1. Introduction
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder -
Page 1
Pioneer
Electronics is topping its already outstanding DVD burner (A05) with the new Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD/CD writer. Being a "pioneer" in the area of DVD recording, this company decided to launch this multiformat drive
in order to take the confusion out of choosing your next DVD writer. The new burner supports
all major formats. It is remarkable, and thus a clear indication of the very advanced technology this company owns, the fact that it was again able to deliver to market drives supporting formats which their "inventors" thus so far proved unable to do so.
- Features
The DVRA06
offers wider
compatibility over the previous Pioneer DVD writers since it supports high
speed writing with various format media. DVD±R
writing is achieved at 4x and DVD±RW
at 2x and 2.4x. Moreover, Pioneer has developed a series of technologies towards
the improvement of final recording performance.
- Precision Recording Technology
DVR-A06?s development began by improving
conventional algorithms and re-evaluating the
record and overwrite characteristics of DVD-RW
media to apply a sequence that optimizes
recording conditions. The DVR-A06 achieves
approximately ten times better overwrite
performance than previous Pioneer recorders.
It also uses an industry- first DRT-DM (Distributed
Real Time Defect Management) offering a form
of defect management that conforms to the DVD
format without sacrificing write performance.
The result is highly compatible writing even on discs
that have been rewritten many times, without
causing a degradation of actual disc quality.
Supposed that a DVD-RW disc is defected in some areas. Upon first encountering
a problem area
(e.g..fingerprint) the drive searches for
the next rewritable area.
In future instances when the media is
used, drives/players will automatically
skip the problem area.
The defect management system is
based on the UDF 2.00 file system.
The DVR-A06/106 has a small on-board memory IC named "DBI Chip".
This stores the "Defective Block Information" that is returned from
a disc
with scratches, dust, fingerprints etc.
Defective Block Information EDR (Enhanced Defect Reporting) reports
the defective block and the level of the
defect to the DBI memory.
The DBI memory enables the host to
perform the defect management operation
at a later time. Thus, no influence appears
during the real time recording.
Software Defect Management
The DRT-DM is expected to be implemented into up-coming software
applications (Ahead, Sonic, Pinnacle, Roxio, ArcSoft etc). The drive reports
the location of any defective blocks.
UDF File Driver performs the operation to ?spare the defective block?.
The device driver (EDR) transports the necessary information between them.
The DRT-DM commands
for implementation can be found in the "Mt Fuji
Commands for Multimedia Devices SFF8090i Version 5, Revision 1.49".
The interesting thing about DRT-DM is that it can be used in "Real-Time" video
streaming operations. Since the defected areas have been spotted beforehand,
no loss of speed is
expected when rewriting on DVD-RW media. Which is especially suited for
?seamless video recording?.
Pioneer's DRT-DM could be compared to Mt Rainier defect management in the
following ways:
| DRT-DM (Software
Defect Management) |
Mt. Rainier (
Hardware
Defect Management) |
DVD Forum Standard for DVD-RW media |
+RW Alliance Unique Local Standard for
+RW media |
Defect Management is controlled by the
software. The Host PC can adopt
flexibility accordingly to the defect level. |
Defect Management by the Control Driver
on the Hardware. |
DRT-DM is not only for Data Recording
but also a target for real-time Video
Recording which Includes the DVD-Video
Recording Format. |
Mt.Rainier is only for Data Recording.
No compatibility is expected for Video
Recording. |
| DRT-DM adopts UDF2.0 File System.
Host PC registers the address of the
defective blocks in the UDF file table
which enables any drives & players to
read the disc / contents |
The information of defective blocks
are registered on the special reserve area
which hinders general compatibility with
drives & players to read. |
| DRT-DM uses UDF2.0 platform, most
DVD-ROM Drives can read without any
drivers installed. |
DVD-ROM Drives are required to install
the Address Conversion Driver to read. |
- Ultra DRA (Dynamic Resonance Absorber)
Poorly balanced discs can cause vibrations that affect performance during high
speed
recording and playback. The DVR-A06 significantly reduces the effects of these
vibrations with the implementation of Ultra DRA technology, allowing the high
precision servo system to remain stable during both high speed recording and
playback.
In the picture below you can see the Ultra DRA effect on the total vibrations
of the drive. This feature reduces the vibrations by 65% at 9200rpm rotation
speed.
