what's the difference between Asus 1608P3S and Pioneer 111 ?

[dodecahedron]

i'm contemplating getting a Pioneer 111.

the thing is that most of the ones sold around here are 111D not 111. also they come bulk.
it's actually easier for me, and just as cheap (a little cheaper!) to buy the Asus DRW-1609P3S, and that comes in a retail box.

i know the Asus DRW-1608P3S is based on the Pioneer DVR-111. but is it just a rebadge or are there hardware differences as well?
in the past, some Asus drives that were rebadges still had some Asus techs, like FlextraLink, FlextraSpeed and DDSS II.
now i checked Ian's review, the 1608P3S has them too.

the question that is bothering me:
if there are some hardware differences, does it effect how the drive will behave if i flash it with Pioneer firmwares?
will it be just as good as a real Pioneer, or might these differences have some negative consequences ?

as far as retail vs. bulk, well according to Ian's review the Asus retail box comes with Nero (which i already have) and Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4 SE.
what is this Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4 SE like? is it any good? is it worth bothering getting the retail package just for this software ?


incidentally, what's a Pioneer 111L? same as 111 or 111D + LabelFlash ?


also, where on Pioneer's website is the 111?
i got there from some Israeli website, but can't find it again.
on www.pioneerelectronics.com i only find the 111D and the 710. can't find the 111. but i know it's somewhere there...

EDIT:
found it.
http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/product_ove ... y_id=45-73


TIA

[Wischmop]

AFAIK Asus manufacture their own drives, but the parts are from Pioneer.

[Ian]

i know the Asus DRW-1608P3S is based on the Pioneer DVR-111. but is it just a rebadge or are there hardware differences as well?
in the past, some Asus drives that were rebadges still had some Asus techs, like FlextraLink, FlextraSpeed and DDSS II.
now i checked Ian's review, the 1608P3S has them too.

Hardware-wise, I think the only difference is the bezel. As far as the technologies go, I think ASUS is just renaming the ones on the drive. For example, the generic bufferunderrun proof technology is now FlextraLink. To make a long story short, you shouldn't have any problems flashing it.

The DVR-111L supports Labelflash. I believe the DVR-111C (which I don't think was ever released) is the Lightscribe model.

[dodecahedron]

thanks.

what about that Ulead DVD MovieFactory 4 SE ?
is it worth the trouble ?

[Ian]

It's a fairly decent alternative to NeroVision but it is the SE version so it is pretty stripped down.

[Bhairav]

Dodeca, I picked up the 1608P3S, and I can confirm that it is easily flashed into the 111L. Use the 8.19 and 8.26L FWs from TDB, and flash in Safe Mode. Works just fine.

One issue - Asus drives are more expensive, at least in India. The Benq 1650 and LG H10A are 1600 rupees or so, which is ~33$ US, while the Asus was 2400 rupees, or 50$ US. Full retail packs.

Included SW sucks btw.

[dodecahedron]

thanks, Bhairav.
just to be sure, 111L = 111 + Labelflash, not 111D + Labelflash?
i mean it's also DVD-RAM, right?

[Bhairav]

thanks, Bhairav.
just to be sure, 111L = 111 + Labelflash, not 111D + Labelflash?
i mean it's also DVD-RAM, right?

Ya, 111L = 111 (DVD-RAM read/write @ 5X) + Labelflash.

[idoc]

I'm planning to get this drive too. Do the Pioneer firmwares (1.29 latest) offer any advantage over the original Asus ones (1.24 latest)? And what is the point of flashing it to Pio 111L when the drive itself does not have Lightscribe capability? Can you not flash it to Pio 111?

[Ian]

If I remember right, 1.29 just adds improved media support.

Flashing it to Pio 111L adds Labelflash, not Lightscribe. The hardware is the same on all the drives so you will be able to use this feature.

I believe there are firmware out there for a plain 111. Check tdb.rpc1.org.

[LoneWolf]

I just bought one of these for a system build for some family members. So far, I'm pretty impressed. Writing seems speedy with Verbatim CD-R and DVD-R media.