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Appeared on: Thursday, August 26, 2004
TEAC DV-W512G

1. Retail Package - Installation

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 1

has a long tradition with CD and DVD recorders. Following on the footsteps of competing manufacturers, TEAC has released a new drive supporting 12X writing speed for +R and 8X writing speed for -R formats. The competition already has various drives available on the market with similar specifications, making the buyers decision a tough one. We compare the drive with the LiteON SOHW-1213S and Plextor PX-712A to see which drive is the fastest and at the same time, how good is the writing quality, a very important consideration for most users...

- Features

The drive features 12X DVD+R, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD±RW, 48X CD-R and 24X CD-RW maximum burning speeds. Reading speeds are at 12X for DVD±R/RW/ROM and 48X for CD-R/RW. It also offers the features listed below:

- Specifications

Interface:
ATAPI/E-IDE supported PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2 and Ultra DMA mode 2
Writing Speed:

DVD+R: 12X Z-CLV/ -R: 8X Z-CLV, DVD+RW: 4X CLV, DVD-RW: 4X CLV
CD-R: 48X CAV, CD-RW: 24X Z-CLV
Read Speed:

DVD+R/-R/+RW/-RW: 12X CAV
DVD-ROM: 12X CAV, CD-R/RW: 48X CAV
Access Time:

DVD: 160msec
CD: 160 msec
Buffer Size:
2MB
Supported Disc Formats:
DVD: DVD single / dual layer ( PTP / OTP ), DVD-R ( 3.9 GB / 4.7 GB ), DVD-R multi-borders, DVD+R, DVD+R multi-sessions, DVD-RW and DVD+RW
CD: CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM / XA, Photo-CD, Multi-session, Karaoke-CD, Video-CD, CD-I FMV, CD Extra, CD Plus, CD-R, and CD-RW
Installation Angle:

Horizontal/Vertical
Physical Dimensions: 145x41.3x170mm (WxHxD)
Weight: 0.9Kg

The drive also uses the RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times, which however can easily be bypassed with various utilities.

Below are the drive's main specs as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:

KProbe software offers additional information:

- Retail package

The retail package includes the drive, a quick installation guide, mounting screws, IDE cable, sound cable and one 8X DVD+R media from TEAC (Ritek R03 media ID code). Also included software Nero v6 OEM version.

On the front panel, there are as usual on the tray the US-RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+RW logos. The phono jack, the sound level control and the activity indicator light are located on the left side and below the disc tray. On the right side there is only the eject button.

On the rear panel you can see the analogue and digital outputs (SPDIF), the IDE connector and the power input.

The drive is a half-height internal device, much shorter than the usual CD/DVD recorder, making mounting a breeze even in PCs with small cases. Below you can see a picture of the drive with noticeably smaller dimensions compared with the Plextor Premium drive.

Removing the screws and opening the drive's cover voids the drive's warranty. For reference reasons, we post the following pictures. You can click on the mainboard picture for a higher resolution image:

Click To Enlarge!

The TEAC DV-W512G further incorporates (located on the underside of the controller circuit board), a high-speed DVD dual Optical Disk Controller chipset from MediaTek Inc. consisting of two CMOS ultra-scale integrated circuits, the MT1816E and MT1828E. The MT1816E is the front-end analog signal processor and the MT1828E is the servo control and Endec IC. The pickup system is the Sanyo SF-DB 10SA.

- Installation

The drive was installed as secondary master and WindowsXP recognized it as "TEAC DV-W512G". The drive arrived with firmware vT4S5, which was updated to vT4S6 (unofficial version based on LiteON SOHW-1213S VTS0C) to support the latest media codes.

Below is a picture from Nero Burning Rom, showing the drive's specs.

As was stated earlier, we will be comparing the drive with the LiteON SOHW-1213S and Plextor PX-712A, since these drives have similar DVD/CD recording specs.

- Testing software

In order to perform our tests we used:

  1. Nero CD-DVD Speed v3.12
  2. CDVD Benchmark v1.21
  3. ExactAudioCopy v0.9 beta5
  4. Nero Info Tool v2.22
  5. KProbe v2.3.2 (Reader: LiteOn LDW-811S firmware vHS0Q, Reading speed 8X CAV)
  6. PlexTools v2.16 (Reader: Plextor PX-712A firmware v1.04, Reading speed 8X CLV for CD-R)
  7. DVDInfoPro v2.54
  8. LiteOn Booktype Utility v1.0.6
  9. Nero Burning Rom v6.3.1.17
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 2

Transfer Rate Reading Tests

- CD Format

The drive supports up to 48X reading speed. Below are the transfer rate graphs:

The TEAC and LiteON drives had similar performance with all media while the Plextor PX-712A is faster with US-RW media.

