1. Introduction
Waitec VISION HR
DVD Recorder - page 1
Waitec, an international high-tech company, was established in 1994 in Venlo,
The Netherlands. Waitec has always invested its energies in the Research and
Development of new technologies, with the objective of satisfying the growing
demands of the market through the introduction of highly innovative products.
The VISION HR is a multimedia DVD
Player and DVD Recorder featuring DVD+R technology support, able to record
on both DVD+RW and DVD+R media. The Vision HR reads CD-R/RW,
VCD, SVCD, as well as DVD-RW and DVD-R. With the Vision HR you will be able
to digitally
record
from any external source or from the internal TV Tuner exactly like you always
did with your VHS recorder. You can also view all your favorite digital photo collections
on your TV, thanks to its Kodak CD and Jpeg CD compatibility.
Technical Data
On the following pages you can
read about the reading/writing capabilities of the device, its recording
quality and the results
from
our error correction tests.
2. Unpacking - Control Menu
Waitec VISION HR DVD
Recorder - page 2
Unpacking - Control Menu
The recorder's front panel is very attractive with a very nice design.
The loading tray is located in the middle, with the power switch on the left and several buttons conveniently placed on the right for operating the unit.
The pictures below show the inside of the Vision HR after
removing the cover, an action that is not recommended, as it
voids the manufacturer's warranty. (Click on
the image for an enlarged view).
The CS98200 is a highly-integrated processor that provides all of the audio
and video processing functions needed for the next generation of feature-rich
DVD players, DVD receivers and Internet DVD applications. Tomorrow's features
available today on a single chip solution that include DVD-Audio, MP3/WMA, AAC, Kodak
Picture CD, Dolby AC-3, Dolby ProLogic, and DTS decoding. It supports CD
formats, DVD navigation, disk control, video decoding and up to eight channels
of output. An extension of the Cirrus' CS98000 DVD product line, the CS98200
integrates six 10-bit video digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and TV encoding
with progressive scan functionality. Progressive scan video provides high
resolution and eliminates the "flickering" effect present in traditional
video playback. Other features enabled by this integrated chip include karaoke
functionality and video special effects.
- DVD-Video, VCD, VCD 2.0, VCD 3.0, SVCD, CD, and other popular standards
- DVD-Audio including CPPM and Verance? watermark protection
- MPEG1, MPEG2, and leading edge MPEG4 decoding
- Flexible ATAPI or AV bus DVD loader support with no additional logic
- Dual 32-bit RISC processors, supported by RTOS, C/C++ compilers, and source
level debuggers
- 32-bit DSP capable of AC-3, MPEG, DTS, MP3, WMA and AAC audio decode algorithms
- High-quality integrated video encoder with six 10-bit video D/A converters
- Component (RGB or YUV) or composite & S-Video output
- Interlaced (PAL/NTSC) or progressive (480p) output, with MacrovisionTM
copy protection
- CCIR656 video I/O for video capture, PVR and DVR type applications, picture-in-picture
support
- IEC-958 (S/PDIF) & simultaneous PCM output
- 5.1 downmix, karaoke echo mix, pitch shift, and many other effects
- PAL / NTSC transcoding
- Dual 16550 compatible UARTs
- AC ?97 serial interface
- 240 MQFP package
This is the main chipset for the internal drive. As can be seen, it
is manufactured by Ricoh.
As you can see, the VISION HR has all the appropriate connections. However,
there's no DD5.1 CH built-in decoder.
The
retail package also includes a remote control, with which you'll need to
spend a little time to get acquainted. Click on the image for an enlarged
view.
Below is the players' main screen, which appears every
time you turn the player on.
Choosing setup, you will see the following screens:
You can also program the unit for scheduled recording.
3. Reading Tests
Waitec VISION HR DVD Recorder - page 3
Reading Tests
Although this device focuses mainly on recording, we
still carried out our usual array of reading tests, since most VISION
HR owners will use it for both reading and recording.
In playback mode, the device has all the usual features with easy
access to all the appropriate settings. Below, just for reference,
there is a screenshot of the Waitec recorder during playback.
