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NEC ND-4550A DVD-Writer Review
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Posted by Jan S.
Posted on 14/02/06 20:07
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DVD RAM Performance
 

DVD-RAM:

The NEC ND-4500A is a so-called Multi recorder, meaning is also supports the DVD-RAM format.

This drive is one of few drives that also support the DVD-RAM format, lets us look at the recording side of the disc, and as you can see it got differences from the other DVD+R/RW/R DL and DVD-R/RW/R DL discs.

 

You could see a very fascinating pattern of darker spots, supposedly these spots are used for calibration while writing and reading.

A DVD-RAM's disc can be formatted in the following formats:

  • FAT32
  • UDF 1.02
  • UDF 1.50
  • UDF 2.00
  • UDF 2.01
  • UDF 2.50

By formatting a DVD-RAM disc with FAT32 it will act like a removable hard drive and all writing will be done in the 'background processes". Meaning you do not have to wait for it to finish - you can start or work with other applications while the DVD-RAM is working without noticing any 'hangs" or CPU slowdowns.

Lets us take a look at the media we are going to use in these tests:

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Disc Info

  

 Basic Information

  

  Disc type:

 DVD-RAM

  Manufacturer:

 Optodisc Technology Corporation

  MID

  

  Write speeds:

 2 X - 3 X

  Blank Capacity

 4.27 GB

 

 4368 MB

 

 4580771840 bytes

 Extended Information

  

  Copyright protection

 CPRM

 Raw Data

  

 Physical Format Information (00h)

  
 
0000 - 16 0F 04 42 00 03 10 00 00 26 5F 5F 00 00 00 00 - ...B.....&__....
0010 - 80 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0020 - 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0030 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0040 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0050 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0060 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0070 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0080 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0090 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00F0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0100 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0110 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0120 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0130 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0140 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0150 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0160 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0170 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0180 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0190 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01F0 - 00 00 00 00 52 0A 00 71 2C 2C 2C 6E 2A 2A 2A 1A - ....R..q,,,n***.
0200 - 1A 00 00 11 22 05 02 81 81 05 02 81 81 06 03 00 - ...."...........
0210 - 81 06 03 00 00 0A 0B 0C 0C 0A 0B 0C 0C 09 0A 0B - ................
0220 - 0B 09 0A 0B 0B 4F 70 74 6F 64 69 73 63 20 54 65 - .....Optodisc.Te
0230 - 63 68 6E 6F 6C 6F 67 79 20 43 6F 72 70 6F 72 61 - chnology.Corpora
0240 - 74 69 6F 6E 20 0D 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 - tion............
0250 - 20 20 20 20 20 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0260 - 00 00 00 00 00 01 01 82 00 6A 2C 2C 2C 82 94 96 - .........j,,,...

Panasonic branded DVD-RAM media certified at 2-5x:

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Disc Info

  

 Basic Information

  

  Disc type:

 DVD-RAM

  Manufacturer:

 MXL16

  MID

  

  Write speeds:

 2 X - 3 X - 5 X

  Blank Capacity

 4.27 GB

 

 4368 MB

 

 4580771840 bytes

 Extended Information

  

  Copyright protection

 CPRM

 Raw Data

  

 Physical Format Information (00h)

  
 
0000 - 16 0F 04 42 00 03 10 00 00 26 5F 5F 00 00 00 00 - ...B.....&__....
0010 - 80 20 00 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 22 00 00 00 00 - ..........."....
0020 - 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0030 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0040 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0050 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0060 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0070 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0080 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0090 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00F0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0100 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0110 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0120 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0130 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0140 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0150 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0160 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0170 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0180 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0190 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01F0 - 00 00 00 00 52 0A 00 79 36 36 36 73 34 34 34 1A - ....R..y666s444.
0200 - 1A 00 00 11 22 81 85 88 88 00 85 88 88 01 84 87 - ...."...........
0210 - 87 01 84 87 87 0A 0C 0E 0E 0A 0C 0E 0E 09 0B 0D - ................
0220 - 0D 08 0B 0D 0D 4D 58 4C 31 36 0D 20 20 20 20 20 - .....MXL16......
0230 - 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 - ................
0240 - 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 - ................
0250 - 20 20 20 20 20 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0260 - 00 00 00 00 00 01 01 79 04 70 36 36 36 79 80 80 - .......y.p666y..
 

