5S, Reading speed 8X CAV)
- PlexTools v2.16 (Reader: Plextor PX-712A firmware v1.05, Reading speed 8X CLV for CD-R)
- DVDInfoPro v3.16
- Nero Burning Rom v6.3.1.20
- DVD Decrypter 3.5.1.0
- CopyToDVD 3.0.29.48
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder - Page 2
Transfer Rate Reading Tests
- CD Format
The NEC ND-3500A supports up to 48X reading speed. Below are the transfer
rate graphs along with the comparative results for the Pioneer DVR-108,
the Memorex D²(F16)
and the BenQ DW1620A drive:
The NEC ND-3500A proved to be faster than the Pioneer model with Pressed CDs,
CD-R media and US-RW media. However, the Memorex D² drive
was the fastest drive with CD Pressed and CDR media, while the BenQ DW1620A
was the fastest drive with Ultra-Speed CD-RW media.
- DVD Format
Only small differences were reported with pressed single layer
DVD-ROM media. The ND-3500A reported the slowest average speed, slightly lower
than the Pioneer model.
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 the outer range for each layer.
The ND-3500A reading performance was not good with this type of disc. We observed
the slowest speed compared to the other drives. The
Pioneer drive 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, same image here, with the NEC drive being the slowest. The
average reading speed was 5.40X with a start speed of 3.02X and
end speed of 7.20X.
The ND-3500A can read DVD ±R media up to 16X and DVD ±RW
up to 8X. That makes the TDK 1616n one of the fastest readers on the market
for ±R
media.
The ND-3500A reported an average ripping speed of 5087kb/sec with DVD-Video
discs (even slower than the TDK 1616N that reported 5125kb/sec), and proved
to be slower than all other drives when it comes to DVD Video ripping.
The
Memorex drive was the fastest DVD Video ripper.
Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs
3. CD Error Correction Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder -
Page 3
CD 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:
1457211
|
Errors
(Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 173395 |
Avg:
-80.4 dB(A) |
Max:
-18.5 dB(A) |
Error
Muting Samples
|
Num: 5997 |
Avg:
1.2 Samples |
Max: 18 Samples |
Skips
Samples
|
Num: 36 |
Avg:
6.0 Samples |
Max:
6 Samples |
Total Test Result |
63.9 points (out of 100.0 maximum) |
C2 Accuracy |
98.6 % |
The total error count was about average, and the maximum error loudness level
was high at -18.5dB. There were 36 skipped samples
which is high, while
the drive
achieved a total score of 65.4. In general, the drive 's performance
was not that good with this test disc.
- ABEX TCD-726
Errors total
|
Num:
8438
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 12262 |
Avg:
-85.5 dB(A) |
Max: -11.5 dB(A) |
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 323 |
Avg:
4.4 Samples |
Max:
18 Samples |
Skips Samples
|
Num: 2 |
Avg:
6.0 Samples |
Max: 6 Samples |
Total Test Result |
73.9 points (out of 100.0 maximum) |
C2 Accuracy |
96.3 % |
The Abex TCD-726 test disc is much easier for drives in general to read. Most
drives manage to compile a score in the 90s with the better drives managing
100. The drive managed only 73.9, showing again that the drive's CD error correction
capabilities need improving. A good reader
should produce better results than these.
- 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 (i.e.
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
|
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
3/5
|
0/5
|
0/5
|
The drive successfully passed only the first two out of the five check levels
for this test. Here too, the drive turned in a poor performance. Almost
all drives have difficulties reading the 5th level but good quality drives
can
read up to the 4th
level. However, most drives will pass at least the third level without any
problems.
- Summary
Generally we can say that the CD error correction of the NEC ND-3500A is
less
than average, something that could be fixed with newer firmware releases.
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder -
Page 4
DVD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests we examined the DVD reading capabilities of the NEC
ND-3500A 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.
The ND-3500A needed to lower its speed to read over the scratched
area. However, no errors were reported, and the maximum 16X reading speed was
achieved near the end of the reading process.
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 from 65 to 75 micrometers.
The ND-3500A read this disc as if there were no defects and fingerprints
at all. A continuous line was produced, and the drive once again reached
its highest 16X reading speed.
- 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.
.
Most NEC based drives have problems reading this type of disc. As seen above,
the NEC has improved DVD error correction capabilities over former drives.
The ND-3500A gave no errors during reading. The test was completed successfully.
Excellent
performance
at this
point!
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.
Again, the drive had no problems reading this disc.
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 from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
According
to this reading behavior, the drive could read the disc with no problems.
