1. Introduction - Retail Package
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 1
released
the first ever 16X recordable drive, the DW1600A back in June, supporting only
16X DVD+R writing. Since then, other manufacturers have shipped
16X DVD±R
solutions along with 4X DL, leaving BenQ behind in the speed race.
Recently, BenQ announced that by the end of August,
all DW1600A buyers would have the chance to
upgrade their drives up to 16X DVD-R writing! The long awaited
firmware finally arrived at almost the same time as the DW1620A hit the market,
supporting 16X DVD±R but not 4X DL.
At this point, it is very intersting to see how well BenQ's 16X DVD-R and
4X DVD-RW implemetation works, since we already know that the DW1600A is one
of the best recorders for +R/+RW formats, thanks to the chipsets used (Philips)
and
the unique recording technologies implemented, as will be explained below.
- Drive Features
The BenQ DW16xx series supports the following unique features:
- Over-Speed burning technology (allows media to be burned
at higher recording speeds than rated)
- Seamless Link: buffer under run protection as all previous
BenQ DVD Recorders.
- High-Speed Signal Algorithm: As the writing speed is increased,
signal loss becomes the key cause for the significant decrease in writing quality.
BenQ’s High-Speed Signal Algorithm manages the high EFM (Eight-to-Fourteen
Modulation) frequency signal loss that often takes place at high-speed writing
- ensuring superb writing quality.
- WOPC + BLER OPC: Unlike other drives which preset the
writing power before the actual writing of data, the WOPC II (Walking Optimal
Power Control) algorithm evaluates the writing quality constantly and adjusts
the writing power accordingly in order to ensure the best possible writing
quality over the entire disc. The BLER OPC (Block Error Rate Optimal Power
Control) further enhances the writing quality near the end of the disc, where
the risk of warping is higher.
- Tilt Control: BenQ's Tilt Control always keeps the writing
angle at 90 degrees to the disc's surface to ensure uniform writing.
- Sliding Cone Mechanism: With Sliding Cone design, the
disc position on the turntable is improved considerably. This greatly helps
to reduce data access time and also to deliver superior reading and writing
quality.
- Specifications
Interface:
|
E-IDE/ATAPI (Ultra DMA Mode
2)
|
Writing Speed:
|
DVD±R: 16X, DVD±RW: 4X,
DVD+R DL: 2.4X
|
|
CD-R: 40X, CD-RW: 24X
|
Read Speed:
|
DVD+R/-R/+RW/-RW: 16X
max
|
|
DVD-ROM: 16X, CD-R/RW: 40X
|
Random Access:
|
DVD: 120msec, CD: 120msec
|
Buffer Size:
|
2MB
|
|
DVD: DVD+R DL 8.5GB,
DVD+R 4.7GB, DVD+RW 4.7GB, DVD-R 4.7GB (closed session), DVD-RW 4.7GB
(closed session), DVD-Video, DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-18
|
|
CD-R/RW: CD-DA, CD-ROM
XA (m1, m2f1/m2f2), CD-R, CD-RW, Bootable CD, Photo CD (single & multi-session),
Video CD, Super Video CD, CD-Extra, Mixed-mode CD, CD-Text, CD-Graphics
|
Supported Writing Types:
|
DVD±RW: DVD Data and
Video
|
|
CD-R/RW:Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once,
Multisession, Packet Writing (fixed & variable packet), CD Digital
Audio, Direct-Over-Write on CD-RW, Test Write |
The drive does not support Mount
Rainier and it uses the well known RPC II region control, allowing a user
to change the drive's region
at most 5 times. DVD-RAM media is also not supported for either reading or
writing. Below are the drive's main specs as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:
- Tested Kit / Software Bundle
The retail package that arrived at our labs, included the BenQ DW1620A DL
drive along with Sonic's RecordNow Burning Software, InterVideo WinCinema (WinDVD
+
Win DVD
Creator)
DVD Authoring/Editing
Software
and BenQ's
QVideo 2.0 (easy DV, TV, AV to DVD). The BenQ Book Type Management v8.3 program
was also included to ensure media backward compatibility with older DVD players.
The retail package further included one 16X DVD+R media (Philips C16 Media
ID), an ATA66 ribbon cable (BenQ states this is necessary in order for the
drive to work properly),
4 mounting screws and an Audio cable. Lastly, two printed small software/hardware
guides are included for less experienced users. Now let's take a look
at the drive itself.
