Sony DRU-500AX

[Mercutio]

I impulse-bought a Sony multi-write DVD burner today. It's easily the most expensive piece of computer hardware I've purchased in the last two years, at $329. I purchased it at a local Circuit City, along with 5-packs of +R and -R discs, and single +RW and -RW media, all of which were horrendously overpriced.

Contents of the box: an attractive silver-finished and unusually heavy optical drive.
A bunch of truly crappy mastering software (Veritas RecordNow & DLA, MyDVD, and Musicmatch Jukebox) and a single program I might actually use, PowerDVD XP. DLA is the packet-writing program. I uninstalled InCD to put it on.
1 (ONE!) Sony DVD+RW disc. You'd think the retail box could've at least come with a +R, too.
A whole lotta warranty, EULA and disclaimer crap.

Installed on 2000 Server, on an XP1600+ which already had a LiteOn DVDRom and a 48x burner.

I burned an MPEG-2 of an episode of "The Tick" to a +R and a -R.
My results so far: My oldest DVD-ROM drive, a 2x Toshiba, can't read +R discs, and it struggled with the -R when it initially started to read (took way longer to load, and stuttered a bit), but was able to play it back in powerdvd. My 5x Creative, 12x Pioneer and 16x LiteOns were fine with both. My Sony DVD jukebox can't read either format (if you didn't hear that, it was the sound of me weeping over that little "investment"), but my JVC changer reads both, as does my $200 Apex handheld player.

Somehow I doubt that I'm the only one on SF with one of these things. Maybe we could get together and write a long-format review.

 

[Mercutio]

How quickly I forget. Radeon 9700AIWs cost more than DVD burners. Sigh. I should just stop going to big electronics stores.

 

[blakerwry]

gee.. makes me glad I only spend $180 on a graphics card.

 

[Splash]

I impulse-bought a Sony multi-write DVD burner today. It's easily the most expensive piece of computer hardware I've purchased in the last two years, at $329...

Yes, this is the DVD "combo" writer I was talking about somewhat recently. It just came out. It's the first on the market to write to all DVD media formats, except DVD-RAM. A particular Memorex DVD writer was supposed to be the first combo DVD writer on the market, but I guess it was stalled by UL certification or something else.

 

[Pradeep]

Actually it was in the stores in mid-October last year. That's when I got mine.

Merc, did the drive come with firmware 1.0f installed? There's a new version called 1.0g available but I'm not in any rush to use it. Apparently improves media compatibility. Available at

http://sonystoragesupport.com/dvdrw/dru500adwn.htm

Here is the link to the upgraded software, Veritas Record Now DX, which is a massive improvement over the non-DX version.

http://dl1.easy.co.jp/rdnx45_e/splash/regist.html

I find that anything I burn using Nero is unplayable in my X-Box. Also when using Veritas, make sure you close the session when burning DVD-Video (it's under Edit->Recording Options)

As for media, I've used HyperMicro with great results. Their $69 for a spindle of 100 Lead Data burn at 2x for me (tho they are only 1x certified.) The $89 dollar spindle of Riteks are also good.

 

[Stereodude]

Nero doesn't burn very compatible video dvds.

I have a DRU500a. The 500ax just has the latest firmware already installed. I have the "F" version of the firmware installed on mine.

I've burnt a few Video DVD-R's with DVD Decrypter which work fine in all the stuff I've tested in.

Stereodude

 

[Mercutio]

The date of manufacture on my drive was the 24th of January. I do have the "G" firmware and RecordNow DX already.

I went back and "closed" my DVD+R disc and it started working in my Sony jukebox. Good. That's one name to cross off my "kill on sight" list. Thanks for the tip!

I think I'm going to wait until I can find a 100-pack of 4x media before I order any quantity. I still have about 200 8x CD-Rs that I haven't found anything to do with since I got 32 and 48x burners.

 

[GIANT]

...I still have about 200 8x CD-Rs that I haven't found anything to do with since I got 32 and 48x burners.

You might be able to sell 'em at a fair price to someone in your business dealings, like the "486 Lady."

 

[blakerwry]

I use slower rated CDs to burn audio.... i almost always burn audio at 4 or 8x just to make sure I have no problems .. and i usually burn more than 80min onto an audio CD for some reason... so I'm sure the lower burn speed helps when getting near the edge of the disc.

