When it comes to CD and DVD
writers, the market is filled with quality models from a wide array of
manufacturers. This wasn't always the case, however. Just a few
years back, when it was time to purchase a recordable drive, there were
only a few top models, with other manufacturers trying to break into the
market with cheaper, sometimes less reliable products. Today, all of that has
changed.
While the CD/DVD writer market is still driven by front runners like
Pioneer, Sony, TDK and Plextor, their lead has been shortened by a number of viable,
sometimes economical
alternatives. Other manufacturers, such as LG, Lite-On and Artec focus
on offering quality recorders while cutting some of the costs associated
with the bigger name manufacturers. Often times we find that theses
companies can compete on the same level as the major brands, yet they are
able to do this while keeping the costs down, sometimes dramatically.
Today we are going to take a look at a
competitively priced dual format DVD writer from Artec, aptly named theArtec
Dual DVD+R/RW drive. This is a rather ordinary looking drive on the outside,
but boasts a hefty 8MB cache and 8X/4X write speeds that make it an
attractive alternative for the cost conscious consumer.
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Specifications of the Artec Dual DVD±R/RW
Drive
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What Can This Drive Do?
A Lot!
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Model DVD+/-RW Dual
Performance [DVD+R/RW]Data Transfer Rate /write: 88.64 Mb/sec (8X)Data Transfer Rate
/rewrite: 44.32 Mb/sec (4X)[DVD-R/RW]Data Transfer Rate /write: 44.32 Mb/sec
(4X)Data Transfer Rate /rewrite: 22.16 Mb/sec (2X)Data Transfer Rate /read:
132.96 Mb/sec (12X, Max.)Access time: 160 ms[CD-R/RW]Data Transfer Rate
/write: 3600 KB/sec (24X)Data Transfer Rate /rewrite: 1500 KB/sec (10X)Data
Transfer Rate /read: 6000 KB/sec (40X, Max.)Access time: 120 ms
Reading Mode [DVD] DVD Video, DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-18, DVD+RW 4.7GB, DVD+R 4.7GB,
DVD-RW 4.7GB (closed session), DVD-R 4.7GB[CD] CD-DA, CD-ROM XA (m1,
m2f1/m2f2), CD-R, CD-RW, Bootable CD, Photo CD (single & multi-session),
Video CD, Super Video CD, CD-Extra, Mixed-mode CD, CD-Text, CD-Graphics Recording Mode [DVD] DVD Data and Video[CD] Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once,
Multisession, Packet Writing (fixed & variable packet), CD Digital Audio,
Direct-Over-Write on CD-RW, Simulation write
Writing Formats [DVD] DVD Video, DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-18, DVD+RW 4.7GB, DVD+R 4.7GB,
DVD-RW 4.7GB (closed session), DVD-R 4.7GB[CD] CD-DA, CD-ROM XA (m1,
m2f1/m2f2), CD-R, CD-RW, Bootable CD, Photo CD (single & multi-session),
Video CD, Super Video CD, CD-Extra, Mixed-mode CD, CD-Text, CD-Graphics
Interface Type E-IDE / ATAPI
Buffer Memory 8MB
Power Requirements DC +5V ±5% / +12V ±10%
Mounting Type Horizontal / Vertical
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OS Compliance Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, and XP
MTBF 50,000 POH
Disc Capacity CD 74 Min 650MB / 80 Min 730MB DVD: 4.7GB
Operating Temperature 5~40°C, Non-operating: -30~55°C
Dimensions (WxDxH) 145.6mm (W) x 196.4mm (D) x 41.6mm (H)
Weight 1.0KG
System Requirement - IBM PC compatiblePentium III 550MHz CPU - 128MB DRAM - 650MB free HDD space for CD/DVD recording related software installation - 5GB free HDD space for CD Image recording
Bundled Software Sonic RecordNow, Sonic DLA, WinDVD, WinDVD Creator
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Quality &
Setup of theArtec Dual DVD±R/RW
Drive
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Nothing to Stare at, But Loaded With Features.
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The Artec Dual DVD+R/RW drive
came with a simple, yet complete package. The drive
included a Quick Installation Guide, 80-wire ribbon cable and an audio cable for
connecting the drive directly to a sound card. The
retail package included several software titles as well, including
Sonic RecordNow, Sonic DLA, WinDVD and WinDVD Creator. Artec did a
decent job of including software to not
only record CDs and DVDs, but to
cover a broad spectrum of CD/DVD recording and authoring.
For basic recording, Artec included RecordNow which is a
recording package for creating and duplicating CDs and DVDs,
while Sonic DLA is used for adding Drag & Drop (packet
writing) functionality. The Sonic titles may be
less desirable than more popular recording suites, such as Nero Burning ROM,
which they included with their52X CDRWthat we reviewed in June, or Roxio Easy CD Creator,
however, we found them to be an adequate addition to this
competitively priced
package. Also included was a copy of InterVideo's WinDVD Cinema which includes full versions of
WinDVD for DVD movie playback and WinDVD Creator for DVD
authoring and recording. We should also note that this
drive does not come with any blank media. A blank CD-R
and DVD is a common staple with CD/DVD burners, but Artec
opted to leave these items out.
The drive itself holds no
surprises on the outside. The unit is the typical
beige color commonly used for these types of drives.
The CD tray is solid black which helps enhance the
accuracy of the burn by absorbing any reflected rays of
laser light.
The rear of the drive was also typical, including
connections for Analog and Digital audio outputs as well as
IDE and power. The drive mode selector ranges between
Cable Select, Master, and Slave. Like we said, the
outside held no surprises. The inside, on the other
hand, is what really matters.
The Artec Dual DVD+R/RW drive
supports 8X/4X DVD+R/RW and 4X/2X DVD-R/RW write/rewrite
speeds while read speeds are rated at 12X for both formats.
CD-R/RW write/rewrite speeds are rated for 24X/10X with a top read speed of 40X. Another strong point is the drive
sports a hefty 8MB buffer that should help improve
performance while reducing the chance of buffer under run errors during the
writing process.
HH Test System and Benchmarks
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