SATA Opticals

[Mercutio]

Just thought I'd note that Newegg.com has Lite-On SATA optical drives. CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives. No burners as of yet, but since they're the first SATA optical drives I've noticed from a non-Plextor source, I thought it might be worth a post.

Link

 

[Handruin]

Neat! Now that I have 6 SATA connections it seems useful. It's on auto-alert though...I might pick one up just to try it. I wonder if it's native SATA or if they do that conversion thingy to PATA. I'll have to look it up later when I have more time.

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks Merc....3 days after I order my new system :roll:

I don't buy opticals that aren't DVD-RW though, there just isn't any reason not to (until now). The Plextor SATA DVD-RW is still $100+

 

[ddrueding]

My thoughts on opticals: what I want:

SATA Slot-load DVD-RW with 8MB cache (not 256k).

 

[sechs]

This is ridiculously overdue, whether native or with a bridge chip.

I've been using a PATA DVD-ROM with parallel to serial adapter for about six months now.

 

[Handruin]

Do all your parallel to serial adapters require power? That was one thing I hated about converters. Not only do you have the bulk, but you need to run an extra power wire to the same device. Which for me defeated the advantage of the slimmer cable in the first place, because you know there isn't going to be a performance advantage worth mentioning.

 

[sechs]

The adapter I use is tiny, but it does need a floppy power connection. It isn't a problem for me, as my Seasonic PSU gives me all of these floppy connectors, but I've no floppy.

 

[GIANT]

This is ridiculously overdue, whether native or with a bridge chip.

Strangely enough, just about EXACTLY two years to the week, I saw a "leaked" specifications sheet on a (then) upcoming SATA CD-R/W product from LiteON. I suspect, shortly thereafter, an overly-knee-jerk-conservative LiteON decided to delay or kill the product for economic reasons due to the slower-than-anticipated uptake of SATA -- not to mention at that time SATA2 was quickly completing specifications. Otherwise, I suspect HP, Dell, IBM and Apple have recently begun pounding their fists on the table, demanding SATA optical gear. That big ol' 40-pin parallel connector is taking up precious real estate on the mobo.

I've been using a PATA DVD-ROM with parallel to serial adapter for about six months now.

Many a small computer assembler have started doing this in 2006.

Do all your parallel to serial adapters require power?

All of the SATA ---> PATA bridges I've ever seen require external power. The SATA (and SAS) data channel is not designed to provide power-over-the-bus like USB and Firewire.


As a side note: Power Over Ethernet (POE) is a new standard for powering small Ethernet network devices.

 

[Adcadet]

is using a PATA-to-SATA adaptor an easy way to install an OS onto a SATA drive that isn't aware of SATA? Just use the adaptor to make the SATA drive look like a PATA drive, install OS, somehow get the OS to load a SATA driver, shutdown and remove adaptor, and viola?

 

[Bozo]

Just use NLite to slip stream the SATA drivers into the OS. No adapters needed.

Bozo :joker:

 

[ddrueding]

Just an FYI:

Samsung SATA 18X DVD-RW drive without cost premium over PATA.

I know people were interested and I just noticed. When did this happen?