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Appeared on: Friday, October 22, 2010
Optiarc AD 7260S review


1. Features, specifications

Today we present you Optiarc's 2nd generation 24x burner, the Optiarc AD-7260S. The drive is available at the market for quite some time now and it is actually not very different than the company's previous series of 24x DVD burners, the AD-7240S, at least in terms of specifications. We decided to present this drive after numerous requests from our users.

The Optiarc iAD-7260S supports 24X burning with specific DVD±R media, 12x with DVD±R DL, 8x with DVD+RW, 6X with DVD-RW and 12x with DVD-RAM.

Sony Optiarc, a subsidiary of Sony Group, has also released a Lightscribe and Labelflash versions of the AD-7260S, the AD-7261S and the AD-7263S, respectively.

 

The Super-multi DVD burner features an Auto Strategy Technology, which was first seen in the predecessor series AD-7200. When you burn a DVD, the drive always reads a section of the media in advance so that the writing head can be optimally adjusted. Adaptive Self Tuning also delivers high performance because the drive automatically adapts to the disc and the hardware environment in every burning process to compensate quality fluctuation.

Specifications:

We received the bulk version of the drive, which comes with both black and beige bezel colors:

 

The rear panel is typical and has a power and SATA interfaces:

 

Let's take a look at the drive's internal board. It is recommended not to open the case of your drive since that would void the warranty.

You can click on each picture for a larger view:

Click for HD image

The drive is based on the NEC MC-10045 system LSI (SCOMBO 8). The same LSI was also the 'heart' of the company's AD-7240S DVD burner.

The NEC MC-10045 SoC supports:

Its basic functions include:

Built-in CPU functionality

The drive was installed on our test PC and was recognized under Windows XP as "Optiarc DVD RW AD-7260S":


2. CD, DVD reading

For our CD/DVD transfer rate tests we used the Nero DiscSpeed utility and a set of data and audio CD/DVD R/RW/ROM media. Here we test the maximum reading speed of the Optiarc drive for each type of disc. For comparison, we have included the corresponding reading results two other 24x DVD burners, the LiteOn iHAS524 and the the Optiarc AD-7240S.

-CD-ROM

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 35.14x 36.67x 36.68X
Random seek 98 ms 149 ms 137 ms

- US-RW

The following CD Speed graph shows the reading performance with US-RW media.

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 29.06x 31.27x 31.29x
Random seek 96 ms 151 ms 136 ms

- AudioCD

In the CD Speed Advanced DAE quality test, the drive's average speed was 28.50X with a quality score of 100.

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 33.83x 28.49x 28.05x
Quality score 100 99.1 100

- CD DAE

A typical audio ripping task finished at an average reading speed of 28.7X:

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 33.3x 28.7x 28.7x

- 90 mins Audio disc

90min Audio disc

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 28.71x 36.78x read error
Random seek 127ms 115ms

- DVD Format

Now let's take a look at how the drive performs with DVD media. This time, a set of SL and DL DVD media was used. The drive is capable of reading at 16X maximum speed for single layer DVD ROM and at 12X for dual layer DVD ROM media.

DVD-ROM SL media

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 11.46x 12.04x 12.04x
Random seek 103ms 130ms 142ms

PTP DVD-ROM

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 its outer range.

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 8.65x 8.85x 8.90x
Random seek 118ms 130ms 148ms

 

OTP DVD-ROM

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 and progresses towards the inner part of the disc.

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 8.62x 8.85x 8.85x
Random seek 119ms 131ms 133ms

 

DVD-R

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 11.47x 12.07x 12.01x
Random seek 128ms 126ms 242ms

DVD-RW

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 8.52x 9.77x 9.74x
Random seek 110ms 128ms 118ms

DVD+R

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 11.47x 12.06x 12.14x
Random seek 128ms 129ms 307ms

 

DVD+RW

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 6.18x 9.79x 9.76x
Random seek 106ms 126ms 113ms

DVD+R DL

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 8.53x 9.01x 9.01x
Random seek 161ms 131ms 141ms

DVD-R DL

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 8.53x 9.01x 9.00
Random seek 168ms 131ms 149ms

