Writing methods

Weight Dimensions
The drive uses the well known RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times. Below are the drive's main specs as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:
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- The drive / Retail Package
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We received the LG GSA-4120B retail package, as well as the bulk version of the drive. The retail package includes the internal SuperMulti GSA-4160B writer, and recording, DVD authoring and DVD playback software (Nero, InCD, PowerProducer Gold and PowerDVD player). You will also find an owner's manual and manual for Nero recording software, as well as an audio cable, mounting screws and atapi cable.
The front panel is not particularly impressive, since LG used the same typical panel available on most LG recorders. You can see the "Super Multi", "DVD+RW", "USRW" and "DVD Multi Recorder" logos. However, there is no DVD+R DL format logo.
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On the rear panel you will find the analogue and digital audio outputs (SPDIF), the IDE selection pins, the IDE connector and the power input.
Opening the device's case will void the warranty, so we advise against it. Instead, use the photos in this review for a closer look under the hood. Clicking on the image below will reveal a high resolution image.
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The main chipset is the same chipset that the GSA-4120B model uses, coming from TDK and and with part number R8J32005FP.
The following picture shows the laser lens assembly of the LG GSA-4160B. By clicking on the picture, you can see a higher resolution image.
This laser len is identical to that of the LG GSA-4120B. - Installation The device was connected in our test PC and was identified as "HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4160B" under WinXP.

Remember that the LG drive supports up to 40X CD media reading speed, while the other drives support up to 48X reading speed. This explains the speed differences shown in the graphs above. However, with Ultra Speed Re-Writable media, the LG model was the fastest of all. - DVD Format
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Although speed differences are not significant, the LG drive performed extremely well, managing to be the fastest.
The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially with the drive starting reading from the inner part of the disc, which is the beginning of each layer, progressing towards the outer range for each layer. The Pioneer DVR108 was the fastest drive. The GSA-4160B supports up to 8X reading speed for this media type, and performed better than the NEC and LiteON drives.
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The graph shown above indicates the reading performance of the LG GSA4160B with OTP dual layer media. The first layer of an OTP dual layer DVDROM is read exactly the same way as the first layer of the PTP disc we tested previously. The difference here is the reading strategy of the second layer of the disc. The beginning of the second layer is located in the outer part of the disc, so the drive starts reading from the outer tracks towards the inner part of the disc. Almost the same behavior as before, with the Pioneer model being the fastest reader with this media type.
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The reading speed could be further improved here. While not as slow as the LiteON drive which was the slowest, the LG GSA-4160B was not that much faster.
The LG drive performed well with a ripping speed of 9094Kb/s, with only the LiteON drive being faster and not by much. - DVD-RAM The LG GSA-4160B can read DVD-RAM depending on the version of the inserted media. For example it reads 3X DVD-RAM (v2.1) media at 3X CLV, while 5X DVD-RAM (v2.2) at 3~5 P-CAV, as the following Nero CD Speed graphs showing:

ABEX TDR-825

This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of 4.7GB capacity. The data structure of the disc is exactly the same as that of the TDR-821, with the difference that there are no scratches on it but instead defective areas of dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm.
There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and 75 micrometers.
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Same behavior with this test disc. No errors were reported and the drive kept showing excellent DVD error correction capabilities. - Dual Layer media

ABEX TDR-841

This is an 8.5GB dual layer, single sided DVD-ROM disc with artificial scratches of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0mm, on both layers.
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Again, no problem at all for the GSA-4160B. The disc was read as if there were no scratches at all.

ABEX TDR-845

The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc with a capacity of 8.5GB. The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the first includes defective areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defective areas range from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized from 65 to 75 micrometers.
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Fantastic performance by LG. The GSA-4120B is known to be an excellent reader, and as you can see above, the new GSA-4160B carries on this reputation.

ABEX TDV-541

The TDV-541 is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc, with a capacity of 8.5GB.The disc is based upon the TDV-540 series which is designed for inspection and adjustment of DVD-VIDEO players. The disc checks the layer switch operation from layer 0 to layer 1 and also includes test pictures and test signals for DVD sound files.
The current TDV-541 also checks the error correcting capabilities of the drive and includes scratches from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
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The drive automatically reduced its reading speed to read the scratched area on the media. However, no errors were reported and the reading process was completed successfully.

