Test machine:

For this review we will be using a computer with the following configuration:

• Motherboard: ASUS P5K-E/WIFI AP
• Processor: Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600 4x2,4GHz
• Memory: 2x 1GB DDR2 800MHz Infineon
• Video: Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT
• Display: Samsung SyncMaster 205BW
• Sound: ADI® AD1988B 8-channel High Definition Audio
• Hard disks: Western Digital 500 GB WDC5000AAKS
• Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate

From the screenshot CyberLink BD/HD Advisor above we can see that our review PC is Blu-ray ready.

System set-up:

The Lite-On DH-401S was connected to the Intel ICH9 SATA interface and identified itself as ATAPI BD O DH4O1S.

And another screenshot from Nero InfoTool below:

From the screenshot from Nero InfoTool above, we can see the Lite-On DH-401S does not support Reading CD+G together with DVD-RAM. The drive came shipped with firmware version BCP51, and was later updated to CP56. Furthermore, the drive is reported as AACS compliant.

Installed Software:

Windows Vista Ultimate is installed on the computer along with Service Pack 1. We will be using the following software in this review:

• Nero CD-DVD Speed/DiscSpeed
• Nero InfoTool
• EAC (Exact Audio Copy)

Disc Quality Scanning:

The Lite-On DH-401S seems to be ready to perform disc quality scans on CD/DVD/BD media.

CD Scanning example

DVD scanning example

BD-ROM scanning example

The Internals:

The internals

MediaTek MT1929NBE

MediaTek MT1926E

ESMT M12 L64164A-7T

An Introduction to Blu-Ray Disc:

Until recently, optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM relied on a red laser to read and write data. The new technology Blu-Ray format uses a blue-violet laser, which explains the name Blu-ray.

Blu-ray drives can also be made backwards compatible with CDs and DVDs through the use of a BD/DVD/CD compatible optical pickup unit.

A blue-violet laser (405nm) has a shorter wavelength than a red laser (650nm); this makes it possible to focus the laser with even greater accuracy. This will allow data to be packed more tightly, so it's possible to squeeze more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD. This together with the change of numerical aperture to 0.85 enables Blu-ray discs to hold 25GB/50GB.

Blu-ray media is structurally different from DVD media. The Blu-ray disc consists of a single 1.1 mm thick polycarbonate substrate with a 0.1 mm thick cover layer on the bottom side of the disc, while the DVD disc is made of two 0.6 mm thick substrates. In both cases, two substrates are bonded together by a UV-cured resin adhesive:

DVD vs. Blu-ray disc structure

The larger 25 GB and 50 GB storage capacity of the Blu-ray disc is due to the higher density of pits and tracks on the disc. Unlike previous optical discs, Blu-ray uses a shorter-wavelength, tighter-focused violet laser to read and write pits that are about three times smaller than pits used in DVDs:

CD, DVD and Blu-ray laser beam colour and size

CD, DVD and Blu-ray pits and tracks as seen by a scanning electron microscope

Blu-ray disc surface mapped by an atomic force microscope

Comparison of Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD and DVD formats:

We include a table of both high-definition formats and including DVD format for comparison.

On the next page we will take a look at the drives CD Reading Performance...

Features

CD Reading Performance