DVD-RAM (12x)

 

LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average Speed 10.21xx 10.07x 10.13x
Random seek 150ms 299ms 237ms

DVD Ripping speed -

Ripping of a single layer DVD movie:

  LiteOn iHAS524 Optiarc AD-7240S Optiarc AD-7260S
Average 5.766KB/s KB/s (4.2x) 11.761KB/s (8,5x) 11.742KB/s (8,5x)
Maximum 16.741 KB/s (12.1x) 16.451KB/s (11.9x) 16.667 KB/s (12x)

Summary

The reading process of almost all media was completed without read errors and at speeds that match the drive's specifications. It is obvious that the CD and DVD reading capabilities of the AD-7260S and the AD-7240S drives are the same.


3. Reading of defected CDs

This series of tests checks the drive's ability to correct/conceal possible erroneous data after reading artificially scratched / defective audio discs.

Using a CD-R in best shape to do the DAE test is generally not a safe way to test the drive's error correction capabilities. If your drive would not read audio CDs error free from an error free disc, you would probably bring the drive back to the vendor. It is far more interesting to see how a drive is behaving under critical conditions (which will also tell something about the DAE quality on CDs that have manipulated C2 error information on purpose). For that a special test CD like the ABEX discs from ALMEDIO can be used, that can be used to do a comparison between different drives. The ABEX test disc is actually an AudioCD that has artificial scratches and other physical disc error patterns on its surface.

Using a special software, we compare two audio files using FFT analysis. The first audio file has been extracted by a normal audio disc without physical error patterns on it . The second one is the result of the extraction of the ABEX test discs which hold the same audio tracks, but it also has specific defects on its surface. The similarity factor of the the two tracks unveils the error correction capabilities of the drive.

The differences between the two compared tracks are translated to a signal (noise) illustrated in the following graphs. Each graph tells a lot about the abilities of the drive. The quality of the optical system (and/or of the error correction capabilities of the firmware) is shown in at which time index the error start. The error hiding qualities are shown when the wedge gets bigger. For example, a drive that will start error correction quite early indicates either bad optics and error correction. However, if the corrected data (wedges) stay below -60 dB(A) , this means that the drive has sufficiently hidden these errors and they most probably be unaudible, especially if they are surrounded by loud music.

The X position of a grid line is always a start of a new minute position on the CD (in play time, up to 74 min). The Y axis shows the dB(A) value of the error in the extracted file. The 0 dB(A) baseline at the top is marked slightly different. So the graph shows a range of 6 dB(A) down to -120.0 dB(A). Each line represents 6 dB(A) of volume (6 dB(A) louder means that the sound is double as loud).

- ABEX TCD-721R

 

Errors total Num : 806412
Errors (Loudness) Num : 46634 Avg : -74.1 dB(A) Max : -37.2 dB(A)
Error Muting Num : 2965 Avg : 1.1 Samples Max : 7 Samples
Skips Num : 0 Avg :0.0 Samples Max 0 Samples
Total Test Result Optiarc AD-7260S C2 Accuracy : 99.6 %
76.9 points (of 100.0 maximum)
Total Test Result LiteOn iHAS524 76.8 points (out of 100.0 maximum )
Total Test Result Optiarc AD-7240S 76.9 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

The drive's performance with this disc can be commented using the graph above. Error correction is good here, starting at the point where the defect is starting to grow, and error hiding mechanisms should be considerded as adequate. The average value for the errors is not high , although some wedges reachde the -37.3 dB(A). This means that some distortion (clicks, pops) could reach your speakers in the specific areas if you playback this file.

- ABEX TCD-726R

Errors total Num : 339
Errors (Loudness) Num : 12 Avg : -66.0 dB(A) Max : -57.4 dB(A)
Error Muting Num : 0 Avg : 0 Samples Max : 0 Samples
Skips Num : 0 Avg : 0.0 Samples Max 0 Samples
Total Test Result Optiarc AD-7260S C2 Accuracy: 100.0 %
93.3 points (of 100.0 maximum)

Total Test ResultLiteOn iHAS524

100 points (out of 100.0 maximum)
Total Test Result Optiarc AD-7240S 100 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

Surprisingly, the drive did not mahage to get a '100' score with this disc, which is generally easier for most DVD burner to habdle compared to the TCD-712R (scratched) test disc of the previous test. The reason is a wedge that appeared early enough and before the defected area, at around the 10min mark. This behavior could be attributed to bad optics and error correction.

