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Read
Speeds :::...
Rated
at 40v when reading CD-ROMs and CD-R, the DiViD made
it just past this to 40.71x with a healthy average
of 18.24x across the entire disk. Not bad considering
the disk wasn't quite full.
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CD
Read Speeds - Pressed Disk
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CD-R
speeds were similarly fast averaging 30.95x, though
there was a little more data on this one.
An
average of 7.23x reading a DVD+R disk that maxes out
at 8x anyway is pretty solid going by any standard,
helped considerably no doubt by the fact that it reaches
8x at just over the 2.7GB mark.
I
didn't actually bother performing a read test for
a pressed DVD-ROM simply because I didn't have any,
apart from films, that were even close to a half full
with data. I think it says a lot that companies are
distributing their software on DVD when in most cases
they could fit them several times over on a CD-ROM.
I'm guessing it's all about perceived value for money
here, get your software on a big ole' DVD and the
price tag suddenly seems less alarming. I won't name
names but I have a software title on DVD here that
weighs in at a shade over 10MB!!
Digital
Audio Extraction:::...
The
average DAE speed is okay if unspectacular at 17.14x
and I think it's fair to say there are faster drives
around for audio ripping. That said, we see 100% quality
and the ability to read CD Text and Subchannel Data
which is a bonus.
Heat:::...
It
was hard to quantify heat levels thanks to the casing
but it seems pretty much in line with other similar
drives. There are no vent holes in the enclosure so
Amacom clearly aren't concerned about operating temperatures.
Noise:::...
Probably
again due to the enclosure, noise levels were very
low. The rubber feet probably also helps isolate vibration
from any unbalanced disks but in most cases I was
unaware that the disk was spinning.
Summing
Up:::...
This
isn't one of those ultra-techy in-depth drive reviews
covering error correction and other such things, and
nor was it meant to be. Do a search for the Toshiba
SD-R5272 DVD±RW and you'll find all the accronym-packed
detail you need from sites who specialise in testing
these drives. My concerns are more to do with its
basic operation and value for money and ensuring that
all the basics like effective buffer underrun protection
are in place.
Conclusion
The
3DVelocity 'Dual Conclusions Concept' Explained: After
discussing this concept with users as well as companies
and vendors we work with, 3DVelocity have decided
that where necessary we shall aim to introduce our
'Dual Conclusions Concept' to sum up our thoughts
and impressions on the hardware we review. As the
needs of the more experienced users and enthusiasts
have increased, it has become more difficult to factor
in all the aspects that such a user would find important,
while also being fair to products that may lack these
high end "bonus" capabilities but which
still represent a very good buy for the more traditional
and more prevalent mainstream user. The two categories
we've used are:
The
Mainstream User ~ The mainstream user is likely
to put price, stock performance, value for money,
reliability and/or warranty terms ahead of the need
for hardware that operates beyond its design specifications.
The mainstream user may be a PC novice or may be an
experienced user, however their needs are clearly
very different to those of the enthusiast, in that
they want to buy products that operate efficiently
and reliably within their advertised parameters.
The
Enthusiast ~ The enthusiast cares about all
the things that the mainstream user cares about but
is more likely to accept a weakness in one or more
of these things in exchange for some measure of performance
or functionality beyond its design brief. For example,
a high priced motherboard may be tolerated in exchange
for unusually high levels of overclocking ability
or alternatively an unusually large heat sink with
a very poor fixing mechanism may be considered acceptable
if it offers significantly superior cooling in return.
The
Mainstream User ~
If
there's a need for portable storage of this caliber
then I wholeheartedly recommend the DiViD 8x. It's
stylish, built to last the rigors of daily life and
good at what
it does, leaving only its high price as a tick against
it. No, it's not horrendously expensive at £169
from Amacom
Direct but with internal drives at around £50-75
even the £200 of software supplied free doesn't
quite compensate for the difference in price.
All
told though a very accomplished DVD burner with great
features, a quality build and a
stylish design.
The
Enthusiast ~
A
nice, inexpensive nylon carry case and the ability
to have this thing stand up vertically is all it would
take to move this drive up to a whole new level.
The DiViD is a speedy and very
well rounded portable DVD burner that deserves a place
in your portable storage arsenal. The price is high
but so is the quality and only the lack of Mount Rainier
support and Toshiba's less than stellar record for
updating their firmware keep it from picking up an
award in this category.
If
you can look past these niggles it's hard to fault
the DiViD 8x, and though newer technology is on the
horizon, I'd imagine that will be the case for some
time to come.
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