The front bezel has changed compared with the previous DW1600A series, with
the eject button being much smaller, something we didn't like. The DVD+RW,
DVD+R DL, USRW and DVD-R/RW logos are present stating the drive's reading/writing
features.
The drive continues to come with a black-colored tray that according to BenQ,
minimizes jitter and enhances readability and burning quality. The activity
led lights up green when a disc is present, blinks
green when reading or accessing a disc and red when burning.
On the rear panel you can see the analogue and digital outputs (SPDIF), the
IDE connector and the power input. Our drive was manufactured during July 2004
in Malaysia.
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:
The heart of the drive is the Philip's Nexperia PNX7860E chipset.
- Installation
The drive was installed as secondary master and under WindowsXP was recognized
as "BENQ DVD DL DW1620". The drive arrived with
firmware revision B7G9 and since a newer firmware version
had been released, we flashed the drive without problems to firmware revision B7H9.
Newer firmware updates are expected to support more media for 12X and 16X writing
speeds.
Below is a screenshot of Nero Burning Rom's specs for the drive.
In this review, we will be comparing the drive with the ASUS DRW-1604P and
the Pioneer DVR-108.
- Testing software
In order to perform our tests we used:
- Nero CD-DVD Speed v3.21
- CDVD Benchmark v1.21
- ExactAudioCopy v0.9 beta5
- Nero Info Tool v2.22
- KProbe v2.4.0 (Readers: For DVD media LiteOn LDW-811S firmware vHS0Q Reading speed 8X CAV, for DL media LiteON SOHD-167T firmware 9S04 reading speed 6X CAV)
- PlexTools v2.16 (Reader: For CD/DVD Plextor PX-712A firmware v1.04, Reading speed 8X CLV for CD-R and 2X CLV for DVD media with medium accuracy)
- DVDInfoPro v2.63
- BenQ Booktype Management v8.30
- Nero Burning Rom v6.3.1.20
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 2
Transfer Rate Reading Tests
- CD Format
The BenQ DW1620A DL supports up to 40X reading speed.
All tested drives support up to 40X reading with CD-ROM and
CD-R media, and 32X with US-RW media for the ASUS and Pioneer, 40X for the
BenQ. The BenQ DW1620A showed very good performance with all
test discs, and was the fastest with USRW media, due to
the fact that both
the ASUS and Pioneer drives can read US-RW media up to 32X, not 40X.
-DVD Format
The DW1620A can read PTP Single Layer DVD-ROM discs at 16X
CAV. The average read speed was 12.08, which was enough to get first place.
With a PTP DVD-ROM disc, the starting point of the two layers
is at the inner part of the disc. The drive reads from the beginning of each
layer (inner part) progreesing towards the outer part of the disc. The reported
average speed for the BenQ drive is significantly lower than the other two
drives since the DW1620A reads the outer
parts of the disc which is the end of each layer, at a speed of 8.08X
(3~8CAV).
With an OTP Dual Layer disc, the first layer structure is the
same as the first layer on a PTP disc. The drive reads the first layer exactly
the same way as PTP discs, and at the same speed. The starting point of
the second layer of an OTP disc is located at the outer part of the disc.
The reported average speed was 6.00X (3~8CAV)
The DW1620A reported similar speed results when reading
single layer DVD±R/RW discs with 3~8 CAV resulting in a 6.25X average
speed.
The DW1620A ripped a full dual layer DVD-Video disc at an
average speed of 7886kb/sec, which is a good performance.
-Appendix
Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs
3. CD Error Correction Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL 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.
The drive doesn't support C2 error information.
- ABEX TCD-721R
Errors total
|
Num: 1101705
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 55578
|
Avg: -73.7 dB(A)
|
Max: -34.9 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 3525
|
Avg: 1.3 Samples
|
Max: 537 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: 0.0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
76.3 points (out of 100.0 maximum)
|
The DW1620A DL drive displayed quite good performance with this test disc.
The total error count (1101705) is about average, the maximum error loudness
level of -32.6dB(A) is low where the human ear cannot hear it, as are the
error loudness and muting sample counts, while
there were no skipped samples. The final score of 76.3 is good.
- ABEX TCD-726
Errors total
|
Num: 0
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: -174.0 dB(A)
|
Max: -174.0 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: 0.0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 0
|
Avg: 0.0 Samples
|
Max: 0 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
100.0 points (out of 100.0 maximum)
|
We observe the best possible performance from the BenQ DW1620A
DL with the Abex TCD-726 test disc, where it received a perfect score of 100.0.
