Sony DRU-830A 18x DVD±RW/RAM

Model: Sony DRU-830A 18x DVD±RW/RAM
Manufacturer: Sony Electronics
Provided By: Sony America

When it comes to consumer electronics, there are few names as well known as Sony. For more than 50 years, this Japanese company has lead the way, producing innovative products for the audio, video and computer markets. Sony is no stranger to the optical storage industry either. From the development of the first compact disc standards to the introduction of the first dual format DVD writer, Sony has played a major role in much of the technology used today.

While one of the biggest promoters of the Blu-ray Disc format, Sony hasn't abandoned the DVD quite yet. This fall they announced their 12th generation DVD writer, the DRU-830A. Based loosely on the Samsung SH-S182D, the drive is capable of 18x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 8x DVD±R DL writing speeds and has a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. The DRU-830A can also read and write to DVD-RAM media at 12x, the fastest speed currently available. Of course, Sony's new drive can do more than read and write DVD's. The DRU-830A also includes features like 48x CD reading and writing speeds, 32x rewriting speeds, Power-Burn buffer underrun protection and an impressive software bundle from Nero.

With features and specs like this, the DRU-830A sounds like it has a lot of potential. To give you an idea of what to expect from Sony's new writer, we'll take a look at some of the drive's features and then see how it compares to some of the 16x and 18x DVD±RW drives from the competition. Does the DRU-830A 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 Sony DRU-830A.