- DVD Format

Again, the TEAC and LiteOn drives had very similar speeds, the TEAC just a tad slower. The Plextor drive is again faster with the PTP single layer DVD-ROM disc.

The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially with the drive starting reading from the inner part of the disc, which is the beginning of each layer, progressing towards the outer range for each layer. The TEAC had the second fastest average speed at 6.11X.

Click for full graph

The first layer of an OTP dual layer DVD-ROM is read exactly the same way as the first layer of the PTP disc we tested previously. The difference here is the reading strategy of the second layer of the disc. The beginning of the second layer is located in the outer part of the disc, so the drive starts reading from the outer tracks toward the inner part of the disc. The average reading speed is 6.07X.

The TEAC drive will read up to 12X with +R media and up to 8X with DVD-R and DVD-RW/+RW media.

The TEAC drive can rip up to 7971Kb/s average, while the Plextor drive tops at 11447kb/s.

- DVD-RAM Format

The drive cannot read DVD-RAM media

- Appendix

Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs

3. CD Error Correction Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 3

CD Error Correction Tests

In the following tests we check the drive's behavior when it comes to reading scratched / defective discs. The test discs we use are the ABEX series from ALMEDIO.

- ABEX TCD-721R

Errors total
Num: 2032118
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
Num: 52680
Avg: -69.2 dB(A)
Max: -10.5 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples
Num: 5433
Avg: 1.0 Samples
Max: 11 Samples
Skips Samples
Num: 0
Avg: 0 Samples
Max: 0 Samples
Total Test Result
76.3 points (out of 100.0 maximum)
C2 Accuracy
70.1 % (out of 100.0% maximum)

The DV-W512G performed poorly with the ABEX TCD-721R. The drive's highest peak reached -10.5 dB(A) while the total error count of 2032118 was high, and despite the total result score of 76.3 we would like to see the drive improve. Its quite interesting that the C2% accuracy seems very low with 70.1%. The previous 1S/2S series had much better C2% accuracy.

- ABEX TCD-726

 

The EAC analyzer reports error and didn't completed the task.

- CD-Check Audio Test Disc

The CD-Check Test Disc is a very useful tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction / Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively difficult tests. These tracks are referred as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.

The files are reproduced (played) through a software multimedia player (i.e. Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone coming out from the speakers is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction of the tested device.

Error Level
1
2
3
4
5
TEAC DV-W512G
5/5
5/5
5/5
0/5
0/5

The drive passed the first three Check Levels of the test. The performance is quite good offering average sound reproduction and error correction. The fifth level includes an error size of 1.500mm, and the drive produced many audible clicks.

- Conclusion

The DV-W512G offers a rather poor CD error correction, we would like to see improvements with future firmware upgrade...

4. DVD Error Correction Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 4

DVD Error Correction Tests

In the following tests we examined the DVD reading capabilities of the drive with scratched / defectivee DVD media. For the tests we used CDVD Benchmark and Nero CDSpeed. The reference test media come from ALMEDIO.

- Single Layer media
ABEX TDR-821

This is a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with a 4.7GB capacity, and its surface has an artificial scratch of dimensions varying from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.

The following transfer rate picture comes from the CDVD Benchmark v1.21 transfer rate test.

The TEAC DV-W512G read the disc at 12X P-CAV and the scratched area did not affect the process. The disc was read accurately and no read errors were reported.

ABEX TDR-825

This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of a 4.7GB capacity. The data structure of the disc is exactly the same as that of the TDR-821, with the difference that there are no scratches on it but only defectivee areas of dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm.

There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and 75 micrometers.

As before, the disc was read without any "read errors" and the test was finished successfully.

- Dual Layer media
ABEX TDR-841

This is a 8.5GB dual layer, single sided DVD-ROM disc with artificial scratches of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0mm, on both layers.

The drive read both layers without any major problem, as the above graph shows.

ABEX TDR-845

The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc of 8.5 GB capacity. The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the first includes defective areas and fingerprints.

The dimensions of the defective areas range from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized from 65 to 75 micrometers.