ABEX TDV-545

The TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV-540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc with a capacity of 8.5GB.
The TDV-545 includes artificial black dots on the disc's surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75 micrometer thickness, fingerprints.

q q q q q

Fifa 2004 - Safe Disc v3.1x The Sims Superstar - Safe Disc v2.9x The Sims Unleashed - Safe Disc v2.8x Serious Sam Second Encounter - Safe Disc v2.51.021 Max Payne - Safe Disc v2.51.020
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Sims Superstar SD v2.9 Sims Unleashed SD v2.8 EFM ON Serious SamSecond Encounter SD v2.51.051 EFM OFF EFM ON

Fifa 2004 SD v3.1

Max Payne SD v2.51.020 EFM OFF EFM ON
EFM EFM EFM EFM EFM OFF ON OFF ON OFF Toshiba SDM1502 Creative CD5233E LG GSA4160B No
The LG GSA-4160B can backup accurately only up to SD v2.8, while it fails to backup SD2.9 and the newest 3.1 without EFM correction on.
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6. DAE Tests

DAE Tests
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 6
DAE Tests - Pressed and CDR AudioCD results The drive supports up to 40X CAV DAE speed. The following results were reported when using Exact Audio Copy.
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The LG GSA-4160B came in second for both Pressed and CD-R media, with the LiteON drive being the fastest of all. It should be noted that the LG GSA4160B's performance is similar to that of the GSA-4120B model. As EAC reports, the drive can report C2 errors, but caching is not supported.

- Advanced DAE Quality

All tested drives received a perfect quality score of 100. The LG drive can read Leadin data but not Leadout, and can read CD Text and Subchannel data. The reported average speed was 29.02X.
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- Ripping 90mins AudioCDs
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10. Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
Writing Quality Tests - C1 / C2 Error Measurements
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 10
We measured the C1 / C2 error rate on the recorded discs we burned at the various supported writing speeds. The software we used was PleXTools Professional, and in particular the built-in Q-Check utility. The reader was the Plextor PX-712A (firmware v1.05). MMore 80min 52X @ 40X
LiteOn SOHW-832S LiteOn SOHW-1213S TDK 1616N Recommended Links Octave CD DVD Duplicators Primera DVD / CD Duplicators
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Maxell 80min 48X @ 40X

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Taiyo Yuden 80min 52X @ 40X
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TraxData 80min 52X @ 40X

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BenQ 80min 52X @ 40X

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Waitec 80min 52X @ 40X

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- Summary CD writing quality varies, since the drive performed well with some media and very badly with other. Traxdata media reported C2 and CU errors, making the disc virtually unreadable. - Appendix
Media Label MMore 52X Maxell 48X TY 80min 48X ID Code 97m22s67f 97m15s17f 97m24s 1f Manufacturer Name Moser Baer India Ritek Co. Taiyo Yuden Lead Out TIme 79m59s74f 79m59s70f 79m59s72f

With DVD re-writable media, the fastest burner was the LiteON, while LG gets third place with both DVD+RW and DVD-RW media. - DVD Overburning Tests Using Nero CD-DVD Speed, we tested to see if the drive can overburn using DVD+R and DVD-R media. Unfortunately, the drive does not support overburning, giving the following error with all inserted media.

DVD-R media

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- DVD+MRW Tests The drive doesn't support the Mount Rainier feature.
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Tuesday, December 07, 2004 Search Breaking News Interact-TV Ships 1.2 Terabyte Home Entertainment Server Nero Digital Supported DVD Player Now Available Gigabyte/VIA demonstrates dual video card technology WPC Expo 2004: DVD +RW Alliance demonstrates 8x DVD +R DL recording M-Systems, Memorex to jointly market USB flash drives Freecom extends AIT line-up with new Sony tape formats Nvidia and Sony to jointly develop GPU for PS3 Samsung show off hard-drive based mobile
12. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 12
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 1 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:
The LiteON SOHD-167T with patched firmware being able to read DVD5 up to 16X CAV and DVD9 up to 10X CAV. For the transfer rate tests we used the latest Nero CDSpeed version. The Plextor PX-712A with the latest available firmware. For scanning the disc, we used the latest PlexTools version at 2X CLV reading speed, BURST mode, with middle accuracy.
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve, very low PIE/ POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth containing dropoffs. Due to the fact that we oversped the reading capabilities of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer area of
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the disc. The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.

8X DVD-R Writing Speed

CMC 8X DVD-R @ 8X
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DataWrite 8X DVD-R @ 8X

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Intenso 8X DVD-R @ 8X

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MMore 8X DVD-R @ 8X

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TDK 8X DVD-R @ 8X

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TY 8X DVD-R @ 8X

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- Summary Very good recording performance from the drive at 8X. All quality scans reported PI values far below the 280 limit. However, worst performance came with MMore media, but "worst" does not mean "bad performance".
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13. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 13
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 2 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:
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the disc. The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level

4X DVD-R Writing Speed

3A 8X DVD-R @ 4X
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Traxdata 8X DVD-R @ 4X

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CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 4 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:
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12X DVD+R Writing Speed

Ricoh 8X DVD+R @ 12X
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TDK 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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TY 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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Verbatim 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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- Summary Again, excellent performance, this time at 12X writing speed. Very low PI/PO error levels for all media.
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16. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 5
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 16
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 5 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:
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8X DVD+R Writing Speed

