1. Retail Package - Installation
Memorex True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 1
Memorex,
better known for its media production, has for a while now added production
of DVD burners into its repertoire. The True 8Xn, an external
drive for DVD writing, offers
dual format DVD recording.
The Memorex True 8Xn external drive has one USB 2.0 and two
IEEE 1394 connections and looks like a good purchase for users needing a
fancy, low
noise
and low
priced external
writing device compatible with the dual recording format at 8X
writing speed.
- Drive specifications
The
True 8Xn offers 8X DVD±R, 4X DVD±RW, 32X CD-R & 16X CD-RW
writing. In addition, it supports 12X DVD-ROM and 40X CD-ROM reading specifications.
The external case also features an analogue audio output.
Interface |
External 1xUSB 2.0 / 2xIEEE-1394 |
Supported media for writing |
DVD+/-RW, DVD+/-R,CD-R, CD-RW |
Write speed |
DVD+RW Max. 4X
DVD-RW Max. 4X
DVD+R Max. 8X
DVD-R Max. 8X
CD-R Max. 32X
CD-RW Max. 16X |
Read speed |
DVD-ROM 12X
DVD+/-RW Max 4X
DVD+/-R Max. 8X
CD-R/CD-RW Max. 24X speed
CD-ROM 40X
|
Buffer memory |
2MB |
Disc read/play compatibility |
DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-Extra, CD-I,
CD-ROM, Audio CD, CD-R/RW, CD-ROM XA, CD Text, Photo CD, Hybrid CD |
Installation |
Horizontal |
Weight |
6 lbs |
Dimensions ( W x D x H) |
12"x 6.13" x 9.50" |
NeroInfoTool gives us a quick look at the drive's specs. The drive uses
a 2MB buffer memory and supports buffer underrun technology for both CD/DVD
formats, RAW DAO 96 writing (CD) with firmware v1.G1 that was used for all
our tests. Mount Rainier isn't supported.
DVDInfoPro gives us some additional details about the drive's abilities as
well:
- The package
The
retail box includes the external drive, one USB 2.0 cable, one firewire IEEE-1394a
cable, the external power supply unit and one CD with Nero Express Software
Suite offering: Nero Express 6, NeroVision
Express
2, InCD,
Nero BackItUp, Nero ShowTime, Nero Cover Designer, Nero Recode 2, Nero Media
Player, PhotoShow Deluxe. Also included are a quick installation guide and
software manual.
The external case has a unique look (see photo above), and plays with
silver & black
colors. On the front panel, there are the brand name next to the 8X logo, CD-RW,
DVD-R/RW
and DVD+RW logos, all on the loading tray, under which we have the activity
led, emergency eject hole, phone jack, volume level control and the eject button.
The rear side has the analogue audio output connectors (Left-Right),
two firewire IEEE 1394, one USB 2.0, the DC in and the power on/off switch.
On the drive's label located topside, is available
the manufacturing date (February 2004) and the manufacturing line (Made in
Malaysia). We can see that the drive is the NEC model ND-2500A.
After removing the bottom plate, we can see the basic layout of the
drive's PCB. The main chipset is from NEC, and the entire board is the
same as the board found in the NEC 2500A drive.
The drive was installed and under WindowsXP recognized
as "Memorex DVD+/-RW True8Xn". Below is a picture
from Nero Burning Rom, showing the drive's characteristics.
- Testing software
In order to perform our tests we used:
- Nero CD-DVD Speed v2.20
- Nero Info Tool v2.11
- KProbe
v2.1.0 (Reader: LiteOn SOHW-812S firmware vUSOJ, Reading speed 4X CLV)
- PlexTools v2.14 (Reader:
Plextor PX-712A v1.01, Reading speed 2~5X CAV)
- DVDInfoPro v2.47
- Nero Burning Rom v6.3.1.10
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
Memorex True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 2
Transfer Rate Reading Tests
- CD Format
The Memorex drive supports up to 40X reading speed for the CD-ROM format.
Below are the transfer rate graphs compared with the Pioneer DVR-S706:
As we can see from our tests, there isn't a lot of difference
between the drives with any of pressed CD, CDR or USCD-RW media. the drive
has acceptable transfer rates
and seek
times.