- Smart laser drive technology
Pioneer?s advanced laser driver uses a pickup that incorporates a write strategy
control circuit, ensuring stable write performance at high speed recording.
- Liquid crystal tilt technology
Pioneer?s liquid crystal tilt mechanism provides accurate and reliable operation
with discs having uneven curvature or thickness. This mechanism is
used for both recording and playback.
- Specifications
Write support |
DVD |
DVD-R 4.7GB, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW |
CD |
CD-R 700 (type 80), 650MB (type 74),
CD-RW, Highspeed CD-RW |
|
Read support |
DVD |
DVD-ROM, DVD-VIDEO (Single & Dual
layer), DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW |
CD |
CD-ROM(Mode1&2), CD-ROM XA, CD-DA(CD
Audio), Video CD,
PhotoCD (single/multi-session), CD EXTRA(CD-Plus), CD-Text, CD-R, CD-RW |
Interface |
ATAPI(PIO Mode4)/Multi Word DMA Mode2) Ultra DMA33(Ultra DMA Mode2) |
Audio Interface |
Analog out |
Write Speed |
DVD-R |
4x, 2x, 1x CLV (5.54MB/s) |
DVD-RW |
2x, 1x CLV (2.77MB/s) |
DVD+R |
4x, 2.4x CLV (5.54MB/s) |
DVD+RW |
2.4x CLV (3.32MB/s) |
CD-R |
16x, 12x, 8x, 4x CLV (2.4MB/s) |
CD-RW |
10x, 4x CLV (1.5MB/s) |
Read Speed |
DVD-ROM (Single) |
Max 12x CAV (16.62MB/s) |
DVD-ROM (Dual) |
Max 8x CAV (11.08MB/s) |
DVD-R, DVD-RW |
Max 6x CAV ( 8.31MB/s) |
DVD+R, DVD+RW |
Max 6x CAV (8.31MB/s) |
CD-ROM |
Max 32x CAV (4.8MB/s) |
CD-R,CD-RW |
Max 32x CAV (4.8MB/s) |
CD-DA(DAE) |
Max 32x CAV (4.8MB/s) |
CD-DA |
Max 10x CAV (1.5MB/s) |
Video-CD |
4x CLV (0.6MB/s) |
| Access Time (Random Average) |
DVD-ROM |
140 msec |
CD-ROM |
130 msec |
Seek Time (Random Average)
|
DVD-ROM |
130 msec |
CD-ROM |
120 msec |
Data Buffer (size) |
2Mbytes |
As you can see from the specifications of the drive, Pioneer supports
writing of all DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and CD-R/RW media. DVD-R and DVD+R writing
can be achieved
at 4x CAV maximum.
Rewriting is allowed at 2.4x CLV for DVD+RW and 2x
CLV for DVD-RW.
The maximum reading speed for DVD-ROM
is 12x CAV.
As for the CD-R media Pioneer supports 4x, 8x,12x and 16x CLV for CD-R
and 4x, 10x CLV writing for the CD-RW.
The CD-R/RW reading speed is 32x CAV.
Buffer Underun protection is also applied for both DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW media.
Pioneer DVR-A06 uses the RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the
drive's region 5 times in total. For our tests, we set the region code to 2
(Europe).
The drive supports reading of all the DVD recordable/rewritable discs except
DVD-RAM. Video CD, CD+G and CD Text are also supported
RAW DAO 96 writing mode
is included in the drive's capabilities. In addition, packet writing, SAO,
TAO and RAW SAO 96 are supported as well.
- Unpacking
The
retail package includes the Pioneer DVR-A06 IDE drive, one 4.7GB 4x DVD-R Ver.
2.0 disc for data/video by Maxell, one 4.7GB 1/2x DVD-RW disc by Maxell, a multilingual manual
with basic operating instructions, an audio cable and the accompanied mounting screws.
The bundled software comes from Pinnacle, and includes the Pinnacle Instant
CD/DVD v7.06 (OEM version), and Pinnacle Studio v. 8 SE.
Instant CD/DVD includes InstantDisc for CD/DVD creation, InstantWrite
for "drag and drop" operations on CD/DVD, InstantCopy for one-to-one copies of
CD's and DVD's, and InstantBackup for easy backup tasks. The software also
offers a built-in DVD player for playback of DVD movies on the PC.
Pinnacle Studio v.8 SE is a video editing and authoring software with a user-friendly
interface and advanced features like scene detection, title generation and
scene transitions. The software also supports capturing from DV and Digital8
cameras through an IEEE1394 interface.
