Yamaha Have said that the CRW-F1 will be released on the 15th July in the UK! Are they better than the 54x Lite-on we will have to wait and see but if you got to :-
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.asp?RelatedID=2360
You will be able to see all the spec's and new Features of the Yamaha CRW-F1 or go to the Yamaha Website! All Lite-on usually do is change the speed but we will have to wait see and I am sure as soon anything is known you will see it on the Forum or at http://www.cdrinfo.com!
Personaly I cannot wait for the 15th July I want one NOW !

Laffin Assassin

It's Nice to be Important!!!
But it's more Important to be NICE!!!

Edited by - Laffin Assassin on 07/02/2002 21:04:45

(in reply to john)

Are you sure drive will come at 15th of July? Still they haven't send out the test kits for press...

Visit www.cdrinfo.com - The Recording Authority

(in reply to john)

Hi John
Well thats what they told me when I asked them for a price and that was before they posted the date it would be available in Europe and that was the same date! But I will contact them in the morning and see if I can pin them down with a firm date and price! I will let you know what they have to say !

Laffin Assassin

It's Nice to be Important!!!
But it's more Important to be NICE!!!

(in reply to john)

john, can you elaborate more on the writing quality of the liteons? In what manner do they not have good write quality? I own a 24x and 32x (non cav) liteon, and havent noticed any issues with disks not being able to be read, but maybe i've just been lucky? Any info would be appreciated.

(in reply to john)

I have a 32 and a 48 Liteon and they can write perfect copies on some media, and completely bomb out to unreadable on other media.
The better drives write more consistently well to more media, and their media burn detection stuff probaly makes better guesses as to proper write speeds. Also the Yamahas have that audio master function wich makes larger or longer pits in the media so you get a much better audio copy. However it burns at slower speeds to do it and uses more space, I think the newer ones will write faster now though.
Media is cheap, the Liteon was cheap, I just make my copies the check em after. If it has errors I toss it and slow down the burn or whatever it takes. If I use good media, it does a fine job, it's just not a Yammi or a Plex. Really depends on what you do most and your budget I spose.

(in reply to john)

Lets say that LiteOn hurrys up to release drives and then fix the various firmware problems and of course the writing quality also.

Visit www.cdrinfo.com - The Recording Authority

(in reply to john)

Yes i know all press releases talk about 15th of July but yet no sign from Yamaha about our drives, that supposed to come at least 2weeks before the first shipment...

I don't mind Yamaha delay shipment as long the final result is good!

Visit www.cdrinfo.com - The Recording Authority

(in reply to john)

Yes but that tactic is not what experienced users want...Selling a product that works not very good and try afterwards fix the problems. You know there are many users who will never use a firmware update to fix their possible problems. Got my point?

Of course price is a big reason to get a LiteOn drive, but I would prefer something more expensive that produces better CDs

Visit www.cdrinfo.com - The Recording Authority

(in reply to john)

I agree with you John These tactics are now very common with some CDRW's Manufacturers and mainly game Publishers they get the products almost right release it then worry about the problems (which are mostly known before they release it) after they have got their money in, but the big problem is that sometimes they take forever to cure them if ever! I will honestly say I have never had this problem with Yamaha and I have had Yamaha Drives from when they first started making them years ago. But that is why you will never hear me moan about the price of them. And Clint's signiture says it all You get what you pay for....
I think I will change mine to "You pay Peanuts you get Monkeys" !!!!

Laffin Assassin

It's Nice to be Important!!!
But it's more Important to be NICE!!!

(in reply to john)

I remember when Yamaha posted that they would never permit their drives to be able to copy protected games. I assume that this applied to protected audio as well. From what I can see at the CloneCD site they certainly have not altered their position on games. That is one of the major reasons that I never even considered a Yamaha drive. I consider the inability to copy everything a disability and Yamaha's attitude arrogant.

I want a drive that can do everything. That's why I have a Liteon and a Plextor and I will never have a Yamaha. Can someone explain why I should want to buy one as I really can't understand anyone wanting one, let alone actually buying one.

(in reply to john)

You Say " I want a drive that can do everything. That's why I have a Liteon and a Plextor"

Well thats a bit cock-eyed you have 2 CDRW's and neither of them will do everything . I have had the Yamaha 3200e for quite a while now and I have not come across anything that it will not copy with the right software and the correct settings !

You say " I remember when Yamaha posted that they would never permit their drives to be able to copy protected games."
So where did you see this I have never seen Yamaha post anything like this I think they are to wise to do something like that and I have had a CD Writer since the 2x days the only Manufacturer I have every seen mention this was a long time ago and it was Hewlett Packard !

You Say " I assume that this applied to protected audio as well. "

So this is why they have Audio Master is it and they also give you Nero with their new machines and this won't let you copy Audio will it, or will it ? The best quality Audio CD's I have ever burned were done on Yamaha !
And as I say with the right software and the correct settings there is nothing I have come across yet that the Yamaha 3200e will not copy weather it's been protected games or protected audio! And ulike some of the other Manfacturers when they release a new machine they don't just increase the speed they now add new features !

Laffin Assassin

It's Nice to be Important!!!
But it's more Important to be NICE!!!

(in reply to john)

I had a Yamaha 4260 as my first burner. They had big heat related problems, and sometimes they would just quit working. It was a well made drive and was OK but not without it's fualts. I had to send it back once because every time I tried to access it it would lock up the machine, however I think it might have been a unresolved software conflict that caused that problem.
They took a couple of weeks to play with ita nd sent it back, it seemed to work after that. But it wasn't supported by clone when it came out and I bagged it and got a Cendyne 12X by Sanyo that I hoped would be supported, it wasn't fully for a long time.
I blew that drive up do to a stupid mistake and replaced it with a Plex 12x4x32 that was supported by clone, mostly, at the time.
The Plex still works, I'm sure that 4260 is dead by now, I had to add a extra case fan and keep the case closed or it would heat up bad because of no air flow through the drive.
I have moved on to a couple of Buslink/Liteon drives now because they support the kind of things I want a drive to do. I also got a 40 wide Plex as a reader, then a 163dvd also because it's DAE is able to keep up with those burners. The Plex only does about 24x DAE max but when it was new that was faster then anything out could use. I keep it because it can handle protected audio CD's and it's error correction is usually better then the 163 or the others when I need perfect stuff ;)
I have a friend that still won't touch a Yamaha after the issues we both saw with those early units. I think the new ones must be top notch, but they weren't always.

(in reply to john)

Hi Dartman
I agree with you about the early Yamaha I had the same problem and after making loads of coasters I swore I would never again touch a Yamaha ! But I read a lot in all the forums about the new 2200e and they were all saying how much Yamaha had improved since the 4x days and catching up with the other Manufacturers but like you I was still not sold by the Idea of trying another Yamaha ! Then lo and behold the 3200e came out and they had fitted some in the computers at work which gave me a chance to play with them and learn more about them. After a couple of weeks I decided to get one myself and since then I have never looked back ! As I never had a coaster with it yet the anoying thing that I got mine when they were £165 and now you can get them from Dabs.com for under £80 but that is CD Writer Life. If you want the best as soon as it comes out they are always expensive and if you are prepared to wait 6 months you will get them for almost half the price. But on saying that I am not bothered how much the new CDR-F1's are I am goig to get on with being so satisfied with the 3200e I am going to buy one for a new pentium 4 computer I am just building! But take it from me Yamaha have changed a hell of a lot for the better since the bad old 4x days and also now in the UK you get 2 year warrenty!

Laffin Assassin

It's Nice to be Important!!!
But it's more Important to be NICE!!!

(in reply to john)