- DVD Format
The Memorex drive offers good transfer rates with SL (Single Layer) DVD-ROM
media.
The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially with the drive
starting reading from the inner part of the disc, which is the beginning of
each layer, progressing towards the outer rim for each layer. Memorex has
a good average transfer rate.
The Memorex True 8Xn doesn't read dual layer OTP test media.
Memorex didn't complete the reading test with the DVD+R
media we used. With DVD-R and DVD +/- RW media, the results were more encouraging
with the drive offering good transfer rates.
DVD video DL ripping performance is quite good, yielding a speed slightly
higher than the Pioneer, at 3508 kb/s.
- Appendix
Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs
3. CD Error Correction Tests
Memorex True 8Xn
external DVD±R/RW
Recorder - Page 3
CD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests we check the drive's behavior when reading
scratched / defective discs. The test discs we used are the ABEX series
from ALMEDIO.
- ABEX TCD-721R
Errors total
|
Num: 3499144
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 126824
|
Avg: -72.4 dB(A)
|
Max: -9.6 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 10844
|
Avg: 3.2 Samples
|
Max: 1005 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 31
|
Avg: 48.2 Samples
|
Max: 642 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
58.9 points (out of 100.0
maximum)
|
The Memorex drive performed poorly with the ABEX TCD-721R. The total error
count of 3,499,144 is very high as are the mutting samples and skipped samples.
The maximum error (loudness) level of -9.6 dB(A) is also very high..
The total test result score of 58.9 points is very poor.
- ABEX TCD-726
Errors total
|
Num: 359249
|
Errors (Loudness) dB(A)
|
Num: 25523
|
Avg: -79.3 dB(A)
|
Max: -13.1 dB(A)
|
Error Muting Samples
|
Num: 1680
|
Avg: 5.2 Samples
|
Max: 1005 Samples
|
Skips Samples
|
Num: 5
|
Avg: 34.8 Samples
|
Max: 66 Samples
|
Total Test Result
|
66.1 points (out of 100.0
maximum)
|
The Memorex drive had poor performance even with the ABEX 726 disc, logging
in a total result score of 66.1 points.
- CD-Check Audio Test Disc
The CD-Check Test Disc is a very useful tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction
/ Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination
with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce
it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively
difficult tests. These tracks are referred as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.
The
files are reproduced (played) through a software multimedia player (i.e.
Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone coming
out
from the speakers is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or
looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction
of the tested device.
Error Level
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
Memorex True8Xn
|
5/5
|
5/5
|
0/5
|
0/5
|
0/5
|
The drive passed only the first two Check Levels of the test. The performance
reveals less than average sound reproduction and error correction. The fifth
level includes an error size of 1.500mm, and the drive produced many audible
clicks.
- Conclusion
Test Disc
|
Reading Speed
|
Score
|
ABEX TCD-721R
|
Max
|
58.9
|
ABEX TCD-726
|
66.1
|
Average Score
|
62.5
|
The drive offers poor error correction with CD media. The final
average score
of 62.5 out of 100 is very low indeed.
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
Memorex True 8Xn
external DVD±R/RW
Recorder - Page 4
DVD Error Correction
Tests
In the following tests we examined the DVD reading capabilities of
the Memorex drive 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 drive did not read
the whole disc, and we see that errors were produced at the end of the defective
area on the disc's surface where the reading process stopped.
ABEX TDR-825
This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of a 4.7GB capacity. The
data structure of the disc is exactly the same as that of the TDR-821, with
the difference that there are no scratches on it but defected areas of dimensions
ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and
75 micrometers.
The ABEX TDR-825 disc was read without any problems.
The test was finished successfully without errors.
- 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, in both layers.
The drive didin't make it past the ABEX TDR-841 test disc either, producing
many read errors and in general having a lot of problems with the defects.
ABEX TDR-845
The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc of a capacity of 8.5GB.
The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the first includes
defected areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defected areas range
from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized from 65 to 75 micro meters.
Again a lot of problems with the defects, and while the drive finished reading,
it produced a lot of errors.
