ASUS DRW-1604P Dual Layer DVD+/- R/RW ATAPI Drive


Introduction

 

Choosing a recordable DVD drive has always been somewhat of a difficult task.  There was a bit of initial uncertainty as some wondered which format would win out, DVD+R or DVD–R.  After all, each format has its advantages.  In the end, however, unlike the Beta vs VHS battles of the early 80s, this war was quelled as OEMs moved quickly to offer both capabilities with Dual Format drives.

Today, we have another addition to the mix with the long awaited arrival of Dual Layer recordable DVDs.  This iteration of writable media supports a full 8.5GB of storage capacity.  And unlike previous market evolutions, Dual Layer DVD drives have entered the market at very affordable price points from the start, with some initial offerings selling for under $100.  This is a far cry from the $350 initial price tags we saw with the release of the first DVD writers several years ago.

The latest Dual Layer DVD-capable drive to hit the HH test labs is the ASUS DRW-1604P Dual Layer DVD+/- R/RW ATAPI Drive.  This drive not only offers Dual Layer support at 4X writing speeds, it does it using 2.4X media.  Back that up with 16X DVD+/-R write speeds with 8X/4X media, and the DRW-1604P starts looking very attractive.  The question is whether this drive can back up its impressive features with actual performance.  Let's take a look and see what the DRW-1604P brings to the table.

  
Specifications of the ASUS DRW-1604P Dual Layer DVD+/- R/RW ATAPI Drive
Getting Faster and Faster

Performance
Write Speed
DVD+R (DL)2.4X, 4X (CLV)
DVD+R 2.4X, 4X, 6X (CLV), 8X, 12X, 16X (ZCLV)
DVD+RW 2.4X, 4X (CLV)
DVD-R 1X, 2X, 4X, 6X (CLV), 8X, 12X, 16X (ZCLV)
DVD-RW 1X, 2X, 4X (CLV)
CD-R 4X, 10X, 16X (CLV), 24X, 32X (ZCLV)
CD-RW 4X, 10X, 16X (CLV), 20X, 24X (ZCLV)


Read Speed
DVD-ROM 16X max. (CAV)
CD-ROM 40X max. (CAV)
Random Access Time
DVD: 140ms and CD: 130 ms


Recording Formats
DVD-R: DAO, Incremental Recording, Multi-Border Recording
DVD-RW: Restricted Overwriting, DAO, Incremental/ Multi-Border Recording
DVD+R: Sequential/ Incremental Recording
DVD+R (DL): Sequential/ Incremental Recording
DVD+RW: Random Recording
CD-R/RW: DAO, TAO, SAO, Packet Write, Multi-Session Recording


O/S Compatibility
Windows XP/ NT/ ME/ 2000/ 98SE
Interface
Enhanced-IDE (ATAPI)
Data Buffer
2MB


Bundle Software
Latest NERO Burning Software

Audio Output
Line out Output 0.75 +/- 0.15 Vrms

Disc
Disc Format
DVD-ROM, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, Photo CD, CD-DA, CD-Extra, CD-R, CD-RW
Disc Diameters
8 cm and 12 cm


Reliability
MTBF
60,000 Power On Hours
Operating Duty Cycle (Read) 20% POH
Operating Duty Cycle (Write) 2% POH
MTTR
0.5 Hour


Configurations
Mounting Orientation
Vertical and Mounting)
Dimensions (WxHxD)
14.8 x 4.23 x 19.8 cm (5.9 x 1.6 x 7.8 inch)
Weight 1.1kg (2.42lb)


Electrical Specifications
Power Requirement
DC + 5V DC + 12V
Tolerance
~5% ~10%


Environmental Specifications
Temperature
Operating: 5C to 45C
Storage: -20C to 60C
Humidity
Operating: 5% ~ 85% (Non-condensing)
Storage: 5% ~ 90% (Non-condensing)
Vibration
Operating: 0.2 G peak (at 10~500 Hz)
Storage: 1.5 G peak (at 10~500 Hz)

Quality and Setup of the ASUS DRW-1604P Dual Layer DVD+/- R/RW ATAPI Drive
What You Would Expect

    

The DRW-1604P comes with just about everything needed to get up and running quickly.  ASUS provides both a Quick Installation guide as well as a User's Manual to cover all aspects of installing and operating the drive.  They also included the necessary hardware to mount and connect the drive, including four mounting screws, a 40-Pin IDE cable and audio cable for connecting to a sound card or onboard audio header.  Additionally, ASUS included an OEM version of our favorite burning software, Ahead's Nero Burning ROM.  To round out the package, a copy of ULEAD's DVD Movie Factory 3 Suite SE offers a broad range of DVD authoring and editing capability.  Sadly, the only thing lacking was blank recordable media.  Currently, Dual Layer media is relatively hard to find since the market is still in its infancy. Including a single blank disk would have been a good move in our opinion.  Nonetheless, we think a blank CD-R should be included at the least, as most retail drives we've seen include this today.


Tags:  Asus, DVD, drive, dual, 4P, Ive, Pi, api, AP, ATAP

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