Tips, tricks, tools, and techniques for Microsoft Office

When I first reviewed Sony's multi-format DVD/CD burner back in March (http://www.officeletter.com/blink/dru500ax.html), I was impressed. Here was a drive that could read and write any CD and DVD media, without worrying if the blank disk was -R or +R (or +/-RW, for that matter). Since then, such drives have become ubiquitous, and much cheaper.

Plextor and Pacific Digital have weighed in with their multi-format burners. The two drives ship with some of the same software and their performance specs aren't far apart, except for the DVD+R speed.

Of course, the more formats you support, the longer the list of specifications grows. For the record, Plextor's PX-708A reads DVD-ROM disks at 12X, and reads and writes DVD+R at 8X; DVD-R and DVD+RW at 4X, and DVD-RW at 2X. The drive can also read any CD at 40X, write CD-RWs at 24x and CD-Rs at 40X. It offers a 2MB buffer, plus PoweRec to prevent buffer underrun.

The Pacific Digital 4X Dual-Format DVD Burner can also read DVD-ROMs at 12X. It reads and writes DVD+R and DVD-R at 4X; DVD+RW at 2.4X, and DVD-RW at 2X. The drive can also read CDs at 40X, read and write CD-Rs at 16x, CD-RWs at 10x and read all CD formats at 40X. The drive isn't actually made by Pacific Digital; in fact, it's an NEC ND-1300A.

Both drives ship with Roxio Drag-to-Disk and Easy CD and DVD Creator 6.1. For DVD playback Plextor ships with Roxio DVDMax Player, while Pacific Digital includes a copy of InterVideo's WinDVD. The Plextor drive also ships with PhotoSuite 5 SE (for digital image manipulation).

I must admit that the Roxio software makes burning CDs and DVDs virtually painless. Its simple, straightforward interface lets you drag files to a disk icon on your desktop; its menu also lets you handle disk chores, such as erasing rewriteable disks. I also liked the full Creator software to burn files to disk or make disk copies. It's a smart choice. When it comes to burning DVDs, the Plextor has the lead by about 3 minutes when recording to DVD+RW media. While manufacturers always tout their speeds and the time it takes to burn a DVD (Pacific Digital's box boasts a full DVD in less than 17 minutes), in fact your speeds will vary, and it will always take longer. That's because the Roxio software has to prepare the files before it can burn them, which takes time. The Plextor finished first, burning a DVD-RW with 4.4GB's worth of files (over 33,800 in all) at 25 minutes, 50 seconds. The Pacific Digital was only slightly slower, at 28:45.

The speed is more noticeable when writing to DVD+R media. The Pacific Digital drive (which writes at 4X) completed the job in 16:27, while the Plextor (an 8X drive) took just 10:19.

Both drives offer a headphone jack and volume control on the front, plus good installation instructions. The Plextor's drive door opens more smoothly and it's quieter; both drives operate quietly. In the end, your choice may come down to price. The Pacific Digital retails for $199 on the company's Web site (see http://www.pacificdigital.com/products/4xdualformatdvd.asp), while the Plextor sells for $279 (http://www.plextor.com/english/products/708A.html), though I found it for about $240 elsewhere online.

The competition in DVD dual-format recordable drives is heating up; I found a 2X "no-name" brand advertised last weekend for under $150, but the software bundle wasn't specified, and that makes a big difference.

I've had good luck with NEC drives in the past. I have never, ever had a problem with Plextor products or support; the PX-708A appears to meet the same high-quality standards. Both drives ship with good-quality Roxio software. You really can't go wrong with either drive. If your DVD-writing demands are high, buy the Plextor. Those few minutes saved on every DVD you create can quickly add up.

-- James E. Powell

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