Lite-On LH-20A1H 20x "Super AllWrite" DVD±RW/RAM

Model: Lite-On LH-20A1H 20x "Super AllWrite" DVD±RW/RAM
Manufacturer: Lite-On IT
Provided By: Lite-On IT USA

In 1995, Lite-On Technology gathered together a group of scientists and engineers from ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) to help jumpstart their optical storage research and manufacturing business. Lite-On quickly established themselves as Taiwan’s biggest CD-ROM drive manufacturer and by 1999 the business had spun off into a separate company, Lite-On IT. Since then, Lite-On IT has continued to grow. They've expanded into the consumer and automotive electronics markets and, by acquiring BenQ's optical drive business, they have become the world's second largest ODD manufacturer.

While next generation technologies like Blu-ray and HD DVD are slowly gaining ground, the DVD has a lot of life left in it. Companies like Lite-On continue to push the limits of the format, introducing drives with new features and faster DVD writing speeds. This winter, Lite-On introduced the world's first 20x DVD writers, the LH-20A1P and LH-20A1H. These two drives are capable of 20x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. They also feature many of the technologies we've come to expect from Lite-On, along with more advanced ones like SmartWrite. The LH-20A1H ups the ante even further with support for HP's LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling system.

We've had the LH-20A1H in the 'Labs for a few weeks now and have had the time to put it through its paces. To give you an idea of what to expect from Lite-On's new DVD writer, we'll take a look at its features and then see how it compares to some of the 18x DVD±RW drives from the competition. Does the LH-20A1H have what it takes? Is it the fastest DVD writer around? We'll answer these questions and more as we take a look at the Lite-On LH-20A1H.