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One of the most popular reviews here at
ExtremeMHz was the Optorite DD0203. This drive introduced Optorite's
exclusive HD-Burn Technology which offered the capability of writing up to
1.4GB of data onto a 700MB CDR. It was a cost-effective method of data storage
that made it one of the most popular drives on the market. Its media
compatibility was great, but its slow load times, mediocre ripping performance
and numerous problems regarding firmware were some of the issues with the
drive. Today, we look at their faster 12x DVD writer, the DD1203. Featuring
faster DVD and CDR write speeds and continued support for HD-Burn Technology,
this drive looks much more promising. Let's take it for a spin and see what it
has to offer.
Packaging & Contents
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**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
When
you first open the box, you'll find a real nice surprise...a black bezel.
Optorite has included both white and black bezels with the drive. This
is certainly a real treat and I personally think companies should start to do
this with their retail models considering the popularity of black components
and cases. No longer do you need to settle for an OEM drive to get a
black bezel. Also included, is an OEM version of the popular Nero
Burning ROM, Sonic MyDVD, audio cable and quick start guide. A
disappointment, however, is the exclusion of any blank media.
The Drive
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**click to enlarge** |
**click to enlarge** |
Unlike a majority of other drives, the DD1203 has two buttons on the front instead of
just one.
The second functions as a play/fwd button. There is also one
status LED, volume control and headphone jack. Another noticeable
difference is on the back of the drive. There are some jumpers on one
end labeled "Factory Use Only". Not particularly sure what they are for,
but it is unlikely that you will need to play with these at all.
**click to enlarge**
The
label of our sample had a manufacture date of June 2004. Our drive came
with an older firmware 100E. I quickly flashed the drive with their
latest firmware, 120E. However, this is not help much with
compatibility. More on that later in the review.
Specifications
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Interface
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E-IDE / ATAPI(Ultra DMA mode2) |
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Internal Buffer Size
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2MB |
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Data transfer speed (ATA I/F)
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33MB / sec |
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Random Access Time
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DVD: 130ms ; CD: 100ms |
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Write Speed
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HD-Burn
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24x |
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DVD+R
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12x |
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DVD+RW
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4x |
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DVD-R
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8x |
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DVD-RW
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4x |
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CD-R
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40x |
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CD-RW
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24x |
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Read Speed
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DVD+R
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12x |
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DVD+RW
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12x |
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DVD-R
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12x |
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DVD-RW
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12x |
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CD-R
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40x |
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CD-RW
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40x |
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CD-DA
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40x |
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HD-Burn
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78x |
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DVD-ROM
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12x (Single) ; 8x (Double) |
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CD-ROM
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40x |
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Writing Type
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DVD+R
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Incremental Write (Multi Session
Support) |
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DVD+RW
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Random Write |
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DVD-R
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Disc at Once, Incremental Recording
(Multi-Border Support) |
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DVD-RW
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Rigid Restricted Overwriting,
Incremental Write |
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CD-R/RW
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Disc at Once, Session at Once, Track at
Once, Packet Writing (Multi Session Support) |
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Support Media Type
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DVD-ROM, DVD single layer / Dual layer,
DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM [Mode1, Mode2 (Form1/2)], CD-ROM /
XA, Mixed mode CD, CD-R/RW, CD Extra, CD-TEXT |
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Support Formats
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DVD-ROM (UDF Bridge), DVD-ROM (ISO
9660), DVD-ROM (UDF), DVD-VIDEO, DVD-VR |
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Disc Size
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8/12 cm discs |
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Power Requirements
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DC +5V±5% / 12V±10%, Max 2.0A |
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Environmental Conditions
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Operating Temperature: 5℃ to 45℃
Storage Temperature: -30℃ to 60℃ |
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Dimensions (W*H*D)
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148.5*42.5*194.2 mm (5.85*1.67*7.65in) |
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Weight (bare drive)
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<1.0kg (2.2lb) |
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OS Compatibility
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Windows 98SE/ME/XP/NT/2000 |
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MTBF
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> 30,000 POH (duty 20％) |
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