Freecom FC-1

Review Pages

1. Data CD reading Tests
2. Package - Installation
3. CD Error Correction Tests
4. Protected Disc Tests
5. CD-DA - DAE Tests
6. CD Recording Tests
7. Writing quality - 3T Jitter Tests
8. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
9. Flash Memory card reader
10. Conclusion

Freecom FC-1 - Page 10

Conclusion

Pros	Cons
52/32/52 CD-RW 7 in 1 flash memory card reader Fast CD-R read, low seek times Creates working backups of SafeDisc v.2.90 Overburning up to 99min Supports CD-Text (reading/writing) Supports 99min audio discs Supports writing CD+G Supports MountRainier PacketWriting Very good CD error correction	Cannot play/rip Key2Audio and CDS200 protected audio CD's Reading LeadIn and LeadOut are not supported Questionable writing quality with specific media CD-RW reading could be faster

The Freecom FC-1 came with an excellent retail package, including a very helpful CD installation guide, manual and Roxio's burning software. The drive is a good CD reader, with high speed and low seek times. However the US-RW reading speed could be higher than 32x.

In the CD error correction tests, the drive had very good performance. It managed to play all the tracks of our CD-Check Audio Test Disc, where the last track includes a defect of size 1.5mm. Also it managed to playback both of ABEX test CD's (TCD-721R and TCD-726) yielding good scores in comparison with other drives such as Plextor Premium and Aopen CRW5232.

The Freecom drive is also a good unit for creating working backups of protected game titles. It managed to backup successfully all of our test games including SafeDisc v2.9 although we would like faster ripping times with SafeDisc, as it had with PSX and SecuRom v2.x games discs.

The drive unfortunately failed to playback/rip our protected original AudioCD's, with Key2Audio and CDS200 protection schemes. It supports 40x AudioCD reading speed.

In the CD recording tests, the supported 52x speed is high. The jitter measurements showed acceptable levels for both Pit and Land jitters. However, the writing quality of the drive is not always high, and it seems to be dependant on the media you are using. We assume that with a firmware upgrade the writing quality can improve, while more media brands will be supported.

At €79.00 it is a good buy, since the unit combines a CD recorder with a multi-card reader. If you need these two devices in one unit, then the Freecom FC-1 is your solution. The problem is that nowadays, affording the reader (drive) is cheaper than buying a 512MB flash memory card!