The drive passed the fingerprint defective area without any reading speed drop and finishes the test without problems.

ABEX TDV-541

The TDV-541 is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc, with a capacity of 8.5GB. The disc is based on the TDV-540 series which is designed for inspection and adjustment of DVD-VIDEO players. The disc checks the layer switch operation from layer 0 to layer 1 and also includes test pictures and test signals for DVD sound files.

The current TDV-541 also checks the error correcting capabilities of the drive and includes scratches from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.

Click for full graph

The reading process started at 3.41X and reached 8.015X at the 4.0GB point, where the drive changed layer and started reducing its reading speed up until the end. There are some minor glitches at the start of the second layer which aren't indicative of any serious reading problems and the drive finished the reading process without problems.

ABEX TDV-545

The TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV-540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc with a capacity of 8.5GB.

The TDV-545 includes artificial black dots on the data surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75 micrometer fingerprints.

Click for full graph

Black dots and fingerprints on the disc's surface did not create any reading problems, and the drive finished the task successfully.

5. Protected Disc Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 5

Protected Disc Tests
- Reading Tests

To create the image of the various protected titles to the hard disk, we used Alcohol 120% software and the appropriate settings, according to the protection type of the inserted discs. Below you can see the duration of each process as well as the transfer rate in each case, which should prove interesting for all users.

The TEAC and LiteON drives will read SafeDisc2 and PSX discs very slowly compared to the PX-712A.

- Writing Tests

The drive supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking the drive's EFM correction status, we used 3 different game titles with different SafeDisc 2 versions having the latest software patches installed. After making the images of the various titles onto the hard disk, we burned them (at maximum speed) with Alcohol 120% v1.9.2.1705. Two different discs were created for each title; one with the "Bypass EFM error" enabled and one more with the function disabled.

The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Drive

Fifa 2004
SD v3.1
Sims Superstar SD v2.9
Sims Unleashed SD v2.8
Serious Sam-Second Encounter
SD v2.51.051
Max Payne
SD v2.51.020
EFM OFF
EFM ON
EFM OFF
EFM ON
EFM OFF
EFM ON
EFM OFF
EFM ON
EFM OFF
EFM ON
Toshiba
SD-M1502
No
Yes
Yes
Creative CD5233E

TEAC DV-W512G

No

The drive's full Safedisc2 backup capabilities reached only up to v2.51.020. The drive will produce partially working backups with versions v2.8x & v2.5x but doesn't support v2.9 & v3.1x builds at all.

6. DAE Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 6

DAE Tests

- Pressed and CDR AudioCD

The drive supports up to 40X CAV DAE speed. When using a pressed AudioCD and its CD-R copy, with EAC, we logged the following results:

The Plextor is faster than both drives with either pressed or CD-R media. As EAC reports, the drive caches DAE, supports accurate stream and can report C2 error information.

- Advanced DAE Quality

The TEAC DV-W512G received a score of 100 (perfect) in the Nero CD Speed Advanced DAE test. CDSpeed showed that the average reading speed is 27.87X, and the drive supports reading of SubChannel data, Leadin / Leadout data and CD Text.

- Reading 90/ 99mins AudioCDs

Click for full graph

Click for full graph

7. Protected AudioCDs

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 7

Protected AudioCDs

For the test procedure we used three audio discs with different audio copy protections. The ripping process performed for all protected Audio discs was performed with Exact Audio Copy v0.9beta5.

The tested protected Audio discs were:

The Cactus Data Shield 200, contains artificial errors that are not easy to bypass with the reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session, causing problems when readers try to read the Table Of Contents (TOC).

The tested tasks are:

The drive recognized up to the 12th Audio track of CDS200 disc,

and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed, read the 13th Data track.

The test results are shown in the following table:
Key2Audio
CDS200
TEAC DV-W512G
Ripping process completed, EAC reports timing problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks
Ripping process completed, EAC reports timing problems, Read&Test CRC comparison not the same for all tracks

The TEAC DV-W512G will rip both Key2Audio and CDS200 protected audio discs. Both discs were recognized and their contents were ripped at the maximum speed. However, the drive may not rip 100% accurately, the CD200 discs since EAC reported timing problems and at the same time, Read&Test CRC check comparison was not the same for all corresponding tracks. Timing problems were noticed with Key2Audio discs also.