 

- CD-Check Audio Test Disc

CD players have built-in D/A converters that turn the digital data on a CD into analog signal - what we hear as music. Ideally, all the digital data should be converted to the analog format. In reality, many factors cause digital data to be lost and sound reproduction to detoriate.

CD players handle this data loss using a sophisticated error correction system that allows them to recover it. However, when the data loss is greater than a system;s recovery ability, some of the signal is lost. It is then that the CD player uses compensation methods such as interpolation, data substitution or signal muting to make this loss as anaudible as possible. However, this results in altered and often distorted sound.

The level of sound distortion depends on the amount of data loss. Initially, music may sound brittle and there may be subtle problems with stereo imaging or dynamics. Over time, disc skipping, clicks, pops in the signal or audible signal muting may result. CD-CHECK contains a special signal (tone), designed for early detection of the most subtle forms of distortion. 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 more difficult tests. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.

The tracks are reproduced through a software multimedia player (e.g. Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction of the tested drive.

Error Level 1 2 3 4 5
Optiarc AD-7260S
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
0/5
LiteOn iHAS524 5/5 5/5 5/5 0/5 0/5
Optiarc AD-7240S
5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
0/5

An adequate performance for the Optiarc AD-7260S , as it successfully played the first 4 tracks.


4. Reading of defected DVDs

In the following tests, we examine the DVD reading capabilities of the drive with scratched / defective DVD media (error correction). For the tests, we used Nero DiscSpeed. 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 reading process was completed successfully, although the drive slowed down in the beginning of the disc.

Optiarc AD-7260S Optiarc AD-7240S LiteOn iHAS524
Read errors No, slowdowns in the beginning No No

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.

 

 

No reading problems here.

Optiarc AD-7260S Optiarc AD-7240S LiteOn iHAS524
Read errors No No No

- 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.

 

Same as before, successful reading without any speed fluctuations or read errors.

Optiarc AD-7260S Optiarc AD-7240S LiteOn iHAS524
Read errors No No No

ABEX TDR-845

The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc with 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.

 

 

Great reading here.

Optiarc AD-7260S Optiarc AD-7240S LiteOn iHAS524
Read errors No Yes No

 

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 upon 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.

Optiarc AD-7260S Optiarc AD-7240S LiteOn iHAS524
Read errors Yes No Yes

This time a read error was reported before the drive shift from layer 0 to layer 1 of the disc.

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.

Flawless reading here.

Optiarc AD-7260S Optiarc AD-7240S LiteOn iHAS524
Read errors No No No

Summary

Overall, the DVD error correction mechanism is good although it could be even better, especially with scratched dual layer DVD-VIDEO discs.


5. CD/DVD Writing quality tester - IQB Omni CD DVD Analyzer by Quantized

All CD/DVD writing quality tests are done using the IQB Omni CD DVD Analyzer by Quantized. The IQB Omni from Quantized Systems is a physical disc analyzer, covering all CD and DVD formats, designed to meet the Quality Control demands of the duplication and replication sectors.

Omni's features allows you to identify media quality issues and highlight drive performance and recording problems.

The system is based on a Philips CD/DVD drive. It supports the majority of the optical disc formats, including CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, CD-A DVD-R/-RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R/+RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-ROM 5 and DVD-ROM.

The platform can test the media for the following signals:

CD-R/CD-ROM/CD-A DVD+R/+RW DVD-R/-RW DVD-ROM
Reflectivity R-I14H R-I14H R-I14H
Jitter Modulation Modulation Modulation
I11/ITop Jitter Jitter Jitter
Asymmetry/Beta PI Sum 8 PI Sum 8 PI SUm 8
BLER PI Unc PI Unc PI Unc
E11 to E32 Error Statistics POF POF POF
Burst Errors Beta Beta Asymmetry
  ADER   EDC
  ADER Unc    

Test speeds for CD media are set at 16X and for DVD media at 4X.