The front panel of the drive is white and the originate of the drive is easily
identified by the Pioneer logo stamped on the right side of the disc tray.Two ventilation holes are placed on the front panel of the drive, right next
to the Busy indicator.
On the disc loading
tray you can see both DVD-R/RW and DVD+Rewritable logos, revealing the dual
DVD format support of the unit. Two operation LED are placed on the front panel.
The Busy LED lights when the drive is accessing/reading a disc, while the Write
LED is active while recording.
On the rear panel you can see the analog output, the ATAPI interface connector
and the power input.
The mainboard of the drive is available in the following picture. You can
click on the picture to see it in a higher resolution, but in case your internet access is rather slow, please be patient
while it is loading.
- Installation
The Pioneer DVR-A06 drive was connected to our test PC and was identified
as "PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-106D" under
WinXP. All tests were done with firmware revision v1.06. In the test graphs,
we compare the new drive with two other dual DVD recorders, the Optorite
DD0203 (Sanyo CRD-BPDV2) and the Sony DRX-500UL.
2. CD Reading Tests
Pioneer DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder - Page 2
CD Reading Tests
- Pressed CD results (Click to
see the CD Speed Graphs)
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports 32x reading speed for CD-ROM/R media.The
drive read the inner part of our test disc at 14.55x and gradually accelerated
to finish the task at 33.91x CAV, resulting to an average speed of 25.48x.
The Optorite DD0203 is faster in this test with 30.39x average reading (40X
CAV), and the Sony drive is slower with 24.02X.
The specifications of the Pioneer DVR-A06 state that the drive needs around
130msec for random seeking. Our measurements agree with this statement, giving
a 127msec result in this test. The drive is slower in the full seek mode (294msec).
Sony DRX-500UL gave almost the same results as the Pioneer drive, while the Optorite
DD0203 is the clear winner in the test with only 179msec for the full stroke.
- CDR Media results (Click to
see the CD Speed Graphs)
With respect to CD-R media, the Pioneer drive performed well and read
the disc at a 25.25x average speed.
With respect to the seek times on recordable discs, the Pioneer drive performed almost the same as in
the previous tests with a pressed test-disc.
- HS-RW Media
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports 32x CAV reading when it comes to rewritable media.
The results illustrated above are the reading tests using Verbatim 10x HS-RW
media. The
drive performed well and read the disc at an average speed of 24.89x. We also
checked the behavior of the drive with 24x US-RW media (Mitsubishi Chemicals).
The drive read the disc at full speed (25.76x average).
3. CD Error Correction Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 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 / defected discs. As usual, the test discs we use are the ABEX Test Discs series
from ALMEDIO.
- ABEX TCD-721R
|
Errors total
|
Num: 890027
|
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 50620
|
Avg: -72.6 dB(A)
|
Max: -14.3 dB(A)
|
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 2938
|
Avg: 1.1 Samples
|
Max: 40 Samples
|
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 7
|
Avg: 6.9 Samples
|
Max: 12 Samples
|
|
Total Test Result
|
69.1 points (of 100.0 maximum)
|
Pioneer DVR-A06 performed quite well in the specific test, although the ABEX
TCD-721R disc is always very hard for the testing drives to be read accurately. The average
error level is -72.6dB(A), and according to EAC author, such level is acceptable
and does not lead to audible problems in the output signal.
However, the amount of errors muted is not very low and this weighted negatively
to the total score. Overall, the score is 69.1 points out of 100, which is
a good score compared to other DVD and CD recorders / readers.
- ABEX TCD-726
|
Errors total
|
Num: 221253
|
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 10116
|
Avg: -72.8 dB(A)
|
Max: -15.2 dB(A)
|
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 1223
|
Avg: 13.2 Samples
|
Max: 1095 Samples
|
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 11
|
Avg: 38.2 Samples
|
Max: 168 Samples
|
|
Total Test Result
|
64.7 points (of 100.0 maximum)
|
The ABEX TCD-726 test disc contains defects and artificial fingerprints. The
drive behaved adequately concerning the reported level of errors, although
again some samples were muted. The score is better than in the previous test,
reaching 64.7 points out of 100 possible.