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 checks also the error correcting capabilities
of the drive and includes scratches from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
The drive couldn't read the ABEX TDV-541 test disc at all.
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
meters fingerprints.
Black dots and fingerprints on the disc's surface created some reading
problems, but the drive finished the task successfully.
5. Protected Disc Tests
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 5
Protected Disc
Tests
- Reading Tests
To create the image of the various protected titles to the hard disk, we
used Alcohol 120% software and the appropriate settings, according to the protection
type of the inserted discs. Below you can see the duration of each process
as well as the transfer rate in each case, which should prove of interesting
for many users.
Game Title |
Protection Scheme |
Duration |
Reading speed |
PSX "NBA Jam Extreme" |
Lybcrypt |
0:67 min |
1348 sectors/sec |
Serious Sam The Second Encounter |
SafeDisc v.2.50.051 |
34:00 min |
164 sectors/sec |
VRally II |
SecuROM v.2 |
3:41 min |
1555 sectors/sec |
-Writing
Tests
The Memorex drive supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking the drive's
EFM correction status, we used 3 different game titles with different SafeDisc
2 versions
having the latest software patches installed. After making the images of the
various titles onto the hard disk, we burned them (maximum speed) with Alcohol
120% v1.9.2.1705. Two different discs were created for each title: one with
the "Bypass EFM error" enabled and one with the function disabled.
- Fifa 2004 - Safe Disc v3.1x
- The Sims Superstar - Safe Disc v2.9x
- The Sims Unleashed - Safe Disc v2.8x
- Serious Sam Second Encounter - Safe Disc v2.51.021
- Max Payne - Safe Disc v2.51.020
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Drive
|
Fifa 2004
SD v3.1
|
Sims Superstar SD v2.9
|
Sims Unleashed SD
v2.8
|
Serious Sam-Second Encounter
SD v2.51.051
|
Max Payne
SD v2.51.020
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
EFM OFF
|
EFM ON
|
Toshiba
SD-M1502
|
No |
No
|
No
|
Yes |
Yes |
Creative CD5233E
|
No
|
No
|
Yes |
Yes |
Ricoh
MP5308D
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes |
Yes |
The Memorex drive doesn`t produce working backups with versions
v2.8xd up. Partially working backups were produced with SafeDisc v2.51.051.
6. DAE Tests
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 6
DAE Tests
- Pressed and CDR AudioCD
The drive supports up to 40X CAV DAE speed. When using a pressed
AudioCD and its CD-R copy, with EAC, we logged the following results:
The Memorex drive's results are very similar to those of the Pioneer external
drive with the test discs we used. As EAC reports,
the drive can`t cache DAE but supports accurate stream and reports C2 error
information.
- Advanced DAE Quality
Nero CD Speed Advanced DAE test results awarded 100% score for the Memorex
True 8Xn with an
average
reading
speed
of
24.28X. The drive supports reading of
CD Text and SubChannel
data but doesn't support Read Leadin / Leadout data.
- Reading 90/ 99mins AudioCDs
With our 90min audio CD, the drive read the entire disc but dropped
speed after the 80 minute mark. It was unable to read the 99 minute audio CD.
7. Protected AudioCD Tests
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 7
Protected AudioCDs
For the test procedure we used three audio discs with different audio copy protections. The ripping process performed for all protected Audio discs performed with Exact Audio Copy v0.9beta5.
The tested protected Audio discs were:
- Sony's Key2Audio from "Celine Dion - New Day Has Come"
- Cactus Data Shield 200 from "Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island"
- Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love
Letter)
The Cactus Data Shield 200, contains artificial errors that are not easy to bypassed from the reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session, causing problems to readers when try to read the Table Of Contents (TOC).
The tested tasks are:
- Recognition of the inserted disc (Yes/No)
- Ripping all wavs (with EAC's Burst Mode) to the hard disk with copy&compare function.
- Listening to the produced wavs for any click/skips.
The Memorex drive recognized up to the 12th Audio track of CDS200
disc,
and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed the 13th
track.
