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This story was printed from CdrInfo.com,
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Appeared on: Monday, May 3, 2004
BenQ DW822A


1. Package - Installation

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 1

One more 8x DVD recorder has entered the DVD recording market. BenQ, after the release of its 8x +R DRW800A DVD recorder, reveals the new DW822A dual format DVD recorder.

- Features

The DW822A is the first BenQ drive that supports recording for both the +R/RW and ?R/RW formats.

The photo is of a sticker on the retail package. According to this, on 30/09/2004, the buyer will be able to record dual layer discs with the current recorder through a firmware upgrade that will be avaliable from BenQ's website.

BenQ's Seamless Link allows the drive to store the RecEnd address, the point in the data to which the recording mechanism has progressed, and pause the recording before a buffer under run occurs. When the buffer is again full, a Seamless Link-enabled drive locates the RecEnd address and resumes the recording process. The gap between the stop and restart point is closed, while managing the recording process precisely and transparently-eliminating under run errors and maintaining recording accuracy.

BenQ's Book Type Management enables the easy conversion of +R/+RW media to DVD-ROM format and can resolve compatibility issues with most consumer DVD devices. Latest version of the BookType Manager Software can be downloaded from here.

Walking Optimal Power Calibration(WOPC) dynamically adjusts burning power to ensure the best writing quality throughout the whole burning process. In addition, the patented "Tilted Control" always keeps the writing angle at 90 degrees on the disc surface to ensure uniform writing.

- Specifications

 
Interface
ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer Size
8 MB
Ide Mode PIO mode 0/1/2/3/4
DMA mode 0/1/2
UDMA mode 0/1/2
Access Time
DVD Family : 160 ms
CD Family : 120 ms
Write Speed
DVD Family
Writing speed 8x (10800KBps) +R, 4x (5400KBps)-R
Re-writing speed 4x (5400KBps)+RW, 2x (2700KBps) -RW
CD Family
Writing speed 24x (3600KBps), CLV / CAV (24x)
Re-writing speed 10x (1500KBps), CLV
Read Speed
DVD Family
12x (16200KBps), CAV
CD Family
40x (6000KBps), CAV
Supported Formats
DVD Family
Write: DVD+R 4.7GB, DVD+RW 4.7GB, DVD-R 4.7GB, DVD-RW 4.7GB (Close session),
Read: DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10, DVD-18, DVD+R/-R/+RW/-RWCD-DA

CD Family
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

Writing mode
DVD Family
DVD Data and Video
CD Family
Disc-at-once
Track-at-once
Multi-session
Packet writing
CD Digital Audio
Direct Over write on CDRW simulation
Support OS
Windows 98/ ME / 2000/ XP
Dimensions
146 x 198 x 42 mm (LxWxH)
Weight
1 Kg
Support both 8 cm and 12 cm disc of CD and DVD family
 

One of the basic differences of BenQ in comparison to the competition is the 8MB buffer size. The other specifications of the drive, according to Infotool, are the 40x maximum CD reading speed and the 24x maximum CD writing speed. On the supported Read features the drive supports all tested formats except DVD-Ram and C2 error information. On the Write features, all tested formats are supported by BenQ, except DVD-Ram and Mount Rainier. On the writing modes the software reports that BenQ supports TAO, DAO, SAO, and RAW writing. On the DVD features BenQ uses the RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times.

- Retail package

The retail package includes the BenQ IDE interface drive, mounting screws and an audio cable.

For reading reference the package includes the following multi language guides: hardware Quick start, user quide for the recording software, guide for video authoring software and finally a welcome user's manual for Qvideo and Book type management. All guides are also available in pdf format on one CD-Rom along with the specifications for the writer. And last but not least the package includes a CD-Rom with Sonic RecordNow! 6.7.0 Plus and Sonic DLA v4.60 for packet writing and a CD-Rom with Intervideo WnDVD Creator and WindDVD player.

- The drive

Removing the screws and opening the drive's cover voids the drive's warranty. For reference reasons, we post the following pictures.

Click for Higher Resolution!

- Installation

The BenQ drive was connected to our test PC and was identified as "ATAPI DVD Dual 8X4X12 " under WinXP. All tests were done with firmware B3BC.