CMC Magnetics 8X DVD+R @ 8X
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Intenso 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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Philips 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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Traxdata 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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- Summary As speed is reduced at 8X, we expect to see better quality results. Most media performed well, except for some small exceptions, as in the case of Traxdata and Philips 8X media. Especially with Traxdata 8X media, which exceeded the 280 limit, but fortunately the disc was still readable.
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17. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 6
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 6
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 17
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 6 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:
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4X DVD+R Writing Speed

3A 8X DVD+R @ 4X
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Verbatim 4X DVD+R @ 4X

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- Summary The recording quality with most 4X +R media was very good. It should be noted, however, that some 4X -RW media (Traxdata -RW media for example) could only be recorded at 2X.
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19. DVD+R DL - Page 1

DVD+R DL - Page 1
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 19
- Writing Tests The LG GSA-4160B model supports Double Layer media. It can record this type of media at 2.4X. We burned several Verbatim DVD+R DL and Traxdata DVD+R DL discs with DVD-Video content. The source disc was "Gladiator Movie - Special Edition" Disc1 with a total size of 6.86GB. First, we transferred the movie to the hard disc with DVD Decrypter in ISO format (single file). We used the latest version of CopyToDVD software to burn the image file to the Traxdata Double Layer media. We chose the "GLADIATOR.ISO" image and we selected the LG burner to start burning.
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Data Direct, Inc. DVD / CD Copiers EDI DVD / CD Duplicators DVD CD Duplication Copiers MF Digital CD DVD Duplicator ProAction Media
The recorder needed sometime to initialize the inserted media and the recording process started after 21 seconds. Total burning time reported by CopyToDVD was 37:59mins with 2.32X average writing speed. The recorded disc was in DVD+R9 booktype.
CDR & DVD R CDROM2GO.COM Microboards Disc Copiers/Printers
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We then repeated the same procedure with Verbatim Double Layer media. CopyToDVD reported 38:00mins total burning time with 2.32X average writing speed. Again, the recorded disc was in DVD+R9 booktype.
For comparison reasons, we post some burning results from other DL writers, which all burned the same content ("Gladiator Movie - Special Edition" disc1), using the CopyToDVD software:
Drive NEC 2510A (2.4X) BenQ DW1600A DL (2.4X) BenQ DW830A (2.4X) LiteON SOHW-832S DVD+R DL BookType LiteON SOHW-832S DVD-ROM BookType Time (mins) 37:17 40:16 39:14 38:33 38:36
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SONY DRU-700A (2.4X) LG GSA-4120B (2.4X) ASUS DRW-1604P (4X) ASUS DRW-1604P (2.4X) Pioneer DVR-108A (4X) Pioneer DVR-108A (2.4X) NEC ND-3500A (4X) TDK 1616N (4X) LG GSA-4160B (2.4X) BenQ DW1620A (2.4X)

Microboards Disc Copiers/Printers
Another advantage of this drive that cannot be found easily in other recorders is the ability to read and write DVD-RAM media at 5X max. The drive automatically verifies all written data, (a function that will reduce the effective writing speed), offering the highest reliability among DVD re-writable media with 100,000 re-write times and superior defect management.
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The price of this drive is considerably low, making it a very attractive purchase for users aiming at DVD reading performance and writing quality. It received our "Editor's Choice" award, since it sets new standards for 16X +R DVD writing quality.

- The Good

q q q q q q q q q q q
Excellent DVD error correction Supports all DVD recordable/re-writable formats Write/verify function for DVD-RAM media to improve reliability Excellent DVD writing quality with most media, even at 16X speed Good CSS DVD-Video ripping speed Very quiet operation either when reading or writing Can overburn up to 95mins Supports CD-Text (reading/writing) Can backup accurately up to v2.8x SD2 protected titles Can backup Audio protected discs Good price compared with competition

- The Bad

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Doesn't support DVD-ROM booktype for DVD+R/+RW/+R DL formats Reduced writing speed for DVD-RAM media (because of its write/verify function) Doesn't support overburning for DVDR formats Medium CD error correction Doesn't support Mount Rainier Cannot be used to measure CD/DVD media
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- Like To be fixed

High C1/C2 errors with specific media Booktype setting support Option to enable/disable "write and verify" function for DVD-RAM media Wider media support list for 16X +R media
Retail Package Reading Error Correction Protected Discs Writing Features
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22. BookType Setting

DVD-RAM Tests
LG GSA-4160B DL Recorder - Page 22
We used several software applications to investigate booktype setting support for this recorder. Unfortunately, the LG GSA-4160B does not officially support booktype changes. However, we hope to see bitsetting support as new firmware releases will start shipping in from LG. Remember that originally, the GSA4120B model did not support booktype changes, but a new official firmware version was released to solve this problem. The following snapshots indicate the error messages that were reported from several applications regarding booktype setting.