The equipment is capable of providing measurements on the complete data area or at specific positions defined by the user (Quick Test mode). This zone testing procedure allows multiple areas of the disc to be tested in a single operation.

All numerical and graphical data are stored in a database. Data can be recalled with user defined criteria to create sets of related key results. Data can also be imported into most common software packages - MS Excel etc.

For more information on the Quantized IQB Omni Analyzer, visit http://www.quantized.com.

In the following pages, we present the writing quality measurements of various CD and DVD recordable and rewritable media, burned with the Optiarc AD-7260S DVD burner.


6. CD-R writing - Verbatim CD-R 48x

For this test (and for all ensuing tests with CD-R media), the CD-R disc was burned to its maximum capacity and at its maximum speed. Then, the same disc is read with the Disc Speed software, and the disc was scanned for digital errors (E31 and E32).

-Disc Info

Verbatim CD-R 48x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

The quality of this burn looks good. No E32 (uncorrectable or "C2") errors were reported and jitter Pit/land is generally low throughout the complete disc.


7. CD-R writing - Memorex (Ritek) CD-R 48x

-Disc Info

Memorex (Ritek) CD-R 48x certified

- Writing strategy

The drive did not write the disc at 48x CAV and slowed down to 16x.

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

 

 

Click for large view

Despite the the slow-down we saw in the sequential reading graph of the disc, no E32 errors were reported with the specific CD-R disc.


8. CD-RW writing - Verbatim 32x CD-RW

-Disc Info

Verbatim 32x CD-RW

- Writing strategy

 

- Reading speed

We used Opti Drive Disc Control software for the specific quality measurement since our IQB Omni CD DVD analyzer does not support CD-RW media:

As you can see in the screenshot above, no uncorrectable C2 (E32) errors were reported.


9. DVD-R writing - Philips DVD-R 16x

We start our DVD writing quality measurements with DVD-R media. A variety of different MIDs were selected and burned at the maximum allowed speed. In each of the following pages, you will find detailed information about each disc, the burning and reading procedure as well as the related signal measurements that construct the overall quality picture for each disc.

- Media Info

Philips DVD-R 16x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

The test reported acceptable PISum8 error rate and no uncorrectable errors (POF). Jitter was also increased after the 40mm radius of the disc and until the end of the data area. Generally, a good burn here with the CMC MAG AMD DVD-R disc at 16x.


10. DVD-R writing - Verbatim DVD-R 16x

- Media Info

Verbatim DVD-R 16x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large image

The PISum8 errors were increased here at the end of the data area. However, no no uncorrectable errors were reported..


11. DVD-R writing - Maxell (Ritek) DVD-R 16x

- Media Info

Maxell (Ritek) DVD-R 16x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

That's another good burn for the Optiarc AD-7260S burner.


12. DVD-R writing - Ridisc DVD-R (TTH02) 16x

- Media Info

Ridisc DVD-R (TTH02) 16x certified

 

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

The PISum8 started rising after the 54mm radius of the disc, and peaked at 293, which is slightly higher than the upper limit of 280. BETA was also increased at the same point and stayed high until the end of the data area. The latter could be attributed to the writing strategy of the drive for the specific disc or the media properties. Hopefully, no POF were reported.


13. DVD-R writing - Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 16x

- Media Info

Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 16x certified

 

- Writing - 24x

This is the first DVD-R disc that was successfully burned at 24x CAV. According to the official media list for the Optiarc drive, the specific disc is the only DVD-R that will be burned at 24x.

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

 

Click for large view

The 24X burning speed resulted to increased PISUm8 errors right at the end of the data area. Jitter was also increased but hopefully, no POFs were reported.


14. DVD+R writing - Philips DVD+R 16x

- Media Info

Philips DVD+R 16x certified

 

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

 

Click for large view

This tine the PISum8 errors were increased towards the end of the data area. No POFs were reported.


15. DVD+R writing - Moser Baer India DVD+R 16x

-Disc Info

Moser Baer India DVD+R 16x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

 

Click for large view


16. DVD+R writing - Verbatim DVD+R 16x

- Media Info

Verbatim DVD+R 16x certified

 

- Writing

 

The Verbatim 16x DVD+R disc (MCC004) was burned at 20x.

