detail information

Positive:

⋅         Very good retail package
⋅         Includes one empty DVD-RAM disc.
⋅         Good documentation
⋅         Supports writing all DVD-formats including DVD-RAM.
⋅         Supports DAO-RAW writing.
⋅         Supports reading and writing of CD-Text information.
⋅         Supports reading and writing of full SubChannel Data.
⋅         Can read 99 minutes discs.
⋅         Supports 'Correct EFM encoding of regular bit patterns".
⋅         Supports Multi read that means it could read all types of CD/DVD discs.
⋅         Good secure mode reading performance in EAC.
⋅         Supports reading all types of protected audio discs.

Negative:

⋅         Poor write quality and compatibility with many types of CD-R discs.
⋅         Writes many 4X DVD-R media at 2X only. 
⋅         Questionable write quality with many types of DVD-/+R discs.
⋅         Scored only 75 points in the CD-Speed advanced audio test, which may cause it to extract audio imperfect.
⋅         Do easily generate unwanted read errors while reading discs in CloneCD.
⋅         Only 2Mb buffer.
⋅         Can't write 99 minutes discs (max overburning is 94 minutes).
⋅         Slow at reading music discs and CD-RW discs.

Conclusion:

We have rarely had a drive looking so good on the paper and still failing so completely to impress us. The reading and writing quality of this drive is in many cases just not good enough. It does have its benefits by supporting the DVD-RAM format that is fine for backup purposes, but else to slow. Also the retail package is pretty complete and the documentation is good. It do support 'Correct EFM encoding" allowing it to make backups of safedisc protected discs without much trouble, but you should use another reader to read the image as the reading quality of the LG GSA-4040B is so bad that it creates more read errors than there should be. Another fine thing is that it supports reading all protected audio discs, again the bad thing is that according to the CD-speed advanced audio test, the drive is so bad at extracting audio that you don't know if the music is extracted correctly. Another advantage is that it supports 24X CD-R writing compared to 16X CD-R writing of many other drives, which is actually not as fast as you think since it starts at 12X writing and uses Zone-CLV technology to reach 24X. And if this was not enough the drive do not support writing all discs at 24X either, and some it writes with very low quality. This disappoints us pretty much, could it be that difficult to write all discs at 24X with good quality? After all the discs is 48/52X certified and works with few problems at 40X or higher in normal CD-Writers.

But how is it for DVD-Writing then? Well it wrote all 4X DVD+R discs at 4X without problems, but according to our quality tests the writing quality is questionable with some discs, including discs from known quality manufacturers such as Taiyo Yuden and Ricoh. Maybe it's better for DVD-R? It depends on how you look at it, it did write all discs without problems but do not expect that all 4X discs will work at 4X; most cheaper ones do only work at 2X. Write quality with DVD-R was in most cases good enough, since many DVD-R discs are of very low quality we expected some discs to show some problems.

Maybe its rewriting capabilities are better then? Yes we have no real complaints about the Rewriting capabilities of this drive, both for CD and DVD. 24X CD-RW and 4X DVD+RW support along with Mount Rainier support would have been nice though, but there is few drives offering this so we wont criticise the drive for not supporting this.

Are there really no situations where this drive is the best? Yes there for sure is; if you want DVD-RAM support this is THE drive as it also supports DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW in addition to the DVD-RAM format.

Conclusion this time will be: 'THE drive for DVD-RAM, but look elsewhere if you do not need DVD-RAM".

The drive is available for about 115 USD (Price from Pricewatch per 6.11.2003 ). You may discuss/comment this review below or in this forum thread.