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Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 external DVD Burner Review
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Posted by Wesley Novack
Posted on 17/06/05 06:43
Number of views 23025
Menu
 Conclusion
 Introduction
 Features and bundle
 Reading Performance
 CD-R/RW Writing Performance
 DVD+R/RW Writing Performance
 DVD-R/RW Writing Performance
 DVD+R9 DL Writing Performance
 Advanced Tests
 Summary and Conclusion
Text Size  Text Size
Reading Performance
 

Reading performance:

For these tests we will use Nero CD-DVD Speed to read various CD's and DVD's, including audio discs and DVD-Video. According to the specifications, this drive supports a specified read speed of 16X for DVD-ROM's and 48X for CD-ROM's.

Pressed CD-ROM discs:

For this test we used a pressed CD-ROM disc containing Canon Digital Camera Solution Disk ver 9.0 that is 73:12.38 minutes long. Below you will see the produced result:

The Memorex drive was able to reach 45.17x at the end of the CD-ROM disc, slightly slower than the advertised specification of 48x.

Pressed
Discs

Average
Read
Speed

Start
 Read 
Speed

End
 Read 
Speed

Seek
Times
 Random

Seek
 Times 
1/3

Seek
 Times 
Full

BenQ
DW1620A

30.78x

17.52x

40.39x

99ms

116ms

167ms

Pioneer
DVR-A08XLA

31.16x

18.30x

41.01x

124ms

142ms

280ms

Samsung
TS-H552B

35.65x

20.40x

47.22x

96ms

102ms

172ms

Mad Dog
MD-16XDVD9

34.10x

19.54x

45.17x

109ms

127ms

187ms

Philips
ED16DVDR

35.69x

20.59x

47.25x

118ms

130ms

206ms

AOpen
DUW1608/ARR

37.34x

21.29x

49.42x

105ms

118ms

196ms

LG
GSA-4163B

31.10x

17.91x

40.93x

102ms

123ms

192ms

Lite-On
SHOW-1653S

36.54x

21.45x

48.12x

117ms

140ms

201ms

LG
GSA-5160D

31.01x

16.83x

41.22x

127ms

118ms

129ms

ASUS
DRW-1604P

30.62x

17.67x

40.55x

128ms

147ms

291ms

Samsung
TS-E522U

35.46x

20.31x

46.96x

94ms

102ms

174ms

Philips
DVDR16LS

29.98x

17.03x

39.65x

108ms

121ms

172ms

NU
HDW-164

31.45x

17.54x

41.59x

N/A

N/A

N/A

Toshiba
SD-R5372

33.85x

19.38x

44.89x

117ms

126ms

222ms

Memorex
DVD+/-RWN16 D2

34.11x

19.47x

45.17x

120ms

123ms

188ms

Please note that CD-ROM size varies slightly in these tests. The table should be used as a rough comparison between drives.

The Memorex 16x16 external is a good CD-ROM reader.

CD-Recordable discs:

For this test we made a copy of the original Canon Digital Camera Solution CD. The disc we used was a Verbatim 48X certified CD-R disc manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemicals Corporation.

CD-R read speeds are also looking good on this drive.

CD-R
Discs

Average 
Read
Speed

Start
 Read 
Speed

End
 Read 
Speed

Seek
Times
 Random

Seek
 Times 
1/3

Seek
 Times 
Full

BenQ
DW1620A

30.76x

17.60x

40.41x

96ms

106ms

157ms

Pioneer
DVRA08XLA

31.12x

18.21x

41.08x

125ms

143ms

282ms

Samsung
TS-H522B

36.49x

21.20x

48.13x

91ms

96ms

165ms

Mad Dog
MD-16XDVD9

35.49x

20.74x

46.78x

125ms

131ms

189ms

Philips
ED16DVDR

36.54x

21.46x

48.14x

124ms

151ms

230ms

AOpen
DUW1608/ARR

36.49x

21.20x

48.11x

99ms

115ms

185ms

LG
GSA-4163B

30.63x

17.62x

40.14x

105ms

129ms

183ms

Lite-On
SHOW-1653S

36.63x

21.46x

48.29x

125ms

157ms

234ms

LG
GSA-5160D

30.53x

16.83x

40.27x

116ms

118ms

128ms

ASUS
DRW-1604P

30.96x

18.26x

40.81x

125ms

143ms

282ms

Samsung
TS-E552U

36.65x

21.28x

48.33x

92ms

95ms

163ms

Philips
DVDR16LS

30.69x

17.68x

40.44x

126ms

137ms

175ms

NU
HDW-164

32.20x

18.48x

42.65

N/A

N/A

N/A

Toshiba
SD-R5372

35.55x

20.66x

46.95x

107ms

120ms

204ms

Memorex
DVD+/-RWN16 D2

35.56x

20.76x

46.86x

126ms

126ms

185ms

Please note that CD-R size varies slightly in these tests. The table should be used as a rough comparison between drives.

The Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 performed as expected with CD-R reading.

CD-ReWriteable discs:

Again we made a copy of the original Canon Digital Camera Solution CD. The disc we used was a Verbatim HighSpeed 12X CD-RW disc manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemicals Corporation.

CD-RW reading maxed out at 34.23x on our test disc.

CD-RW
Discs

Average 
Read
Speed

Start
 Read 
Speed

End
 Read 
Speed

Seek
Times
 Random

Seek
 Times 
1/3

Seek
 Times 
Full

BenQ
DW1620A

31.36x

17.55x

41.44x

109ms

113ms

194ms

Pioneer
DVR-A08XLA

25.45x

14.74x

33.72x

130ms

149ms

291ms

Samsung
TS-H552B

24.07x

14.02x

31.15x

88ms

97ms

166ms

Mad Dog
MD-16XDVD9

25.92x

14.93x

34.33x

126ms

135ms

200ms

Philips
ED16DVDR

23.81x

13.97x

31.39x

122ms

156ms

232ms

Aopen
DUW1608/ARR

36.55x

21.31z

48.22x

102ms

114ms

185ms

LG
GSA-4163B

30.64x

17.69x

40.56x

105ms

127ms

180ms

Lite-On
SOHW-1653S

24.25x

14.04x

32.15x

129ms

167ms

233ms

LG
GSA-5160D

30.54x

16.59x

40.43x

119ms

116ms

129ms

ASUS
DRW-1604P

25.32x

14.63x

33.52x

129ms

149ms

288ms

Samsung
TS-E552U

23.99x

14.02x

31.63x

86ms

95ms

162ms

Philips
DVDR16LS

30.70x

17.71x

40.55x

131ms

149ms

179ms

NU
HDW-164

32.20x

18.17x

42.53x

N/A

N/A

N/A

Toshiba
SD-R5372

17.95x

10.47x

23.77x

125ms

129ms

221ms

Memorex
DVD+/-RWN16 D2

25.98x

14.90x

34.23x

131ms

134ms

198ms

Please note that CD-RW size varies slightly in these tests. The table should be used as a rough comparison between drives.

The Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 is an okay CD-RW reader, but it can't compete with the drives that read CD-RW at 40x, or even 48x reading speeds.

Audio - Digital Audio Extraction:

To test the digital audio extraction performance of the Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2, we again used Nero CD/DVD-Speed to measure the transfer rate. The audio disc we used is approximately 74 minutes long (74:02:70).

The Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 hit just over 34x maximum when reading a 74 minute Audio CD.