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

Something interesting happens at around the 51 - 52mm radius of the disc. As we also experienced with other discs, the PISUm8 errors are sharply increased in the specific area. The disc was fully readable with no POF.


17. DVD+R writing - Taiyo Yuden DVD+R 16x

- Media Info

Taiyo Yuden DVD+R 16x certified

- Writing

This is another burn at 24x. The Taiyo Yuden T03 DVD+R is the second DVD+R disc that can be burned at that speed, at least with the specific firmware installed. The other one is the RITEK R05 DVD+R 16x.

- Reading

Reading was problematic here, especially in the beginning of the disc.

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

The POF appears right before the end of the data area, coupled with an EDC failure. The readability of the disc seems not to be affected by these issues but still, it remains a problem.


18. DVD+R DL writing - Verbatim DVD+R DL 8x

- Media Info

Verbatim DVD+R DL 8x certified

 

- Writing

The drive burned the Verbatim MKM 003 DVD+R DL disc at the maximum supported speed of 8x. The Optiarc AD-7260S also supports DVD+R DL burning at 12x with the Ritek 16x DVD+R DL S06 discs.

- Reading

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

The basic problem here is the very high (589) PISum8 error spike reported at the L0 layer of the disc. Jitter was also high as it usually happens with DVD R DL discs. Finally the ADER value is rising in the end of the disc, unveiling problems in the placement of the pits/lands. ADERUnc kicked in at the same position confirming the issue at the specific area.


19. DVD-R DL writing - Verbatim DVD-R DL 8x

- Media Info

Verbatim DVD-R DL 8x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

The results show that the data at the L1 of the disc are not in good shape. The PISum8 for the second layer reached the 838 (!). Jittter was also high throughout the complete data area. Hopefully, no POFs were reported.


20. DVD-R DL writing - Verbatim DVD-R DL 12x

- Media Info

Verbatim DVD-R DL 12x certified

- Writing -12x

The MKM04RD30 DVD-R DL disc was burned at 12x in 14:44 minutes.

- Reading

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

Despite the high PISum8 errors at the end of L0, no POF was reported here. Jitter was increased for both layers, and reflectivity was low in specific areas of the L1.


21. DVD+RW writing - Verbatim (MKM A03) DVD+RW 8x

- Media Info

Verbatim (MKM A03) DVD+RW 8x certified

- Writing

 

- Reading

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

Click for large view

An acceptable burn with the DVD+RW disc at 8x. Notice that jitter sharply raised at around the 1.1 GB mark as the drive accelerated to the 8x burning speed.


22. DVD-RW writing - Verbatim DVD-RW 6x

- Media Info

Verbatim DVD-RW 6x certified

 

- Writing

 

- Reading

 

- Writing Quality - iQB OMNI

 

Click for large view

Although jitter is high for this disc, the digital error rate is low.


23. DVD-RAM writing - Maxell DVD-RAM 5x, 12x

-Disc Info

Maxell DVD-RAM 5x certified

- Writing strategy

 

- Reading

 

-Disc Info

Maxell DVD-RAM 12x certified

- Writing strategy

 

- Reading

The Optiarc AD-7260S DVD burner had not any reading/writing problems with both the Maxell DVD-RAM discs of this test (@5x and @12x)

DVD-RAM is a rewritable format supported by the DVD Forum. A DVD-RAM can be seen as a removable hard drive. However, as any other hard drive the DVD-RAM must be "prepared" (formatted) before the first use. A DVD-RAM disc must be formatted using the UDF (Universal Disk Format). Usually, a 4.7GB DVD-RAM should be formatted using the UDF 1.5 or the UDF 2.0 format.

Notice that in the above tests we showcase the maximum recording speeds supported by the drive with the specific DVD-RAM media. In case you are using your DVD-RAM discs as a removable hard drive through your Windows OS, you may experience slower burning. That because the DVD-RAM format features an automatic verification technology that results to safer but slower recordings.