The following pages include test results for the BenQ drive in comparison with two other dual DVD burners, the LiteOn812s and Aopen 8x8 DvD Dual.


2. Data CD Reading Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 2

Data CD Reading Tests

In order to test the reading performance of BenQ we used the latest version of NeroCDSpeed and different type of media proportionately to the test.
- Pressed CD results (Click for CDSpeed results)

To check the reading performance of BenQ with pressed CD media, we used NeroCDSpeed and a data pressed disc.

BenQ performed very well in the pressed disc reading test. The drive returned back the fastest start, end and average reading speeds. The disc was read under CAV mode, and the test confirmed and surpassed the manufacturer's specifications for 40x maximum reading speed.

Besides the fast reading speed of the BenQ drive with the tested pressed media, the above graph shows that the drive logged in very fast seek times. The drive proved to be faster than the other two drives in all three tested modes. With the full seek, the BenQ was 35ms faster than the LiteOn.

- CD-R Media results (Click for CDSpeed results)

To check the reading performance of BenQ with CDR media, we used NeroCDSpeed and a clone of the previous tested pressed media.

The BenQ drive returned the fastest reading speed of the comparison. The tested writer was faster in all three modes with a start speed of 18.41x, end speed of 44.28x and average speed of 33.07x. The average speed of the BenQ is plus 1.7x faster than Aopen's and plus 1.82x faster than LiteOn's.

The seek times test comes to confirms that BenQ is a very fast CD-R reader. The drive returned by far, faster seeks times in comparison with the other two drives. As shown in the above graph, the drive's full seek time was 62ms and 18ms faster than LiteOn's and Aopen's respectively.

- ReWritable Media (Click for CDSpeed results)

To check the reading performance of the BenQ with HS-RW media, we used NeroCDSpeed and a HSRW disc from Mitsubishi Chemicals.

According to specifications, the BenQ drive supports 40x maximum reading speed under CAV with an access time of 120ms for high speed rewritable CD-R media. The supported speed, reading strategy and seek times were confirmed by NeroCDSpeed as shown in the above graph. The test finished at 42.92x end speed for the BenQ with a full seek time of 159ms.


3. CD Error Correction Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 3

Error Correction Tests

In the following tests we check the drive's behavior when reading scratched / defective audio discs. The test discs used were the ABEX series from ALMEDIO.

- ABEX TCD-721R

Errors total
Num: 962109
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
Num: 47943
Avg: -73.2 dB(A)
Max:-13.2 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples
Num: 3068
Avg: 1.8 Samples
Max: 1140 Samples
Skips Samples
Num: 0
Avg: 0 Samples
Max: 0 Samples
Total Test Result
76.3 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

Although the overall score for the BenQ drive is not the best we have recorded, the score of 76.3 points that the dirve was awarded were quite acceptable, since the 721R test disc is difficult to read. During the error correction test, the software reported 962109 total errors, which is comapratively low. An average number of 1.8 samples were muted while no errors skipped, meaning that the drive managed to process all errors.

- ABEX TCD-726

 

 

Errors total
Num: 0
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
Num: 4
Avg: -94.0dB(A)
Max: -87.6 dB(A)
Error Muting Samples
Num: 0
Avg: 0 Samples
Max: 0 Samples
Skips Samples
Num: 1
Avg: 185.0 Samples
Max: 185 Samples
Total Test Result
83.6 points (out of 100.0 maximum)

The 726 Abex test disc is less demanding than the 721R and therefore the drive's score is better with a total score of 83.6 points. Most of the better drives usually receive a score of 100 for this test, but the BenQ drive had 4 loudness errors and 1 sample was skipped resulting in a less than perfect score here.

- 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 reading music abilities and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a progressively difficult sequence. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.

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

Error Level
1
2
3
4
5
BenQ DW822A
5/5
5/5
5/5
3/5
1/5

The performance of the BenQ with the CD-Check Audio test disc was good. The drive played back the first three levels of the test disc and these are the levels that most drives manage to playback without problems. The fourth level produced smooth, clear sound for three out of the five plays but the other two produced audible clicks. On the fifth level the performance of the drive was again good since we were at least able to listen to the track, where most drives produce so many clicks that the track is not audible. Moreover, these were low level clicks that nonetheless marked the track as not passed for 4 out of the 5 plays.

