Available speed and recording tests
VSO Inspector from VSO Software was used for gathering my information about the available recording speeds the Fujifilm 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 Fujifilm 16x 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. 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 under the default factory settings. Extra pc's of media where tested with each review drive under different settings where device logic allowed. 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 individual drives logic to get a basic idea of the media. The tests on the 5 pcs per drive began after this first 'learning burn'.
Not all of the review recording devices where capable of supporting the Maxell 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 the case with the Maxell 16x DVD+R media. Of course just because some drives are capable of 16x recording speeds does not mean that the individual drives logic will not slow the recording down to maximize quality. If the 12x recording speeds produce workable recordings then the recording device as done it's job well in my opinion.
Under default settings I found some big variance in recording times with three out of the five recording devices used offering recording times of between 6 to 6 1/2 minutes. Only 20 seconds seperated the Optiarc, Samsung and Plextor recording devices.The extra logic of the Philips DVDR1660P under firmware P1.6 disregards recording speed and instead concentrates on producing the best possible recording per speed selected. Still even with all the extra logic turned on full, a recording time of around 7 minutes was possible. The Pioneer DVR 111-D offered the slowest recording time with its reduced 12x recording speed completeing in 7 minutes and 22 seconds.
Overview of recording times
The times listed below are to be considered the average recording speeds for each recording device used in this media review.
| | Writer used: | Average recording time | | SH-S182[Retail] Samsung (firmware: SB03) | 6:10 | | | AD-7173A [OEM] Optiarc (firmware: 1-01) | 6:21 | | | PX-760A Premium [Retail] Plextor (firmware: 1.06) | 6:30 | | | DVDR1660P1[Retail] Philips (firmware: P1.6) | 7:00 | | | DVR 111D[OEM] Pioneer (firmware: 1.29) | 7:22 | |
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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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