- Conclusion
|
Test Disc
|
Reading Speed
|
Score
|
|
ABEX TCD-721R
|
Max
|
69.1
|
|
ABEX TCD-726
|
64.7
|
|
Average Score
|
66.9
|
Pioneer DVR-A06 gets a good score of 66.9 out of
100 at the error correction tests. The drive gave almost the same amount of
errors with both scratched and defected discs, and the overall behavior with
problematic media is obviously positive.
- CDSpeed Quality Test
Nero CDSpeed quality test applied on the ABEX TCD-721R also showed
that the drive is able to read accurately defected discs. Although the reported
C2 accuracy is low, the quality score is high.
4. DVD Reading Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder -
Page 4
DVD reading tests
- Single Layer DVD-ROM (Click
for CDSpeed results)
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports 12x CAV (5-12x)
reading speed for single layer DVD-ROM media. The drive finished the test with
an average reading speed of 9.52x. The performance is very good and the drive
is faster than the Optorite DD0203.
Sony DRX-500UL supports 7x CAV DVD-ROM reading, so it gave the lower performance
in the same test.
The seek times of the Pioneer A06 is 132 msec (random
seek). The drive is slower in the 1/3 full seek modes. Although the
drive performed as it was expected according to its specifications, the Optorite DD0203
offered lower seek times.
- Dual Layer PTP DVD-ROM (Click for
CDSpeed results)
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports 8x CAV reading for the dual layer DVD-ROM. The
specific DVD-ROM disc is PTP and the drive read it at 6.16x average.
As you can see from the above graph, Pioneer DVR-A06 is faster than Optorite
DD0203, which supports only 4x reading and Sony DRX-500UL (2x CLV reading).
The seek times of dual layer DVD-ROM is slightly increased over those reported
for the single layer discs. The performance is adequate, although the Optorite
drive is faster. Sony DRX-500UL is slower in al the seek modes.
- Dual Layer OTP DVD-ROM
The
first layer of an OTP dual layer DVD-ROM is read exactly the same way as 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 performance is not different than in
the previous test, since the drive
gave a 6.12x average reading speed, very close indeed to the previous case.
The full seek result reported by CDSpeed is not accurate, and users should
expect a performance around 330msec in this test.
- DVD Ripping Tests
We measured the DVD Ripping speed using the "Matrix" DVD Video
title and DVD Decrypter software.
Pioneer DVR-A06 is not a very fast ripper, following the "tradition" of
the previous Pioneer DVD recorders. The average ripping speed is 2789KB/sec.
The Optorite drive is faster at 5846KB/sec, and Sony DRX-500UL gave the same
results as Pioneer.
- DVD Recordable/Rewritable Tests
The chart below shows the Nero CDSpeed results when using the following media
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports 6x CAV reading for all the DVD recordable/rewritable
media. The drive is the faster one among the others that appear on the chart. The Optorite
DD0203 is slower with a 4x average speed (ACV) and Sony DRX-500UL follows the other two at
2x CLV.
5. DVD Error Correction Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder -
Page 5
DVD Error Correction
Tests
In the following tests we examined the DVD reading capabilities of the Pioneer
DVR-A06 using artificially scratched / defected 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 capacity of 4.7GB, in which
there are scratches of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0 mm. The following transfer
rate picture comes from CDVD Benchmark v1.21.
The disc was read without any problems. The scratched area of the disc did
not result to any read errors, although the drive unexpectedly lowered the
reading speed just after corresponding end address of the scratch. The performance
in the test is very good.
ABEX TDR-825
This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with 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 not scratches on it but defected areas of dimensions ranging from 0.5 to
1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints sized between 65 to 75 micro meters.
Again the test was completed without any read errors. The reading speed
was reduced from 10x to 5x in a specific defected area (fingerprint), but reading
was normally resumed and the test was successfully finished.
- 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, in both layers.
Both layers of the PTP DVD-ROM disc were accurately read and the reading
speed throughout the whole disc was not infected by the scratched areas.
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 disc is that the first includes
defected areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defected areas range
from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized between 65 to 75 micro meters.
As is the case in the corresponding test with the ABEX TDR-825
disc (defected single layer DVD-ROM), the drive had no problems to finish the task
successfully. The reading speed was 8x CAV.
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 discs check the layer switch operation
from layer 0 to layer 1 and also include test pictures and test signals for
DVD sound files. The current TDV-541 disc checks also the error correction capabilities
of the drive and includes scratches of dimensions 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
The OTP dual layer disc was read without any problems. The
average reading speed was 6.16x, and the random seek time was 143msec.