- Summary

Test Disc
Reading Speed
Score
ABEX TCD-721R
Max
76.3
ABEX TCD-726
83.6
Average Score
79.95

The overall average score for the BenQ DW822A is 79.95 points out of 100.0


4. DVD reading tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 4

DVD reading tests

- Single Layer DVD-ROM (Click for CDSpeed results)

To check the reading performance of the BenQ with single layer DVD-ROM, we used NeroCDSpeed and the 820A test disc by Abex.

The screenshot above shows that the drive returned the fastest end and average reading speeds. The drive read the disc under CAV, and the task finished with an end speed of 12.51x

On the full seek tests, the 172ms for the full seek of the BenQ was the fastest of the comparison. With random and 1/3 seek times, the LiteOn returned the fastest access time, and the Aopen the slowest while BenQ was second with quite acceptable times.

- Dual Layer PTP DVD-ROM (Click for CDSpeed results)

The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially, with the drive starting the read process from the inner tracks on the disc, where lies the beginning of each layer and progressing outwards towards to the outer tracks for each layer. The tools for this test are Nero CDSpeed and Abex 840 test disc.

NeroCDSpeed reported that the dual layer DVD-Rom was read under CAV by the BenQ with fast end and average speeds at the end of each layer. The average reading speed of the LiteOn at 6.28x was the fastest of the comparison.

The BenQ performed very fast on the seek times test, with full seek at 170ms. Although both the LiteOn and BenQ needed about the same time for both single layer and dual layer DVD-Roms seeks, the Aopen proved slower with the dual layer disc.

- Dual Layer 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 on 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 inwards towards the inner tracks of the disc.

 

The reading performance of the BenQ was smooth throughout the test. The software reported fast end speed and fast seek times under CAV reading strategy.

- DVD Ripping Tests

We measured the DVD-Video ripping speed for the BenQ using the latest version of DVD Decrypter. The DVD Video title is the "Matrix" pressed DVD-Video.

The above graph shows that the BenQ and LiteOn drives finished the ripping process with similar average speeds. According to the DVD Decrypter log file, the BenQ drive finished the ripping process with a maximum read rate of 11.210 KB/s (8.1x)

- DVD Recordable / Rewritable reading Tests

The chart below shows the Nero CDSpeed average reading speed results for the following formats with media from MC:

Just like the previous tested DVD-Roms where BenQ proved to be fast, the reading performance with all writable and rewritable DVD reading tests was again very fast. As shown in the above graphs, the drive returned the fastest average reading speed for all formats except +RW where it was only marginally slower than the LiteOn.


5. DVD Error Correction Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 5

DVD Error Correction Tests

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

- Single Layer media
ABEX TDR-821

This is a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with a 4.7GB capacity, and its surface has an artificial scratch of dimensions varying from 0.4 to 3.0 mm. The following transfer rate picture comes from the CDVD Benchmark v1.21 transfer rate test.

The reading strategy of the BenQ according to the specifications, is CAV and that was confirmed by CDVD Benchmark. The defective disc was read, reaching an end speed of about 12x, a speed that is very acceptable. As shown in the above screenshot, the drive managed to read all the disc, including the defective area. The thickness of the yellow line indicates that the drive had many small deviations in speed during the read process, and especially at the beginning of the defective area where there is a vertical band where there was also a read error (red dot). Hence, we cannot consider the error correction performance of the drive for this test, as perfect.

ABEX TDR-825
This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with 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 the surface and instead defective areas ranging in dimensions from 0.5 to 1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints with height between 65 and 75 micrometers.

The reading performance of the BenQ in this test was similar to that with the previously tested disc. The drive read the disc under CAV with high end speed and with a large number of small speed fluctuations. Moreover a read error was reported by CDVD a little after the first marks in the defective area.

- 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.

 

The above screenshot shows that in this test, the error correction performance of the BenQ with the Dual Layer DVD-Rom was without error. The drive read both layers smoothly, under CAV and with high end speed. In contrast to the previous tests with single layer media, on this disc no read errors occurred.

ABEX TDR-845
This disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-Rom disc with capacity of 8.5GB. The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the first includes both defective areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defective areas range from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints have height sized from 65 to 75 microns (micrometres).