24. Summary of CD/DVD writing tests, Booktype

In the following table, we have gathered the findings of the CD and DVD quality measurement tests. On the left side of the table (green) you see the discs that did not produce uncorrectable digital errors (POF), while on the right side (red tabs) there are all the discs that gave uncorrectable errors (E32 for CD or POF for DVD's) For detailed measurement data, visit the corresponding pages:

Media type Digital errors within limits Uncorrectable errors
CD-R Taiyo Yuden CD-R 48x (97m24s01f) burned at 16x  
  Memorex (Ritek) CD-R 48x (97m26s66f) burned at 48x
CD-RW Verbatim CD-RW 32x burned at 32x
DVD-R Verbatim DVD-R 16x (MCC 03RG20) burned at 20x -- PISum8 slightly >280, jitter  
Philips CMCMAG AM3 16x burned at 16x / jitter
Maxell RitekF1 DVD-R 16x burned at 16x
Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 16x (TYG03) burned at 24X / PiSum8, jitter
Ridisc DVD-R 16x (TTH02) burned at 16x / PIsum8 peak, Jitter slightly increased
DVD+R Philips DVD+R 16x (INFOME R30) burned at 16x --- PiSum8, jitter Taiyo Yuden DVD+R 16x certified (YUDEN000 T03) burned at 24X --- POF, jitter
Moser Baer DVD+R 16x (MBIPG101 R05) burned at 16x  

Verbatim DVD+R 16x (MCC 004) burned at 20X / PISum8 peak

 
DVD+RW Verbatim DVD+RW 8x (MKM A03) burned at 8x  
DVD-R DL Verbatim DVD-R DL 8x certified (MKM03RD30) burned at 8x / Jitter increased for both layers, PIsum8 in L1  
Verbatim DVD-R DL 12x (MKM04RD30) burned at 12x / PISum8 peak in L0, jitter increased for both layers  
DVD+R DL Verbatim DVD+R DL 8x (MKM 003) burned at 8x / Jitter increased for both layers, PIsum8 peak  
DVD-RW Verbatim DVD-RW 6x (MKM 01RW6X01) burned at 6x  

- Bit Setting

The specific test was updated with the latest firmware Ver. 1.02 installed. The previous Ver.1.01 did not support booktype settings, according to our tests.

- Overburning DVDs

 


25. Final words

By the time we write these lines, Optiarc has released a new firmware for the AD-7260S drive. Although the company has not provided details on the enhancements and the improvements the firmware Ver.1.02 is offering, our initial thought was to run some extra tests with the new firmware installed, especially those related to the areas where the drive needed some further tweaking. However, the AD-7260S looks already appealing even with the firmware Ver.1.01 installed, as the weak points of this drive are very limited compared to other DVD burners.

Right from the beginning, it was obvious that the AD-7260S is based on the company's previous generation of 24x DVD burners, the AD-7240S, Both drives are based on the same NEC chipset. So our main interest was to see whether Optiarc has corrected the - not very important - issues that we had noticed when we tested the very capable AD-7240S drive.

The results were really encouraging. According to our findings, the AD-7260S managed to burn all the CD and DVD discs of our test without uncorrectable errors. This applies to CD / DVD recordable and rewritable discs (SL and DL). The drive's will burn at speeds of up to 24X, a performance translated to a just 4-minute burning task for each DVD R SL. However, the media list for 24x recording remains limited to a couple of high quality discs from Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden. That's has always been the case with DVD discs and it is not expected to change now, at a time where optical storage in its sunset. Nevertheless, we liked the fact that the drive burned even these couple of discs at 24x with high reliability.

The AD-7260S also proved to be a good reader, performing all tasks at speeds that match its specifications. As a super-multi reader/writer, the drive is compatible with any disc format on the market including 12x DVD-RAM.

As far as error correction is concerned, the tests showed us that the drive has could be further improved when it comes to reading defected CDs and DVDs.

Prices for DVD burners are very low and the the Optiarc AD-7260S retails for less than $25 (bulk version). Despite its low price, the drive packs great technology and has been optimized to offer exactly what it is supposed to. As such, it is a highly recommended DVD burner for everyone.

Pros

Cons

 



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