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 has also 65 - 75
micro meter fingerprints. |
Black dots and fingerprints were not a problem for the drive. The test was
successful, running at a 6.17x average speed .
6. Data Protected Disc Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder - Page 6
Protected Disc
Tests
- PSX Pressed Media
For this test we used the PSX game 'NBA Jam Extreme' and we ripped the image
to the HD using Alcohol 120%. Pioneer DVR-A06 finished
the task very fast in 1:06min. The Sony drive follows closely at 1:28min,
and the Optorite DD0203 is the slowest reader in the test with 3:08min.
- SafeDisc v.2 Results
Pioneer DVR-A06 is not a very fast reader with SafeDisc v2 protected titles.
The drive needed almost 1 hour in order to get the image on the HD, for
both pressed and CD-R discs. The Optorite drive was also slow while the Sony
DRX-500UL performed better.
- SecuROM Results
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports reading of Subchannel Data for both audio and data tracks.
The drive is not the fastest reader you can find for SecuROM protected titles,
although actually we are talking about a three-minute process, at least on
this particular title. Sony DRX-500UL is slightly slower, and Optorite DD0203
follows with a 1084.44 sectors/sec reading rate.
- Protected Discs Writing Tests
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports the DAO-RAW writing mode.
For checking the drive's EFM correction status, we used 3 different game titles,
each one utilizing a different SafeDisc 2 version, with the latest software patches installed.
We used the drive as reader/writer at a maximum reading/recording speed. The
software we used is Alcohol 120%, and we burned 2 discs/title with the Bypass
EFM Error function enabled / disabled.
|
Backup Disc Players |
Game Title |
SD2 Build |
Settings |
|
Bypass EFM Error |
No Bypass |
Plextor Premium
|
Max Payne v1.05 |
v.2.50.020 |
OK |
OK |
Pioneer DVR-A06 |
OK |
OK |
Creative CD5233E |
OK |
NO |
TEAC CD-540E |
OK |
NO |
Plextor Premium |
Serious Sam - The Second Encounter
v1.07 |
v.2.60.052 |
OK |
NO |
Pioneer DVR-A06 |
OK |
Creative CD5233E |
NO |
TEAC CD-540E |
NO |
Plextor Premium |
The Sims - Unleashed |
v2.80.010 |
OK |
NO |
Pioneer DVR-A06 |
OK
|
Creative CD5233E |
NO |
TEAC CD-540E |
NO |
The produced backups with Alcohol 120% partially worked to the drives we
tested. For all the Safedisc builds, the "Bypass EFM Error" feature
determined the final result. Protections up to v2.60 worked without software
support to Pioneer DVR-A06, Plextor Premium and all the LiteOn drives we tested.
Older CD-ROM drives such as Creative CD5233E did not manage to play the disc.
It is very interesting that the drive also produced working SafeDisc v2.80
backups
through
the software
assistance
of Alcohol
120%, but again, in Pioneer drive itself and other selected players.
7. DAE Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder - Page 7
DAE Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports 32x CAV DAE speed. The average ripping
speed was 23.1x on the pressed audio disc and 21.2x on
the CD-R. Optorite DD0203 was slightly faster with approximately 27x average
ripping
speed.
- Advanced DAE Quality
Pioneer DVR-A06 got a 100 score (perfect) under the Nero CD Speed Advanced
DAE test. The average reading speed is 23.70x. We can see
that
the drive supports reading of
SubChannel
data and CD
Text.
- Ripping of 99mins AudioCDs
|
Tested drives |
Ripping up to |
Optorite DD0203
|
Unable to recognize the disc |
Sony DRX-500UL
|
99min |
|
PIONEER DVR-A06
|
99min |
- Reading/Ripping Protected AudioCD's
For the test procedure we used 2 protected AudioCD's, which we
tested in both the processes of recognition and ripping (with EAC):
* Pressed AudioCD with Sony Key2Audio (Celine Dion - New Day
Has Come)
* Pressed AudioCD with Cactus Data Shield 200 (Natalie Imbruglia
- White Lilies Island)
|
|
Key2Audio |
CDS200 |
|
EAC |
PIONEER DVR-A06 |
Recognizes disc contents but cannot
rip tracks |
OK |
Optorite DD0203 |
OK |
Recognizes disc contents but cannot
rip tracks |
Sony DRX-500UL |
Cannot recognize disc |
Recognizes disc contents but cannot
rip tracks |
Pioneer DVR-A06 is not fully compatible with protected
audio discs. Although the drive recognized the Key2Audio protected
disc, the software locked and the extraction was not possible. The situation
was the same when using the PlexTools software. On the other hand, the
Cactus DataShield 200 protection was easily handled by the drive. It might be the case that a firmware upgrade can help users overcome similar situations and we thus urge them to apply to the manufacturer their requests.