Just as with the previous test with dual layer DVD-Rom, the performance of the BenQ with the 845 test disc was without error, and the test finished with an end speed at around 9x.

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 sized from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.

NeroCDSpeed here to confirms the very good error correction capabilities of the BenQ. The drive managed to read both layers smoothly and the test finished without errors. The reported average reading speed was 6.05x while the reported seek times are quite acceptable and could be considered among the fastest we have seen.

 

 

 

 

ABEX TDV-545
The TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV-540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer Video/S-2 disc with a capacity of 8.5GB. The TDV-545 includes artificial black dots on the disc's surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75 micrometres high fingerprints.

The reading and error correction process of the BenQ with the Abex TDV-545 was once again impressive. The NeroCDSpeed screenshot shows smooth reading under CAV strategy, acceptable average speed and fast seek times.

 

 

 


6. Protected Disc Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 6

Protected Disc Tests
- Reading Tests

To create an image of the various protected titles onto a hard disk, we used CloneCD and the appropriate settings, depending on the protection type of the inserted discs. Below are summarized the capabilities of the BenQ drive, according to CloneCD software. The summary below shows that the drive supports writing of CD+G under RAW DAO:

The game titles we used to test the reading speed for each protection scheme are given in the table below:

Game Title
Protection Scheme
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme"
Lybcrypt
Serious Sam The Second Encounter v1.07
SafeDisc v.2.60.052
VRally II
SecuROM v.2
PSX Pressed Media

SafeDisc v.2

SecuROM v.2

The BenQ drive returned fast ripping time with psx original disc along with the Aopen. The average ripping speed of the SafeDisc2 protected game was not the fastest of the comaprison but was still at a very acceptable level since the drive needed 16:48min to complete the task. With the Securom protected game, the BenQ reported the fastest ripping speed at 2148.54 sectors/sec.

- Writing Tests

The BenQ drive supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking the drive's EFM correction status, we used 3 different game titles with different SafeDisc versions. After making the image files of the various titles to the hard disk, we burnt them (maximum speed) with CloneCd. Two different discs were created for each title; one with the "Bypass EFM error" enabled and one more with the function disabled.

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

Drive
Game Title
SD2 Build
Settings
Amplify Weak Secotrs On
Amplify Weak Secotrs Off
BenQ DW822A
Max Payne
v2.51.020
Yes
No
Serious Sam - The Second Encounter v1.07
v.2.60.052
No
No
The Sims Unleashed
v.2.8
No
No
The Sims Superstar
v2.9
No
No
Fifa 2004
v3.10
No
No

This has to go down as one of the weak points of the BenQ, its inability to make valid backup copies of protected games. The only game that BenQ managed to backup was the MaxPayne title and the image was valid (working) only when we used the Amplify Weak Sectors option of CloneCD.


7. DAE Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 7

DAE Tests

- Pressed and CDR AudioCD results

The BenQ DW822S supports 40x maximum reading DAE speed with CAV reading strategy.

The Nero CDSpeed shows that the drive surpassed the specifications. The test finished with maximum DAE speed of 42.86x and very good seek times.

 

 

 

To test the ripping speed of the BenQ we ripped the contents of the same audio disc to our hard disk, using the CDDAE software. For CD-R media we used a clone of the pressed disc.

Although the reading speed test, as we saw before, finished with an average speed of 32.46x, the ripping DAE speed was slower and restricted to 27.6x. The audio CD-R average ripping speed was faster about by an additional 2.3x. According to the above graph, the LiteOn was faster with both pressed and CD-R media.

- Advanced DAE Quality

NeroCDSpeed Advanced DAE quality test finished without Data or Synch errors and the software awarded the BenQ drive with a quality score of 100 (perfect). The test reported that the average DAE speed of the drive is 28.82x, and it can be saftely used for fast DAE reading tasks, as shown in the above graph. The drive could be used without problem, as a reader for on the fly copying up to 16x reading speed. On the advanced features, CD Text, Subchanell Data and Leadin informations are readable but the drive is not able to read Leadout information.

- Support of 90/99mins AudioCDs

The BenQ managed to rip the contents of our 90/99min test discs successfully.

- Reading/Ripping Protected AudioCDs

For this test procedure, we used two audio discs with different audio protection schemes. We tested for both recognition and ripping to the hard disk. The software used was Exact Audio Copy.

