c't test results: 4x DVD+RW media

[MediumRare]

The newest issue of c't (no. 1/2004) contains a plethora of articles on DVD-burners and burning:
- survey of available burners with new tests of 5 drives
- DVD copiers (transcoding software) for Windows, MAC
- transcoding software for Linux
- semi-professional authoring programs
- packet-writing software for DVD drives
- 4x DVD+RW media
- technology of 2 layer DVD+R9 media
Anyone interested in DVD-burners who can get hold of this issue should do so! It goes on the newsstands on Mon. 29 Dec. in Germany (but subscribers get it earlier ) [/end unpaid plug].

I've added the test results for the drives to RJW's thread C't test results. burners. This post summarizes the results for the DVD+RW media. Results are based on scans with an Audiodev CATS-DVD-Pro analyser.

One peculiarity of the phase-change material used as information layer in DVD+RWs is that it requires a ca. 10 cycle "burn-in" phase until it attains its equilibrium properties. These then remain essentially unchanged for ca. 500 cycles until the layer starts to deteriorate. DVD+RW are initialized (once only) to the crystaline phase at the factory and hence have not attained this state when first burned at home. This burn-in phase poses problems for a drive if the optimal write strategy is only determined in the Power Calibration Area (PCA) at the start of the disk because this may not be representative for the whole disk.

c't devised a series of tests to see how drives cope with this:
- write a 400 MiB file
- erase and write 800 MiB
- ...
- erase and write 4 GiB
Thus the inner region is written 10 times, the outer part only once.

An earlier test with the Plextor PX-708A (Fw 1.01) showed severe problems with 4x DVD+RW media in the burn-in phase. Writing the complete disk in one go was fine, though. This time they tested all 3 types of 4x DVD+RW media currently available with 3 drives.

Media:

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Philips  DVD+RW 4x  (Philips)
Ricoh    DVD+RW 4x  (RicohJPN)
Verbatim DVD+RW 4x  (MKM A02.9) Mitsubishi Kagaku Media

Drives (Firmware):

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Plextor PX-708A (1.03)
Ricoh MP-5240A (1.11)
Lite-On LDW-811S (HS06)

Here are the maximum (not mean) values for "PI Sum 8 / PIF / POF":

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                Philips         Ricoh           Verbatim
Plextor         144 / 7 / 0     144 /   7 / 0    21 / 4 / 0
Ricoh            29 / 6 / 0     451 / 208 / 1    18 / 2 / 0
Lite-On          22 / 4 / 0      60 /   8 / 0    47 / 3 / 0

The DVD norm requires PI Sum 8 <= 280, PIF <=4 (+R(W)) and POF = 0.

Rating (scale of 5 from -- to ++) for this error rate and the HF-Signal (jitter and asymmetry)

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                Philips         Ricoh           Verbatim
Plextor           - / --          - / --         ++ / -
Ricoh             + / -          -- / 0          ++ / +
Lite-On          ++ / +           0 / --         ++ / -

The Verbatims seem to be the best and LiteOn does well with all media. Strangely, the Ricoh drive has problems with Ricoh media.

G

[RJW]

2 comments from my hand.

The Verbatims seem to be the best and LiteOn does well with all media. Strangely, the Ricoh drive has problems with Ricoh media

A
The standard says PIF=4 so any score higher as 4 is bad !
So the Lite On performs good on Philips and Verbatim media but not on Ricoh. Still it's performance on rewritable media is very good compared to the competition.

B
The problems with ricoh drives and ricoh media are not rare. In the begining with 2,4x DVD+R the ricoh drives had problems burning the ricoh media right according to the standards while the NEC and Sony burners just burned the media fine. So I have a feeling with ricoh that the left hand doesn't knows what the right hand is doing !


Thanks for updating the other thread. I will probally get the number a couple of days later as ussual.

[MediumRare]

The standard says PIF=4 so any score higher as 4 is bad !

You're right, of course. However, c't only drops their +-grade by 1 point if PIF>4, same as for PI Sum 8 > 50 (POF>0 results in --). Furthermore, keep in mind that this is the incremental rewriting during burning-in that they're testing. They mentioned in the article that a complete write/erase cycle will get rid of this problem.

I don't have a DVD burner myself, but based on the tests they've done, the DVD+RWs seem very attractive- more so than CD-RWs. They're apparently much more resistant to UV radiation than 1-times DVD+-R.

So I have a feeling with ricoh that the left hand doesn't knows what the right hand is doing !

LOL.

Thanks for updating the other thread. I will probally get the number a couple of days later as ussual.

It actually arrived on the 24th this time (expected it today). Have fun with it- interesting stuff (as usual).

G

[RJW]

No surprise for me that cd-rw/dvd-/+rw 's are much less sensitive for UV as the cd-r/dvd+/-R's.
single recordables consist of a dye layer which is sensitive for UV.
Rewritables phase change layer isn't sensitive for UV.

So does this mean we should use rewritables for archiving.
NO !
Rewritables are much more sensitive for temperature and humidity changes.

By normal storage(jewel case inside a cabinet) the ageing asspect of temperature and humidity is more of inffluence as UV.

[BMR]

So does this mean we should use rewritables for archiving.
NO !
Rewritables are much more sensitive for temperature and humidity changes.

I agree 100% !!!! I have consistently found that rewritable cd's are very unreliable and should only be used as a short term temporary storage medium to tranfer files, or keep relatively unimportant data on. I suspect that the same thing goes for +RW and -RW dvd's as well. I hear that -RAM disks are supposed to overcome this problem, but I would not trust them either. Stick to archiving important data onto +R's or -R's and make sure you make more than one copy when you are backing up, if the data is very important.

BMR

[faithfoo]

From the results

1) In terms of stability of less prone to errors,
am i right to say that Verbatim 4x DVD R + or - is the best media to use for both data and video ( as compared to RAM or DVD RW ) .

a) .ram would be ranked 2nd , and RW last choice ?

2) I never wrote any DVDs in my life ..should I now write in + or - .format ...

3)If I can afford DVD RAM , are there any known error issues in DVD RAM at 3x compared to DVD R 8X + or –

a) for DVD RAM , it would be panasonic

b) and DVD RW+. R - , it would be also verbatim ??

[faithfoo]

For LG 4082 drive

AM I right to say that the most stable media is ( DVD RW )

DVD RW + by verbatim ( as compared to DVD RW - ) ??

[Kennyshin]

For speed, use 4x DVD+RW media. For reliability, use 3x DVD-RAM media.

For both, use HDD.

[faithfoo]

Looks like DVD RAM produces less errors comaperd to DVD RW

Among DVD RW ,

Should I Go for DVD RW + or DVD RW - since i have some 1000 critical files that needs to be updated very frequently


the brand as well ( I do not have TY in my country )