Superfast performer: A system monitors a burn to ensure maximum recording quality

Optical disc drives for recording CDs and DVDs are a bit like long-distance runners: there is always another speed threshold to conquer, fresh terrain to explore. For years, the digital equivalent of the four-minute mile for CDburners was 2.4x, a glacially slow rate, followed in short order by 4x and 8x. Now, more than 60 per cent of home computers come equipped with their own internal burners, many adhering to a speedy 16x burn rate and able to burn onto dual-layer discs, which can hold more than 8 gigabytes of data. (Dual-layer burning tends to take more time, but good burners can provide a 4x rate.)

But those in search of a product that will deliver high-end writing capacity at ever-higher rates of burning speed are not content with built-in PC drives, mainly because they lack the quality of aftermarket drives from companies like Plextor, Sony and BenQ. It’s kind of like the chasm that separates cheap, off-the-shelf DVD players from high-end progressive-scan machines; the differences may be negligible to the untrained eye, but discerning cinephiles can spot them.

There is also the issue of compatibility. Many internal PC burners cannot read every disc format ? DVD-R, DVD(PLUS)R, DVD-RAM and others ? the way certain aftermarket burners can. That ability makes life a lot easier if you want to transfer home videos, audio files or still images using a single unit.

A handful of DVD burners on the market let users copy as much as 8.5 gigabytes of data onto a DVD(PLUS)R or DVD-R dual-layer disc ? that is, more than 16 hours of VHS-quality video or eight hours of DVD-quality video. Combine that with a healthy speed rate and self-monitoring features that safeguard against sloppy, low-fidelity burns, and you can write a high-quality disc in just over six minutes.

High-performance optical disc drives can now be had for a couple hundred dollars ? a solid investment if you want to transfer endless hours of vacation video to the sturdier DVD format. The PX-716A is compatible with just about every popular recording format for both CDs and DVDs, and burns efficiently. A 4.4-gigabyte video can be transferred in a little more than six minutes using a standard DVD-R disc, and 8 gigabytes of information can be downloaded onto a dual-layer disc in eight minutes. While Plextor uses the Roxio Easy Media Creator as part of its software bundle, thus providing easy “drag, drop and burn” transfers, its own PlexTools software is among the most useful user interfaces for those who are fanatics about checking every variable while burning. The best burners have comprehensive software bundles that provide versatility for multimedia presentations. The DVR-R100 ($89) from Pioneer includes software for desktop moviemaking and editing, and digital photo and data organisation, as well as NovaBackup 7.2 for making backup copies of important data. Pioneer’s burner, like Plextor’s, can accommodate dual-layer discs, and rips and burns data at a comparable rate.

What those burners lack is the ability to write graphics and text onto the discs themselves ? a function that can be particularly useful for small-business owners or consumers not wanting to bother with making separate labels for their discs. A solution is provided by LightScribe, a company that has licensed its direct disc-labelling technology to a few companies. When compatible burners are used with discs that feature LightScribe coating, graphics can be burned onto discs with one click of the mouse.

To prevent the signal loss that can occur when data is burned at high speed, BenQ bundles its Write Right software with its EW1621 burner ($150). Its High Speed Signal Algorithm monitors the signal level throughout a burn to ensure maximum recording quality, while its WOPC (Walking Optimal Power Control) constantly adjusts the writing quality. The company also features a sliding cone mechanism on the turntable that clamps securely over the disc to prevent disc damage.

For those on the fringe of the rip-and-burn wave who want quantity as well as quality, there are copy towers. Resembling old-school computer mainframes, these towers can burn multiple DVDs or CDs in minutes. While these burning monsters are aimed at the small-business market, they can be a musician’s best friend (all those demos) or a way to rip digital photos of a party for your guests before they grab their coats to go home. (NYTNS)