DVD Decrypter 3.5.1.0

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DVDInfo Pro 3.16

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Appeared on: Wednesday, February 02, 2005

LG GSA-4163B

1. Introduction
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 1
LG Electronics, formerly known as GoldStar, was established in 1958 as the pioneer in the Korean consumer electronics market. Since then, a lot has changed in LG Electronics. In November 2000, Hitachi and LG formed a new joint venture to manufacture optical storage drives under the name "HL-DS". These recorders are well tuned and with unique features.
After the successful GSA-4160B model, LG releases its latest DVD burner, the GSA-4163B. Below are the full specs for the drive:
Compatible Formats Write DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R, CD-RW DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM Mode 1,2, CDDA, CD-I FMV, CD-ROM XA, Mixed CD, CD Extra, CD-Text, Video CD, Photo CD

Read Write/Read Speed

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Write Speed

DVD+R 2.4X, 4X, 8X, 12X, 16X DVD+RW 2.4X, 4X, 8X DVD+R DL 2.4X, 4X DVD-R 2X, 4X, 8X, 16X DVD-RW 1X, 2X, 4X, 6X DVD-RAM 2X, 3X, 5X(Ver.2.2) CD-R 4X, 8X, 16X, 24X, 32X, 40X CD-RW 4X, 10X, 16X, 24X DVD-R/-RW/-ROM 10X/8X/16X MAX DVD+R/+RW/+R DL 10X/8X/8X CD-ROM 40X Max Max 6.0MB/S Max 22.16MB/S 125msec 145/165msec
Read Speed Data Transfer Rate CD DVD Average Access Time CD DVD-ROM/RAM
Below are the drive's main specs as given by NeroInfoTool and DVDInfoPro:
The drive uses the well known RPC II region control, allowing a user to change the drive's region at most 5 times.
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- The drive / Retail Package
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The LG GSA-4163B retail package includes the internal SuperMulti GSA-4160B burner, an IDE and an audio cable, four mounting screws, 2 CD-ROM discs and the warranty. The first CD-ROM disc contains the user manual and the second CD-ROM disc the bundled software which includes PowerDVD, PowerProducer Gold, Nero Express, InCD and Acrobat reader. No blank media is included in the retail package.
LG uses the same typical front panel available on most LG recorders. You can see the "Super Multi", "DVD+RW", "US-RW" and "DVD Multi Recorder" logos. However, there is still no DVD+R DL format logo.
On the rear you will find the analogue and digital audio outputs (SPDIF), the IDE master/slave/cs selector pins, the IDE connector and the power input.
Opening the device's case will void the warranty, so we advise against it. Instead, use the photos in this review for a closer look under the hood. Clicking on the image below will reveal a high resolution image.
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drive starts reading from the outer tracks towards the inner part of the disc. The LG once again was faster than the NEC but a good deal slower than the Plextor.
The Plextor drive had the most stable reading speeds, hovering around 9X, across the four formats, while the NEC drive was the fastest with DVDR media and slowest with DVDRW media. The GSA-4163B also had fairly steady speeds although on the slow side.
The LG drive performed well with a ripping speed of 9115kb/s, 6.6X. However, the Plextor PX-716A is simply unbeatable in this task. - DVD-RAM
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The LG GSA-4163B can read DVD-RAM depending on the version of the inserted media. For example, it reads 3X DVD-RAM (v2.1) media at 3X CLV, while 5X DVD-RAM (v2.2) at 3~5 P-CAV, as the following Nero CD Speed graph shows:
-Appendix Nero CD-DVD Speed Graphs
CD Pressed / CD-R / US-RW DVD Pressed SL / DVD Pressed DL PTP / DVD Pressed DL OTP / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R / DVD+RW
3. CD Error Correction Tests
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 3
CD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests we check the drive's behavior when reading scratched / defective audio discs. The test discs used were the ABEX series from ALMEDIO. - ABEX TCD-721R
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Errors total Errors (Loudness) dB(A) Num: 114672 Error Muting Samples Skips Samples Total Test Result C2 Accuracy Num: 6850 Num: 0
Num: 2325547 Avg: -75.8 dB(A) Avg: 0.0 Samples 99.6 % Max: -30.5 dB(A) Max: 0 Samples Avg: 1.2 Samples Max: 582 Samples
75.0 points (out of 100.0 maximum)
The total error count is very high, however the maximum error loudness is low at -30.5dB and within acceptable levels. While there are quite a few muted samples, there are no skipped samples thanks to the low error loudness level just mentioned. The total test result score of 75.00 out of 100 is good. - ABEX TCD-726
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Errors total Errors (Loudness) dB(A) Error Muting Samples Skips Samples Total Test Result C2 Accuracy Num: 3601 Num: 98 Num: 0
Num: 24554 Avg: -85.3 dB(A) Avg: 1.0 Samples Avg: 0.0 Samples 100 % Max: -47.9 dB(A) Max: 2 Samples Max: 0 Samples
82.7 points (out of 100.0 maximum)
The total error count is high but no samples were skipped. However, this is a much easier test disk than the previous one and most drives pass this test with a near perfect score. The total test result score of 82.7 out of 100 is not as good as it could have been. - CD-Check Audio Test Disc The CD-Check Test Disc is a very useful tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction / Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively more difficult tests. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.
The tracks are being reproduced through a software multimedia player (i.e. Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction of the tested drive.

