TOSHIBA SD-M1712 IDE DVD-ROM - Page 1

- Introduction

Combo drives are always handy to users since they cover the basic desktop needs, which are mostly reading for the CD and DVD formats. Continuing the successful SD-M1612 series, Toshiba launches the new SD-M1712 combo CD-R/DVD-ROM drive, already available in your local stores. The drive supports 16X CAV DVD-ROM reading and 48X for the CD format. What's new for the SD-M1712 series is the DVD-RAM support.

- Drive features

Toshiba SD-M1712 came with the firmware revision v1.004 installed. The supported reading speed for DVD-ROM is 16X CAV for single layer and 10X CAV for dual layer discs.

The main specifications of the drive are illustrated below:

The applied cache buffer 128MB and is compliant to the RPCII regulations, allowing user to change the region code of the drive 5 times.

The Applicable Read Disks are the following:
CD-DA, CD-I , CD-I Bridge (Photo-CD) , CD-I Bridge (Video-CD), CD-MIDI, CD-R, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-RW, CD-TEXT, Multisession CD-Extra, Multisession CD-R, Multisession CD-RW, Multisession Photo-CD, DVD-R, DVD-RAM 1.46 GB, 80 mm, Double/Single Sided, DVD-RAM 2.6 GB, 120 mm, Double/Single Sided, DVD-RAM 4.7 GB, 120 mm, Double/Single Sided, DVD-ROM (DVD-10, DVD-18, DVD-5 and DVD-9) and DVD-RW.

- The package

The retail kit contains the drive itself, the Intervideo WinDVD v.4 DVD playback software and the necessary IDE cables and leads.

In the package you can also find a pen, a CD-ROM with information about the Toshiba products and a quick installation guide. The Toshiba SD-M1712 retail kit will be available from Toshiba distributors and dealers, in the retail price of Euro 50-60.

On the disc-loading tray there are the "DVD-ROM" and the "Compact Disc " logos. The eject key is placed below the tray on the right side of the front panel, as usually. The busy indicator ( LED) indicates the drive status. Last, no headphone jack or volume control knobs are available, as you can see in the picture below.

OOn the black-colored rear panel there are the usual connectors, such as the power connector, the IDE interface, the device configuration jumper, and the analog audio output.

After removing the screws on the bottom we can see the drive's internal design.

- Installation

The Toshiba drive was identified as "TOSHIBA SD-M1712" under WinXP. The drive was installed to the secondary IDE channel of our test PC as a "Master" and worked in Ultra DMA Mode 2 transfer mode. The October 2002 model came with firmware version v1.004 installed.

IIn the following tests we compare the Toshiba drive with three already tested 16X DVD-ROM drives, the Teac DV-516E, the Asus E616 and the Toshiba SD-M1612.