8. CD Recording Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder - Page 8
CDR Tests
We
used the latest version of Nero Burning Rom.
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports all 16x, 12x, 8x, and 4x CLV writing
speeds.
The following screenshot comes from a Nero CDSpeed writing simulation test
using a blank 700MB CD-R disc. The drive starts writing at 16x and
keeps this speed constant through out the whole writing process.
- Recording Times
We created a 80min data compilation under Nero Burning Rom and burned it to a 700MB
disc. Pioneer DVR-A06 needs 329 seconds to finish the task. Optorite DD0203
gave almost the same recording time.The Sony DRX-500UL supports 24x (Z-CLV)
maximum recording speed, and gave the lower writing time in this test.
The following picture comes from Nero after
a successful
burning at 16x speed:
Below you can see the best writing times of Pioneer DVR-A06
at 16x, 12x and 8x. The Sony drive is slower at 16x due to the implemented Z-CLV
writing strategy.
- Other features
|
Overburning
|
Yes, with 80min CD-R only
|
|
CD text reading/writing
|
Yes
|
9. CD-R Writing Quality Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder -
Page 9
Writing Quality Tests
We used 80min 48x CD-R media by Taiyo Yuden and burned the same AudioCD project
at 4x, 8x, 12x and 16x. In the following page you can
see the 3T
Pit & Land Jitter graphs.
- 3T Pit results
In general, the drive did not introduce high values of 3T pit jitter in the specific media.
The highest 3T pit jitter was reported on the discs recorded at 16x, but
the values were very low.
The average 3T Jitter values for all recording speeds are illustrated in the
following table.
- 3T Land results
The average 3T Land results are slightly increased over those in the previous
measurements of the 3T Pit Jitter. However, the results are very good since
the jitter was kept lower than 28msec for all the discs.
- Conclusion
|
Recording Speed |
3T Pit Jitter (ns) |
3T Land Jitter (ns) |
> 35ns |
Max value (ns) |
4X |
22.66 |
24.66 |
No |
24 Pit, 26 Land |
|
8X |
23.15 |
25.44 |
No |
24 Pit, 46 Land |
|
12X |
24.02 |
24.66 |
No |
25 Pit, 29 Land |
16X |
24.90 |
24.90 |
No |
26 Pit, 27 Land |
The average 3T Pit and Land jitter values are below the 35nsec standard for
all the recording speeds. The CLV writing strategy which is being followed in all the writing
speeds, along with the (relatively) low supported speeds, help this drive maintain low jitter values and allow us
to expect a high writing quality.
- C1 / C2 measurements
We used Plextor Premium and the latest version of PlexTools Professional software
to measure C1 / C2 error rate on the the recorded discs of Pioneer DVR-A06.
| |
16X |
8X |
C1 |
C2 |
CU |
C1 |
C2 |
CU |
Avg / Sec |
0.8 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.6 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Max / Sec |
25.0 |
35.0 |
0.0 |
14.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Total |
3914.0 |
725.0 |
0.0 |
2700.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
The measurements reported no CU (uncorrectable) errors on any of the discs.
The 16x recorded disc gave some C2 errors around the 55:00:00 address of the
disc (blue peak), but the overall quality is still high.
10. Re-Writing Tests
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder
- Page 10
Re-Writing Tests
We
used Nero Burning Rom for writing CD's in the maximum RW speed. Pioneer DVR-A06
supports 10x maximum rewriting speed.
The Optorite finished in 7:58 minutes, and needed 30 seconds to perform
the
"quick erase" task with Nero. Sony DRX-500UL was slower at 8:44
minutes.
- HS-RW Packet Writing Tests
We used InCD and Ricoh HS-RW media for all Packet Writing tests. The quick
formatting of the media takes 30 seconds. The formatted disc had 530MB of
free space.
