Spring 2004 DVD Performance Roundup: More DVD Dual 8X

Sony DRU-530A (2.0C)

The Sony DRU-530A is our first drive returning from our previous roundup. Just after our last roundup, Sony released a firmware revision that enabled full 8X DVD-R burns. This came as a surprise for us, but definitely benefits the consumer. Feel free to check out our previous thoughts on the DRU-530A.

Sony DRU-530A DVD-/+R Drive
Interface	IDE
CD Write Speed	40X, 32X, 24X (P-CAV) 16X, 12X, 8X, 4X (CLV)
CD Rewrite Speed	24X (P-CAV) 16X, 10X, 4X (CLV)
CD Read Speed	40X Max (CAV)
DVD-R Write Speed	8X (Z-CLV) 4X, 2X, 1X (CLV)
DVD-RW Rewrite Speed	2X, 1X (CLV)
DVD+R Write Speed	8X (Z-CLV) 4X, 2.4X (CLV)
DVD+RW Rewrite Speed	4X, 2.4X (CLV)
DVD Read Speed	12X Max (CAV)
Supported Modes	DAO / DAO-RAW 16 & 96 TAO SAO / SAO 16 & 96 Packet Write Multi-Session
Supported Formats	DVD+R (incremental) DVD+RW (random) DVD-R (DAO, incremental, multi-border) DVD-RW (restricted overwrite) CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-ROM XA, Mixed Mode, CD Extra Photo CD, CD Text, Bootable CD, Mount Rainer
Access Time	CD: 160ms DVD: 200ms
Buffer	2MB

Again, our only change on the DRU-530A is the addition of 8X Zone Constant Linear Velocity (Z-CLV) support for 8X DVD-R media. Recall that in our previous roundups, the DRU-530A did not recalibrate on the fly; we were forced to use 8X media to achieve 8X write strategies. Although this is technically the most sanctioned stance by the DVD-R and DVD+R forums (in both of which Sony has a large presence), it is a hinderance in performance.

The Sony DRU-530A debuted in September 2003 with a $300 price tag. Now it hovers around $140; a 50% cut in 6 months.

Special thanks to Sony and Verbatim for providing us with lots of media for our benchmarks.

There are several other drives that use the same Sanyo LC897490 chipsets found in this drive. We would expect similar performance of the Sony DRU-530A with:

• MSI DR8-A (with 140D firmware upgrade)
• Optorite DD0405

Alas, our award winning Plextor 708A, which is also based on the LC897490, is not capable of 8X DVD-R, so we could not include it in this roundup.

Oddly, our near identical MSI DR8-A burner supports HD BURN, while the Sony DRU-530A does not. Since a feature like HD BURN is almost entirely based on firmware, we suspect that our Sony DRU-530A is capable, but not enabled.

One downside of the Sony and MSI burners that we have seen in the past is its susceptibility to CPU usage. Even minor peaks in CPU usage force the drive to recalibrate. This was not the case with the Plextor 708A (with the same Sanyo LC897490 chipset) or other drives that we tested in this roundup.