In House Review - Sony DRU-530A Dual RW 8x DVD±RW

[Ian]

Today CDRLabs brings you a review of Sony's new 8x DVD±RW drive, the DRU-530A. This higly anticipated DVD writer is one of the first to offer 8x DVD+R writing speeds. It can also write to DVD-R and DVD+RW media at 4x and read DVD's at speeds as high as 12x. Sony has also set their drive apart from the competition by giving it some impressive CD reading and writing speeds. The DRU-530A can read and write at 40x and rewrite at a blazing 24x.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the DRU-530A and see how it compares to some of the DVD writers from the competition. Does Sony's new "Dual RW" drive have what it takes? Is it the fastest DVD writer around? You'll have to read the review to find out.

Sony DRU-530A Dual RW 8x DVD±RW

If you have any comments or questions about this review or the Sony DRU-530A, please post them in the forum using the link provided below.

[Ian]

Just a note.. Someone really needs to do more DVD writing quality testing with this drive when more 8x DVD+R media is available. Verbatim sent us a total of 3 8x DVD+R discs for our testing. Definitely not enough. I waited around a few weeks, hoping that media from other manufacturers would become available, but that wasn't the case.

[BMR]

Given the features and price of the other 8X drives, and the lack of certain abilities that the other drives already possess, I can see no compelling reason to buy this drive.

BMR

[MonteLDS]

Given the features and price of the other 8X drives, and the lack of certain abilities that the other drives already possess, I can see no compelling reason to buy this drive.

BMR

i would have to agree ever since the DRU500A came out their has really been no reason to go with Sony for a DVD burber, since their are now so many dual format DVD Burners.. One thing i think Sony did do was possibly save either -R/+R format. It was always expected one or the other might die in time. But it looks like we will be supporting 2 formats for DVDR for a while. When Dual Layer comes out i wonder if it will be dual format. Or if DVD-R won't even bother.. *shrug*

[Noua]

Is it me or this drive doesn't feel like it's gonna be sucefull?

[Ian]

I think it will do fine when 8x DVD+R media is available and affordable. Right now, most people are probably going to turn to a drive that can write to 4x media at 8x. It is kinda pricey too....

[Raz0rX]

This drive looks like it's not an original Sony drive, maybe an Accesstek OEM. I might be wrong though.

[Ian]

Yeah, I didn't say this in the review, but it is manufactured by OptoRite. In fact some people have flashed their drives with an OptoRite firmware. For whatever reason though, the Sony drive still won't support HD-Burn.

[BMR]

One thing i think Sony did do was possibly save either -R/+R format. It was always expected one or the other might die in time. But it looks like we will be supporting 2 formats for DVDR for a while. When Dual Layer comes out i wonder if it will be dual format. Or if DVD-R won't even bother.. *shrug*

A very interesting point that you have raised. If Sony had gone with a single format, others might not have followed with a dual format and there would have been a format war. One would have won out eventually and the other would have died. In the long run this would probably be a benefit to the consumer ( make things easier ). Ironic if you think about it, as Sony was the last company to lose a major format war with BETA vs VHS.

BMR

[MonteLDS]

Ironic if you think about it, as Sony was the last company to lose a major format war with BETA vs VHS.

BMR

stupid porn. If it wasn't for porn we would always had HQ video (BETA > VHS). I still can't believe it that VHS won. But then again recall DIVX vs DVD. lol what a joke

[hoxlund]

well the drive performed better than i had expected

was an owner of the dru-510a, good drive, just too media picky

im lovin my NEC ND-2500A, gonna really love when more 4 dvd-r media burns at 8x on my drive

[dodecahedron]

Ironic if you think about it, as Sony was the last company to lose a major format war with BETA vs VHS.

well, they haven't done too well with the MiniDisc and MemoryStick either.

[dodecahedron]

If Sony had gone with a single format, others might not have followed with a dual format and there would have been a format war. One would have won out eventually and the other would have died. In the long run this would probably be a benefit to the consumer ( make things easier ).

maybe make things easier but not necessarily better for the consumer.
with the war going on, the competition between manufacturers lowers the prices. better for us.
and for the average Joe, who has a dual-format drive, he uses whichever media he gets cheapest at BestBuy and all of it works on his drive so he doesn't care.