* Pressed Audio disc protected by Sony Key2Audio (Celine Dion - New Day Has Come)

* Pressed Audio disc protected by Cactus Data Shield 200 (Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island)

Key2Audio
CDS200
EAC
BenQ DW822A
OK
OK
Aopen 8x8 Dual DVD
OK
OK
LiteOn 812s
OK
OK

All test devices of the comaprison managed to play back and rip the contents of both protected audio discs without problems.


8. CD Recording Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 8

CD Recording Tests

- CD-R Writing Tests

To test the writing speed and writing method of the drive we used a blank 80min CD-R disc from TY and NeroCDSpeed to emulate the writing process.

The writing emulation process confirmed the 24x maximum writing speed of the BenQ. The drive used P-CAV writing strategy while the reported average speed was 23.53x. The process started at 18.20x and the speed increased until the 14min mark, after which and until the end of the writing process the speed was constant at 24x .

 

 

- Recording Times

We created an 80min data compilation with Nero Burning Rom and recorded it on a 700MB disc.

The results of the above graph were predictable since each device supports a different maximum writing speed. Therefore, the BenQ at 24x , finished the task after 4:11min while AOpen, was 30sec faster at 32x. LiteOn was about one minute faster than BenQ and the fastest of the comparison because of the 40x maximum writing speed.

In the above graph we have presented the writing speeds from the three drives for all avaliable recording speeds. As we can see, each writer supports different writting speeds for CD-R media. Moreover, even at the 24x maximum writing speed, the LiteOn was 13sec faster than the BenQ drive.

We used various manufacturers media to test the writing speed and media compatibility of BenQ and we summarized the results in the above graph. All tested discs produced similar writing times.

- CD-RW Writing Tests

To test the writing speed and writing method of the drive we used a blank 74min CD-RW disc from MC and NeroCDSpeed to emulate the writing process.

The disc was written with an end speed of 10.14x while the average reported speed was only 9.96 . The RW media was written with CLV.

 

 

 

 

Below we provide a comparison of the three drives where we used Nero Burning Rom software to burn a 651MB data compilation onto 24x US-RW media from MC.(For BenQ we used a 10x HS-RW from Plextor)

Because of the 10x maximum writing speed for CD-RW media, the resultant writing time for the BenQ is much higher than the other two devices.

- Packet Writing Tests

For the packet writing test we used the InCD packet writing software from Nero and a Plextor 10x US-RW media. The tested file is a 403 MB file (412.822 KB) and we used the drag and drop method with Windows Explorer to write the file from our hard disk onto the RW media.
Operation
Duration
Average speed
Read
1:59 min
23.13 X
Write
5:29 min
8:37 X

- Other features

Overburning
Up to 98 min
CD text reading/writing
Yes


9. Writing quality - 3T Jitter Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 9

Writing Quality Tests - 3T Jitter Tests

The BenQ DW822A supports a maximum writing speed of 24x and uses P-CAV writing strategy for the writing tasks. We expect to see quality values, since the supported writing speed could be considered as a safe writing speed for all writers since most currently available CD and DVD writers, support much faster writing CD-R speeds up to 52x and 40x respectively.

- 3T Pit results

The above graph shows Pit Jitter values at very acceptable levels. All discs are within the 35ns RedBook limit except for the TY and Intenso discs which had increased jitter values at the start and the end of their surfaces, respectively. BenQ media gave back the lowest Pit values while SmartBuy had the most stable writing quality.

The above graph shows the average Pit values for each recorded disc. The lowest average value comes from Intenso, although as we noticed before, its quality measurement reported increased Pit Jitter (above 35ns) at the end of its surface. Moreover, as shown on the graph, all media reported average Pit Jitter lower than the 35ns RedBook limit.

- 3T Land results

Comparing, the Land and Pit Jitter graphs with the various media written with the BenQ at 24x appear identical. This means that the Land Jitter values are also at an acceptable level.

The average Land Jitter vales for all written media are lower than the 35ns RedBook limit. The highest average was reported with TY at 33.49ns, while the best quality results came form BenQ and Intenso.