We copied a 403MB file (403.147Kb, actually) from a hard disk (on the same PC as the
writer itself) to the formatted RW media through the Windows explorer (drag
and drop) :
The Pioneer DVR-A06 gave an average
writing speed of 8.4x and was slightly faster than the Sony drive, while
the Optorite is ranked in the third place with just 7.8x. In the reading
part,
the Optorite
drive
is the fastest among the rest drives with 7.6x.
- DVD+RW Packet Writing Tests
The size of the file we used in this test was 412MB. The reading / writing
speeds reported below were measured while the DVD+RW background formatting
was in
progress.
|
Average Writing |
Average Reading |
Pioneer DVR-A06 |
9:04min |
3:45min |
According to the duration of writing, the drive recorded the file to the disc
at an average speed of 0.6x (x=1350KB/sec), and read it back to the hard disc at
1.35x.
11. DVD Recording Tests
Pioneer DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder - Page 11
DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports both the dash (-) and plus (+) DVD R/RW formats. The maximum supported
speeds are 4x for DVD-R/+R, 2x for DVD-RW and 2.4x for DVD+RW.
We
burned 4315MB of DVD-Video at 4x DVD±R, 2.4x DVD+RW and 2x DVD-RW on media
by Maxell, TDK, Verbatim, Philips, Pioneer and Ritek.
The best recording times are
illustrated
in the following table. For
comparison, we also include the writing times of Sony DRX-500UL and Optorite
DD0203 in this case:
|
DVD Recording Tests (max speed) |
|
Drives |
DVD-R |
DVD-RW |
DVD+R |
DVD+RW |
Pioneer DVR-A06 |
14:22 |
28:20 |
14:23 |
23:51 |
Optorite DD0203 |
14:48 |
29:22 |
14:27 |
23:25 |
Sony DRX-500UL |
15:48 |
29:04 |
14:54 |
21:46 |
The following pictures come from Nero, after successful burnings with Pioneer
DVR-A06. The amount of data is the same for all the tests.
Pioneer DVR-A06 selects automatically the maximum allowed recording speed according to the
inserted blank DVD discs. The drive was fast with all the 4x DVD recordable
media we tested. In the following table you can see the maximum permitted writing
speeds with various
media, along with the corresponding writing times.
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Writing Speed |
Recording Time (min) |
TDK 4x DVD+R |
RICOHJPNR01 |
4x |
13:33 |
TDK 4x DVD-R |
TTG01 |
4x |
14:22 |
Maxell 4x DVD+R |
MAXELL 001 |
4x |
14:23 |
Maxell 4x DVD-R |
MXLRG02 |
4x |
14:23 |
Verbatim 4x DVD+R |
MCC 002 |
4x |
13:33 |
Verbatim 2.4x DVD+RW |
MCC01RG20 |
2.4x |
23:51 |
Ritek 4x DVD-R |
RITEKG04 |
4x |
14:28 |
Maxell 2x DVD-RW |
MCC01RW11n9 |
2x |
28:20 |
Philips 2.4x DVD+R |
RICOHJPNR00 |
2.4x |
22:28 |
Pioneer 4x DVD-R |
PVCR001002 |
4x |
14:22 |
- Compatibility Tests
We recorded a 4315MB DVD video file on DVD±R media and inserted
it to some stand alone DVD players / recorders of the market. The
compatibility of the discs was almost 100%, at least with these players, in
terms of disc recognition and unproblematic playback
/ disc navigation.
Player |
TDK 4x DVD+R |
TDK 4x DVD-R |
Maxell 4x DVD+R |
Maxell 4x DVD-R |
Verbatim 4x DVD+R |
Ritek 4x DVD-R |
Philips 2.4x DVD+R |
Pioneer 4x DVD-R |
Pioneer DVR-7000 |
NO |
OK |
OK |
OK |
NO |
OK |
OK |
OK |
Philips DVR890 |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
PHILIPS DVD 733 |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
PANASONIC DVD-XV10 |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
TOSHIBA SD-220E |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
SONY DVP-NS705V |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
PIONEER DV-550 |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
OK |
Unfortunately, our DVD format compatibility tests had already been carried out before completing these tests, hence we were unable to include them on our review.
12. KProbe PI/PO measurements
Pioneer DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder - Page 12
KProbe PI/PO
measurements
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PO scans for various 4x DVD-R/+R
and DVD-RW/+RW media, recorded with Pioneer DVR-A06 at the maximum speed.