It started to read at a speed of 1.92X, reached a highest
reading speed of 4.61X at the end of the first layer, lowered the reading speed
just after the start of the second layer and produced an average
speed of 3.24X (similar results were reported by the TDK 1616N, as would be
expected).
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 has also 65 - 75 micro meter fingerprints.
Not even this disc was a problem for the ND-3500A model.
- Summary
NEC drives were known to be bad readers, and their DVD error correction capabilities
were limited. We were happy to see that NEC improved DVD error correction with
their new ND-3500A, making it a very good reader for problematic media.
5. Protected Disc Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder - Page 5
Protected Disc Tests
- Reading Tests
To create the image of the various protected titles to the hard disk, we used Alcohol 120% software and the appropriate settings, according to the protection type of the inserted discs. Below you can see the duration of each process as well as the transfer rate in each case.
Game Title |
Protection Scheme |
Duration |
Reading speed |
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme" |
Lybcrypt |
01:06 min |
1349 sectors/sec |
Serious Sam The Second Encounter v1.07 |
SafeDisc v.2.60.052 |
32:56 min |
170 sectors/sec |
VRally II |
SecuROM v.2 |
3:08 min |
1819 sectors/sec |
Although the BenQ drive was the fastest with Lybcrypt protected discs,
the ND-3500A was not far behind being a good deal faster than both the Pioneer
and Memorex drives. With SecuROM v2 ripping, the drive was slightly faster
than
the Pioneer DVR-108
and BenQ DW1620A drives, but
much slower
than the Memorex drive, which was also the fastest with SafeDisc protected
discs.
- Writing Tests
The NEC ND-3500A supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking the drive's
EFM correction status, we used 5 different game titles with different SafeDisc
2 versions having the latest software patches installed. After making the images
of the various titles onto the hard disk, we burned them (maximum speed) with
Alcohol 120% v1.9.2.1705. Two different discs were created for each title;
one with the "Bypass EFM error" enabled and one more with the function
disabled.
- Fifa 2004 - Safe Disc v3.1x
- The Sims Superstar - Safe Disc v2.9x
- The Sims Unleashed - Safe Disc v2.8x
- Serious Sam Second Encounter - Safe Disc v2.51.021
- Max Payne - Safe Disc v2.51.020
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Drive |
Fifa 2004
SD v3.1 |
Sims Superstar SD v2.9 |
Sims Unleashed SD v2.8 |
Serious Sam-Second Encounter
SD v2.51.051 |
Max Payne
SD v2.51.020 |
EFM OFF |
EFM ON |
EFM OFF |
EFM ON |
EFM OFF |
EFM ON |
EFM OFF |
EFM ON |
EFM OFF |
EFM ON |
Toshiba
SD-M1502 |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Creative CD5233E |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
NEC ND-3500A |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Like most NEC based drives, the ND-3500A cannot produce working backups with the newest v2.8x, v2.9x
and v3.1x builds. Partially working backups were produced for SafeDisc v2.51.051 & v2.51.020.
6. DAE Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder -
Page 6
DAE Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results
The ND-3500A supports up to 13-32X CAV DAE speed. The following results were reported when using Exact Audio Copy.
The NEC ND-3500A was slower with both Pressed CD and CDR media. The Memorex
16X recorder supports up to 48X CAV DAE speed, the highest speed available.
The NEC ND-3500A drive can report C2 errors, but caching is not supported.
- Advanced DAE Quality
The NEC-ND3500A achieved a score of 95.3, which is a good score (but not
perfect, and lower than the TDK 1616N). Very good recorders can achieve a perfect
quality score of 100. At the same time, ND-3500A was the slowest drive in the
comparison matrix. The ND-3500A cannot read Leadin data or Leadout data,
but it can read CD Text and Subchannel data. The reported average speed
was
24.17X.
- Ripping 90mins AudioCDs
The drive can read/rip flawlessly 90min Audio CDs at an average speed of
23.17X, starting the reading process at 15.38X and reaching a maximum
speed of 32.97X. Reading speed dropped to around 5X near the end of the reading
process, from the 77th min to the end but the drive read the
disc without errors.
- Ripping 99mins AudioCDs
The 99min Audio CD we used for this
test was not recognized correctly by the NEC ND-3500A. The time length was
wrong and the reading process could not start, giving the following error message.
It should be noted that 99min Audio CDs were a problem with all NEC
based drives.
7. Protected AudioCDs
NEC ND-3500A Recorder -
Page 7
Protected AudioCDs
For the test procedure we used three audio discs with different audio copy
protections. The ripping process on all protected Audio discs was carried out
with Exact Audio Copy v0.9 beta5.
