Lite-On iHAS422 22x "Super AllWrite" DVD±RW/RAM

Over the last few years, we've taken a look at a number of Lite-On's DVD writers. While a number of these drives impressed us, others didn't perform nearly as well as we would have liked. Fortunately for Lite-On, the iHAS422 falls into the first category rather than the latter. Affordably priced, the drive offers a long list of features, including Lite-On's new SmartErase technology, as well as some of the fastest DVD reading and writing speeds available.

The iHAS422 performed pretty well when writing to DVD+R and DVD-R media at 22x. At this speed, it took the drive less than five minutes to burn an entire 4.7GB DVD. This level of performance carried over to our rewriting tests where the drive turned in some respectable times with DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM media. Writing to DVD±R DL media wasn't a problem for the iHAS422 either. However, it lagged behind the other drives it our tests, taking more than 16 minutes to write 8GB of data.

When it came to media compatibility, the iHAS422 gave us some mixed results. While the drive wrote to most of our test media at its rated speed or better, only two types worked at 22x. Then again, you can enable the drive's OverSpeed function and write to more media at this speed. The iHAS422's writing quality was also fairly good with most of the DVD±R media I tried. However, with some DVD±R DL discs, the PI/PIF rates were higher than we'd like to see. Hopefully, Lite-On can address this in a future firmware update.

Lite-On's new drive did very well in our DVD read tests. It was able to read single layer DVD-ROM's and DVD-Videos at 16x and had some very good seek times. The iHAS422 also reached some pretty impressive transfer speeds with other types of DVD media. In our tests, it read DVD±R discs at 16x and DVD±RW, DVD±R DL and DVD-RAM media at a respectable 12x.

The iHAS422 was also fairly quick when reading CD's. In our tests, the drive read pressed and CD-R media at speeds as high as 48x and CD-RW discs at 39x. On top of that, it was able to rip audio CD's at an impressive 47x. When it came to writing CD's, the iHAS422 performed as expected. The drive had no problems holding its own when writing to CD-R media. However, its Z-CLV writing method put it at a slight disadvantage in our rewriting tests.

When it comes to features, the iHAS422 definitely delivers. Along with old favorites like SMART-BURN and SMART-X, it supports a number of Lite-On's more advanced technologies including SmartWrite, SmartErase and OverSpeed. The drive also has a good number of writing and rewriting speeds to choose from and has the ability to set the book type of DVD+R/RW and DVD+R DL media. Last but not least, the iHAS422 features HP's LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling system. An alternative to markers and stick-on labels, LightScribe lets you burn graphics and text onto the tops of specially coated discs.

In the end, it usually comes down to price. For what it offers, Lite-On's new drive is surprisingly affordable. Current prices vary depending on the seller, but the retail version of the iHAS422 can be picked up for less than $40 on Pricegrabber.

Highs:

• Writes to DVD-R and DVD+R media at 22x
• Writes to DVD+RW media at 8x
• Writes to DVD-RW media at 6x
• Writes to DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media at 8x
• Reads and writes DVD-RAM media at 12x
• Reads single layer DVD-ROM's at 16x
• Reads DVD±R media at 16x
• Reads DVD±RW and DVD±R DL media at 12x
• Features 48x CD-R and 32x CD-RW writing speeds
• Good selection of writing and rewriting speeds
• Low seek times
• Supports SmartWrite, SmartErase and OverSpeed technologies
• Good selection of writing and rewriting speeds
• Supports bitsetting for DVD+R/RW and DVD+R DL media
• Includes software from Nero
• Supports 99 minute CD-R media
• Serial ATA interface
• Supports LightScribe technology
• Includes both black and beige bezels
• Affordably priced

Lows:

• High media requirements when writing at 22x
• Questionable writing quality with some DVD±R DL media
• Slower than other drives when writing to CD-RW media