The software we used for the measurements is the KProbe, and the reader is
LiteOn XJ-HD-165H. The specific methodology is very depended on the drive we
use as a reader. The reliability of the PI/PO provided output is also not
technically confirmed. As a result, we cannot safely come up with absolute
results,
but we are
allowed
to compare
the behavior
of
the
drive
with
various
DVD recordable/rewritable
media, since this seems currently our only feasible approach.
The recordable discs we used come from Hitachi-Maxell, Pioneer, Philips, TDK,
Verbatim and Ritek. More information about each disc type is available
at the bottom of the page.
Below you can see the actual codes of all the media we used for the graphs reported above.
Media |
Code |
Verbatim 4X DVD-R |
MCC01RG20 |
Verbatim 4X DVD+R |
MCC 002 |
Maxell 4X DVD+R |
MAXELL 001 |
Maxell 4X DVD-R |
MXLRG02 |
TDK 4X DVD-R |
TTG01 |
TDK 4X DVD+R |
RICOHJPNR01 |
Pioneer 4X DVD-R |
PVCR001002 |
Philips 2.4X DVD+R |
RICOHJPNR00 |
Ritek 4X DVD-R |
RITEKG04 |
Pioneer 2X DVD-RW |
PVCW00V00245 |
Philips 2.4X DVD+RW |
CMC MAG W01 |
13. Conclusion
Pioneer
DVR-A06 DVD±RW recorder -
Page 13
Conclusion
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
- Fast 4x DVD±R writing
- 16/10/32 CD-RW
- Adequate CD seek times
- Fast CD-R/RW/DVD-ROM/DVD±R/RW reading
- Accurate reading of defected / scratched CD-R/DVD-ROM
media
- 32X DAE
- Supports Cactus Data Shield 200 audio protection
- Low CD-R jitter
- Good CD / DVD writing quality
- High compatibility of recorded DVD media
- Supports CD-Text (reading/writing)
- Supports 99min audio discs
|
- Slow reader of protected data discs
- Creates partially working SafeDisc v.2 backups
- DVD Seek times could be lower
- DVD ripping speed could be higher
- Does not support Key2Audio audio protection
|
The supported 4x DVD±R writing speed allows recording of a 4.4GB file in approximately
15min. The drive burned the most popular media of the market (Pioneer, Verbatim,
Ritek, TDK, Maxell) at the maximum speed. Quality measurements for these discs
were done with the contribution of the LiteON KProbe software. The results
indicate that the average PI/PO error rate on the recorded discs is low for
both formats.
The important issue, however, is the compatibility of the produced discs with
the DVD players of the market. For this reason we checked the recorded discs
(DVD Video) in a number of stand alone players. The results were very good
and the playback compatibility was almost 100% for both DVD formats on all players we tested.
Pioneer DVR-A06 supports the 12x CAV DVD-ROM reading speed, which is high
enough for your reading tasks, although the seek times could be improved. The
drive is also a fast reader (6x CAV) on dual-layer DVD-ROM and DVD±R discs.
The reading accuracy is high and this is confirmed by the performance when using
the ABEX scratched / defected DVD-ROM media, which were accurately read with
no read errors reported. On the weak characteristics of the drive we could
attribute the relatively slow DVD ripping speed, behavior familiar to all of us from the previous
Pioneer DVD burners.
Pioneer DVR-A06 is also a reliable 16/10/32 CD recorder, providing fast reading,
low seek times, and 32x DAE speed. The implemented CLV writing strategy for
all the supported burning speeds offer competitive recording times, good writing quality,
while low jitter was introduced on all CD-R media we tested.
Audio protected discs are partially supported, as the drive is able to read
the Cactus Data Shield 200 discs but seems weak when it comes to Key2Audio protection.
On the plus side is the fact that the drive supports reading of 99min discs.
Pioneer DVR-A06 is not the faster drive available if you ask for fast image
creation of data protected discs. Gamers will also not be satisfied by the
lack of the drive's ability to create working backups of the latest SafeDisc
v.2 protected titles, at least with no support from a dedicated software.
Pioneer DVR-A06 is possibly the most consistent and powerful dual burner currently
in the market today. The drive delivered top performance in most of the benchmarks
and strengtheners the company's position in the optical storage market. Pioneer continues its tradition of producing quality DVD burners. The retail package is available
in the market at an estimated "e-street" price of $240-250.