- 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
|
BenQ DW1620A |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
2/5 |
The DW1620A passed 5 out of 5 plays for the first four Check Levels of the
test, while in the fifth level, it managed 2 out of 5. This is indicative of
very
good error correction capabilities. Very few drives ever manage to play up
to the fifth level.
- Conclusion
The BenQ DW1620A offers very good CD error correction, performing extremely
well with all our test discs. The fact that the drive doesn't support reporting
C2 pointers is a drawback, which of course is needed by expert users.
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 4
DVD Error Correction
Tests
In the following tests we examine the DVD reading capabilities of the drive with
scratched / defective DVD media. For
the tests we used CDVD Benchmark and Nero CDSpeed. The reference test media
comes 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 DW1620A read the disc climbing up to a speed of 16X CAV.
The scratched area did not affect the reading process. The performance reveals
good error
correction
capabilities
with
scratched single layer DVD-ROM discs.
ABEX TDR-825
This
is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of 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 instead, defective areas of
dimensions
ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm.
There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and
75 micrometers.
Again, the drive read the disc without any read errors. Reading
speed was not reduced when the drive read the defective areas.
- Dual Layer media
ABEX TDR-841
This is an 8.5GB dual layer single sided DVD-ROM disc with artificial scratches
of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0mm, on both layers.
There were no errors during the reading process, nor any slow
downs over the scratched areas.
ABEX TDR-845
The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc of a capacity of 8.5GB.
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 micro meters.
The drive did not have any problem reading the TDR-845 test
disc.
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.
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.
The DW1620A showed excellent behavior with both
the TDV-541 and TDV-545 test discs. Linear, smooth graphs means very good
performance!
5. Protected Disc Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL 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.
Game Title
|
Protection Scheme
|
Duration
|
Reading speed
|
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme"
|
Lybcrypt
|
00:58 min
|
1558 sectors/sec
|
Serious Sam The Second Encounter v1.07
|
SafeDisc v.2.60.052
|
44:35 min
|
125.3 sectors/sec
|
VRally II
|
SecuROM v.2
|
2:46 min
|
2070 sectors/sec
|
The BenQ was exceptionally fast with the PSX disc (Lybcrypt).
During SecuROM v2 ripping, the drive was slightly slower than the two other
drives, but when it comes to SafeDisc v2 disc, all tested drives are very slow...
- Writing Tests
The DW1620A DL recorder supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking
the drive's EFM correction status, we used 5 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 (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.
- Fifa 2004 - Safe Disc v3.1x
- The Sims Superstar - Safe Disc v2.9x
- The Sims Unleashed - Safe Disc v2.8x
- Serious Sam Second Encounter - Safe Disc v2.51.021
- Max Payne - Safe Disc v2.51.020
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they
worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Drive
|
Fifa 2004
SD v3.1x
|
Sims Superstar
SD v2.9x
|
Sims Unleashed
SD v2.8x
|
Serious Sam-Second Encounter
SD v2.50.051
|
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 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Creative CD5233E
|
BenQ DW1600A
DL
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
The above table indicates that the DW1620A DL is not a suitable drive for
copying SafeDisc protected discs. Only some versions of Safedisc protection
could be
backed up, and the backups played only when the DW1620A was used as the reader.
6. DAE Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 6
DAE
Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results
The DW1620A supports up to 40X CAV DAE speed. The following results
were reported when using Exact Audio Copy.
The DW1620A has very good performance and was behind the DVR-108A
by only a very small margin. As EAC reports,
the drive cannot cache DAE, supports accurate stream and cannot report C2
error information.
- Advanced DAE Quality
The DW1620A achieved a perfect quality score of 100 in Nero's
CD Speed Advanced DAE test. The drive can read Leadin data, CD Text and Subchannel
data, but cannot read Leadout data. The reported average speed was 26.92X.
- Ripping 90mins AudioCDs
- Ripping 99mins AudioCDs
The drive can also read and rip 90/99min Audio CDs without any
problems.
7. Protected AudioCDs
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 7
Protected AudioCDs
For the test procedure we used three audio discs with different
audio copy protections. The ripping process on all protected Audio
discs was carried out with Exact Audio Copy v0.9beta5.
