Plextor PX-708A vs Memorex dual-X - Writing quality.

by **OC-Freak** on Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:49 am

Both drives have had 2 firmware upgrades since released.

The war is between these two drives:

Memorex dual-X fw 1.07
Plextor PX-708A fw 1.02

All discs is scanned at 2X CLV with an LTC-48161H combo drive. ECC sum set to 1.

First disc type:

Arita 4X DVD+R

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID RICOHJPNR01 Format Capacity 4.37GB(4.69GB) Free Blocks 0 Book Type DVD+R Media Type DVD+R Media Id Code Speed 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 8.0x 11080KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.4x 3324KBps Data area starting sector 30000h Data area end sector 22F90Fh Linear Density 0.267um/bit Track Density 0.74um/track Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 08 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 25 F9 0F .............%.. 00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 52 49 43 4F 48 4A 50 4E 52 .......RICOHJPNR 00000020 30 31 02 38 23 54 37 09 00 3C 67 00 AC 62 16 18 01.8#T7..<g..b.. 00000030 0B 0B 0A 0B 01 19 1B 0B 0B 0E 0F 01 00 00 00 00 ................

Plextor at 8X:

Plextor at 4X:

Memorex at 4X:

Ritek 4X DVD+R

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID RICOHJPNR01 Format Capacity 4.37GB(4.69GB) Free Blocks 0 Book Type DVD+R Media Type DVD+R Media Id Code Speed 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 8.0x 11080KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.4x 3324KBps Data area starting sector 30000h Data area end sector 22F90Fh Linear Density 0.267um/bit Track Density 0.74um/track Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 08 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 25 F9 0F .............%.. 00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 52 49 43 4F 48 4A 50 4E 52 .......RICOHJPNR 00000020 30 31 02 38 23 54 37 09 00 3C 67 00 AC 62 16 18 01.8#T7..<g..b.. 00000030 0B 0B 0A 0B 01 19 1B 0B 0B 0E 0F 01 00 00 00 00 ................

Plextor at 8X:

Plextor at 4X:

Memorex at 4X:

Verbatim Datalifeplus 4X DVD+R:

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID YUDEN000T01 Format Capacity Blank Free Blocks 405405696 Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.70GB) Book Type DVD+R Media Type DVD+R Media Id Code Speed 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 8.0x 11080KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.4x 3324KBps Linear Density Blank Disc Track Density Unknown Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 01 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 26 05 3F .............&.? 00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 59 55 44 45 4E 30 30 30 54 .......YUDEN000T 00000020 30 31 00 38 23 54 37 10 02 4E 72 02 9C 63 16 16 01.8#T7..Nr..c.. 00000030 0B 0B 0A 0A 01 19 1B 0B 0B 0E 0F 01 00 00 00 00 ................

All the new batches of verbatim discs is made by TY here in Norway. Notice: speed drops to 4X at the end while writing at 8X.

Plextor at 8X:

Plextor at 4X:

Memorex at 4X:

Verbatim Datalifeplus 4X DVD+R

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID MCC 002 Format Capacity Blank Free Blocks 405405696 Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.70GB) Book Type DVD+R Media Type DVD+R Media Id Code Speed 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 8.0x 11080KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.4x 3324KBps Linear Density Blank Disc Track Density Unknown Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 01 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 26 05 3F .............&.? 00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 4D 43 43 00 00 00 00 00 30 .......MCC.....0 00000020 30 32 00 38 23 54 37 13 02 4A 71 02 90 66 16 16 02.8#T7..Jq..f.. 00000030 0B 0B 0A 0A 01 1C 1E 0B 0C 12 12 01 00 00 00 00 ................

These was found in a store which had old stock.....not TY yet

Plextor at 8X:

Plextor at 4X:

Memorex at 4X:

Dysan DVD+R 2.4X

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID CMC MAG R01 Format Capacity Not Formatted Free Blocks 405405696 Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.70GB) Book Type DVD+R Media Type DVD+R Media Id Code Speed 2.4x 3324KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.4x 3324KBps Data area starting sector 30000h Linear Density 0.267um/bit Track Density 0.74um/track Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 08 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 26 05 3F .............&.? 00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 43 4D 43 20 4D 41 47 00 52 .......CMC MAG.R 00000020 30 31 00 38 23 54 37 0A 02 78 6E 02 C8 63 16 16 01.8#T7..xn..c.. 00000030 0B 0B 0A 0A 01 1C 1E 0B 0C 12 12 01 00 00 00 00 ................

