Nero CD Speed v4.51 - DVD-ROM:

A little editorial note here. Like a CD-ROM, you will get different benchmark results depending on what kind of discs you are using. You are probably going to get varying results from a full data disc to a single layer movie disc. You're also going to get different results for single and dual layer discs.

The CD Speed website recommends using a single layer DVD-ROM disc with a capacity of at least 4GB. If you use a dual layer disc you probably won't get the best results because most DVD-ROM drives slow down to read them. Some even slow down to read single layer DVD-Video discs. To make a long story short, I am using a 4.37GB single layer, single sided disc for this test.

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

12.21x
6.75x
16.31x

12.31x
6.80x
16.46x

12.06x
6.63x
16.13x

12.11x
6.45x
16.20x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

96ms
113ms
184ms

103ms
120ms
187ms

102ms
113ms
189ms

115ms
135ms
213ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

13%
12%
22%
41%

6%
11%
22%
42%

5%
9%
17%
32%

9%
9%
20%
96%

The SH-S182D performed very well when reading single layer DVD-ROM's. In our tests it started reading at 6.75x and reached a maximum transfer speed of 16.31x.Looking at the other scores, you can see that the drive's seek times were also quite good.

Nero CD Speed v4.51 - DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM:

First, we'll look at the drive's DVD-R and DVD-RW reading performance. For this I made copies of our DVD-ROM test disc using some general use 4x DVD-R and 2x DVD-RW media from Verbatim and then ran our usual DVD read tests with CD Speed. For the DVD-RAM tests, media from Maxell was used. The results are below.


Verbatim DVD-R

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

9.14x
5.04x
12.21x

12.35x
6.83x
16.52x

9.05x
4.98x
12.10x

9.20x
5.04x
12.29x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

107ms
117ms
190ms

108ms
125ms
176ms

103ms
119ms
180ms

125ms
136ms
229ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

9%
13%
28%
52%

6%
11%
22%
42%

6%
11%
20%
39%

5%
8%
25%
n/a


Verbatim DVD-RW

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

6.24x
3.45x
8.35x

10.03x
5.55x
13.40x

9.06x
4.97x
12.11x

9.20x
5.05x
12.30x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

105ms
124ms
193ms

128ms
150ms
217ms

101ms
119ms
203ms

110ms
120ms
202ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

6%
13%
26%
47%

6%
11%
22%
57%

5%
9%
16%
31%

5%
9%
27%
n/a


Verbatim DVD-R DL

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

6.26x
3.48x
8.34x

9.27x
5.16x
12.36x

6.05x
3.35x
8.08x

6.05x
3.37x
8.06x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

115ms
117ms
195ms

132ms
156ms
220ms

109ms
121ms
219ms

124ms
130ms
221ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:

10%
12%
n/a

6%
12%
43%

4%
7%
n/a

6%
9%
n/a

The SH-S182D had no problems reading DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-R DL media. In our tests, the drive was able to read DVD-R discs at a respectable 12x, but slowed to about 8x when reading DVD-RW and DVD-R DL media.


Maxell 12x DVD-RAM

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

10.27x
5.99x
12.06x

10.26x
5.90x
12.07x

4.64x
2.99x
5.00x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

128ms
130ms
222ms

199ms
173ms
197ms

125ms
137ms
274ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

14%
12%
23%
44%

7%
12%
21%
n/a

6%
14%
25%
n/a

Samsung's new drive has a maximum transfer speed of 12x when reading DVD-RAM discs. By looking at the screenshot you can see that it starts reading at 5.99x and accelerates, reaching 12x at the 2.7GB mark.

Nero CD Speed v4.51 - DVD+R and DVD+RW:

Next we'll look at the drive's DVD+R and DVD+RW reading performance. For this I made a copy of our DVD-ROM test disc using some 4x DVD+R and 2.4x DVD+RW media from Verbatim. I then ran our usual DVD read tests with CD Speed. The results are below.


Verbatim DVD+R

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

9.12x
5.03x
12.20x

12.33x
6.80x
16.50x

9.04x
4.97x
12.11x

9.17x
5.09x
12.27x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

105ms
113ms
189ms

107ms
127ms
185ms

104ms
114ms
199ms

101ms
109ms
185ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

10%
13%
32%
52%

6%
12%
22%
42%

5%
9%
16%
31%

10%
7%
25%
n/a%


Verbatim DVD+RW

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

6.24x
3.45x
8.34x

10.03x
5.54x
13.39x

9.06x
4.98x
12.09x

9.22x
5.11x
12.33x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

104ms
119ms
194ms

128ms
149ms
215ms

104ms
113ms
199ms

106ms
122ms
195ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

6%
13%
28%
46%

6%
12%
22%
51%

5%
9%
17%
31%

8%
10%
29%
n/a

The SH-S182D's performance with DVD+R and DVD+RW media was very similar to what we saw with DVD-R and DVD-RW media.The drive read DVD+R discs at 12x and DVD+RW media at 8x.


Verbatim DVD+R DL

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

6.26x
3.48x
8.34x

9.27x
5.16x
12.38x

6.04x
3.34x
8.07x

6.05x
3.37x
8.07x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

119ms
129ms
202ms

130ms
151ms
218ms

104ms
115ms
193ms

111ms
124ms
187ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:

10%
12%
n/a

6%
11%
30%

4%
7%
n/a

6%
8%
n/a

Reading Verbatim's double layer DVD+R media wasn't a problem for the SH-S182D either. The drive started reading at 3.48x and reached a maximum transfer speed of 8.34x.

Nero CD Speed v4.51 - DVD-Video:

For these tests I am using the US version of Transformers: The Movie on DVD. The disc is over 4GB and single sided.

   Samsung
SH-S182D
LG
GSA-H10N
Plextor
PX-760A
Lite-On
SHM-165H6S
Transfer Speed
Average:
Start:
End:

12.08x
6.65x
16.15x

3.65x
2.02x
4.88x

12.06x
6.63x
16.13x

11.99x
6.62x
16.04x
Seek Times
Random:
1/3:
Full:

95ms
109ms
183ms

121ms
147ms
219ms

102ms
112ms
182ms

114ms
122ms
197ms
CPU Usage
1x:
2x:
4x:
8x:

12%
12%
21%
41%

6%
11%
21%
n/a

5%
9%
17%
33%

7%
10%
20%
97%

The SH-S182D didn't slow down very much when reading single layer DVD videos. It started out at about 6.65x and reached a maximum read speed of 16.15x. Samsung's new drive was also fairly quick when reading dual layer discs. By looking at the screenshot below, you can see that the drive's transfer speeds peaked at about 8.60x.

To see how well the SH-S182D worked as a DVD player, I watched a few scenes from Transformers: The Movie and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace using WinDVD 4 and PowerDVD 5. The drive had no problems playing back these movies with either program and was fairly quiet.