The
displayed settings may vary depending
on the inserted media type.
You can also choose whether to have information displayed regarding the
inserted media. However, it would be nice to have had more information,
such as the bit-rate, available during playback.
DVD support
The
Waitec VISION HR we have in our hands is a region-2 drive, which means that
the player
is able to decode (play) only the pressed DVD-Video discs
for the European
region.
We
recorded a 4.35GB DVD-Video file on various DVD+R/-R, DVD-RW/+RW
media. The recorders we used are some of the latest dual-format burners available
on the PC market, as well as some first generation recorders. Pressed
single and
dual layer DVD-Video discs were also verified in the test. All the test discs
were
created with the same PC software in DVD-Video mode.
We checked the player's disc recognition, as well as smooth navigation
and playback. The results were very impressive, since all the discs were
read completely. See the drives and media we used in the table below:
Recorder |
Media |
Speed recorded |
Recognition |
Playback |
Sony
DRX-500UL v1.0c |
TDK DVD+RW 2.4x |
2.4x |
OK |
Sony
DRU-530A v2.0h |
Mitsubishi Chemicals DVD+R 4x |
4x |
Taiyo yuden DVD+R 4x |
4x |
N-Tech DVD+R 4x |
4x |
Philips DVD+R 4x |
4x |
Pioneer
DVR-107D v1.05 |
JVC DVD-R 8x |
8x |
MKM DVD+R 8x |
8x |
CMC DVD-R 4x |
4x |
CMC DVD+R 4x |
4x |
NEC
ND-2500A v1.06 |
JVC DVD-RW 4x |
4x |
Maxell DVD+RW 4x |
4x |
Ritek DVD-R 4x |
4x |
Mam DVD-R 4x |
4x |
TDK DVD-R 4x |
4x |
Plextor DVD+R 4x |
8x |
Mitsubishi Chemicals DVD-R 4x |
8x |
Taiyo Yuden DVD-R 4x |
8x |
Optorite
DD0401 v1.30E |
MKM DVD+R 8x |
8x |
Hi-Space DVD-R 4x |
4x |
Verbatim DVD-R 4x |
4x |
BTC
DRW1008IM v0.55 |
Pioneer DVD-R 4x |
4x |
LiteOn
LDW-811S vHS0K |
FujiFilm DVD-R 4x |
4x |
Philips DVDRW885K |
MKM 001(Double Layer) |
2.4X |
Playback was jerky |
As was expected, all the DVD±RW discs played successfully without
problems. In the case of DL media, playback produced some freezing.
The Waitec VISION HR supports reading of DVD-ROM format.
The Waitec VISION HR works well with AudioCD, CD-R/-RW, VideoCD and
Super-VideoCD playback. The *.cda files of any audioCD are recognized correctly,
regardless of whether the disc is factory-pressed or is a CD-R/RW. In addition, CD-Text
is supported.
Please note that, when talking about data CD (CD-R/-RW), we refer
to either compressed audio files (MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis.), pure *.wav
files, or to VideoCD and Super VideoCD.
In the case of pressed AudioCDs, the player recognizes and plays all the tracks,
offering additional features like CD-Text reading and navigation between
tracks, as already mentioned on the previous page. This also applies to
CD-R and CD-RW discs. The device played audio files on CD-R, 10x HS-RW,
24x US-RW and 32x US-RW discs we inserted in the disc tray.
In
addition, no problems were noticed either when we played 8cm CD-R/-RW (185MB),
90/99min CD-R or CD business cards, as long as they are
round-shaped. The player's tray is not designed to accept any other media
shapes, which can sometimes be the case with smart
cards or business cards.
The Waitec VISION HR will not dissapoint anyone who has purchased any protected
audio discs from a music store. The discs we tested were "Natalie
Imbruglia - White Lilies island" protected with Macrovision Key2Audio
protection scheme, and "Celine Dion - A New Day Has Come" protected
with Cactus Data Shield 200. Both titles were recognized and played without
any problems, which is good news as this kind of media is almost impossible to play on PCs due to the protection schemes, which are designed
to discourage PC users from making copies.