This is a "special" CDS200 build, since it doesn't contain any artificial errors during the ripping process. Most problems occur when trying to write the ripped wav files, since the produced CD-R disc contains C2 and CU errors! This "problem" is rumored to be connected with specific chipset weaknesses..

We ripped the disc contents with EAC and burned the produced wav with the latest Nero version as AudioCD+CD-Text. The burned media was checked for C1/C2 errors with PlexTools/KProbe software using a Plextor PX-712A (firmware v1.04).

 
CDS 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a
TEAC DV-W512G
Reading performed without any errors but writing results some C2 errors.

The C1/C2 error graphs indicate that the drive doesn't manage to produce a 100% error free disc. There are small C2 errors around the 42minute mark.

Lets try to extract all wav files with the Plextor PX-712A and PlexTool DAE with Error Correction 5th Level enabled:

No errors were reported after extracting all files. Good performance from the drive.

8. CD Recording Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 8

CD Recording Tests

The TEAC DV-W512G supports 48X CD-R and 24X US-RW recording speeds.

The drive supports 8X, 16X (CLV), 24X, 32X, 40X (P-CAV) and 48X (CAV) writing speeds. Below are the recording speeds as detected by Nero Burning Rom.

It's quite possible that due to the Generic Smart Control system, the maximum burning speed was reduced down to 32X or even 24X. The user can disable this and obtain the maximum writing speed through Nero Burning Rom->Choose Recorder->Options->Un-tick Generic Write Control.

According to Nero CDSpeed, the drive reached the maximum 48X speed. The test started at 21.56X and finished at 48.70X having an average speed of 36.89X. Click on the image below to see the whole graph.

Click for full graph

For the burning tests we created an 80min data compilation through Nero Burning Rom, recording the data on a 700MB disc. The TEAC DV-W512G finished the task in 2:40 minutes, for the maximum 48X writing speed.

The writing performance varies according to the inserted media. The Generic write control system will lower the writing speed if the media ID code is not found in the drive's firmware. Below is a chart demonstrating all recording times with various media.

The best performance came with SKC media at 2:40mins, while the highest with Verbatim at 3:21mins.

- Other features

Overburning writing
CD text reading/writing
Yes

The TEAC DV-W512G supports the 16X CLV & 24X Z-CLV rewriting speeds with Ultra Speed Rewritable Media (US-RW).

Below you can see the Nero CD-DVD Speed writing simulation test with blank 24X US-RW media from Mitsubishi Chemicals.

Click for full graph

The drive starts the writing task at 16.02X and increases up to the maximum 24X at the 14:00 min address mark on the disc. According to CDSpeed, the average writing speed is 22.52X.

We also used Nero Burning Rom in order to burn a data disc with 24X US-RW media from MCC. The data compilation we burned had a size of 651 MB and the duration of the recording process was 3:59 minutes.

- CD-RW Mount Rainier Tests

Mount Rainier isn't supported by the drive.

9. CD Writing Quality - 3T Jitter Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 9

3T Jitter Tests

In the following page you can see the 3T Pit & Land Jitter graphs using various media burned at 48X CAV writing speed.

- 3T Pit results

Generally the drive produced high 3T Jitter values with the exception of Verbatim media although all media exceeded the 35nsec limit.

- 3T Land results

All 3T Land jitter values with the exception of Verbatim media, were very high...

In the following page we check the C1 and C2 error rates for the same discs, to come up with more specific conclusions.

10. CD Writing Quality - C1 / C2 Error Measurements

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 10

C1 / C2 Error Measurements

We measured the C1/C2 error rate on the recorded discs we burned at the various supported writing speeds. The software we used is PleXTools Professional v2.16, using the built-in Q-Check utility. The reader was the Plextor PX-712A (firmware v1.04)

BenQ 80min 52X CD-R @ 48X

Maxell 80min 48X @ 48X

SKC 80min 52X @ 48X

TY 80min 52X @ 48X

Verbatim 80min 48X @ 48X

Waitec 80min 52X @ 48X

- Summary

In general the writing quality was very good, however with two media, we notice not only C2 but also CU at the end of the disc. This should be improved with future firmware...