Recording Speed
Average 3T Pit Jitter (ns)
Average 3T Land Jitter (ns)
> 35ns
Max 3T jitter values (ns)
TY 48X
34.51
33.49
Yes
39 Pit, 39 Land
PrimeDisc 48X
31.61
31.20
Yes
36 Pit, 34 Land
Smartbuy 48X
30.85
30.59
No
33 Pit, 33 Land
BenQ 48X
27.85
28.27
No
29 Pit, 31 Land
Intenso 48X
25.59
25.56
Yes
38 Pit, 39 Land

The above table shows that only Smartbuy and BenQ media returned final values lower than the 35ns Red Book limit. Intenso media gave back the lowest Pit and Land average values but with increased measurements (above 35ns) at the end of the surface, near the 80min mark. As we mentioned at the beginning of the page the end user should consider that these measurements were reported for media written at only 24x and that the speed is considered as much more stable than the currently supported maximum available with most drives on the market.


10. C1 / C2 Error Measurements

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual- Page 11

Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements

The C1 / C2 error rate was measured for the recorded discs, burned during the previous writing tests (jitter). The software used was UMDoctor Pro II and the reader is the Optorite DD0203 drive.

  • SmartBuy

  • Intenso 52x recorded at 24x

  • Creation 48x recorded at 24x

  • PrimeDisc 48x recorded at 24x
Disc
ID Code
Taiyo Yuden 48X
TaiyoYuden 97m24s01f
Benq 48X
Ricoh 97m22s67f
HiSpace 48x
Moulage Plastique de L'Ouest 97m25s07f
Intenso 52X
Moser Beer India. LTD. 97m17s06f
MAM 52X
Mitsui Chemicals 97m27s58f
Philips 52X
Ritek Co, 97m15s17f

The quality measurements for all written media are very good. No media reported C2 errors while the C1 error levels are at very acceptable levels, at all written speeds and with all media. Again, we need to mention that the maximum supported speed of the BenQ DW822A for CD-R writing is 24x, a speed which is much lower in comparison to competing drives. Despite this, for those who are not interested in fast writing speeds, the BenQ proved to be a very high quality CD-R writer.


11. DVD Recording Tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 11

DVD Recording Tests

- Writing Performance

The new BenQ DW822A 8x supports both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW writing. For the plus writable format the drive supports the maximum current avaliable speed of 8x while for the minus format, speed is restricted at 4x. On the rewritable family the supported speeds are 4x for DVD+RW and 2x for DVD-RW.

8x DVD+R

Nero CDSpeed confirmed the 8x maximum writing speed. The process started at 4.90x and finished at 8.02x resulting in an average speed of 7.43x. The writing strategy of the drive for the plus writable format was Z-CLV and NeroCDSpeed confirmed the smart writing control as shown on the screenshot below.

The spikes on the transfer graph are as a result of the Walking Optimal Power Calibration (WOPC) feature. Burning power is dynamically adjusted to ensure the writing quality throughout the whole burning process.

4x DVD-R

As we mentioned before, the drive supports 4x maximum writing speed for DVD-R. The screenshot below shows smooth writing process with CLV writing strategy. The process started at 4.0x and finished at 4.01, resulting according to NeroCDSpeed in an average speed of 3.99x.

 

 

4x DVD+RW

For the +RW media the supported writing speed is 4x. That speed was confirmed by NeroCDSpeed after the end of the writing emulation. The test started at 4.04x and finished with an end speed of 4.04x while the reported average speed was 3.96x because of the smart writing control.

 

 

4x DVD-RW

Just like the +RW disc, the -RW disc was written with CLV strategy. The supported writing speed for the minus rewritable media is 2x and therefore the test reported the same start, end and average speeds of 2.4x.

 

 

 

- Burning Tests

The following graphs show the maximum writing speed of the three devices with all available DVD writable and rewritable media.

On plus writable and rewritable formats the three devices support the same maximum writing speeds, 8x and 4x respectively. The graph shows that the BenQ 822A was the fastest on +R writing at 8:11min. With the minus format the supported speed of BenQ is only 4x and therefor the drive finished the writing task in just under double the time compared to the other two drives.