The Waitec VISION HR does not support Super AudioCD.
-
Compressed Audio (data CD)
Let's
now see how the player reacts to various compressed audio files stored on data
CD-R/RW. Although the specifications of the DVP-NS330 clearly indicate
MP3 support, it is not sure whether the drive can handle all MP3 compression
modes. CBR or VBR encoding mode and variations in the sampling rate could be
hard for
any reader to decode. The table below shows a list of MP3 and WMA files with
a variety of compression settings and how the device handled them.
Compression type |
Compression settings |
Recognize / Play |
MP3 |
CBR 20kBit 11025Hz Mono |
Yes |
CBR 20kBit 11025Hz Stereo |
CBR 32kBit 11025Hz Stereo |
CBR 32kBit 22050Hz Mono |
CBR 40kBit 22050Hz Stereo |
CBR 48kBit 22050Hz Stereo |
CBR 48kBit 44100Hz Mono |
CBR 56kBit 22050Hz Mono |
CBR 56kBit 44100Hz Mono |
CBR 64kBit 22050Hz Stereo |
CBR 96kBit 22050Hz Stereo |
CBR 96kBit 44100Hz Mono |
CBR 96kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 112kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 128kBit 44100Hz Mono |
CBR 128kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 160kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 192kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 224kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 256kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
CBR 320kBit 44100Hz Stereo |
VBR - High compression |
VBR - Highest compression |
VBR - Low compression |
VBR - Lowest compression |
VBR - Medium compression |
Windows Media Audio
(WMA)
|
WMA 48kbps |
WMA 64kbps |
WMA 96kbps |
WMA 128kbps |
WMA 160kbps |
WMA 192kbps |
WAV |
WAV |
No |
Both formats are supported.
4. Recording Tests
Waitec VISION HR DVD Recorder - page 4
Recording Tests
Before starting the recording procedure, we updated our device with the latest
available official firmware from Waitec:
DVD Recorder Update:
Download the firmware here.
Unpack the zip file.
Burn the firmware upgrade file as a normal data disc.
1. Switch on the player
2. Open the tray, and put in the disc which contains the firmware upgrade
3. Close the tray
4. On the screen apears the menu
5. Press play on the recorder or on the remote control
6. The update will start automatically and takes about 5 minutes
7. The screen turns black slowly, progressing from top to bottom
8. After the firmware is updated the recorder will restart atomatically.
9. Remove the disc once the recorder restarts
The recording procedure is quite easy with the VISION HR recorder. As soon
as you define the source, you just press the record button on the remote
control.
There are five supported writng qualities: HQ, SP, LP, EP, and SLP.
Mode
|
Bit Rate( Mbps) |
Resolution (PAL) |
Encode |
HQ
|
9.5 |
720X576 |
MPEG2 |
SP
|
5~7 |
720X576 |
MPEG2 |
LP
|
4~5.5 |
352X576 |
MPEG2 |
EP
|
2~4 |
352X576 |
MPEG2 |
SLP
|
1.5 |
352X288 |
MPEG1 |
After recording a disc, this is what you'll see:
After recording the DVD media, we opened and viewed the media on our PC. The
contents of the disc are:
The VISION HR also allows us to erase rewritable media. The erase procedure
is fast since it only deletes the table of contents, and not all of the
disc.
Below are more details regarding the media we
used for the tests:
Name
|
ID
|
BenQ 4X DVD+R
|
DAXON AZ1 01
|
CMC Magnetics 2.4X DVD+R
|
CMC MAG R01
|
Taiyo Yuden 84X DVD+R
|
YUDEN000T02
|
Intenso 84X DVD+R
|
Prodisc R03 03
|
Promedia 4X DVD+R
|
AML 001
|
Traxdata 4X DVD+R
|
RICOHJPNR01
|
MMore 4X DVD+R
|
MBIPG101R03
|
Traxdata 4X DVD+RW
|
RICOHJPNW11
|
Sentinel 2.4X DVD+RW
|
SENTINEL W01
|
CMC 2.4X DVD+RW
|
CMC MAG W02
|
Mitsubishi Kagaku 4X DVD+RW
|
MKMA02
|
5. Writing quality Tests
Waitec VISION HR DVD Recorder - page 5
Writing quality
Tests
The following screenshots present the PI/PIF results for various DVD+R/RW
media, recorded with the Waitec VISION HR at the maximum allowed
speed. Before the tests, we flashed the device with the latest available official
firmware from Waitec.
