H L Data Storage Store Banner 970x90
Breaking News

MSI's Modern AM272 Series All-in-One PC be Your Trusted Partner for Business Akasa’s Alucia H4 Plus and SOHO H4 Plus are now compatible with LGA 1700! be quiet! Silent Wings 4 and Silent Wings Pro 4: Reaching new heights in airflow and static pressure Thermaltake Announces Toughpower PF1 1050W/1200W Samsung Gaming Hub Now Available on 2022 Smart TVs and Smart Monitor Series

logo

  • Share Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
  • Home
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Forum
  • Legacy
  • About
    • Submit News

    • Contact Us
    • Privacy

    • Promotion
    • Advertise

    • RSS Feed
    • Site Map

Search form

Plextor PX-740A

Jul 1,2005 0

1. Introduction

 

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
3. CD Error Correction Tests
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
5. Protected Disc Tests - Reading Tests
6. DAE Tests
7. Protected AudioCDs
8. CD Recording Tests
9. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
10. Writing Quality Tests - Clover System Tests
11. DVD Recording Tests
12. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
13. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
14. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
15. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 4
16. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
17. Writing Quality Tests - Almedio AEC-1000
18. DVDR DL - Page 1
19. DVDR DL - Page 2
20. Booktype Setting
21. Conclusion

 

Plextor, well known in the optical storage market, has released its latest model burner, the 740A, featuring 8X +R DL writing speed along with -R DL media support. Apart from this, Plextor also chose to change its chipset from Sanyo's to Philips', a chipset we saw used only in BenQ and of course, Philips drives. The new Plextor drive has other improvements as well, as we will see later on in this review.

Apart from the 8X+R DL and 4X-R DL support, the drive also offers 8X DVD+RW and 6X DVD-RW media burning speed. It can also write +R and -R media at the max speed of 16X.

- Drive Features

The Plextor 740A also supports the following unique features:

  • Buffer Underrun Proof Technology to ensure maximum burned media quality avoiding any unrecoverable errors due to burning process.
  • Lossless Linking : In the DVD+RW Video format, video can be encoded with a variable bit-rate (VBR). Because the writing process takes place at a constant bit rate, the writing process needs to be suspended and continued frequently. Normally, this would result in a linking loss, making the disc incompatible with read-only devices like DVD Video players and DVD-ROM drives. With DVD+RW it is possible to perform lossless linking, i.e. to suspend and continue the writing process without linking loss.
  • Zero Linking : The technology used for DVD-R/RW media.

- Specifications

Performance Write DVD+R : 16x: 22.160KB/s (CAV), 12x: 16.620KB/s (PCAV), 8x: 11.080KB/s, 4x: 5.540KB/s (ZCAV), 2.4x: 3.324KB/s
DVD-R: 16x: 22.160KB/s (CAV), 12x: 16.620KB/s (PCAV), 8x: 11.080KB/s, 4x: 5.540KB/s (ZCAV), 2.4x: 3.324KB/s

CD-R : 48x: 7.200KB/s (CAV), 40x: 6.000KB/s (CAV), 32x: 4.800KB/s (PCAV), 24x: 3.600KB/s (PCAV), 16x: 2.400 (ZCAV), 12x: 1.800 (ZCAV)

DVD+R DL : 8x: 11.080KB/s (PCAV), 4x: 5.540KB/s (ZCAV), 2.4x: 3.324KB/s
DVD-R DL : 4x: 5.540KB/s (ZCAV), 2.4x: 3.324KB/s
ReWrite DVD+RW : 8x: 11.080KB/s (ZCAV), 4x: 5.540KB/s (ZCAV), 2.4x: 3.324KB/s
DVD-RW : 6x: 8.310KB/s (ZCAV), 4x: 5.540KB/s (ZCAV), 2.4x: 3.324KB/s
CD-RW : 32x: 4.800KB/s (PCAV), 24x: 3.600KB/s (PCAV), 16x: 2.400KB/s, 10x: 1.500KB/s, 4x: 600KB/s (ZCAV)
Read DVD-ROM : 16x CAV, 12x CAV, 8x CAV, 6x CAV, 4x CAV
CD-ROM : 48x CAV, 40x CAV, 32x CAV, 24x CAV, 16x CAV, 10x CAV
Compatible formats: CD (Read/Write) CD-DA, CD-Extra, CD-ROM Mode-1, CD-ROM Mode-2, CD-ROM XA, Photo-CD, Video-CD, Multisession, CD TEXT, CD-I, CD+G, Mixed CD

CD-R/RW (Write)
Track at Once, Disc at Once, Packet Write (variable and fixed), Session at Once

DVD (Read/Write)
DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, Multiborder, Multisession, DVD+VR, DVD-VR
DVD+R/RW (Write)
DVD+R:Disc at Once, Multisession, Incremental Recording
DVD+R DL: Disc at Once
DVD+RW: Sequential Write, Random Access Write
DVD-R/RW (Write)
DVD-R: Disc at Once, Multiborder recording, Incremental recording
DVD-RW: Disc at Once, Multiborder recording, Incremental recording, Restricted Overwriting, DRT-DM
Access Time <100ms (CD), <150ms (DVD)
Dimensions (LxWxH) 146 x 41.2 x 177.5 mm
Weight 850 gr
Buffer Size 2MB
Interface E-IDE/ ATAPI
Power Requirement DC +5V
DC +12V
Reliability characteristics

MTBF: 125.000 POH (20%)
Tray Loading Eject : 35.000 times

The following information is from Plextools 2.23 (which is included in the retail package) for the 740A drive.