The test results are shown at the following table:
|
Key2Audio |
CDS200 |
Memorex True 8X |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports
no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks |
Ripping process completed, EAC reports
no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison not the same for all
tracks |
The Memorex will rip both
Key2Audio & CDS200 protected audio discs. Both discs were recognized
and their contents were
ripped
at the maximum speed. However, the drive dosen't rip 100% accurately
CD200 discs since the Read&Test
CRC check comparison was not the same for all tracks. No problems were
observed with Key2Audio discs.
- Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love Letter)
This
is a "special" CDS200 build, since it doesn't contain any artificial
errors during the ripping process. Most problems occur when trying to write
the ripped wav files, since the produced CD-R disc contains C2 and CU errors!
This "problem" is rumored to be connected with specific
chipset weaknesses..
We ripped the disc contents with EAC and burned the produced wav with the
latest Nero version as AudioCD+CD-Text. The burned media was checked for
C1/C2 errors with PlexTools/KProbe software using Plextor PX-712A (firmware
v1.01).
|
CDS 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a |
Memorex True 8Xn |
Reading and writing performed without
any error |
- C1C2 Error rate from PleXWriter PX-712A (8X CLV reading speed)
- BETA/Jitter Error rate with PleXWriter PX-712A
The C1/C2 error graphs shows that the drive managed to produce
a 100% error free disc.
Lets try to extract all wav files with the Plextor PX-712A and PlexTool DAE Error Correction 5th Level enabled:
No errors were reported after extracting all files. The drive's error correction
mechanism corrects
any error.
8. CD Recording Tests
Memorex True 8Xn
external DVD±R/RW
Recorder - Page 8
CD Recording Tests
The Memorex True 8Xn supports 32X CD-R and 16X US-RW maximum recording speeds.
The drive
supports 4X, 8X, 16X, 20X, 24X and 32X writing speeds.
Below
are
the recording speeds as detected by Nero Burning Rom.
According to Nero CDSpeed, the drive reached the maximum 32X
speed. The test started at 16X and finished at 32.05X having an average
speed of 27.36X.
Click on the image below to see the whole graph.
For the burning tests we created an 80min data compilation through Nero Burning
Rom, recording the data on a 700MB disc. The Memorex drive finished the
task in
3:39 minutes for the maximum 32X writing speed wheras the
Pionner needed 4:26 minutes as the maximum writing occurs at 24X writing speed.
The
writing performance did not vary at all when we used different
media brands, as our tests showed. Below is a chart demonstrating
all recording times with various media.
The best performance came with Mam 80min 52X media with 219secs (3:39mins).
The highest recording time was with CMC 80min 48X & TraxData
80min 52X media with 221secs (3:41mins).
- Other features
Overburning writing
|
Up to 89:57min
|
CD text reading/writing
|
Yes
|
The True 8Xn supports only 16X rewriting speeds, with Ultra Speed Rewritable Media
(US-RW).
Below you can see the Nero CD-DVD Speed writing simulation test with blank
24X US-RW media from Mitsubishi Chemicals.
The drive starts the writing task at 16.01X with CLV mode.
We also used Nero Burning Rom in order to burn a data disc with 24X US-RW
media from Verbatim. The data compilation we burned had a size of 651 MB and
the duration of the recording process was 5:11 minutes.
- CD-RW Mount Rainier
The Memorex True 8Xn doesn`t support the Mount Rainier
feature.
9. 3T Jitter Tests
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 9
3T Jitter Tests
On this page you can
see the 3T
Pit & Land Jitter graphs using various media burned at 32X CAV writing
speed.
- 3T Pit results
The True 8Xn performed satisfactorily with most media used.
The highest average 3T Pit jitter reached 34.89nsec, which is just below the
Red Book limit
(35nsec).
The best results came with Taiyo Yuden 48X CD-R media, which was the only
media to stay below the 35nsec limit for the entire disc.
- 3T Land results
The average 3T Land Jitter measurements were also good. The maximum
3T Land Jitter reached 34nsec and again, Taiyo Yuden 48X CD-R media produced
the best
results
with 31.78nsec.
In the following page we check the C1 and C2 error rates of the same discs,
to come up with more specific conclusions.
10. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 10
C1 / C2 Error Measurements
We measured the C1 / C2 error rate on the recorded discs we burned at the
various supported writing speeds. The software we used is PleXTools Professional
v2.14, and particularly the built-in Q-Check utility. The reader was the Plextor
PX-712A (firmware v1.01)
Verbatim 80min 52X CD-R @ 32X
CMC Magnetics 80min 48X @ 32X
Mam Golden Dye 80min 52X @ 32X
TraxData 80min 52X @ 32X
TY 80min 48X @ 32X
- Summary
The Memorex needs to improve its writing quality with CD-R media since
with three of the media, there were C2 errors. Acceptable results occured
with CMC 48X & TraxData
52X media.
- Appendix
Media Label |
ID Code |
Manufacturer Name |
Lead Out TIme |
Verbatim 80min 52X |
97m34s23f |
Verbatim |
79m59s73f |
CMC Magnetics 80min 48X |
97m26s66f |
CMC Magnetics |
79m59s71f |
Mam 80min 52X |
97m27s58f |
Mitsui Chemicals |
79m59s74f |
TY 80min 48X |
97m24s 1f |
Taiyo Yuden |
79m59s72f |
TraxData 80min 52X |
97m15s17f |
Ritek |
79m59s70f |
11. DVD Recording Tests
Memorex True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 11
DVD Recording Tests
- Writing Performance
Memorex supports
DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW writing. The maximum supported speed for the DVD±R
is
8X P-CAV and 4X CLV for DVD±RW
media. Nero Burning Rom reported speeds, are shown below.
Below are listed the media codes supported for the ±R/RW
formats with recording speeds:
DVD-R
[MCC 01RG20 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[FUJIFILM02 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0
[TYG01 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[TYG02 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[TYG03 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[TYG04 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[SONY08D1 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[SONY08D2 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[[MXL RG03 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[MXL RG04 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[RITEKG05 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[RITEKG06 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[PVCR001002 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[PVCR001003 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[PVCR002001 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[FUJIFILM03 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[MCC 02RG20 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[MCC 03RG20 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[TTG02 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
[TTG03 ] 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
DVD+R
[YUDEN000T00 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[TDK 001 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[MAXELL 001 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[YUDEN000T01 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[RICOHJPNR02 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[MCC 003 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[SONY D11 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[PRODISC R03 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[MAXELL 002 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[CMC MAG E01 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
[Philips 081 ] 2.4 4.0 6.0 8.0
DVD-RW
[MCC 01RW4X ] 2.0 4.0
[JVC0VictorD7] 2.0 4.0
DVD+RW
PRODISC W02] 2.4 4.0
[DAXON D41] 2.4 4.0
[INFODISCA10] 2.4 4.0
[CMC MAG W02] 2.4 4.0
[RITEK 004] 2.4 4.0
[SONY S11] 2.4 4.0
[PHILIPS 041] 2.4 4.0
[MKM A02] 2.4 4.0
[RICOHJPNW11] 2.4 4.0
By using Nero CD-DVD Speed's "create disc" function with CMC
8X DVD-R media, we are able to see the 8X P-CAV recording technology being
used by the recorder.
The drive starts writing at 4.13X until 850MB where it shifts up to 6X,
then at 2.2GB where it further shifts to 8X and stays there till the end.
The average writing speed is around 6.80X. This recording strategy is used
for both
DVD±R
formats.
- Burning Tests
We burned 4315MB of data on various DVD±R, DVD±RW media.
We used the maximum allowed writing speed for each disc.
The best recording times for the DVD-R format came with MCC
4X media at 9:17mins.
With DVD+R media, best recording time came with TraxData 8X at
9:13mins. The True 8Xn didn`t manage to overburn DVDs.
Below are all the burning results with the various media types used.