The software used for the measurements was KProbe v2.1.0. The ECC was set
to 8 and the reading drive was LiteOn SOHD-167T. The specific methodology
is very dependent on the drive used as a reader, while the reliability of
the PI/PIF provided output is also not technically confirmed. Consequently,
we could not safely come up with any conclusive results, but
still, we did make a comparison of the drive's behavior when using various
DVD recordable/rewritable media.
For the CDSpeed reading tests, we used the SD-1712 DVD-ROM from Toshiba.
BenQ 4X DVD+R
Cannot recognize the disc at all. However, it was playable with the Waitec
recorder.
CMC 2.4X DVD+R
Cannot access the disc at all. Kprobe reported a servo error at the beginning.
However, it was playable with the Waitec recorder.
TY 8X DVD+R
Intenso 8X DVD+R
Promedia 4X DVD+R
Traxdata 4X DVD+R
MMore 4X DVD+R
Traxdata 4X DVD+RW
Sentinel 2. 4X DVD+RW
CMC 2.4X DVD+RW
The recording quality of the Waitec is quite good. However, there was one
case with increased PI/PIF levels and one with unrecoverable read errors.
Name
|
ID |
BenQ 4X DVD+R
|
DAXON AZ1 01 |
CMC Magnetics 2.4X DVD+R
|
CMC MAG R01 |
Taiyo Yuden 84X DVD+R
|
YUDEN000T02 |
Intenso 84X DVD+R
|
Prodisc R03 03 |
Promedia 4X DVD+R
|
AML 001 |
Traxdata 4X DVD+R
|
RICOHJPNR01 |
MMore 4X DVD+R
|
MBIPG101R03 |
Traxdata 4X DVD+RW
|
RICOHJPNW11 |
Sentinel 2.4X DVD+RW |
SENTINEL W01 |
CMC 2.4X DVD+RW |
CMC MAG W02 |
Mitsubishi Kagaku 4X DVD+RW |
MKMA02 |
6. Error Correction Tests
Waitec VISION HR DVD Recorder - page 6
Error Correction
Tests
Here, we try to simulate one of the most interesting problems
an average user frequently faces while using a DVD player, namely the reading
accuracy of a DVD player when accessing a defective or scratched DVD or CD.
Of course, the performance of the drive here may be influenced
by the quality and precision of its mechanical parts (Optical Pickup Unit,
sufficient servo control, etc), as well as with the drive's reading strategy
under abnormal conditions, controlled by the main chipset and firmware commands.
In the case of a reader and especially a high-priced stand-alone reader, we
would expect better control during the reading process. We tested
the Waitec VISION HR with a number of pressed DVD-Video and AudioCD test discs.
The ABEX series from Almedio offers
a good picture of a CD/DVD reader's error correction capabilities. In addition,
we used the SBC444A
test disc from Philips and CD-Check test disc from Digital Recordings.
DVD-Video
This
is a single-sided, dual layer (S-2 type, OTP) disc with 8.5GB capacity. The
disc can be used for checking the layer switching operation from layer 0 to
layer 1. The disc also includes test pictures and test signals for Dolby Digital,
linear PCM (48kHz/24bit, 96kHz/24bit) and others to examine high
quality pictures and sound. The disc content is a MPEG-2 NTSC DVD-Video
file. The TCD-545 includes defects on
the disc area (black dots and fingerprints). The size of the black dots varies
from 0.4mm to 1.0mm. and fingerprints from 0.065mm to 0.075mm.
The Waitec VISION HR read the disc successfully without skips, picture stills
or glitches.