Error Level LG GSA-4120B

The drive successfully passed only the first two out of the five check levels for this test. This is not good performance. Almost all drives have difficulties reading the 5th level, while a good drive can read the 4th level. But almost all drives can handle the third level defects without any problems. The performance is similar to the previous LG model, the GSA-4160B. - Summary
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The CD error correction of the LG GSA-4163B, as was the case with the previous LG GSA-4160B model, is mediocre.
4. DVD Error Correction Tests
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 4
DVD Error Correction Tests
In the following tests, we examine the DVD reading capabilities of the drive with scratched / defective DVD media. For the tests we used CDVD Benchmark and Nero CDSpeed. The reference test media comes from ALMEDIO. - Single Layer media

ABEX TDR-821

This is a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with 4.7GB capacity, and its surface has an artificial scratch of dimensions varying from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
The following transfer rate picture comes from the CDVD Benchmark v1.21 transfer rate test.
The scratched area did not affect the reading process and no errors were produced despite the high reading speed, which reached 16X towards the end of the test.

ABEX TDR-825

This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of 4.7GB capacity. The data structure of the disc is exactly the same as that of the TDR-821, with the difference that there are no scratches on it but instead defective areas of dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm.

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There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and 75 micrometers.
Once again, the defective area did not affect the reading process. - Dual Layer media

ABEX TDR-841

This is an 8.5GB dual layer, single sided DVD-ROM disc with artificial scratches of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0mm, on both layers.

Excellent performance.

ABEX TDR-845
The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc with a capacity of 8.5GB. The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDRhttp://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Print.aspx?ArticleId=12429&PageId=1 (15 of 122)3/14/2005 4:26:01 AM
841 is that the first includes defective areas and fingerprints. The dimensions of the defective areas range from 0.5 to 1.1 mm and the fingerprints are sized from 65 to 75 micrometers.
Fantastic performance from the LG. The GSA-4163B carries on the reputation of LG burners with DVD error correction.

ABEX TDV-541

The TDV-541 is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc, with a capacity of 8.5GB. The disc is based on the TDV-540 series which is designed for inspection and adjustment of DVD-VIDEO players. The disc checks the layer switch operation from layer 0 to layer 1 and also includes test pictures and test signals for DVD sound files.
The current TDV-541 also checks the error correcting capabilities of the drive and includes scratches from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
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Although this test media is difficult for many drives, the LG read it without any problems.

ABEX TDV-545

The TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV- 540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc with a capacity of 8.5GB.
The TDV-545 includes artificial black dots on the disc's surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75 micrometer thickness, fingerprints.
Absolutely smooth curve, indicating good performance for this particular test. The LG GSA-4163B has great DVD error correction
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capabilities.

5. Protected Disc Tests
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner- Page 5

Protected Disc Tests

- Reading Tests To create the image of the various protected titles to the hard disk, we used Alcohol 120% software and the appropriate settings, according to the protection type of the inserted discs. Below you can see the duration of each process as well as the transfer rate in each case.
Game Title PSX "NBA Jam Extreme" Serious Sam The Second Encounter v1.07 VRally II
Protection Scheme Duration Reading speed Lybcrypt SafeDisc v.2.60.052 SecuROM v.2 1:01 min 1481 sectors/sec 5:02 min 1111 sectors/sec 2:33 min 2247 sectors/sec

The performance for the LG GSA-4163B is similar, if not the same, with this of the LG GSA-4160B model.
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The LG had fast performance with all the protections we tried. With PSX and SecuROM protections, the drive was the fastest, while in the case of the Safedisc protection scheme, it displayed performance that was better than most drives, simply here, the Plextor drive has such a good tradition. - Writing Tests The drive supports the DAO-RAW writing mode. For checking the drive's EFM correction status, we used 5 different game titles with different SafeDisc 2 versions having the latest software patches installed. After copying the images of the various titles onto the hard disk, we burned them (maximum speed) with Alcohol 120% v1.9.2.1705. Two different discs were created for each title; one with the "Bypass EFM error" enabled and one more with the function disabled.