- Appendix

Media Label
ID Code
Manufacturer Name
Lead Out TIme
BenQ 52X
97m22s67f
Daxon.
79m59s74f
Maxell 48X
97m15s17f
Ritek Co.
79m59s70f
SKC 52X
97m26s26f
SKC Co., Ltd.
79m59s73f
TY 80min 48X
97m24s 1f
Taiyo Yuden
79m59s72f
Verbatim 52X
97m34s23f
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
79m59s73f
Waitec 80min 52X
97m28s26f
Multi Media Masters & Machinery SA
79m59s74f
11. DVD Recording Tests

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 11

DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance

The TEAC DV-W512G supports the DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW writing formats. The maximum supported speed for DVD+R is 12X ( Z-CLV, for DVD-R 8X ( Z-CLV) & 4X CLV for DVD±RW media. Nero Burning Rom reported speeds, are shown below.

Nero CD-DVD Speed's "create disc" function with Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD+R media, shows us the 12X Z-CLV recording technology being employed by the TEAC DV-W512G recorder.

Click for full graph

The drive starts writing at 5.97X until 0.6GB, where it shifts up to 8X, and then at 2.4GB it further shifts to 12X and stays there till the end. The average writing speed is 9.55X. The Zone-CLV recording strategy is used for both DVD±R formats but for DVD-R the maximum writing speed stops at 8X, as shown below:

Click for full graph

The writing procedure for DVD-R media starts at 4.02X until 0.4GB where it shifts up to 6X and again at 1.6GB where it shifts to 8X and stays there till the end, offering a total average writing speed of 7.10X.

- Supported media list/Burning Tests

We burned 4315MB of data on various DVD±R, DVD±RW media. We used the maximum allowed writing speed for each disc. We decided to burn only ±R media supported at 8X+ speeds and not at 4X. It is possible to change the writing speed for 4X rated media up to 12X with the Omnipatcher software:

Below are the supported media ID codes as reported from Omnipatcher software (only 6X and 8X rated mentioned):

AML /002/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
BeAll000/P80/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
CMC MAG /E01/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
CMC MAG /F01/01 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
DAXON /AZ2/00 [ 4x, 6x ]
DT-D03 /004/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
INFODISC/R20/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
ISSM /001/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
LD /S03/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
MAXELL /002/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x, 12x ]
MBIPG101/R04/01 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
MCC /003/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x, 12x ]
MCC /004/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x, 12x ]
MPOMEDIA/080/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
MUST /002/01 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
NANYA /CHX/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
NANYA /CLX/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
OPTODISC/OR8/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
Philips /081/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
PHILIPS /C08/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
Plasmon /c01/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
PRODISC /R03/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
RICOHJPN/R02/03 [ 4x, 6x, 8x, 12x ]
RITEK /R03/01 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
RITEK /R03/02 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
SONY /D11/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x, 12x ]
YUDEN000/T01/01 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
YUDEN000/T02/00 [ 4x, 6x, 8x, 12x ]

CMC MAG. AE1/52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
GSC003 /52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
MCC 02RG20 /52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
MXL RG03 /52 [ 4x, 6x ]
NANYA-JC001 /52 [ 2x, 4x ]
ProdiscF01 /52 [ 4x, 6x ]
PRODISCG02 /50 [ 2x ]
ProdiscS04 /52 [ 4x, 6x ]
PVCR001002 /52 [ 1x, 2x, 4x ]
RITEKG05 /52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
SONY08D1 /52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
TTG02 /52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]
TYG02 /52 [ 4x, 6x, 8x ]

- Burning Results

Below are all the burning results with the various media types used.

- Writing Time Results

Disc Label
Disc Information
Max Allowed Writing Speed
Total Recording Time (mins)
CMC Magnetics 8X
CMC MAG AE1
8X
9:14
TDK 8X
TTG02
Coaster at 96%
Taiyo Yuden 8X
TYG02
9:12
Verbatim 8X
MCC 02RG20
9:25
MKM 4X RW
MCC 01RW4X
4X
14:09
TraxData 4X RW
RITEKW04
2X
-
Disc Label
Disc Information
Max Allowed Writing Speed
Total Recording Time (mins)
BenQ 8X
DAXONAZ2
6X
9:47
BeAll 8X
BeALL000P80
8X
8:20
CMC Magnetics 8X
CMC MAG E01
8X
8:15
Intenso 8X
PRODISCR03
8X
8:23
MKM 8X
MCC003
12X
7:28
Maxell 8X
MAXELL002
12X
7:32
Optodisc 8X
OPTODISCOR8
8X
8:19
Philips 8X
PHILIPSC08
8X
8:12
TDK 8X
RICOHJPNR02
12X
7:32
TraxData 8X
RITEKR03
8X
8:05
Taiyo Yuden 8X
YUDEN000T02
12X
7:23
Verbatim 8X
MCC003
12X
7:34
Waitec 8X
CMC MAG E01
8X
8:15
Optodisc 4X RW
OPTODISCOP4
4X
14:23
Maxell 4X RW
PHILIPS041
4X
14:21
TraxData 4X RW
RICOHJPNW11
4X
14:22

The drive doesn't support many -R media at 8X. With TDK media at 96% the drive produced a coaster. With DVD+R media, the drive has wider compatibility for 12X/8X media. The best results came with TY 8X +R media.

