Apex Community Forums - View Single Post - Sony 16X DVD-ROM

Spectrum · 25-April-04, 11:25 AM

Introduction:
If you want to watch movies on your computer, your going to need a DVD drives. So today, I am looking at what Sony has to offer with their DDU1612 16x DVD-ROM. This review will be mostly based on the performance when used for CD's, because the drive will primarily be used for CD's and occasionally for a DVD. This was an OEM drive purchased for $28.99 from Directron.

Packaging/Installation:
The drive sports on the front a headphone jack, volume control, LED and the eject button. On the rear of the drive, you have the usual IDE interface, power connection, and analog audio output connector. The drive is physcly smaller than my 52X32X52 CD-RW and my 52X CD-ROM.
Installation of the Sony drive was a snap. After plugging in the power connector and the IDE ribbon, I enabled the drive in my Bios. Windows recognized the drive immediately and with no problems.

Features:
16X DVD-ROM
Compatible with all CD formats
40X CD-ROM

Specifications:
Buffer Memory: 512 KB,
Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.75 x 1.63 x 8"/146 x 41.4 x 203 mm,
Weight: 1 lb 13 oz / 906 g,
Mounting: Horizontal or Vertical,
SUSTAINED DATA TRANSFER RATE: 1, 800~3, 600 KB/s (CD), 8, 788 (inner) ~21, 632 KB/s (outer) Single Layer, 5, 586 (inner) ~13, 520 KB/s (outer) Dual Layer,
ACCESS TIME Full Stroke: 165 ms (typical) (CD), 80~220 ms (typical (DVD),
Drive Read Speed: 16X (DVD-ROM), 40X (CD-ROM),
MTBF: 100, 000 POH,
POWER REQUIREMENTS Supply Voltage: 5V +/5%, 12V +/-10%.

Benchmarking:
To test the unit out I used Nero 6's CD-DVD Speed Tool. Using a 869MB DVD, a recruiting DVD from Vanderbilt University, I got these results.

Here are the results using my Quake 3 Arena disc.

For comparison, here is my Quake 3 Arena disc in my 52X32X52 CD-RW.

Conclusion:
As you can see from the above results, the drive performs slower than the manufacturer's specifications. Nonetheless, the DVD play back is very good and the price cannot be beat.

Pros:
- Affordable
- Quiet
- Small Size

Cons:
- Slower performance than specified

PimpRig Rating:

(9.5 Pimp hats)

25-April-04, 11:25 AM		#1 (permalink)
Spectrum Former GameApex Editor	Sony 16X DVD-ROM Introduction: If you want to watch movies on your computer, your going to need a DVD drives. So today, I am looking at what Sony has to offer with their DDU1612 16x DVD-ROM. This review will be mostly based on the performance when used for CD's, because the drive will primarily be used for CD's and occasionally for a DVD. This was an OEM drive purchased for $28.99 from Directron. Packaging/Installation: The drive sports on the front a headphone jack, volume control, LED and the eject button. On the rear of the drive, you have the usual IDE interface, power connection, and analog audio output connector. The drive is physcly smaller than my 52X32X52 CD-RW and my 52X CD-ROM. Installation of the Sony drive was a snap. After plugging in the power connector and the IDE ribbon, I enabled the drive in my Bios. Windows recognized the drive immediately and with no problems. Features: 16X DVD-ROM Compatible with all CD formats 40X CD-ROM Specifications: Buffer Memory: 512 KB, Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.75 x 1.63 x 8"/146 x 41.4 x 203 mm, Weight: 1 lb 13 oz / 906 g, Mounting: Horizontal or Vertical, SUSTAINED DATA TRANSFER RATE: 1, 800~3, 600 KB/s (CD), 8, 788 (inner) ~21, 632 KB/s (outer) Single Layer, 5, 586 (inner) ~13, 520 KB/s (outer) Dual Layer, ACCESS TIME Full Stroke: 165 ms (typical) (CD), 80~220 ms (typical (DVD), Drive Read Speed: 16X (DVD-ROM), 40X (CD-ROM), MTBF: 100, 000 POH, POWER REQUIREMENTS Supply Voltage: 5V +/5%, 12V +/-10%. Benchmarking: To test the unit out I used Nero 6's CD-DVD Speed Tool. Using a 869MB DVD, a recruiting DVD from Vanderbilt University, I got these results. Here are the results using my Quake 3 Arena disc. For comparison, here is my Quake 3 Arena disc in my 52X32X52 CD-RW. Conclusion: As you can see from the above results, the drive performs slower than the manufacturer's specifications. Nonetheless, the DVD play back is very good and the price cannot be beat. Pros: - Affordable - Quiet - Small Size Cons: - Slower performance than specified PimpRig Rating: (9.5 Pimp hats)