Available Recording speeds and Create DVD tests
VSO Inspector from VSO Software was used for gathering my information about the available recording speeds the Fujifilm 16x DVD+R media on our review recording devices. This media information utility allows the user to easily see the rated speeds available for the Fujifilm 16x DVD+R media according to the hardware used during this review. It can also tell the user the full Media ID code for any given media. Once the maximum available recording speeds for each device had been discovered using VSO Inspector, Nero CD-DVD Speed from Ahead software was used to record a test DVD of maximum capacity to see if the review recording devices achieved their maximum recording speed.
The DVD's created here in this first test with CD Speed will be used later on during the Disc Quality, Transfer and Verification tests. Tests carried out included the recording of 5 pieces of media to each drive under the default factory settings. Extra pc's of media where tested with each review drive under different settings where device logic allowed. Only results under default settings are shown here as that is what most users will start recording with but I will make a mention of any improvements that where gained by using the non default settings.
The 5 pcs of media per drive used in this review exclude 1 pc that was used beforehand to let the individual drives logic to get a basic idea of the media. The tests on the 5 pcs per drive began after this first 'learning burn'.
All of the review recording devices where capable of supporting the Fujifilm 16x DVD+R media at its rated maximum speed of 16x. I always hope to see a brand of media fully supported by all review recording devices and this was the case with the Fujifilm 16x DVD+R media. Of course just because it is capable of 16x recording speeds does not mean that the individual drives logic will not slow the recording down to maximize quality.
Under default settings I found some very consistent recording times of around 6 minutes for most of the recording devices used in this review. Only 10 seconds seperated the Optiarc, Samsung, Pioneer and Plextor recording devices. The 10 second difference can be put down to the lack of bitsetting support that the Optiarc and Pioneer drives under their respective official firmwares. Had these drives supported bitsetting then I belive the Samsung would of been the fastest recording.
The extra logic of the Philips DVDR1660P under firmware P1.6 disregards recording speed and instead concentrates on producing the best possible recording per speed selected. Still even with all the extra logic turned on full, a recording time of under 7 minutes was possible.
Overview of recording times
The times listed below are to be considered the average recording speeds for each recording device used in this media review.
| | Writer used: | Average recording time | | AD-7173A [OEM] Optiarc (firmware: 1-01) | 6:04 | | | DVR 111D[OEM] Pioneer (firmware: 1.29) | 6:08 | | | SH-S182[Retail] Samsung (firmware: SB03) | 6:10 | | | PX-760A Premium [Retail] Plextor (firmware: 1.05) | 6:14 | | | DVDR1660P1[Retail] Philips (firmware: P1.6) | 6:54 | |
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"Of course achieving the fastest recording speed does not always mean you achieve the best quality recording as I will be quick to point out to our readers. There is no point in having the fastest recording if the quality suffers! Hardware logic can sometimes slow media down in firmwares or limit the maximum speed for each particular piece of media recorded to achieve the best quality possible and prevent a bad recording."
Please read on to see what a more detailed examination discovered about the recorded media during the Disc Quality, Transfer and Playback tests.
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