DVD InfoPro provides its own detailed information about the Plextor 740A.

- Retail Package

The Retail package includes:
the PX 740A DVD recorder, an E-IDE (ATAPI) cable, mounting screws, a comprehensive Quick Installation Guide.

Finally there's the software bundle, consisting of full and trial versions, including :
PlexTools Professional (ver.2.23), PlexTools Professional XL, Cyberlink Solutions as it is labeled, which is a collection of software for your DVD authoring and viewing needs, Nero OEM, Pinnacle Studio 1.3.18 Trial version, Sonic solutions recording software and DVD Viewer software.

-The Drive

The front bezel is the typical white with the DVD+RW and the DVD+R and -R DL logos on the bottom left hand side.

On the rear panel you can see the analogue and digital outputs (SPDIF), the IDE connector and the power input.

Once more, as we did in all our reviews, we opened the drive to take a closer look under the "hood". We don't recommend you do this with your drive as it will void the warranty. Clicking on the image below will open a larger, more detailed view of the drives inner parts.

click to enlarge!

Here is a picture of the drive's main chipset from Philips.

- Installation

The drive was installed under WindowsXP and was recognized as "PLEXTOR DVR PX-740A". The 740A came with 1.00 firmware revision and we flashed it to the latest firmware, v1.01 as can be seen in the Nero properties screenshot below.

Changes to the latest 1.01 firmware upgrade.

  • Improved write quality on all media types
  • Improved write performance on DVD-R DL media.
  • Added support for new media types.
  • Fixed a bug which would limit the useable space on DVD-R Dual Layer media
  • Fixed a bug which would cause a data verify error if less than 2 gig were written on a piece of DVD-R DL media in DAO mode.
  • Fixed a bug which could cause errors with the transfer rate when writing in Multi-Word DMA mode.
  • Improved the performance of BurnProof when writing on CDR media

In this review, we will be comparing the Plextor 740A drive with three other drives of similar characteristics and technology. These are the LiteOn 1693S, the BenQ 1640 and the NEC 3530A, all being latest releases.

 

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. Transfer Rate Reading Tests
3. CD Error Correction Tests
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
5. Protected Disc Tests - Reading Tests
6. DAE Tests
7. Protected AudioCDs
8. CD Recording Tests
9. C1 / C2 Error Measurements
10. Writing Quality Tests - Clover System Tests
11. DVD Recording Tests
12. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
13. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
14. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 3
15. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 4
16. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
17. Writing Quality Tests - Almedio AEC-1000
18. DVDR DL - Page 1
19. DVDR DL - Page 2
20. Booktype Setting
21. Conclusion

 

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »

Plextor

Tags: Plextor
Previous Post
Introduction to 3D graphics
Next Post
OCZ DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold

Related Posts

  • Plextor Unveils M10P Series PCIe Gen4 Solid State Drives

  • Plextor Launches the M9P Plus Series of SSDs

  • LITE-ON Technology Approves the Transfer of its Solid State Drives Business to Toshiba Memory

  • Shinano Kenshi Introduces New ASPINA Corporate Brand

  • PLEXTOR Debuts New Consumer SSDs at CES 2019

  • Plextor Unveils the M9Pe Extreme NVMe SSD at Computex Taipei 2018

  • Plextool NVMe Edition Released

  • Plextor M8V SATA SSD Released

H L Data Storage Store Banner 300x600

 

Latest Reviews

10 Top Majors for Students Who Aren't Sure
Consumer Electronics

10 Top Majors for Students Who Aren't Sure

AI Completely Mastered Poker
Enterprise & IT

AI Completely Mastered Poker

Noctua NH-D12L CPU Cooler
Cooling Systems

Noctua NH-D12L CPU Cooler

EnGenius ECW230 Access Point
Enterprise & IT

EnGenius ECW230 Access Point

What Are The Similarities Between The Metaverse And The Matrix?
Enterprise & IT

What Are The Similarities Between The Metaverse And The Matrix?

Popular News

Samsung Releases New Flash Laptop

Samsung Releases New Flash Laptop

Facebook Unveils New Technology to Fight Child Exploitation

Facebook Unveils New Technology to Fight Child Exploitation

Samsung's Next Smartphone foray: Galaxy S10, 5G, Folding Phones

Samsung's Next Smartphone foray: Galaxy S10, 5G, Folding Phones

YouTube to Invest $20m in Educational Creators

YouTube to Invest $20m in Educational Creators

Twitter's Ad Sales Surge

Twitter's Ad Sales Surge

Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Mixed Reality Headset Comes WithTwo 3.5-inch AMOLED Displays

Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Mixed Reality Headset Comes WithTwo 3.5-inch AMOLED Displays

Japanese Wireless Carriers to Cut iPhone XR Price: report

Japanese Wireless Carriers to Cut iPhone XR Price: report

Google To Deliver Personalized Audio News Lists Through AI Assistant

Google To Deliver Personalized Audio News Lists Through AI Assistant

  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Forum
  • Legacy
  • About
    • Submit News

    • Contact Us
    • Privacy

    • Promotion
    • Advertise

    • RSS Feed
    • Site Map
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us
  • Promotional Opportunities @ CdrInfo.com
  • Advertise on out site
  • Submit your News to our site
  • RSS Feed