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Plextor is one of
the top manufacturers of optical drives. In fact, many
consider their drives to be the best available. Over
the years, we've had the opportunity to review quite a few
models, with virtually all of them receiving our "Editor's
Choice" award. The reason for this was simple; Plextor
consistently produces drives with features and performance,
that either set the standard, or perfected current
standards.
As hard drive
capacities continue to grow, the need for larger removable
storage solutions has increased. Naturally, it was
only a matter of time before the CD market started shifting
from CD-R technology to the higher capacity DVD format.
While standard CD-Rs have become common place, DVD media
offers capacities six times that of common CD-Rs, making it
an attractive upgrade. Initially, like most new
technologies, DVD burners tended to be out of the price
range of the common user, often exceeding $600 for first
generation models. Today, DVD burners are becoming
more popular and more manufacturers are creating competitive
solutions. Plextor is one of the latest manufacturers
to get into the game with their first offering, the Plextor
PX-504A. Ever since DVD writers first emerged, we've
been looking forward to seeing what would come out of the
Plextor camp. Now that wait is over. Let's take
a look and see what the Plextor PX-504A has to offer.
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Specifications of the Plextor PX-504A |
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This
Drive Does it All! |
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Specifications:
- PX-504A/SW
(internal), PX-504A/SW-BL (black bezel)
- 6-in-1 drive: 4X
DVD+R, 2.4X DVD+RW, 12X DVD-ROM, 16X CD-R, 10X CD-RW,
40X max CD-ROM
- Buffer Under Run
Proof technology prevents errors in CD-R/RW writing
- Lossless Linking
prevents errors in DVD writing
- High capacity -
Holds 4.7 GB of storage on DVD media
- 120ms Average CD
Random Access
- 140ms Average DVD
Random Access
- 2 MB Buffer
- Black tray minimizes
jitters
- Flash ROM allows for
easy upgrade over the Internet
- Supports DVD+RW
background format
- Useable DVD Formats:
DVD-ROM, DVD Video, Multi Border (closed disc read
only), multi session
- Useable CD Formats:
CD-DA; CD-ROM Mode 1; CD-ROM Mode 2; CD-ROM XA,
CD-I; Photo CD; Video CD; CD-Extra; CD Text;
Multi-session, UDF
- Recording DVD+R/RW
Modes: Sequential write, Random access write and
Disc-at-one
- Recording CD-R/RW
Modes: Track-at-once, Disc-at-once, Session-at-once,
Multi-session, Fixed and Variable Packet Writing
- Windows
98SE/2000/ME/XP Compatible
- One-Year Full
Warranty and Unlimited Toll-Free Tech Support
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Minimum System Requirements:
- CPU: Pentium III 800
MHz or equivalent (minimum)
- CPU: Pentium 4 1.6
GHz or equivalent (suggested)
- RAM: 128MB
- HDD: 800MB-1GB
- Monitor display
resolution: 1024 X 768 16-bit color (requires a
graphics card with minimum 16MB of memory)
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The Bundle:
CLICK ANY
IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW
Included with
the Plextor PX-504A full retail package, we found the
following:
- 1 - 40-Pin 40-Wire
Ribbon Cable
- 1 - 48X Speed
Verbatim CD-R
- 1 - 4X Speed
Verbatim DVD+R
- 4 - Mounting Screws
- 1 - Emergency Eject
Pin
- 1 - User's Manual
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- 1 - Quick Reference
Guide
- 1 -Software DVD
including:
-Roxio Creator DVD Edition
-Roxio PhotoSuite 5 SE
-Cyberlink PowerDVD
-Retrospect Backup
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In true Plextor
fashion, the drive came with an excellent array of items.
A 40-pin data cable and 4 mounting screws are included to
get the drive installed and working quickly. We were
disappointed to see that no audio cable was provided to
connect the drive to a sound card however. We found
the Quick Reference Guide and User's Manual to be quite
thorough, giving the user detailed information about their
new DVD+R writer. We think that an informed customer
is a happy customer and Plextor does a fine job of covering
all aspects of the PX-504A, from installation of the drive
to software installation and use.
ROXIO Easy CD CREATOR 5 DVD Edition
One of the more
noteworthy programs included with the PX-504A is Roxio
Easy CD Creator DVD Edition. While this
isn't the newest Easy CD Creator available, we found the
software quite capable, with a clean interface and intuitive
layout. Immediately after we completed the
installation, we were burning a Data DVD in no time.
Roxio did a great job at designing a simple user interface
that is easy to understand. The software has a clean
menu that gives easy access to the CD and DVD writing
applications. The software also comes with DirectCD
which lets a user treat a CD like a floppy disk using packet
writing technology.
ROXIO
PhotoSuite 5 SE
Another great
piece of software is Roxio PhotoSuite 5 SE.
This program is a terrific freebie that lets you create
Calendars, Custom Pictures, and Picture Disks. There
are also good photo editing functions and authoring software
for creating custom picture DVDs. This program is
loaded with options and is a breeze to learn. Roxio
segments the program into several sections, each dealing
with different CD/DVD authoring features. This is an
extremely useful package that will allow users to get
creative and design great looking custom DVDs.
Now that we've
got the package contents covered, let's take a closer look
at the quality of the drive itself.
Quality, Features and Installation
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