The tested protected Audio discs were:
- Sony's Key2Audio from "Celine Dion - New Day Has Come"
- Cactus Data Shield 200 from "Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island"
The Cactus Data Shield 200, contains artificial errors that are not easily
bypassed by the reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session causing
problems for readers when trying to read the Table Of Contents (TOC).
The tested tasks are:
- Recognition of the inserted disc (Yes/No).
- Ripping all wavs (with EAC's Burst Mode) to the hard disk with copy&compare function.
- Listening to the produced wavs for any click/skips.
The drive recognized up to the 12th Audio track of the CDS200 disc,
and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed, the drive recognized
the 13th track.
The test results are shown in the following table:
|
Key2Audio |
CDS200 |
NEC ND-3500A |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison not the same for all tracks |
The NEC ND-3500A could
not rip 100% accurately CD200 discs since Read&Test CRC check comparison was not the same between corresponding tracks. On the other hand, Key2Audio protected CDs were not a problem. EAC did not
report timing problems, and at the same time, Read&Test CRC check comparison
was the same for all corresponding tracks.
- Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love Letter)
This
is a "special" CDS200 build, since it doesn't contain any artificial
errors which create problems during the ripping process. Most problems occur
when trying to write the ripped wav files, since the produced CD-R disc contains
C2 and
CU
errors!
This "problem" is rumored to be connected to specific chipset weaknesses.
We ripped the disc contents with EAC and burned the wav file produced from the Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a disc with the latest Nero version as AudioCD+CD-Text. The burned media was checked for C1/C2 errors and for BETA/Jitter errors with PlexTools software using Plextor PX-712SA (firmware v1.05).
|
CDS 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a |
NEC ND-3500A |
Reading performed without any errors. |
- C1C2 Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712SA (8X CLV reading speed)
- BETA/Jitter Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712SA
The C1/C2 error graphs show that the ND-3500A managed to produce a 100% error
free disc.
We then tried to extract all wav files with the Plextor PX-712SA and PlexTool DAE Error Correction 5th Level enabled:
No errors were reported after extracting all files. The drive can backup the
disc 100% accurately.
8. CD Recording Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder - Page 8
CD Recording Tests
- CD-R Format
The NEC-3500A probably has the largest combination of writing
speeds and writing strategies. Supported writing speeds are as follows:
- 8X and 16X CLV
- 24X Z-CLV, 24X P-CAV
- 32X Z-CLV, 32X P-CAV
- 40X Z-CLV, 40X CAV
- 48X Z-CLV, 48X CAV
It's uncommon for a drive manufacturer to support
both Z-CLV and P-CAV/CAV writing strategies for the same writing
speeds, but depending on the media manufacturer, the drive adjusts accordingly
to produce the best possible results. We experienced the same writing methodology
with the TDK 1616N model.
According to Nero CDSpeed, the drive clocked in an average speed
of 36.31X.
The test started at 21.47X and finished at 40.07X.
- CD-R Recording Times
We created an 80min data compilation with Nero Burning Rom and recorded
it on a 700MB disc. The writing performance varies according to the inserted
media. Below is a chart depicting all recording times with
various media.
You will notice that not all media could be recorded at 48X. This is a major
drawback for this drive, since not even good quality media like TY could
be recorded at full speed. The ND-3500A returned a time of 3:34 minutes
at the 32X writing speed with Intenso 52X media being written at 32X, and 3:01 at
48X writing speed with BenQ 52X media. Very good performance at
this speed. It should be noted that all media was recorded at maximum supported
speeds by the drive.
- Other features
The NEC ND-3500A supports overburning up to 90mins at full speed and can
both read and write CD-Text.
Unfortunately, the drive cannot overburn more that 90mins, and gives the following error message.
- CD-RW Format
The ND-3500A supports 4X, 10X, 16X (CLV) and 24X (Z-CLV) rewriting speeds,
with Ultra Speed Rewritable Media
(US-RW).
Below you can see the Nero CD-DVD Speed writing simulation test with blank 24x US-RW media from Mitsubishi Chemicals.
- CD-RW Mount Rainier
The NEC ND-3500A does not support the Mount Rainier feature.
9. Writing Quality Tests - 3T Jitter Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder - Page 9
Writing Quality Tests - 3T Jitter Tests
On this page we present the 3T Pit & Land Jitter graphs when
using various media burned at 32X and 48X writing speeds.
- 3T Pit results
The
highest 3T Pit jitter reached 53nsec (Traxdata), which is way above the Red
Book limit (35nsec).
Best results were achieved with BenQ CD-R and Taiyo Yuden media. Generally,
the performance of the ND-3500A was not good, and this is a point that NEC
should
improve with
future firmware releases.