The tested protected Audio discs were:
- Sony's Key2Audio from "Celine Dion - New Day Has Come"
- Cactus Data Shield 200 from "Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies
Island"
The Cactus Data Shield 200, contains artificial errors that are not easily
bypassed by the reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session,
causing problems for readers when trying to read the Table Of Contents (TOC).
The tested tasks are:
- Recognition of the inserted disc (Yes/No).
- Ripping all wavs (with EAC's Burst Mode) to the hard disk with copy&compare
function.
- Listening to the produced wavs for any click/skips.
The DW1620A DL recognized up to the 12th Audio track of CDS200 disc,
and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed,
it recognized the 13th Data track.
The test results are shown in the following table:
|
Key2Audio
|
CDS200
|
BenQ DW1620A DL
|
Ripping process completed, EAC reports
no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks
|
Ripping process completed, EAC reports
no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks
|
The BenQ DW1620A DL could rip both Key2Audio/CDS200
protected audio discs. Both discs were recognized and their contents were
ripped at maximum speed. The drive rips 100% accurately, and EAC did
not report timing problems and at the same time, Read&Test CRC check
comparison was the same for all tracks.
- Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love
Letter)
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 wav file produced from
the Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a disc with the latest Nero version
as AudioCD+CD-Text. The burned
media was checked for C1/C2 errors and for BETA/Jitter errors with PlexTools
software using Plextor
PX-712SA (firmware v1.04).
|
CDS 200.0.4 - 3.0 build
16a
|
BenQ DW1620A DL
|
Reading performed without any errors,
writing produces C2 spikes.
|
- C1C2 Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712SA (8X CLV reading speed)
The C1/C2 error graphs indicate that the drive produced a
100% error free disc. After extracting all wav files with the Plextor PX-712A
and PlexTools DAE Error Correction 5th Level enabled, no errors were reported.
The drive can backup the disc accurately:
8. CD Recording Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 8
CD
Recording Tests
- CD-R Format
The drive supports 8X, 12X, 16X (CLV), 32X and 40X (P-CAV) writing speeds.
According to Nero CDSpeed, the drive reached the maximum 40X
speed. The test started at 17.73X and finished at 40.53X having an average
speed of 30.32X. Click on the image below to see more detail.
- CD-R Recording Times
For the burning tests, we created an 80min data compilation through
Nero Burning Rom and recorded the data on a 700MB disc. The DW1620A finished
the task in 3:37 minutes when writing at 40X. The ASUS DRW-1604P
and Pioneer DVR-108 cannot really compete due to their lower recording speed
(32X).
The writing performance varies according to the inserted media,
as our tests
showed. Below is a chart listing the corresponding recording times for various
media.
- Other features
The DW1620A supports overburning, writing up to 99min. and can
read/write CD-Text.
- CD-RW Format
The DW1620A supports 16X CLV, 24X P-CAV rewriting speeds
with Ultra Speed Rewritable Media
(US-RW). The drive also writes at 4X/10X CLV with HS-RW discs, while NS (1~4X)
CD-RW media is not supported. Below you can see the Nero CD-DVD Speed writing
simulation test with blank 24x US-RW media from Mitsubishi Chemicals. The average
writing speed was 23.40X!
We
also used Nero Burning Rom in order to burn a 24X US-RW data disc from
MC. The data compilation we burned had a size of 651 MB and the duration of
the recording process was 3:58 minutes.
- CD-RW Mount Rainier Tests
The BenQ DW1620A DL does not support the Mount Rainier
format.
9. Writing Quality Tests - 3T Jitter Tests
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 9
Writing Quality Tests - 3T Jitter Tests
On this page we present the 3T Pit & Land Jitter graphs
when using
various media burned at the 40X CAV writing speed.
- 3T Pit results
The drive's performance was very good
with most media used. The only media that had very high 3T Pit jitter values
was Waitec 52X media, which also had C2 errors. The best results came
with BenQ 52X media.
- 3T Land results
Again the worst performance came from Waitec 52X media, while
SKC 52X media had really low values.
On the following page we check the C1 and C2 error rates of the
same discs, to come up with more specific conclusions.
10. Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
BenQ DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 10
Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
We measured the C1 / C2 error rate of the recorded discs we burned at the
various supported writing speeds. The software used was PleXTools Professional
v2.16, and particularly the built-in Q-Check utility. The reader was the Plextor
PX-712A (firmware v1.04).