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Disc Info

  

 Basic Information

  

  Disc type:

 DVD-RAM

  Manufacturer:

 RITEK M02

  MID

  

  Write speeds:

 2 X - 3 X

  Blank Capacity

 4.27 GB

 

 4368 MB

 

 4580771840 bytes

 Extended Information

  

  Copyright protection

 CPRM

 Raw Data

  

 Physical Format Information (00h)

  
 
0000 - 16 0F 04 42 00 03 10 00 00 26 5F 5F 00 00 00 00 - ...B.....&__....
0010 - 80 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0020 - 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0030 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0040 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0050 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0060 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0070 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0080 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0090 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00F0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0100 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0110 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0120 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0130 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0140 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0150 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0160 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0170 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0180 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0190 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01F0 - 00 00 00 00 52 0A 00 7B 34 34 34 77 2F 2F 2F 1A - ....R..{444w///.
0200 - 1A 00 00 11 22 05 02 00 00 05 02 00 00 06 03 01 - ...."...........
0210 - 00 06 04 02 01 0A 0B 0B 0C 0A 0B 0B 0C 09 0A 0B - ................
0220 - 0B 09 0A 0B 0B 52 49 54 45 4B 20 4D 30 32 00 00 - .....RITEK.M02..
0230 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0240 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0250 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0260 - 00 00 00 00 00 01 01 82 00 74 33 33 82 7E 7F 00 - .........t33.~..

Nero CD-DVD Speed: Disc Info

  

 Basic Information

  

  Disc type:

 DVD-RAM

  Manufacturer:

 Matsushita Electric Industrial CO.,LTD.

  MID

 M01J3002

  Write speeds:

 2 X - 3 X

  Blank Capacity

 4.38 GB

 

 4482 MB

 

 4700309504 bytes

 Extended Information

  

  Copyright protection

 CPRM

 Raw Data

  

 Physical Format Information (00h)

  
 
0000 - 16 0F 04 42 00 03 10 00 00 26 5F 5F 00 00 00 00 - ...B.....&__....
0010 - 80 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0020 - 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0030 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0040 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0050 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0060 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0070 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0080 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0090 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
00F0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0100 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0110 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0120 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0130 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0140 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0150 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0160 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0170 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0180 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
0190 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01A0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01B0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01C0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01D0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01E0 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ................
01F0 - 00 00 00 00 52 0A 00 71 2C 2C 2C 6E 2A 2A 2A 1A - ....R..q,,,n***.
0200 - 1A 00 00 11 22 05 02 81 81 05 02 81 81 06 03 00 - ...."...........
0210 - 81 06 03 00 00 0A 0B 0C 0C 0A 0B 0C 0C 09 0A 0B - ................
0220 - 0B 09 0A 0B 0B 4D 61 74 73 75 73 68 69 74 61 20 - .....Matsushita.
0230 - 45 6C 65 63 74 72 69 63 20 49 6E 64 75 73 74 72 - Electric.Industr
0240 - 69 61 6C 20 43 4F 2E 2C 4C 54 44 2E 0D 20 20 20 - ial.CO.,LTD.....
0250 - 20 20 20 20 20 4D 30 31 4A 33 30 30 32 0D 20 20 - .....M01J3002...
0260 - 20 20 20 20 20 01 01 82 00 6A 2C 2C 2C 82 94 96 - .........j,,,...

But now the interesting part - writing and reading DVD-RAM media.

Emgeton DVD-RAM 3x without verification

Panasonic DVD-RAM 5x without verification

Panasonic DVD-RAM 5x with verification

Traxdata DVD-RAM 3x without verification

Traxdata DVD-RAM 3x with verification

Verbatim DVD-RAM 3x without verification

For those not familiar with DVD-RAM, you might think that something went wrong during the write process, when the verification option is turned on - since the 5x media was written at approximately 2.04x and the 3x media written at approximately 1.20x. But do not worry - that is pretty normal for DVD-RAM discs, the reason for the 'low" speed is - the drive constantly reads back the data after writing it to verify that it's written correctly. We can also call it a 'bullet proof" writing/verify technique - with no data loss/errors.

Another advantage with DVD-RAM is that the discs can be formatted/erased/written at over 100.000 times before it will/can cause/report any errors. Let's try to read back the discs that we wrote:

Emgeton DVD-RAM 3x

Panasonic DVD-RAM 5x

Traxdata DVD-RAM 3x

Verbatim DVD-RAM 3x

As we can see from the pictures above, all media was read back at 5x using the CLV technique.

Since we have no equipment at the present time to perform any quality measuring tests with the DVD-RAM format it will be skipped, but on the other side it should not be necessary since the RAM writer - verifies the written data by default itself.

Before we round off this review, let us run the drive through some advanced tests at next page…
DVD+R DL/-R DL Writing performance
Advanced tests
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Reactions on this item
Posted by chas0039 on Sunday 19 February 2006 18:53
Don't forget guys, most of us still use a lot of 8X media so don't leave us in the dark.:)
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