Below are some screenshots from Nero Burning ROM at various speeds:

TY 8X +R @ 12X

TY 8X -R @ 8X

TraxData 8X +R @ 8X

CMC Magnetics 8X -R @ 8X

TDK 8X -R @ 8X

- Comparison with other drives

The Plextor PX-712A is the faster burner for both +/- formats due to its P-CAV writing strategy. The TEAC DV-W512G was the slowest writer with 443secs for +R and 554 secs for -R formats.

With DVD re-writable media, the LiteON and TEAC drives had similar performance, of course with variations between the tested media.

- DVD Overburning Tests

In order to test the drive's DVD overburning capabilities, we used two media types, one from CMC 8X DVD-R and one from 3A 8X DVD+R. As you can see, the drive refused to start the test with DVD-R media.

While with DVD+R, the test started but when it reached 4.38GB, stopped with an error message.

Therefore, the TEAC DV-W512G cannot overburn either of the DVD±R formats.

- DVD+MRW Tests

The drive doesn't support Mount Rainier.

12. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 12

KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1

In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the burned DVD±R media . The software we used for all measurements is KProbe v2.2.5, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. In addition, all discs have been scanned with the PX-712A (v1.04 firmware) using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison levels.

Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). It's interesting to see the disc scanned at low & high speeds, since when the error rate increases at a specific disc area, it should appear in both scans...else it would be, perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.

Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality but as an indication.

8X DVD-R Writing Speed

 

- Summary

The PI/PIF error rates are very high with both KProbe and Plextools software. The TEAC needs to improve the writing quality and add more media at the 8X -R speed.

13. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 13

KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2

In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the burned DVD±R media . The software we used for all measurements is KProbe v2.2.5, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. In addition, all discs have been scanned with the PX-712A (v1.04 firmware) using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison levels.

Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). It's interesting to see the disc scanned at low & high speeds, since when the error rate increases at a specific disc area, it should appear in both scans...else it would be, perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.

Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality but as an indication.

12X DVD+R Writing Speed

Plextools report reading error!

Plextools report reading error!

Plextools report reading error!

- Summary

The PI/PIF error rates are very high with both KProbe and Plextools software and most of the times, the Plextor PX-712A reported reading errors. The TEAC needs to improve the writing quality...

14. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 3

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 14

KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 3

In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the burned DVD±R media . The software we used for all measurements is KProbe v2.2.5, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. In addition, all discs have been scanned with the PX-712A (v1.04 firmware) using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison levels.

Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). It's interesting to see the disc scanned at low & high speeds, since when the error rate increases at a specific disc area, it should appear in both scans...else it would be, perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.

Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality but as an indication.

8X DVD+R Writing Speed

Plextor cannot mount the disc!

Plextools reports reading error!

Plextools reports reading error!

Plextools reporting reading error!

- Summary

With specific media, the PI/PIF error rates were low, but with others very high...

15. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 4

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 15

KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 4

In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the burned DVD±R media . The software we used for all measurements is KProbe v2.2.5, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. In addition, all discs have been scanned with the PX-712A (v1.04 firmware) using PlexTools v2.16 for comparison levels.

Comparing the KProbe and PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). It's interesting to see the disc scanned at low & high speeds, since when the error rate increases at a specific disc area, it should appear in both scans...else it would be, perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.

Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality but as an indication.

4X DVD-RW Writing Speed

4X DVD+RW Writing Speed

- Summary

The error rates are very high with most of the media used, most of the times. The fact that KProbe reported much lower error rates than Plextools, tends to indicate that burned media may work correctly with some readers and not with others.

16. DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 1

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 16

DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 1

To check exactly what the drive reports when measuring DVD media, we compare the scans of four different media burned on other recorders, with the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system. We used four reading speeds, with DVD+R media:

Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested drive. Using other DV-W512G drives can produce totally different results. Be aware!