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Taiyo Yuden 8X
|
TYG02
|
8X
|
9:18
|
MKM/Verbatim 8X
|
MCC 02RG20
|
8X
|
9:18
|
CMC 8X
|
CMC MAG.AE1
|
8X
|
9:18
|
TraxData 4X
|
RITEKG04
|
4X
|
14:01
|
MMore 4X
|
MBI 01RG20
|
4X
|
14:00
|
MCC 4X
|
MCC 01RG20
|
8X
|
9:17
|
Verbatim 4X RW
|
MCC 01RW4X
|
4X
|
14:03
|
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Taiyo Yuden 8X
|
YUDEN000 T02
|
8X
|
9:17
|
MCC 4X
|
MCC 002
|
4X
|
13:50
|
CMC 4X
|
CMC MAG F01
|
4X
|
13:51
|
TraxData 8X
|
RITEK R03
|
8X
|
9:13
|
MMore 4X
|
MBIPG101R03
|
4X
|
13:54
|
TraxData 4X RW
|
RICOHJPN W11
|
4X
|
13:25
|
- DVD Overburning Tests
In order to test the drive's DVD overburning capabilities, we used two media
types, one CMC 8X DVD-R and one CMC 8X DVD+R. As you can
see, the drive refused to start the test with DVD-R media,
while with DVD+R, the test started but when it reached 4.38GB, stopped with
an error message.
The Memorex True 8Xn drive cannot overburn with either DVD±R formats.
- DVD+MRW Tests
The drive doesn`t support the Mount Rainier
feature.
12. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
Memorex True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 12
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD+R/RW
media we burned with the Memorex True 8Xn. The software we used for all measurements
is the KProbe v2.1.0, and the reader is the LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q
patched" firmware, being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV.
All scans have been performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives
cannot report PO but PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition,
all discs have been scanned with PX-712A v1.01 using PlexTools v2.13 for comparison
levels.
Comparing the KProbe/PlexTools scans we can see major differences in the
reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different
readers, with different pickup/chipset combinations, scanning at different
reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). It's interesting
to see the
disc scanned at low & high speed, since when error rate increases at a
specific disc area, it should appear in both scans...else it would be, perhaps,
a reading glitch of the tested reader.
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria
of the burning quality but as an indication level.
CMC 4X DVD+R @ 4X
MCC 4X DVD+R @ 8X
MMore 4X DVD+R @ 4X
Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD+R @ 8X
TraxData 8X DVD+R @ 8X
TraxData 4X DVD+RW @ 4X
- Summary
The PI/PIF scans shows that the Memorex True 8Xn performed
well with the burned DVD+R media but with the DVD+RW media we have a high number
of Parity Inner Errors.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Taiyo Yuden 8X
|
YUDEN000 T02
|
8X
|
9:17
|
MCC 4X
|
MCC 002
|
4X
|
13:50
|
CMC 4X
|
CMC MAG F01
|
4X
|
13:51
|
TraxData 8X
|
RITEK R03
|
8X
|
9:13
|
MMore 4X
|
MBIPG101R03
|
4X
|
13:54
|
TraxData 4X RW
|
RICOHJPN W11
|
4X
|
13:25
|
13. KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
Memorex True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 13
KProbe/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
In the following screenshots you can see the PI/PIF scans for the DVD-R/RW
media we burned with the True 8Xn. The software we used for all measurements
is the KProbe v2.1.0, and the reader is a LiteOn LDW-811S with "HS0Q patched" firmware,
being able to read DVD±R/RW media up to 8X CAV. All scans have been
performed at 8X with PI/PIF Sum8. Note that LiteOn drives cannot report PO
but PIF errors, despite what KProbe reports. In addition all discs have been
scanned with PX-712A v1.01 using PlexTools v2.13 for comparison levels.
Comparing the KProbe/PlexTools scans we can see major differences at the reported PI/PIF error rates. The main explanation is that we have two different readers, with different pickup/chipset combination, scanning at different reading speeds (8X CAV for KProbe, 2X CLV for PlexTools). Its interesting to see the disc scanned at low & high speed, since when error rate increases at a specific disc area, it should appear at both scans...else it would be, perhaps, a reading glitch of the tested reader.
Note: PI/PIF errors only give us a quick look at the error
rate of the burned media. Those scans should be taken not as the absolute criteria
of the burning quality but as an indication level.
Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD-R @ 8X
TraxData 4X DVD-R @ 4X
CMC Magnetics 8X DVD-R @ 8X
MKM/Verbatim 8X DVD-R @ 8X
MMore 4X DVD-R @ 4X
Mitsubishi Chemicals 4X DVD-R @ 8X
Verbatim 4X DVD-RW @ 4X
- Summary
The Memorex burns DVD-Rs with low PI/PIF error levels offering compatibility
with the majority of the media we used. Only with Verbatim 4X
DVD-RW the writing
quality isn`t so good as there are some PIF errors and a high number of PI
errors.
- Appendix
Disc Label |
Disc Information |
Max Allowed Writing Speed |
Total Recording Time (mins) |
Taiyo Yuden 8X
|
TYG02
|
8X
|
9:18
|
MKM/Verbatim 8X
|
MCC 02RG20
|
8X
|
9:18
|
CMC 8X
|
CMC MAG.AE1
|
8X
|
9:18
|
TraxData 4X
|
RITEKG04
|
4X
|
14:01
|
MMore 4X
|
MBI 01RG20
|
4X
|
14:00
|
MCC 4X
|
MCC 01RG20
|
8X
|
9:17
|
Verbatim 4X RW
|
MCC 01RW4X
|
4X
|
14:03
|
14. BookType Setting
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 14
BookType Setting
The Memorex True 8Xn external drive doesn't support BookType Setting for the
DVD+/-R
& DVD+/-RW formats.
15. Conclusion
Memorex
True 8Xn external DVD±R/RW Recorder - Page 15
Conclusion
The Memorex True 8Xn drive is aimed at users who need an external drive,
offering the flexibility to be used on different computer systems.
The drive performed well, yielding low seek times in the CD reading
tests. The error correction test
results
however, showed
poor
performance.
The drive managed to playback only some of our DVD test discs, reporting
errors with many of our test media as in the case of the OTP DVD dual
layer & DVD+R
test discs. The reading speed was acceptable with both recordable and pressed
media, along with good seek times but the drive had poor error correction performance
with the defective discs. Only the ABEX TDR-825 single sided & single layer
DVD-ROM media passed the test whereas the other three DVD error correction
tests
never finished, producing a high number of read errors.
The drive showed poor performance
with our protected games CDs. The drive doesn`t support the latest SafeDisk2
versions and had only partially working backups
with SafeDisc v2.51.051. Ripping times
for the various protected game titles was acceptable.
The drive returned good performance with the CDS200 protection scheme as the
ripping process completed with no problems but reading & testing CRC comparison
was not the same for all tracks. Key2Audio protection ripping process completed
with no problems as well as reading & testing CRC comparison. Reading
and writing completed without any error for Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4
- 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love Letter). The drive doesn't
support 99min AudioCDs but read the 90min audio CD.
The Memorex drive has average writing quality with CD-R media. Three
out of the five media we used reported C2 errors. On the other hand,
jitter levels were about average for all media we burned. Overburning is
supported up to 89:57min.
We expect that all this will be fixed with a new firmware upgrade.
The recording quality
with DVD+/-R media is good with low PI/PIF error levels. With DVD+RW we found
high PI & for DVD-RW high PI with some PIF errors.
Retail Price:
$150.
- The Good
- Low priced.
- Good DVD writing quality for DVD+/-R media.
- Supports protected Audio discs (CDS200, Key2Audio) as well as accurately.
backup "Aiko
Katsukino - The Love Letter", Audio protected disc.
- Low jitter.
- The Bad
- Read errors with a number of our DVD test discs.
- Bad CD/ DVD error correction.
- Average writing quality with CD-Rs & DVD+/-RW media.
- Doesn`t backup newer versions of SafeDisc2
protected discs.
- Doesn`t overburn up to 99mins.
- Low C2% accuracy.
- Doesn`t support DVD/CD Mount Rainier.
- Doesn't support reading of DVD-RAM media.
- Doesn't support DVD overburning.
- Doesn`t support the BookType BitSetting for DVD+R/+RW formats.
- Like to be fixed
- Error correction for CD/DVD.
- Support for newer versions of SafeDisc2 protected discs.
- C2% accuracy.
- Overburning.
- Writing quality with DVD+/-RW media.