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Mitsumi CR-480ATE
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Posted by Dennis
Posted on 11/02/02 23:32
Number of views 3463
Menu
 Conclusion
 Introduction
 Features
 Basic Write Tests
 Data Read Tests
 Protected Data
 Audio Tests
 CD-RW Tests
 Overburn and 8cm CD-R Tests
Text Size  Text Size
CD RW Tests
 

During the review we've already seen that the Mitsumi CR-480ATE is truly a great CD-RW reader (see page 4 'Data Read Tests''). However we still need to take a look at how well the drive can write CD-RW media. To format our CD-RW discs we used Ahead's InCD (www.ahead.de) version 3.21.0.

CD-RW Tests - Formatting:

We formatted an Infiniti 700MB (!) CD-RW disc with Ahead's InCD and got a free useable disc space of 572MB. An increase of about 36MB compared to a normal 650MB CD-RW disc.

Infiniti 700MB CD-RW
Infiniti 700MB CD-RW Disc 4x-10x Certified

Although the used CD-RW disc was certified up to 10x writing we had no problems using it at 12x.

CD-RW Tests - Packet Writing:

Then we measured the time it took the Mitsumi CR-480ATE to write a 411MB (431.036.416 bytes) file to the CD-RW disc with InCD. The file was copied in roughly 4 minutes and 34 seconds. This was about 1 minute faster than the Waitec MEGALUS which only has a CD-RW speed of 10x while the Mitsumi uses 12x. The average writing speed of the Mitsumi CR-480ATE was 10.24x

A lot faster than the average writing speeds of the Waitec MEGALUS (7.16x), the Lite-On 24102B (7.23x) and the Plextor PX-W2410A (7.20x). Please note that the Plextor and Lite-On speeds were reached on different machines so the achieved times can be a little off.

CD-RW Media - Normal Writing:

Next we used CloneCD to do a Quick Erase to clean the CD-RW disc and used Nero Burning Rom version 5.5.7.2 to write the same file as a normal data compilation. The disc was recognized as CD-R disc and the write speed was automatically set to 12x. Below a screenshot of the process completed successfully:

Nero writing CD-RW disc test

As you can see the process was finished in 4 minutes and 40 seconds, about the same results we got with the Packet Writing Tests above.

CD-RW Media - Conclusion:

Like expected the Mitsumi CR-480ATE outperforms all our previous tested drives because of its high re-write speed of 12x compared to the 10x the other drives use. We were surprised to see we could use our 10x certified Infiniti 700MB CD-RW discs without problems at 12x. Again thumbs up for the Mitsumi!

To conclude our review we will take a look at how far the Mitsumi CR-480ATE can overburn and if it can handle 8cm CD-R's as claimed...

Audio Tests
Overburn and 8cm CD-R Tests
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Reactions on this item
Posted by on Tuesday 12 February 2002 00:31
Can this drive burn working copies of PSX and PS2 games?
Posted by lanky on Tuesday 12 February 2002 03:07
Yes(Libcrypt protection) and Yes(if they are ripped).
Posted by mikeyspen on Wednesday 13 February 2002 22:17
Can anyone tell me how the Mitsumi CR-4809TE compares to this??? Does it incorporate all the same features? It will still work with CloneCD? Thanx!
Posted by on Wednesday 13 February 2002 22:26
The CR-4809TE is the 24x model right? Well if so a CD Freaks member is working a review right now! Should be finished soon so stay tuned :)
Posted by on Saturday 23 March 2002 16:44
Any experience with copying protected audio CDs? Or a tip which writer can copy them?
thx:7
Posted by on Thursday 28 March 2002 10:16
I've just had a look on the Mitsumi website (Europe) and the tech spec on this drive says it's only got a 2Mb buffer, NOT 16mb. As I have just bought an OEM version of this drive (yesterday) I am a little hacked off if this is actually the case....
Posted by on Thursday 28 March 2002 16:39
Hmm indeed/ I've [url=http://www.mitsumi.de/english/produkte/spec/cd480Ate.shtml]checked it[/url] and you're right. The buffer size indeed seems to be 2MB now instead of 16MB. I can assure you that our test model has 16MB as you can see in our screenshots of both Nero and CloneCD. I think Mitsumi must have decided to lower the buffer size (16MB is huge) to lower the cost of the drive. Buffer-memory is expensive. Nothing we (CD Freaks) can do about this. Thanks for letting us know!
Posted by on Thursday 11 April 2002 05:46
I have an OEM version of this drive, and it has the 2MB buffer. It does seem to work well, though, even with some year-old 12X Memorex CD's, which it burned nicely at 32X.
Posted by on Thursday 11 April 2002 08:34
Well, as I am running WindowsXP with a PlexWriter that does not work with XP, I would like to know that the Mitsumi drive works with XP.

Has anyone any experience about that?

:)
Posted by on Thursday 11 April 2002 13:19
All writers work under Windows XP... The Plextor should too and if it's not then something is wrong with your system. There are some problems with DMA under Windows XP (MultiWord DMA like the Plex 24x is using causes problems sometimes) but since the Mitsumi CR-480ATE uses UDMA33 it's fully supported under XP.

Good luck! :p
Posted by on Friday 19 April 2002 00:23
Hi, i'm just about to buy this nice Mitsumi burner. I'm from Slovakia in Europe and i can tell ya guys this CD-RW is the cheapest one in our country :))) i'm gonna buy it tomorrow :9 :d
Posted by on Thursday 09 May 2002 07:21
I bought a few days ago the Mitsumi CR-480ATE, which is promising a 16MB, buffer and was disappointed to get a 2MB buffer. On the genuine package Mitsumi registered 16MB buffer but the Nero software that is supported in the package reports just 2MB buffer. The same Nero software shows at your test a 16MB buffer. It looks like Mitsumi reduced the buffer capacity to 2MB and left the original printing of 16MB buffer on the package. If this is the situation this is a wrong way of marketing. Mitsumi does not have any "contact us" link on their web site, which makes you "angry" while you need to ask them about. It looks like customers are not so important to them. So take it into your consideration when you're going to by the Mitsumi CR-480ATE to these facts.
Posted by on Tuesday 14 May 2002 05:56
i have the 48xate, it was repackaged as a hival at office max. it has a 16 mb buffer and i only got it a month ago. i love it!
Posted by on Friday 26 July 2002 23:18
Naughty Mitsumi; naughty, naughty, naughty. Your 16 MB buffer has inexplicably shrunk to 2 MB. To save face, you might try sending your cute little Japanese wife to my place, tonight at 11:00.
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