q q q q q

Fifa 2004 - Safe Disc v3.1x The Sims Superstar - Safe Disc v2.9x The Sims Unleashed - Safe Disc v2.8x Serious Sam Second Encounter - Safe Disc v2.51.021 Max Payne - Safe Disc v2.51.020
The table below shows the results of the attempted backups and whether they worked (game installed / played normally), or not.
Serious SamSecond Encounter SD v2.51.051 EFM OFF EFM ON
Fifa 2004 SD v3.1 EFM EFM OFF ON
Sims Superstar SD v2.9 EFM EFM OFF ON
Sims Unleashed SD v2.8 EFM OFF EFM ON
Max Payne SD v2.51.020 EFM OFF EFM ON
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Toshiba SDM1502 Creative CD5233E LG GSA4163B No Yes
The LG GSA-4163B can backup accurately only up to SD v2.8, while it fails to backup our SD2.9 protected game title, which is typical performance.

6. DAE Tests

LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 6
DAE Tests - Pressed and CDR AudioCD results The drive supports up to 40X CAV DAE speed. The following results were reported when using Exact Audio Copy.
As it was expected, due to the supported speeds of each drive, the Plextor was the fasted with LG and NEC following behind.
The drive also supports C2 error information. - Advanced DAE Quality
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Both the LG and Plextor received a perfect quality score of 100. The LG drive can read Leadin data but not Leadout, and can also read CD Text and Subchannel data. The reported average speed was 28.79X.
- Ripping 90mins AudioCDs
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- Ripping 99mins AudioCDs
The drive can read/rip flawlessly both 90min and 99min Audio CDs, with no speed fluctuations or drops. If you click on the images for the complete CDSpeed graphs, you'll also see the low seek times which indicates how easily the drive can read both discs. Not too many drives have shown this capability of late.

7. Protected AudioCDs

LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 7
Protected AudioCDs For this test procedure we used three audio discs with different audio copy protections. The ripping process on all protected Audio discs was carried out with Exact Audio Copy v0.9beta5.
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The sample protected Audio discs were:
Sony's Key2Audio from "Celine Dion - New Day Has Come" Cactus Data Shield 200 from "Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island"
The Cactus Data Shield 200, contains artificial errors that are not easily bypassed by the reader, while the Key2Audio contains a second session, causing problems for readers when trying to read the Table Of Contents (TOC). The tested tasks are:
Recognition of the inserted disc (Yes/No). Ripping all wavs (with EAC's Burst Mode) to the hard disk with copy&compare function. Listening to the produced wavs for any click/skips.
The LG drive recognized up to the 12th Audio track of CDS200 disc,
and with the "Retrieve Native TOC" option removed, the 13th Data track was also recognized.
The test results are shown in the following table:

Key2Audio LG GSA-4163B

CDS200
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Ripping process completed, EAC reports no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison successful for all tracks
Ripping process completed, EAC reports no problems, Read&Test CRC comparison not the same for all tracks
With Key2Audio discs, EAC didn't report any timing problems and at the same time, Read&Test CRC check comparison was the same for corresponding tracks. The drive could not rip 100% accurately the CD200 disc where Read&Test CRC check comparison was not the same for corresponding tracks.
Cactus Data Shield 200.0.4 - 3.0 build 16a (Aiko Katsukino - The Love Letter) This is a "special" CDS200 build, since it doesn't contain any artificial errors during the ripping process. Most problems occur when trying to write the ripped wav files, since the produced CD-R disc contains C2 and CU errors! This "problem" is rumored to be connected with specific chipset weaknesses.

9. Writing Quality Tests - Clover System Tests
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 10
Writing Quality Tests - Clover System Tests
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The Clover Systems CDX Compact Disc Analyzer is a high-speed tool to quantitatively measure the quality of a CD. It will analyze CDDA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-I, CD-R, Photo-CD, Enhanced CD and CD-RW discs at 4X, 8X, 24X, 32X or 40X speed. It effectively measures disc quality by examining the quantity and severity of CIRC errors generated during playback. It also provides the capability to measure signal parameters related to pit geometry, such as asymmetry and reflectivity. Together, all these bits of information provide a thorough analysis of disc quality. The Clover Systems Analyzers can also perform various format-checking tests on data discs, and do bit-for-bit data comparison on all types of CDs. All tests are carried out at the maximum speed of 40X. CIRC error correction uses two principles to detect and correct errors. The first is redundancy (extra information is added, which gives an extra chance to read the disc), and the second is interleaving (data is distributed over a relatively large physical area). The CIRC error correction used in CD players uses two stages of error correction, the well known C1 and C2, with de-interleaving of the data between the stages. The error type E11 means one bad symbol was corrected in the C1 stage. E21means two bad symbols were corrected in the C1 stage. E31 means that there were three or more bad symbols at the C1 stage. This block is uncorrectable at the C1 stage, and is passed to the C2 stage. Respectively, E12 means one bad symbol was corrected in the C2 stage and E22 means two bad symbols were corrected in the C2 stage. E32 means that there were three or more bad symbols in one block at the C2 stage, and therefore this error is not correctable. BLER (Block Error Rate) is defined as the number of data blocks per second that contain detectable errors, at the input of the C1 decoder. Since this is the most general measurement of the quality of a disc, you will find BLER graphs for all media tested below. If you click on the images you can see a more detailed table, indicating error levels. The Red Book specification (IEC 908) calls for a maximum BLER of 220 per second averaged over ten seconds. Discs with higher BLER are likely to produce uncorrectable errors. Al low BLER shows that the system as a whole is performing well, and the pit geometry is good. However, BLER only tells us how many errors were generated per second, and it does not tell us anything about the severity of those errors.