#1st Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 12X Reading speed

#1st Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed

#1st Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 6X Reading speed

#1st Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed

With this test disc, all reading speeds 12X, 8X, 6X, 4X showed that at the end of the disc, the PI/PIF error rate increases compared with the SA300 system which also measure similar performance.

The reading speed does seem to affect the reported error rates. However the 8X & 6X speeds reported much lower error rates than at 4X CLV, which is a little disconcerting...

17. DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 2

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 17

DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 2

To check exactly what the drive reports when measuring DVD media, we compared the scans of four different media burned on other recorders, with the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system. We used four reading speeds, with DVD+R media:

Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested drive. Using other DV-W512G drives can produce totally different results. Be aware!

#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 12X Reading speed

#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed

#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 6X Reading speed

#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed

Again the 8X and 6X reading speeds showed superb writing quality, while the 4X and 12X reading speeds reached the SA300 trend line of error rates.

18. DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 3

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 18

DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 3

To check exactly what the drive reports when measuring DVD media, we compared the scans of four different media burned on other recorders, with the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system. We used three reading speeds, with DVD-R media:

Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested drive. Using other DV-W512G drives can produce totally different results. Be aware!

#3rd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed

#3rd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 6X Reading speed

#3rd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 4X Reading speed

With DVD-R media, the drive lowered its maximum reading speed to 8X. The results showed that 4X and 6X gave similar results, while at 8X it was slightly increased. In all cases, we can say that the drive reported similar trend to the CATS.

19. DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 4

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 19

DV-W512G vs. SA300 - Page 4

To check exactly what the drive reports when measuring DVD media, we compared the scans of four different media burned on other recorders, with the well known AudioDev SA300 DVD CATS system. We used four reading speeds, with DVD+R media:

Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested drive. Using other DV-W512G drives can produce totally different results. Be aware!

#3rd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed

#3rd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 6X Reading speed

The reported PI/PIF error rates are way too high and probably the drive cannot read correctly DL media. Maybe this can be solved with a newer firmware revision...

20. BookType Setting

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 20

BookType Setting

The TEAC DV-W512G supports the BookType Setting for the DVD±R/RW formats with the use of third party software (Kprobe). Under Tools->Bitsetting, the user can view the current Disc Type and change the BookType to either DVD-ROM/DVD+R/+RW. Unfortunately, Bit Setting isn't supported for DVD-R/RW media.

Lets now try changing the Bit Setting on some DVD+R media, where the current Booktype is set to DVD+R.

After pressing the "Set" button, the booktype changed to DVD-ROM.

21. Conclusion

TEAC DV-W512G Dual DVD±RW Recorder - Page 21

Conclusion

The TEAC DV-W512G comes at a strange time where many 16X recorders have hit the market supporting DVD+R DL format. The drive supports 12X DVD+R, 8X DVD-R along with 48X CD-R and 24X US-RW writing speeds, making it directly comparable with the LiteON SOHW-1213S and Plextor PX-712A.

The DV-W512G drive exhibited almost the same performance as the LiteON drive in all the reading tests. There were some small variations due to different firmware revisions, but the fact is that the Plextor PX-712A was faster in almost all reading and writing tests.

The biggest problem with the current firmware, is in the writing quality. Most of the produced DVD burns were out of specs, with very high PI/PIF error rates, making them un-readable in several cases...We hope that this can be fixed in the near future...

Listing other negatives, the drive cannot backup the latest SafeDisc protected titles, the CD Error Correction and C2% accuracy with scratched media is very low, while DVD Overburning and DVD-RAM are not so important a consideration so as to discourage you from buying the drive.

On the positive side, the possible buyer will benefit from the big unofficial support (KProbe, media speedhacks, RPC1). Perhaps with a little firmware tweaking, the burning results can be improved, even though this should be done by TEAC in the first place :-)

The DV-W512G can be used with KProbe to "scan" C1C2 and PI/PIF error rates with burned media. However, we don't suggest using it for that purpose, since our tests showed many differences between the various reading speeds. Scanning at 12X certainly seems useless, since the reported errors are way too high. At 8X/6X the drive reported far less errors than at 4X, which is again confusing. Lastly, with DL media, the reported PI/PIF errors were way too numerous, which of course isn't "true"...

The price of the drive is less than US$100 and possibly will drop even further when all 16X writers hit the market.

- The Good

- The Bad

- Like to be fixed



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