BenQ 80min 52X @ 32X
Maxell 80min 48X @ 32X
SKC 80min 52X @ 32X
Taiyo Yuden 80min 48X @ 32X
Verbatim 80min 48X @ 32X
Waitec 80min 52X @ 32X
- Summary
The DW1620A drive produced high C2 errors with SKC and Waitec CD-R media.
Using BenQ, Maxell and TY will produce the best results.
- 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
BenQ DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 11
DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
The BenQ DW1620A supports 16X DVD±R and DVD+R DL writing.
BenQ DW1600A users can upgrade their drives to the DW1620A with a simple
firmware upgrade.
BenQ will not continue supporting the DW1600A in terms of
firmware upgrades, since all improvements will be included in the DW1620A
firmware.
It's highly suggested to upgrade your drives to the DW1620A even if you don't
burn DVD-R media!
The maximum supported speed for DVD±R is 16X (6X~16X
CAV), 4X CLV for DVD±RW and 2.4X for
DVD+R DL media. The current competition offers the same DVD±R writing speeds but higher DVD+R DL writing speeds (Pioneer DVR-108A and NEC 3500A).
Nero Burning Rom reported speeds are shown below.
The
drive burns CLV at 2.4X and 4X, P-CAV at
8X/12X and CAV at 16X. With DVD-R/RW media, 1X/2X writing
speeds are not supported, meaning older 1X/2X rated DVD-RW media won't
burn at all. BenQ has found that 8X DVD+R media can over-speed up to 12X
and even 16X with good burning quality. Firmware upgrades improve the compatibility
list, meaning more media would be supported and burning quality improved.
By using Nero CD-DVD Speed's "create disc" function,
we are able to see the 8X, 12X and 16X recording technology being used by
the DW1620A DL recorder. For the following graphs, we used Philips 16X DVD+R
media.
The drive completed successful DVD writing at 8X in 8:33mins.
It started writing at 5.03X, reached a maximum writing speed of 8.09X and
clocked in an average speed of 7.70X.
The drive completed successful DVD writing at 12X in 6:27min.
Starting at 5.12X, it reached a maximum writing speed of 12.27X
and
reported an average speed of 10.40X.
- 16X DVD+R Single Layer writing
The drive completed successful DVD writing at 16X in 5:50mins.
It started to writing at 4.46X, reached a maximum writing speed of 15.99X
and reported an average speed of 11.52X.
Below is a table with several 12X and 16X recorders, reporting the average writing speed as measured by Nero CDDVDSpeed, showing that the BenQ DW1620A is the fastest 16X recorder:
Drive |
Writing Strategy |
Writing Speed |
Average
Writing Speed |
Plextor PX-712A |
P-CAV |
12X |
10.62X |
LG GSA-4120B |
Z-CLV |
12X |
9.87X |
BenQ DW1620A |
CAV |
16X |
11.52X |
ASUS DRW-1604P |
Z-CLV |
16X |
10.11X |
Pioneer DVR-108A |
Z-CLV |
16X |
10.03X |
- 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. With current firmware
(vB7H9) not many media are supported at 16X, especially for the DVD-R format.
Future firmware releases are expected to support more media at 12X/16X for
both DVD±R
formats.
- Writing Time Results
- The lowest recording times came with BenQ's 16X DVD-R media with
6:01mins. Even the TY 8X -R media which is supposed to reach 16X, had a
final recording time of
10:18 indicating a drop in writing speed.
- Maxell 8X -R was burned at 12X with a time of 6:18mins. TDK 8X -R
is allowed to burn at 12X, however the final recording time of 15:18,
shows the media was burned at 4X instead of 12X.
- Most 8X -R rated media was burned at 8X. The lowest recording time in
this category came with LeadDataS03 at 8:04. What's rather interesting
is that two FujiFilm03 media were burned at 4X (real recording speed), while
the one which burned at 8X is un-mountable. BenQ should fix this problem...
- Most 4X -R rated media were burned at 4X. Two burned discs weren't possible
to mount while, with Princo 4X -R media, we had a coaster. Finally, the 3A
8X-R didn't burn at all and Nero reported write errors during the lead-in
area.
- With 4X DVD-RW media, the burn process completed without any problems.
However, the 811S couldn't mount the discs, while the Plextor PX-712A and
LiteON SOHD-167T didn't have any problems. We don't know if the problem came
from
the 811S or the DW1620A drive....