Media
Code
Speed
That's 8x DVD+R
YUDEN000T02
8x
MCC 4x DVD+R
MCC 002
8x
CMC 2.4 x DVD+R
CMC MAG. F01
8x
Philips 8x DVD+R
Philips C08
8x
Maxell 4x DVD-R
TYG01
2x
MCC 4x DVD-R
MCC 01RG20
4x
CMC 4x DVD-R
CMC MAG. AF1
4x
Pony 4x DVD-R
RITEKG04
2x
N-Tech 4x DVD-R
MXLRG01
2x
MKM 4x DVD+RW
MKM A02
4x
Mitshubishi Kagaku 4x DVD-RW
MCC 01RW4X
2x
- Packet Writing Tests

For this test we copied a 403 MB file (412.822 KB) from Hard Disk (on the same PC as the recorder) in to formatted RW media, through Windows explorer (drag and drop).

DVD-RW
Duration
Average speed
Read
1:58 min
2.59x
Write
2:30 min
2x

DVD+RW
Duration
Average speed
Read
2:03 min
2.48x
Write
2:10 min
2.35x

12. KProbe PI/PO quality tests

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 12

KProbe PI/PO quality results

The following screenshots show the PI/PO scans for various DVD-/+R and DVD-/+RW media, recorded with BenQ 8x Dual writer at the maximum permitted speed.

The software used for the measurements was KProbe v1.1.29, the ECC was set to 8 and the reading at 4x with reader the LiteOn LDW-811s. The specific methodology is very dependent on the drive used as a reader, while the reliability of the PI/PO provided output is also not technically confirmed. Hence, we cannot safely come up with conclusive results, although we do make a comparison of the drive behavior when using various DVD recordable/rewritable media.

The recordable discs we used came from Thats, CMC, Philips, Maxell , MC and Ritek. Further details about each disc type are presented at the bottom of this page.


Media
Code
That's 8x DVD+R
YUDEN000T02
MCC 4x DVD+R
MCC 002
CMC 2.4 x DVD+R
CMC MAG. F01
Philips 8x DVD+R
Philips C08
Maxell 4x DVD-R
TYG01
MCC 4x DVD-R
MCC 01RG20
CMC 4x DVD-R
CMC MAG. AF1
Pony 4x DVD-R
RITEKG04
MKM 4x DVD+RW
MKM A02
Mitshubishi Kagaku 4x DVD-RW
MCC 01RW4X

Kprobe reported quite acceptable PI/PO mesurements for all written media with the BenQ writer. Although all +R media were written at fast times, it was quality writing and they were fully readable.


13. Booktype change

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 13

The BenQ Book Type Management program allows you to freely choose a DVD+RW or DVD+R disc to be written as DVD-Rom book type, the most recongnizable format for DVD players.

The user is able to set the Booktype Setting to either the drive itself, in order to record all DVD+R/+RW media as a "DVD-ROM" or to already recorded DVD+RW discs. Note that the bitsetting of a recorded DVD+R cannot be changed.

We used the latest version of Book Type Ver 7.0 and a rewritable DVD+RW media.

When we launched Book Type Management, the book type status of the insterted rewritable media was the DVD+RW, as expected.

In the media status tab we set the media type to DVD-ROM:

 

 

 

 

 

The process finished after about 4 seconds and a warning dialog message informed us that the book type had changed.

 

 

 

 

When we checked the Book Type status of the tested media, it was recognized as a DVD-ROM.

In the majority of cases, you will not need to change the book type of your DVD media, as most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives have no problem reading recordable DVD media. However, some players (especially older models) cannot recognize discs that are characterized as DVD+RW/-RW or DVD+R/-R book types. In these instances, this compatibility issue can be easily resolved by changing the book type of the DVD media being written to DVD-ROM. The end user should also notice that:


14. Conclusion

BenQ DW822A 8X Dual - Page 14

Conclusion

Pros

Cons

  • 8MB buffer
  • Generous retail package
  • Fast full seek on DVD/CD
  • Fast reading speed on DVD/CD
  • Very good DVD error correction
  • DAE speed
  • Fast DVD-Video rip
  • Quality CD writing
  • Quality DVD writing (low PI/PO)
  • Fast DVD+R writing
  • Can playback/rip audio protected discs
  • Dual layer writing with firmware upgrade (30/09/04)
  • BookType change feature
  • 4x DVD- R writing
  • 2.4x DVD-RW writing
  • 24x CD-R writing
  • 10x CD-RW writing
  • Does not read C2 errors
  • Cannot read leadout information
  • Cannot backup protected Safedisc2 games

The BenQ DW822A is a device that needs a lot of discussion. The advantages of the drive are very appealing for the end user while the negatives are very disappointing. Among the pros are very fast reading of all media and the writing speed for the plus format. On the cons, the restricted writing speed for minus DVD media and the inability to backup protected games. Let's examine each feature of the drive step by step.