[RJW]

Verbatim 8x DVD+R media is allready for sale.
Most german online stores have it and the code is MCC003.

Allready some store claim to have the ritek R03 media.
http://www.dvdrohlinge24.com/catalog/pr ... dc026417d6
(Still Ritek doesn't seem to be approved by Philips at this point !)

[Ian]

Still no Verb 8x or Ritek R03 here in the US.

[Dartman]

Unless Sony does something really great with the dual layer I will not buy another Sony again. It was great when I first got it but shortly it became appearant that it wouldn't write most common minus media at 4x. Sony's answer seems to be buy top quality media rather then trying to add better support for popular cheap media that other drives are fine with. And the fact that some will write the media at full speed and most wont.
At least the 500 has almost never made a coaster, it just wont write at the rated speed of many minus disks.
I don't like the fact that they have disabled features the original drive has either, then they make you pay a premium for it.

[Han]

Khm.. Ian, since when does Sony motherbords for desktop PCs?

Motherboard: Sony AK77-333 with BIOS R1.16

[Ian]

Khm.. Ian, since when does Sony motherbords for desktop PCs?

Motherboard: Sony AK77-333 with BIOS R1.16

What? You didn't see the press release? J/K.. its fixed.

[Ian]

Review has been updated to include some DVD writing tests with the 2.0a firmware.

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.ph ... nce#Update

As you can see, Sony still needs to do some tweaking. While the drive is faster, the writing quality still isn't as good as I would like with Verbatim's 8x DVD+R media. However it is very good with 8x DVD-R and 4x DVD-RW media.

[VEFF]

Just bought one of these today, unexpectedly, for an incredible price; I am going to decide whether to keep it or sell it and wait a while for a very hot 16X deal.
I already have the 3500A for the time being anyway.

It wouldn't be bad as a nice backup burner, so I don't have to go to the other PC every time I want to burn a DVD.

[hoxlund]

for $8.50, no it was a very nice price

[VEFF]

for $8.50, no it was a very nice price

Yes, I got the LAST one in the store I went to.
I made sure to leave work on time tonight after checking stock for a local store with an online rep. He said I should check actual stock with the store, and gave their phone number, since the quantity he was showing was very limited...
No kidding; it was ONE drive, by the time I got there that is.

I didn't call the store, for fear they would notice the price and keep it for themselves.
I just drove there and was pleasantly surprised to see they had one left, especially since the deal was a day old and I know there is no shortage of fellow deal site members in the area.

I accidentally grabbed the 540A first and started to look at it, before noticing and picking up the 530A right next to it.
Luckily neither of the other two people in the aisle was there for the deal.

[hoxlund]

was the price marked on the drive $8.50 after rebate?

for me I always change the signs in my department so I catch everything like this, and never even put the sign out

i just yank every single one of the items and hide them in lockup then post the stuff on ebay

[VEFF]

was the price marked on the drive $8.50 after rebate?

for me I always change the signs in my department so I catch everything like this, and never even put the sign out

i just yank every single one of the items and hide them in lockup then post the stuff on ebay

I don't think it was marked at all, in the sense that it was next to a 540A and I believe there was only one tag, which was for the 540A; I didn't really look at the tag too closely though in terms of model number...
I am pretty sure the tag that I saw didn't say $8.50 AR though, otherwise I doubt it would still be there.
I was more concerned about trying to get a brand new one; this one looks like it might have been a return, although I haven't opened the box yet.
Regardless it was a great deal for $8.50; the only thing that could have made it better would have been if it were an 'Easy Rebates' item'; they are so convenient, easy to submit and foolproof, in that if you do everything properly (i.e. choose the right offer number and enter the right Easy Rebate ID):
1) they can't claim they didn't receive the submission
2) they can't claim they didn't get the UPC or the UPC is incorrect
3) they can't get your info (mailing address) wrong, since it is all electronic