- 3T Land results
The 3T Land results were also high, reaching a maximum of 55nsec, again with
Traxdata media, while Taiyo Yuden and BenQ CD-R media once again produced the
best results.
Former NEC drives reported better performance than the ND-3500A did here.
On the other hand, when writing at 32X, recording quality was far better,
but
when writing at 48X, media quality was reduced. It should be noted that all
discs were recorded at the maximum supported speeds.
10. Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
NEC ND-3500A Recorder - Page 10
Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
We measured the C1 / C2 error rate on the recorded discs we burned at the
various supported writing speeds. The software we used is PleXTools Professional
v2.16, and in particular the built-in Q-Check utility. The reader
was the Plextor PX-712SA (firmware v1.05).
BenQ 80min 52X @ 48X
Intenso 80min 48X @ 32X
MMORE 80min 52X @ 48X
SKC 80min 52X @ 32X
Traxdata 80min 52X @ 48X
TY 80min 48X @ 32X
- Summary
There were C2 errors reported with certain discs that could be better. The
overall writing performance of CDR media needs improvement. NEC needs to look
into
improving this aspect with future firmware releases. It should be
noted that
all discs were recorded at the maximum speed supported by the recorder.
- Appendix
Media Label |
ID Code |
Manufacturer Name |
Lead Out TIme |
BenQ 52X |
97m22s67f |
Daxon |
79m59s74f |
SKC 52X |
97m26s26f |
SKC Co., Ltd. |
79m59s73f |
TY 80min 48X |
97m24s 1f |
Taiyo Yuden |
79m59s72f |
Intenso 52X |
97m32s19f |
Prodisc |
79m59s71f |
TraxData 52X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek |
79m59s70f |
MMore 52X |
97m17s 6f |
Moser Baer India |
79m59s74f |
11. DVD Recording Tests
NEC ND-3500A Recorder - Page 11
DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
The NEC ND-3500A supports DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW writing. The maximum supported
speed for DVD±R is 16X CAV and 4X CLV
for DVD±RW media. You can see the full range of supported speeds on
the first page of this review. Nero Burning Rom's reported speeds are shown
below.
By using Nero CD-DVD Speed with DVD-R and DVD+R media, we are able to see the 8X ZCLV, 12X ZCLV, 13X CAV and 16X CAV recording technology being used by the recorder for -R and +R media.
Below is a table with several 12X and 16X recorders, listing
their average writing speeds as measured by Nero CD-DVDSpeed and showing that
the NEC ND-3500A and TDK 1616N are the fastest 16X recorders.
Drive |
Writing Strategy |
Writing Speed |
Average
Writing Speed |
Plextor PX-712A |
P-CAV |
12X |
10.62X |
LG GSA-4120B |
Z-CLV |
12X |
9.87X |
BenQ DW1620A |
CAV |
16X |
11.52X |
ASUS DRW-1604P |
Z-CLV |
16X |
10.11X |
TDK 1616N |
CAV |
16X |
11.86X |
NEC ND-3500A |
CAV |
16X |
11.86X |
Pioneer DVR-108A |
Z-CLV |
16X |
10.03X |
- Burning Tests
Full Media Support list will be discussed later on this review
There are only a few -R media that can be recorded at 16X. The TDK 8X
media was recorded at the 16X speed but the drive could not pass the 14X
limit, giving
similar recording performance to that of TY 8X media recorded at 12X. Maxell 16X media had the best performance of all.
Best performance was reported with Verbatim 16X media (recorded at 16X). It
should be reminded that the TDK 1616N could write BeALL and BenQ 8X media only
at
4X, and the NEC ND-3500A should support these speeds as well. For 16X media,
CMC Magnetics and Philips media could only be recorded at 8X, while Traxdata
8X and 16X media (Ritek based) supported only 4X(!). This is a major
drawback for this device.
- Comparison with other drives
Although there are faster +R media recorders, recording times reported by
the NEC ND-3500A were indeed more than satisfactory. The Pioneer DVR-108 seems
to be the slowest drive, being able to write at 16X Z-CLV in 431secs. With
-R media, the Memorex drive could not compete with the other drives, since
it can only write at 8X. The ND-3500A was the fastest for this media format.
With DVD re-writable media, all drives could record up to 4X, and the Memorex
recorder was the fastest of all. However, the ND-3510A surpassed the Pioneer
and BenQ drives.
- DVD Overburning Tests
Using Nero CD-DVD Speed, we tested if the NEC ND-3500A can overburn using DVD+R
and DVD-R media. The drive does not support overburning, giving the following
error
with all inserted media.
- DVD+MRW Tests
The NEC ND-3500A does not support the Mount
Rainier feature.
12. Media Support list - +R/+RW/+R9 (DL) media