BenQ 52X @ 40X

Maxell 48X @ 40X
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MMore 52X @ 40X

Traxdata 52X @ 40X
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Taiyo Yuden 48X @ 40X

- Summary
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Taiyo Yuden, MMore and BenQ media reported good writing quality without E32 errors being reported. We would like the performance with the two other media brands to be fixed in a future firmware revision. - Appendix
Media Label MMore 52X Maxell 48X TY 80min 48X TraxData 52X BenQ 52X
ID Code 97m22s67f 97m15s17f 97m24s 1f 97m15s17f 97m22s67f
Manufacturer Name Moser Baer India Ritek Co. Taiyo Yuden Ritek Daxon
Lead Out TIme 79m59s74f 79m59s70f 79m59s72f 79m59s70f 79m59s74f

10. DVD Recording Tests

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DVD Recording Tests

- Writing Performance The LG GSA-4163B supports DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW and DVD-RAM writing. The maximum supported speeds are 16X P-CAV for DVD +R and DVD-R, 8X Z-CLV for DVD+RW, 6X CLV for DVD-RW, 4X CLV for DVD+R9 and 5X P-CAV for DVD-RAM media. Notice that the difference between the LG GSA-4163B and the previous LG GSA-4160B models are not only in maximum supported speeds but also in writing strategies. Nero Burning Rom reported speeds are shown below, after inserting a DVD+R 16X certified disc.
Note that when the software identifies a disc as 8X or higher, the 2X or the 2,4X writing speed option, for DVD-R and DVD+R respectively, is not available. However, if the maximum speed is 4X, 2X or 2.4X writing speed is available. By using Nero CD-DVD Speed with DVD-R and DVD+R media, we are able to see the supported writing strategy for each speed and format for this burner. Click on each image below for a complete CDSpeed graph.

DVD+R media @ 16X

According to the graph above, the writing strategy is P-CAV, and not CAV as is the case for most drives, where the 16X speed is
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reached relatively early and remains for approximately 800MB. Furthermore, the test started at a speed of 7.28X and for those two reasons, the LG drive proved to be the fastest 16X DVD+R recorder.

DVD+R media @ 12X

For 12X, the writing strategy is Z-CLV.

12X DVD+R Writing Speed

Ricoh 8X DVD+R @ 12X
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Datawrite 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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TY 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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Verbatim 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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Maxell 8X DVD+R @ 12X

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- Summary Quality for 12X is higher than 16X, which is logical. There were a few cases with increased PIE values but only in one was it over the limit. Once again, the quality is good.
16. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 6
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 16
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 6 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:

8X DVD+R Writing Speed

CMC Magnetics 8X DVD+R @ 8X
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Optodisc 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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Philips 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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BeAll 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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Traxdata 8X DVD+R @ 8X

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- Summary In all cases, the PIE values were low but CDSpeed had a different point of view. In any case, the writing quality is good although it could be better.
17. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 7
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 17
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 7 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:

4X DVD+R Writing Speed

3A 8X DVD+R @ 4X
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Intenso 4X DVD+R @ 4X

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Traxdata 4X DVD+R @ 4X

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SKC 4X DVD+R @ 4X

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Taiyo Yuden 4X DVD+R @ 4X R_4X.png" width="451" height="359">
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- Summary Intenso and Traxdata media produced the highest writing quality at 4X. The PIE values were very low in all cases.
18. CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 8
LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 18
CDSpeed/PlexTools Scans - Page 8 In order to test the writing quality and readability of the burned media we used two readers with two software applications:
In general, a "perfect" disc should have a smooth reading curve, very low PIE/POE and zero (0) POF error rates. Most times however, even though a disc has very low PIE/POE error rates, the reading curve may not be smooth containing dropoffs. Due to the fact that
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we oversped the reading capabilities of the LiteON SOHD-167T, such drops are expected, especially near the outer area of the disc. The measurements below should be taken not as the absolute criteria of the burning quality, but as an indication level.
DVD+RW and DVD-RW media format
Mitsubishi Chemicals 8X DVD+RW @ 8X
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As we can see from the table above, the LG GSA-4163B managed to burn a DVD+R DL media with the lowest time among the burners.