Audio
Discs

Average 
Read
Speed

Start
 Read 
Speed

End
 Read 
Speed

Seek
Times
 Random

Seek
 Times 
1/3

Seek
 Times 
Full

BenQ
DW1620A

31.36x

17.55x

41.44x

109ms

113ms

194ms

Pioneer
DVR-A08XLA

25.45x

14.74x

33.72x

130ms

149ms

291ms

Samsung
TS-H522B

37.30x

21.21x

49.43x

94ms

110ms

189ms

Mad Dog
MD-16XDVD9

25.71x

14.82x

34.09x

120ms

140ms

194ms

Philips
ED16DVDR

37.40x

21.06x

49.59x

117ms

127ms

204ms

AOpen
DUW1608/ARR

37.50x

21.38x

49.72x

115ms

120ms

206ms

LG
GSA-4163B

31.37x

17.57x

41.39x

95ms

121ms

211ms

Lite-On
SHOW-1653S

36.92x

21.36x

48.89x

126ms

157ms

234ms

LG
GSA-5160D

31.27x

16.81x

41.20x

118ms

124ms

115ms

ASUS
DRW-1604P

31.10x

19.91x

41.38x

125ms

146ms

286ms

Samsung
TS-E552U

37.53x

19.73x

49.76x

85ms

97ms

171ms

Philips
DVDR16LS

31.44x

17.75x

41.69x

107ms

124ms

176ms

NU
HDW-164

32.98x

18.32x

43.70x

N/A

N/A

N/A

Toshiba
SD-R5372

29.66x

16.59x

39.26x

126ms

133ms

229ms

Memorex
DVD+/-RWN16 D2

25.76x

14.82x

34.08x

117ms

134ms

192ms

Please note that Audio CD size varies slightly in these tests. The table should be used as a rough comparison between drives.

The Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 is one of the slower drives for reading Audio CD's. On the positive side, the DAE Quality is a perfect 10 and it does achieve an Accurate Stream.

Advanced Audio - DAE quality test:

Before we move on to testing DVD read speeds, we perform one last audio test. This time we used the 'Advanced DAE Quality Test" feature in CD-Speed.

The drive shows excellent Audio extracting quality and the 'Read CD Text" and 'Read Subchannel Data" features are supported, which is a positive. Unfortunately, the drive is unable to read from the Leadin or the Leadout of Audio CDs. CD Speed also indicates that this drive might be too slow to be used as the reading (source) drive during a 16x 'On The Fly' CD copy.

DVD Reading performance:

DVD - DVD Video:

For our DVD reading performance tests we are going to start with single and double layer DVD video discs. While only 1X speed is required to watch DVD movies, it is useful to be able to read the discs at higher speeds if you're going to extract (rip) the content of the disc to your hard drive.  We had trouble performing this test via the USB 2.0 connection, so we hooked up the drive via Firewire (IEEE 1394) to perform these DVD Video reading tests.


SL DVD Video


DL DVD Video

The Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 only hits 5X reading speeds on the single layer DVD Video disc and also approximately 5X on the double layer DVD Video disc.

DVD
Video

Average 
Read
Speed
(SL)

Start
 Read 
Speed
(SL)

End
 Read 
Speed
(SL)

Average 
Read
Speed
(DL)

Start
 Read 
Speed
(DL)

End
 Read 
Speed
(DL)

BenQ
DW1620A

11.87x

6.60x

15.79x

6.01x

3.36x

8.00x

Pioneer
DVR-A08XLA

11.80x

6.74x

15.72x

9.38x

5.31x

12.50x

Samsung
TS-H552B

12.08x

6.76x

16.11x

6.42x

3.58x

8.53x

Mad Dog
MD-16XDVD9

3.74x

2.06x

5.00x

3.43x

1.90x

4.58x

Philips
ED16DVDR

9.62x

6.77x

6.52x

6.19x

3.45x

8.22x

AOpen
DUW1608/ARR

12.04x

6.71x

16.05x

6.61x

3.68x

8.79x

LG
GSA-4163B

7.62x

4.26x

10.16x

6.16x

3.44x

8.18x

Lite-On
SHOW-1653S

11.96x

6.77x

15.94x

6.15x

3.46x

8.19x

LG
GSA-5160D

7.60x

4.12x

10.13x

6.14x

3.38x

8.16x

ASUS
DRW-1604P

3.92x

2.17x

5.25x

3.94x

2.19x

5.25x

Samsung
TS-E552U

11.50x

6.78x

13.11x

6.41x

3.57x

8.51x

Philips
DVDR16LS

11.97x

6.61x

15.97x

6.02x

3.35x

8.01x

NU
HDW-164

6.40x

3.54x

8.53x

5.87x

3.26x

7.81x

Toshiba
SD-R5372

12.22x

6.75x

12.30x

5.96x

3.31x

7.96x

Memorex
DVD+/-RWN16 D2

3.77x

2.07x

5.04x

3.44x

1.90x

4.59x

Please note that disc size varies slightly in these tests. The table should be used as a rough comparison between drives.

The Memorex DVD+/-RWN16 D2 is one of the slowest drives for DVD Video reading due to the 5x riplock. We also tested with a data DVD-ROM disc and found that the drive can read data DVD-ROMs at 16x CAV.

DVD - DVD+R(W):

For these tests we used a Taiyo Yuden 8X DVD+R and a Verbatim 4X DVD+RW with about 4.4GB of data. Below are the results:


DVD+R