Available recording speeds
VSO Inspector from VSO Software was used for gathering my information about the available recording speeds the BenQ 16x DVD-R media on our review recording devices. This media information utility allows the user to easily see the rated speeds available for the BenQ16x DVD-R media according to the hardware used during this review. It can also tell the user the full Media ID code for any given media as well as giving us a rough guide to the success rate of the inserted media according to VSO software's media success database. Once the maximum available recording speeds for each device had been discovered using VSO Inspector, Nero CD-DVD Speed from Ahead software was used to record a test DVD of maximum capacity to see if the review recording devices achieved their maximum recording speed.
The DVD's created here in this first test with CD Speed will be used later on during the Disc Quality, Transfer and Verification tests. Tests carried out included the recording of 5 pieces of media to each drive with some exceptions. The Plextor PX-760A Premium which had 5 pieces tested under the default setting of Auto Strategy set to Auto and Power Record on whilst another 5 pieces where tested under a new strategy created with the full learn option in the Auto Strategy database, again with Power Record enabled. I also tested 10 pieces with the Philips DVDR1660P1, 5 with Solidburn on and 5 with Solidburn off. Only results under default settings are shown here as that is what most users will start recording with but I will make a mention of any improvements that where gained by using the non default settings.
The 5 pcs of media per drive used in this review exclude 1 pc that was used beforehand to let the drive learn the media. The tests on the 5 pcs per drive began after this first 'learning burn'.
Results show that not all of the review recording devices where capable of supporting the BenQ 16x DVD-R media at its rated maximum speed of 16x. I always hope to see a brand of media fully supported by all review recording devices and this was not always the case with the this particular media.
The Liteon SHM-165P6S under firmware MV9N played it safe by offering a 12x recording strategy, whilst the Pioneer DVR 111D under firmware 1.23 and the NEC ND-4551 under firmware 1-08 both offered and achieved 16x recording speeds. The Plextor PX-760A under firmware 1.03 offered 16x but very rarely achieved it with its logic slowing down all tested recordings. The Philips DVDR1660P1 under firmware P1.5 offered 16x but only delivered a very slow 12x recording consistently, again it seems this drives logic decided to slow down the recording.
Overview of recording times
The times listed below are to be considered the average recording speeds for each recording device used in this BenQ 16x DVD-R media review.
| | Writer used: | Average recording time | | DVR 111D [OEM] Pioneer (firmware: 1.23) | 6:04 | | | ND-4551 A [OEM] NEC (firmware: 1-08) | 6:15 | | | SHM-165P6S[Retail] Liteon (firmware: MV9N) | 6:46 | | | PX-760A Premium [Retail] Plextor (firmware: 1.03) | 7:09 | | | DVDR1660P1 [Retail] Philips (firmware: P1.5) | 7:52 | |
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"Of course achieving the fastest recording speed does not always mean you achieve the best quality recording as I will be quick to point out to our readers. There is no point in having the fastest recording if the quality suffers! Hardware logic can sometimes slow media down in firmwares or limit the maximum speed for each particular piece of media recorded to achieve the best quality possible and prevent a bad recording."
Please read on to see what a more detailed examination discovered about the recorded media during the Disc Quality, Transfer and Playback tests.
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