According to BenQ, there's one more media supported at 16X, SONY's 8X -R,
which we didn't test:
Several Nero screenshots are placed below:
- The DW1620A performed very well, as was expected with +R and +RW media.
The drive with PhilipsC16 media hit a speed record of 5:42mins for our DVD
burning project, which is the fastest we've ever had.
- At the 16X speed, many 8X +R media are supported, from TDK/TraxData/TY
and BenQ. However the burning result from BenQ 8X +R, showed that the actual
burn was made at 12X and not 16X.
- At 12X, the burning time was very good with 6:15mins being the lowest recording
time. It's noticable that TY 4X +R media was allowed to burn up to 12X!
- At 8X, the burning times are more or less the same. The only media we found
that could overspeed was Verbatim 4X +R media, at 8X, while most 4X +R
rated media will burned only at 4X.
- All used DVD+RW media was burned at 4X with very good recording times.
The following table illustrates more supported media for 16X speed, most of them haven't yet been released to the public ;-)
Below are two Nero screenshots from BenQ DW1620A:
- Comparison with other drives
The BenQ DW1620a is the fastest writer at 16X for both ±R formats as the test results showed. The ASUS and Pioneer drives cannot compete, due to their Z-CLV implementation.
With DVD re-writable media, the Pioneer and ASUS burners are faster with -RW
media but slower with +RW.
- DVD Overburning Test
Using Nero CD-DVD Speed, we tested if the BenQ DW1620A DL can
overburn using DVD±R media. Unfortunately, the drive does not support
overburning with DVD±R media.
- DVD+MRW Tests
The drive doesn't support the Mount Rainier feature.
12. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
BenQ DW1620A DL 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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
16X DVD-R Writing Speed
- Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD-R @ 16X
- Summary
While PlexTools showed good quality with BenQ 16X -R media, the PI errors
as reported by KProbe were very high. With TY 8X -R media, both KProbe and
Plextools showed good quality, however keep in mind that the disc didn't burn
at 16X
(burning time 10:18mins), where during the burn process the DW1620A dropped
speed to 4X.
13. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
BenQ DW1620A DL 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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
12X DVD-R Writing Speed
- Summary
The PIF scans with Plextools shows low levels, while the KProbe scans in
most cases, were the opposite.
14. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
BenQ DW1620A DL 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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
8X DVD-R Writing Speed
- CMC Magnetics 8X DVD-R @ 8X
Plextools report read error!
Plextools report read error!
- Summary
The writing quality at 8X seems to have serious problems. Two burned media
were un-readable with the PX-712A drive, the 811S gave very high PI error rates,
while the Verbatim 8X -R media results were very good.
15. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 4
BenQ DW1620A DL 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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
4X DVD-R Writing Speed
- Summary
Here too, the two graphs show a totally different picture. The PIF scans with
Plextools were low, while the KProbe scans in most cases were the opposite.
The best results came with Maxell and Verbatim 4X rated media.
16. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
BenQ DW1620A DL Recorder - Page 16
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
16X DVD+R Writing Speed
- Summary
The writing quality at 16X was good, according to Plextools.
17. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 6
BenQ DW1620A DL Recorder - Page 17
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 6
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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
12X DVD+R Writing Speed
- CMC Magnetics 16X DVD+R @ 12X
- MKM (Verbatim) 8X DVD+R @ 12X
- Summary
The recording quality at 12X +R speed was good with most of the tested media!
18. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 7
BenQ DW1620A DL Recorder - Page 18
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 7
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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
8X DVD+R Writing Speed
- CMC Magnetics 8X DVD+R @ 8X
- MKM (Verbatim) 4X DVD+R @ 8X
- Summary
Excellent performance with all tested media!
19. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 8
BenQ DW1620A DL Recorder - Page 19
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 8
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 v2.4.0, 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 level.
4X DVD-RW Writing Speed
The LiteON 811S failed to recognize the two burned 4X
DVD-RW media, whereas the LiteON 167T DVD-ROM did, so we don't know
if the problem is with the reader or the burned discs...
4X DVD+RW Writing Speed
- Summary
The recording quality with most DVD±RW media needs improvement.
20. DVD+R DL - Page 1
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 20
DVD+R DL - Page 1
- DVD+R DL BookType Setting
The
DW1620A is capable of writing Double Layer discs, nearly doubling the capacity
that
can be stored on one disc. BenQ was one of the first companies
to add DL support in DVD+R recorders. For our tests, we used the only two
available DVD+R DL media from Verbatim and TraxData.