The european retail package is very generous. There are multi language guides for software and hardware in pdf format and printed version. The user will also find software for CD/DVD writing, authoring and playback. On the negative, the package does not include any blank media.

The CD reading ability of BenQ was the first thing we tested. We used all types of CD media including pressed disc, CD-R disc and ReWritable CD. In all tests, the BenQ proved to be a really fast reading device. The drive read all media with CAV reading strategy and surpassed the 40x maximum reading speed in all tests.The drive managed to finish all tasks faster than the other two drives used in comparison, the LiteOn and AOpen, and reported very fast seek times.

Next, we tested the error correction capabilities of the BenQ with defective CD-R media. BenQ does not report C2 errors. The overall error correction performance of the tested writer was not the best we have seen but the total average score for the drive in the ABEX tests of 79.95 points out of 100 could be considered as satisfactory.

The DVD reading tests confirmed that BenQ is a fast reader. Just as with the CD reading tasks, the BenQ used CAV reading strategy and finished all tests faster than the other two comparison drives. The seek times were very fast with all tested media and among the fastest of the comparison. Moreover, the drive proved fast on DVD -Video ripping task

Another pro of the BenQ is its DVD error correction abilities. The drive managed to read and finish successfully all tested scratched and defective DVD media. As all software reported, the drive did not slow down speed on all defective areas and finished all tasks with high end speed although on two out of six tested media, a read error was reported.

One of the weakest points of the BenQ was its inability to backup protected games. Although the image making process of games was fast, although not the fastest, the backup capabilities of the drive are minimal. We used CloneCD for the burning processes but all images resulted in non working discs. We also used the Amplify Weak Sectors option of CloneCd but no game was playable.

Then we tested the DAE reading/ripping speed of the BenQ. We used pressed and CD-R media and the advanced DAE quality test of CDSpeed. The performance of the BenQ was very good with quite acceptable average reading speed and total score 100 (perfect) on the DAE quality test. Last but not least, the drive managed to recognize, playback and rip the two protected Audio discs without problem.

The writing tests with writable and rewritable CD-R media tested our patience. The 24x maximum writing speed of the BenQ under P-CAV, was by far the slowest in the comparison, while the rewritable speed at 10x couldn't be slower. Most current DVD writers support up to 40x while even writing 52x speed is supported by some CD-R writers. Each of BenQ's writing tasks finished in about 4:20 minutes while the LiteOn, which supports 40x writing, had completed the same task a whole minute faster. For the rewriting task the device needed 8:03 minutes and that time is similar to DVD+R writing time of the BenQ.

Since BenQ 822A supports only 24x maximum writing speed, the quality of all tested media was very good with no C2 errors and C1 errors at very acceptable levels. Moreover, Pit and Land Jitter measurements with almost all written media with BenQ were lower than the 35ns RedBook limit.

We finished the tests of the BenQ with DVD writing tasks and their quality measurements. The supported writing speeds of the drive are 8x for DVD+R, 4x for DVD-R/+RW and 2.4x for DVD-RW. The 8x for the plus writable format is the current maximum available and BenQ proved very fast, finishing its task in about 8:10 minutes.

The quality measurements for all written +R media were very acceptable and were readable with all drives, while the PI/PO values were very low. The writing speed of 4x for +RW media is also the maximum currently available while the the PI/PO measurements here were also very good, with KProbe reporting highest PI value slightly higher than 60 PI errors.

On the other hand, the BenQ is surely not a choice for those who are interested in the minus format. The drive supports 4x for -R while the current maximum is 8x, and only 2.4x for -RW while the current maximum is 4x. The PI/PO values for writable and rewritable minus format media was increased in comparison to the plus format but still readable with other devices.

Finally we have to mention that according to BenQ, the 822A 8X Dual writer is a dual layer firmware upgradable writer and that the firmware upgrade will be available at 30/9/04 on BenQ's website.



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