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If we were to
step back for a second and look at the state of optical
storage a couple of years ago, we were just getting used to
having CD-Writers come standard in pre-built PCs. They might
not have been super-fast, or overly elegant, but they got
the job done. It was for some people, a liberation
from the scant amounts of removable storage that floppy or
ZIP drives provided. DVD-Writers, or "burners" as many have
dubbed them, were just entering the market, but the prices
were way too prohibitive for most people to write off as a
justifiable expense. Not to mention that the actual media
was just as pricey, and hard to find. Throw in a debate as
to which format to support, DVD+R or DVD-R, and the pot
really begins to boil. Anyone old enough to remember the VHS
vs. Beta debacle can lament all too well what it means to
support the "losing" standard.
As the saying goes, time and tide wait for no man and DVD
burners have come down enough in price to make them a
practical choice for replacing the CD-RW. There are various
reasons why someone might want to make this jump. DVD media
is generally 6+ times larger than a typical CD-R, allowing
for much more data to be backed up or archived. The drives
are also multi-format, meaning that they can read and write
to both CDs and DVDs. Like they say at Walmart, it's a
one-stop solution for all of today's needs. We've looked at
a couple of DVD+R drives in the past, but today's this new
product is the first one we've seen that breaks below the
$100 barrier. We've got a look at the AOpen DRW4410 DVD+R/+RW
drive that's sure to turn more than a couple of heads, with
its aggressive price point and relative performance.
CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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Specifications of the AOpen DRW4410 |
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Great features for less than you'd expect |
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Model: DRW4410
Interface: ATAPI / IDE
Data Buffer Memory: 2MB
Average Access Time: DVD: 140ms
Average Access Time: CD: 120ms
Data Transfer Rates:
DVD+R/RW Write: 4X
DVD Read: Up to 8x
CD-R Write: 4x - 24x
CD-RW Write: 4x - 10x
CD Read: Up to 40x
Supported Formats: CD-Audio, CD-DA, CD-ROM,
CD-ROM XA, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-I, Photo-CD, Video CD, CD
Extra, CD-G (Read), CD Text, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R
(Read, Play), DVD-RW (Read, Play), DVD-ROM (Read),
DVD-Video (Play)
Recording Modes: Packet, TAO, DAO, SAO, RAW
SAO, RAW SAO 16, RAW SAO 96, RAW DAO 96
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Buffer
Management: JustLink Buffer Underrun Prevention
Write Methods: Disk at Once, Track at Once,
Session at Once,
Multi-Session, and Packet Write.
Write Verification: JustSpeed technology
reduces disc errors such as insufficient power in
writing and servo follow errors.
Front
Panel: Built-in Power Eject/Load Button, LED
Indicator
Disc Loading: Power Loading Tray
Power Requirement: +12V DC and +5V DC
Power Consumption: normal operation 16W or less
Mounting Orientation: Horizontal or Vertical
(eject button must be upside)
Dimensions: (WxHxD) 145.6mm x 41.6mm x 191.4mm
Weight: less than 1.2 kg (about 2.6 lbs.)
Temperature: Operating: 5-50° C,
non-operating -40-65° C
Humidity: Operating: 5%-90% R.H., non-operating
5%-95% R.H.
EMI Requirement: VCCI-Class B, FCC Part15-Class
B, BSMI
Safety Requirement: UL/CUL, TUV, CE, CDRH,
C-Tick, CB, WHQL
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Bundled Media and Software |
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Checking the box for more goodies! |
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Although the
AOpen DRW4410 is priced low, it didn't affect the included
items in the retail bundle very much. A multi-language
user's manual contained all of the information concerning
installing the drive and software, the various features of
this DVD drive, and a brief troubleshooting section.
An Easy Installation Guide only covers the basic steps for
installation and will probably be used in most situations.
An audio cable and four mounting screws were present, but no
IDE cable was included, which would have completed the
setup.
Surprisingly,
AOpen has also included a full suite of writing media.
While you can usually expect at least one blank CD or DVD to
test the drive, here we found at least one of each type to
try. There was a 4x DVD+R and three 4x DVD+RW discs,
as well as a CD-R and a CD-RW. These were more than an
ample amount of discs for one drive at any price. To
put these discs to work, AOpen has included a software CD
that contained VideoStudio 7, neoDVD 4.5, PowerDVD XP, Nero
5, and InCD packet writer. For example, neoDVD 4.5 can
be used to transfer movies from VHS to DVD, which could then
be edited using VideoStudio 7. Nero 5 is an older
version of the powerful burning software by Ahead, which
burns both CDs and DVDs. You also can take the newly
burned DVD and watch it in a fully-licensed copy of PowerDVD
XP. The last piece of software, InCD, can use the DVD
drive almost like another hard drive, writing up to 4.7 GB
of data at a time.
A closer look at the DRW4410
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