Plextor at 2.4X:

Memorex at 2.4X:

Princo 4X DVD-R:

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID PRINCO Format Capacity 4.37GB(4.69GB) Free Blocks 0 Book Type DVD-R Media Type DVD-R Media Id Code Speed 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.0x 2770KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 1.0x 1385KBps Write Strategy Speed 4.0x 5540KBps 2x Speed OPC beta 0B 2x Speed OPC power 0F 2x Write Strategy field 1 11 86 67 80 2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00 4x Speed OPC beta 01 4x Speed OPC power 1B 4x Write Strategy field 1 0F 15 0C 08 4x Write Strategy field 2 42 08 0E 0B 4x Write Strategy field 3 00 00 00 00 4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 00 4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 08 4x Write Strategy field 4 00 00 10 01 4x Write Strategy field 5 1D 00 00 00 1E 04 4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 00 00 1F Data area starting sector 30000h Data area end sector 22F90Fh Linear Density 0.267um/bit Track Density 0.74um/track Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 00 6C 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 F7 0E 0B .l...@....R..... 00000010 77 88 70 00 03 50 52 49 4E 43 4F 00 04 00 00 00 w.p..PRINCO..... 00000020 00 00 00 00 05 AA A2 22 22 20 01 00 06 0B 0F 11 ......."" ......

Plextor at 4X:

Memorex at 4X:

Dysan 4X DVD-R

Code: Select all: Media Information Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO Media code/Manufacturer ID CMCMAG.AF1 Format Capacity Not Formatted Free Blocks 412352512 Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.71GB) Book Type DVD-R Media Type DVD-R Media Id Code Speed Unknown Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.0x 2770KBps Available Write Descriptor CLV 1.0x 1385KBps Write Strategy Speed 4.0x 5540KBps 2x Speed OPC beta 0B 2x Speed OPC power 10 2x Write Strategy field 1 11 87 78 80 2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00 4x Speed OPC beta 06 4x Speed OPC power 17 4x Write Strategy field 1 0D 0F 0B 0B 4x Write Strategy field 2 98 08 0F 0B 4x Write Strategy field 3 00 00 00 00 4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 06 4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 1C 4x Write Strategy field 4 13 A8 88 65 4x Write Strategy field 5 98 9A 88 80 00 00 4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 D0 00 00 Data area starting sector 30000h Linear Density 0.267um/bit Track Density 0.74um/track Number of Layers 1

Full media code:

Code: Select all: 00000000 00 6C 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 87 0E 15 .l...@....R..... 00000010 98 9A 90 00 03 43 4D 43 20 4D 41 00 04 47 2E 20 .....CMC MA..G. 00000020 41 46 31 00 05 CC C0 00 00 00 01 00 06 0B 10 11 AF1.............

Plextor at 4X:

Memorex at 4X:

Well there it is, both + and - scans, wanted to include ritek G04 4X DVD-R discs as well but the plextor fails at writing these.

According to these scans writing at 8X with RICOHJPNR01 media is not that bad, but TY media is worse. This is cat and dog and the race is very close!!!

Comments/suggestions welcomed.

by **Bhairav** on Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:11 am

Nice stuff, as usual,OC. Thanks for taking the time to do the scans. In your opinion, which writer would be better for cheaper no-name media? I'm thinking of getting a DVD burner, but unfortunately here in India, cheap media is the order of the day.

by **OC-Freak** on Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:27 am

Want to write cheap DVD-R/RW? DEFINITIVELY the pioneer/memorex as the plex supports very few DVD-R/RW discs( but is good enough at those it supports). But if you are going for the + format discs both should do good.

by **aviationwiz** on Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:30 am

Nice editorial. From what I saw, it pretty much looks that the differences are media prefrences, hopefully Plextor will be able to fix up more in a future firmware upgrade. Keep in mind that Pioneer has had more time to fix everything up.

by **OC-Freak** on Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:22 am

Yes and the pioneer was way more perfect at the shipping time as well.

by **Bhairav** on Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:54 pm

Thanks for the reply, OC-Freak.

by **VEFF** on Sat Oct 11, 2003 12:16 am

Well done OC-Freak!

I had posted a reply this morning, but it got lost.
It wasn't anything that important anyway

Plextor PX-708A vs Memorex dual-X - Writing quality.

Plextor PX-708A vs Memorex dual-X - Writing quality.

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