21. DVD+R DL - Page 2

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LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 21

DVD+R DL - Page 2

- Writing Quality In order to test the LG GSA-4163B DVD+R DL writing quality, we used the LiteOn SOHD-167T and the Plextor PX-712A drives.
Verbatim Double Layer media @ 4X
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Traxdata Double Layer media @ 2.4X
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Ricoh Layer media @ 4X

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Philips Layer media @ 2.4X
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CMC Magnetics Layer media @ 2.4X
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- Compatibility The writing quality is good while all media were playable in our test standalone players from Pioneer, Philips and NeuNeo.

22. DVD-RAM Tests

LG GSA-4163B DL Burner - Page 22

DVD-RAM Tests

The LG recorders are the first ever PC recorders to support 5X DVD-RAM media. Maxell announced on 26th of May, 2004, the release of 5X DVD-RAM media. DVD-RAM media is the most appropriate media for large file storage and recovery, since it combines an error correction system and BCM (Bismuth Coupling Material) recording layer technology, which improves signal to noise ratio for higher reliability during high-speed recording.
As Maxell stated: "DVD-RAM is an advanced recording media format that offers a range of digital data applications. Its phase-change recording material allows discs to be re-recordable and erasable, and a superior defect management system ensures accurate recording and playback. DVD-RAM allows instant, random access to any location on the disc for fast and easy data reading and writing. Because DVD-RAM supports fast formatting and no finalizing, it is an extremely easy-to-use media. And with DVD-RAM, changes can be made directly on the disc without the need to transfer data to a hard drive first, speeding up the editing tasks." For our test, we used two different DVD-RAM media, Optodisc 3X DVD-RAM media and Maxell 5X DVD-RAM media. Below, you can see the media information according to DVDInfoPro:

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You can see that the Optodisc media comes pre-formatted with UDF2.00, meaning WinXP/2k will recognize the disc directly, since DVD-RAM is supported by Microsoft. Of course, you can format (erase) the disc and use it with a normal application like Nero. LG includes the well known InCD for packet writing. For our tests, we used the latest InCD version 4.3.11.1:
After installing InCD, a new TAB was added to the drive's properties providing information about the media file system:

Optodisc DVD-RAM media

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Maxell DVD-RAM media

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Since the Maxell media was not formatted, we used InCD for this.
Then we were able to copy files from the HD onto the DVD-RAM media, using the drag'n'drop method, as well as delete them.
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- Burning Tests Using NeroCDSpeed, we got the following graph:
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The drive started writing at 1.39X using the P-CAV writing strategy and reached 2.35X, giving an average writing speed of 2.15X. To find an explanation as to why the drive cannot reach 5X writing speed, we need to look at writing strategies. The LG drive uses the "write and verify" function while writing to DVD-RAM media, as opposed to +R/+RW or -R/-RW media, where the verify function is not used. Hence, with DVD-RAM media, the drive automatically verifies all written data. This explains why the drive reports or implies a slower speed than the specifications give. LG commented that ".In the case of DVD-RAM, it has Write and Verify feature. This means drive reads after write to verify written data. Default setting of GSA-4163B for this Write and Verify feature is enabled. This is the reason why you see ~1.4-2.1X writing speed, which is just below half of 5X speed. In the case of video streaming data write, Write and Verify feature is disabled, therefore, in this case writing speed is 5X ZCLV." Using the latest Nero version, we burned our usual Single Layer DVD complilation.

Maxell 5X DVD-RAM media

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Finally, the burner is already available on the market at approximately $77, at the time of this review. The price is very good if we keep in mind that other burners with similar specifications cost around $100 or even more.

- The Good

q q q q q q q q q q q
Very good DVD error correction Supports all DVD recordable/re-writable formats Write/verify function for DVD-RAM media to improve reliability High DVD writing quality with most media at all speeds High CSS DVD-Video ripping speed Very quiet operation either when reading or writing Can overburn up to 95mins Supports CD-Text (reading/writing) Can backup Audio protected discs Low price compared with competition Supports DVD-ROM booktype for DVD+R and DVD+R DL formats

- The Bad

Reduced writing speed for DVD-RAM media (because of its write/verify function) Doesn't support overburning for DVDR formats Average CD error correction Doesn't support Mount Rainier Cannot be used to measure CD/DVD media

- Like To be fixed

q q q q
Booktype support with DVD+RW media CD writing quality with specific media Option to enable/disable "write and verify" function for DVD-RAM media Wider media support list for 16X and 12X recording
Retail Package Reading Error Correction Protected Discs Writing
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