The BenQ Book Type Management v8.3 program ensures media
backward compatibility with older DVD players. This program allows us to
freely choose a DVD+RW, DVD+R or DVD+R DL disc to be written as DVD-ROM book
type,
the most recognized disc format for DVD players. There is also an easier
way to change the Booktype setting, from within Nero 6.0 right before the
writing process begins, just tick the DVD-ROM box.
- Writing Tests
We burned two DVD+R DL discs with DVD-Video content. The
source disc was "Gladiator Movie - Special
Edition" disc1 with a total size of 6.86GB. First, we transferred the
movie to the hard disc with DVD Decrypter as ISO format (single file).
Afterwards, we used
CopyToDVD v3.0.0.26. After choosing the "GLADIATOR.ISO" image we
selected the BenQ DW1620A DL burner.
After pressing "OK", the burning procedure started,
without any unexpected delays:
The writing process was finished after 40:03minutes.
The average speed was 2.25X as reported by CopyToDVD software. The recorded
disc had DVD-ROM format booktype setting.
The drive didn't have any problems writing the Ritek DL media,
while the burning time was 5secs longer:
For comparison reasons, we post DL burning results from other writers, with the same disc content and same recording software:
Drive |
Time (mins) |
NEC 2510A |
37:17 |
BenQ DW1600A DL |
40:16 |
BenQ DW830A |
39:14 |
LiteON SOHW-832S DVD+R DL BookType |
38:33 |
LiteON SOHW-832S DVD-ROM BookType |
38:36 |
SONY DRU-700A |
|
LG GSA-4120B |
38:12 |
ASUS DRW-1604P (4X) |
23:10 |
ASUS DRW-1604P (2.4X) |
38:08 |
Pioneer DVR-108A (4X) |
23:10 |
Pioneer DVR-108A (2.4X) |
|
BenQ DW1620A |
40:03 |
As was expected, the ASUS and Pioneer drives have much lower
recording times, since they support the 4X DL writing speed.
21. DVD+R DL - Page 2
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 18
- Writing Quality
* Verbatim 2.4X DVD+R Double Layer Media
Using KProbe v2.4.0 and the LiteOn SOHD-167T at 6X, we saw a major increase
in PI errors on Layer 1.
Using the Plextor PX-712A and PlexTools, we also noticed increased PI
errors on Layer 1.
* TraxData 2.4X DVD+R9 Double Layer Media
The recording quality seems very good, with much lower PI error rates on
both Layers 0 and 1 compared with the Verbatim DL media.
- Compatibility
The BenQ DW1620A will burn directly all DVD+R9 projects with DVD-ROM booktype, making sure you will get maximum compatibility.
22. DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 1
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 22
DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 1
The BenQ DW1620A can report PI and Jitter values from burned DVD recordable/re-writable
media. What's rather disappointing is that the drive cannot read the media
at high speeds, since even at the 8X reading speed setting, the real speed
is around 0.5~1.3X. The scanning interval also is not 1ECC but 8ECC, dropping
the accuracy of the drive, since the sample count is low.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific, tested BenQ
DW1620A DL drive. Using other DW1620A DL drives can produce totally different
results. Be aware!
#1st Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed
The PI and Jitter error rate trend lines follow that of the
SA300 scans, which is very encouraging. However, we have to see how the drive
performs with the other test media.
23. DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 2
BenQ
DW1600A DL Recorder -
Page 23
DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 2
The BenQ DW1620A can report PI and Jitter values from burned DVD recordable/re-writable
media. What's rather disappointing is that the drive cannot read the media
at high speeds, since even at the 8X reading speed, the real speed
is around 0.5~1.3X. The scanning interval also is not 1ECC but 8ECC, dropping
the accuracy of the drive, since the sample count is low.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested BenQ
DW1620A DL drive. Using other DW1620A DL drives can produce totally different
results. Be aware!
#2nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed
The reported PI errors from the BenQ DW1620A are totally different
than from the CATS scan. We would not recomend using the drive to
scan DVD recordable media.
24. DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 3
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 24
DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 3
The BenQ DW1620A can report PI and Jitter values from burned DVD recordable/re-writable
media. What's rather disappointing is that the drive cannot read the media
at high speeds, since even at 8X reading speed, the real speed
is around 0.5~1.3X. The scanning interval also is not 1ECC but 8ECC, dropping
the accuracy of the drive, since the sample count is low.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested BenQ
DW1620A DL drive. Using other DW1620A DL drives can produce totally different
results. Be aware!
#3nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed
The DW1620A read the disc at an extremely low speed of 0.4~0.6X.
The reported PI error rates are very low, indicating a perfect disc, which
is correct compared with the CATS results. The reported DC Jitter from the
drive
is low indicating good disc quality.
25. DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 4
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 25
DW1620A DL vs. SA300 - Page 4
The BenQ DW1620A can report PI and Jitter values from burned DVD recordable/re-writable
media. What's rather disappointing is that the drive cannot read the media
at high speeds, since even at 8X reading speed, the real speed
is around 0.5~1.3X. The scanning interval also is not 1ECC but 8ECC, dropping
the accuracy of the drive, since the sample count is low.
Please note that the posted results are only valid for the specific tested BenQ
DW1620A DL drive. Using other DW1620A DL drives can produce totally different
results. Be aware!
#4nd Test Disc - PISum8/PIF Comparison - 8X Reading speed
The PIF error rates are low enough just as in the CATS scan, even though
the values are not at the same levels. The reported Jitter tends to increased
in
Layer 1, which is also reported with the CATS scan. The reading speed is low,
0.9~1.5X,
so it will take much time to scan a disc, not reccomended for most users...
26. Booktype BitSetting
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 26
Booktype BitSetting
The BenQ DW1620A supports booktype management with the use of the included software:
The user can easily change the booktype, according to his/her wishes, despite
recommendations to leave the default setting (DVD-ROM):
27. Conclusion
BenQ
DW1620A DL Recorder -
Page 27
Conclusion
The
DW1620A drive comes to fill the gap that the DW1600A had left, supporting
-R and -RW formats. The 16X recording race has already heated up with
shipments
from ASUS and Pioneer 16X recorders, giving users a good platform for comparison.
We already knew that the DW1600A was a very good +R/+RW recorder, the greatest
challenge for BenQ would be to make an equally good recorder for -R/RW format,
using Philips chipsets. Judjing from our recording tests, we can say that
the attempt needs improvement. While the drive will burn almost every ttype
of inserted -R/RW media, the produced discs may not be readable
in specific cases. Other discs which are readable, may have high PI error
rates,
while there were some specific cases where the burning quality was good..
We believe that BenQ will improve the compatibility and fix the problems with -R media with a new firmware upgrade.
With DL writing, the drive cannot compete against the ASUS and Pioneer
16X drives, due to its 2.4X writing speed. The DW1620A won't have any problems
writing both Verbatim and TraxData (RITEK) DL media. The writing quality
with CD-R
media is good with low C1/C2 errors and 3T Jitter, but needs improvement
with specific media.
The CD and DVD error correction
capabilities of the drive are excellent, however the drive cannot read C2
pointers, which might disappoint experienced users. When backing up
copy protected
discs (games), you will face problems, since the used chipsets cannot reproduce
accurately most SD2 weak patterns. On the other hand, audio protected discs
were no problem, and perfect backups
were created
as if there was no protection at all.
The DW1620A can be used to measure (scan) DVD recordable/re-writeable media,
however we don't recommend using it for such a purpose, since the reading
speeds are very low 0.4X~1.2X and the produced results did not compare
with the CATS.
Concluding our review, if you mainly burn +R/+RW media, the drive won't
disappoint you, offering high recording speeds and burning quality. If on
the other hand you mainly burn -R/-RW media, you have to limit your media
options to the ones
that work best with the drive, else you might face problems...
The price of the drive is around US$82 (wholesale) and US$117 (retail kit),
while the Pioneer DVR-108 sells for around US$89~95.
- The Good
- The Bad
- Doesn't support 1X/2X writing with DVD-R/RW media
- Competition offers 4X DL writing
- Does not support overburning with DVD±R/RW media
- Cannot backup copy protected games with most versions of SafeDisc
protection
- Doesn't support reading of DVD-RAM media
- Doesn't support reading of C2 pointers
- Like To be fixed
- Burning quality and stability with many DVD-R media
- High C1 and C2 errors with certain media at 40X
- Low reading speed when measuring (scanning) DVD±R/RW media