This
disc is exactly the same as the Abex TCD-545 tested previously, except that
the defect is a scratch in size ranging from 0.4mm to
3.0mm, increasing by 0.2mm /per step.
The 15th track revealed a momentary freeze during playback. This track
contains a scratch size of 3.0mm
AudioCD
This
is an AudioCD disc used for measurement and adjustment of the error correction
ability and tracking/focusing servo characteristics of a player against
possible defects on some CDs. Three kinds of defects are included
on this disc: interruption in information layer, black dots and fingerprints.
The interruptions are fabricated by intentionally varying the lengths of pits
in the disc fabrication area. Their size varies from 0.5mm to 1.0mm. The diameter
of black dots is from 0.4mm to 1.0mm. The simulated fingerprints
are, in turn, small gathered dots, of diameters sized from 65 micrometers to
75 micrometers. 160 black dots grouped together construct an artificial
fingerprint.
All audio tracks were played with the Waitec VISION HR deck. No audible
read errors (clicks, skips) were detected.
The
test concept with the Philips SBC 44A is the same as in the previous test
disc. Interruptions on the information layer vary from 400 micrometers to 1000
micrometers, while black dots have a size of 300 micrometers to 800 micrometers.
All tracks played successfully.
The medium has the same contents as the Abex TCD-726, but a different
defect- a scratch sized of 0.4mm to 3.0mm on the disc's surface. Error
symptoms expected when playing this disc are noise, sound skips, same sector
repeatedly played, start of tune cannot be detected, etc.
The Waitec VISION HR played successfully the first 6 tracks out of 15 in
total. The 6th track corresponds to a scratch size of 1.2mm. First problems
occurred with the 7th track (1.4mm) with audible "clicks" while
playing.
We finish this test cycle with the CD-Check disc from Digital Recordings.
Five audio signals (5 tracks) are combined with disc error patterns to rate
the player's ability to read and reproduce music completely. The five tracks
contain a sequence of tests of progressively rising
difficulty .
Check level 1 (track 1): Standard manufacturing errors
Check level 2 (track 2): 0.375mm scratch
Check level 3 (track 3): 0.750mm scratch
Check level 4 (track 4): 1.125mm scratch
Check level 5 (track 5): 1.500mm scratch
Any clicks, interruptions
or looping during audio reproduction indicate failure of a Check level (audio
track). Below you can see the test results:
Check level |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Result |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
1/5 |
The
drive managed to play successfully the four tracks out of the five. In the
fifth track, only one attempt was clear without clicks. The remaining four produced
audible clicks.
The VISION HR showed good performance in our error
correction tests.
7. Conclusion
Waitec VISION HR DVD Recorder
- page 7
Conclusion
When the VISION HR initially arrived in our labs, we were very impressed
with its design. The shiny, mirror-finish front panel makes quite an
impact. The retail
package
includes all the appropriate cables for a fast set up. However, we would like
a coaxial cable included as well. The built-in tuner for TV signal reception is very good and makes for convenient TV program recording.
Here you
need a
very good signal since
you can't set the channels manually. The menu interface is good
but needs a little getting used to, as is the case with the
remote control.
The reading tests proved that the player is capable of playing almost everything.
OK, the advanced formats such as SACD and DVD-Audio cannot be reproduced
with the VISION HR, but this is not an issue. During play back, the
onscreen information is adequate but we would like more detail available, such as
transfer rate, format, Audio etc. From the error correction tests we ran,
the Waitec
proved to be more than satisfactory, reading scratches
up to 1.125mm.
Two of the media recorded with the unit weren't playable
in our PC or DVD player, although they played in the Waitec device itself.
As soon as you define the source, the Waitec recorder can write with the
press of a single button. We would also recommend the SP and HQ quality modes for recording.
Notice that the writing quality has nothing to do with the image quality. In
our Kprobe scans, the VISION HR reported good writing quality with low PI/PIF levels,
although there were a few cases with increased PI/PIF levels.
The retail price for Europe is €323 (including VAT).
Visit Waitec's official website here.
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