 

[Mercutio]

LDW-400D. Anyone heard of it? LiteOn multi-mode DVD burner? Identical to the Sony? Is it?
I noticed it on pricewatch today but haven't heard/read anything about it.

 

[.Nut]

LDW-400D. Anyone heard of it? LiteOn multi-mode DVD burner? Identical to the Sony? Is it?
I noticed it on pricewatch today but haven't heard/read anything about it.

Available in the USA (yet)?

 

[Pradeep]

Monday, April 28th, 2003
DVD±RW Writers From Lite-On and Optorite Available Now!
4:39 PM CST Posted By: Ian
The Sony DRU-500A/AX isn't the only DVD±RW writer on the block anymore. A number of vendors have started to advertise DVD±RW drives from Lite-On and Optorite.
Lite-On LDW-400D - Prices

4x Max DVD+R and DVD-R Write, 2.4x Max DVD+RW Rewrite, 2x Max DVD-RW Rewrite, and 8x Max DVD-ROM Read
24x Max CD-R Write, 10x Max CD-RW Rewrite and 32x Max CD-ROM Read
8MB Buffer

Optorite DD0203 - Prices - More Info
4x Max DVD+R and DVD-R Write, 2.4x Max. DVD+RW Rewrite, 2x Max DVD-RW Rewrite, and 12x Max DVD-ROM Read
4x Max CD-R Write, 10x Max CD-RW Rewrite and 40x Max CD-ROM Read
8MB Buffer with support for BURN-Proof
With prices starting at around $300, I wouldn't consider either drive "affordable" quite yet. However, they are an alternative to the Sony.


www.cdrlabs.com

The specs (and price) certainly seem to indicate a Sony clone, but it's hard to be sure.

 

[Pradeep]

The specs on the LiteOn seem to be the same as the Sony 500A(X).

Still, the Sony 510A with 4x DVD+RW capability would be a better buy when available.

 

[Mercutio]

Er... why?

OK. Backups, maybe.

Why else?

If it's a choice between a $300 drive and a $350 one, well, I've only made one DVD+RW anyway.

I was actually hoping that someone would pipe up and say "oh yeah, it doesn't have the stupid 2x ripping limit" about the LiteOn. Hope it's not a complete Sony clone.

 

[Pradeep]

Are you looking for a second burner? To me $50 on a DVD burner is neither here nor there, you are going to end up spending far more than the initial price on media in any case.

Even if the Sony didn't have the 2x CSS ripping limitation, the best it could do is close to 8x DVD reading. A LiteOn 16x reader is more efficient for such purposes.

 

[Mercutio]

I've got a couple at work, too, remember?

The ripping/DVD reader limitations of the Sony represent a real deficiency, particularly since all my DVD burners are installed in USB2 enclosures and may not be paired with machines that have fast DVD drives (or other DVD drives at all, for that matter).
The Sony is the closest thing to a "no compromises" product. However, it makes a lot of compromises to get there, including slow DVD reading and crippled ripping.

Here's to hoping LiteOn makes a better product (if the drive is in fact somehow different).

 

[freeborn]

The date of manufacture on my drive was the 24th of January. I do have the "G" firmware and RecordNow DX already.

I went back and "closed" my DVD+R disc and it started working in my Sony jukebox. Good. That's one name to cross off my "kill on sight" list. Thanks for the tip!

I think I'm going to wait until I can find a 100-pack of 4x media before I order any quantity. I still have about 200 8x CD-Rs that I haven't found anything to do with since I got 32 and 48x burners.

I bought 2 of these (DRU-500A) back in October from Dell. I ordered 1 for work and 1 for home. Strangely the one I ordered for work arrived in early December whereas the one I ordered on my personal account did not arrive until late February. Anyway, I upgraded to F firmware and have been running problem free. I buy bulk 4X Ritek -R media and bulk 2.4X +RW Ritek media all from http://www.allmediaoutlet.com/.

At home both of these media types have worked great in my old Pioneer DVD player as well as my Plextor Combo drive and Samsung 12X DVD reader.

At work I use the burner for data backup. Every test system I get in, I ghost the original hard drive and then burn the images to bootable DVDs. This makes it easy to load and reload whatever is needed on any given day on any given system.

I have not tried many media types but I'll stick with the Ritek since it works for me and the price is right. On my last order I got the Ritek 4X -R media for $1.73 each and the Ritek 2.4X +RW for $1.93 each. I ordered the largest package of each and split the cost and order down the middle with a buddy from work.

Free