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Sony DRU-530A
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CNET Editors' Review
The good: Writes DVD+R at 8X; good overall performance; solid software bundle.
The bad: No front-panel headphone jack or volume control; programs must be installed one by one; no weekend telephone support.
The bottom line: This solid multiformat drive can burn a DVD+R in less than 10 minutes, but there are cheaper and faster options on the market.
Review: Editors' note: Sony released a February 2004 ... Expand full review
Editors' note: Sony released a February 2004 firmware upgrade for the DRU-530A that increases DVD-R recording speed to 8X (from 4X) and DVD-RW recording to 4X (from 2X). CNET tested the DRU-530A before the firmware became available, and our performance data and conclusions are based on the drive's original speeds. (3/24/04)
Sony's DRU-530A follows up on the company's hugely successful DRU-510A, which was the fastest and finest multiformat DVD drive around when it was released in June 2003, as well as the first one that wrote DVD+RW at 4X. The DRU-530A gives other formats a speed boost, pushing DVD+R writing to 8X, CD-R to 40X, and CD-RW to 24X, but it does so in the wake of Plextor's remarkable PX-708A which writes DVD+R at 8X--to 4X-rated media, no less--and CD-R/RW at 40X/24X. Although the DRU-530A is faster than its predecessor and is a decent burner overall, it writes slower than both TDK's Indi DVD 840G and Plextor's PX-708A, nor can it write DVD+R at 8X on less expensive 4X media. In short, the DRU-530A will serve you well, but not quite as well as the excellent competition. Physically installing the Sony DRU-530A is an uneventful procedure. Sony ships the drive with both an IDE cable and mounting screws; as with most other DVD rewriters we've tested, you simply insert the drive into an empty bay and attach the ribbon and the power cables.
Sony's multilingual quick-start guides lead you through the hardware and software installation process, but because each page details a step in 12 languages, the guide is difficult to scan quickly. The included software CD contains HTML manuals with instructions that are easier to understand.
Installing the DRU-530A's software bundle is just as straightforward, although a bit more tedious. The setup utility requires you to install each major application one at a time, an annoying process that forces you to stay in sight of the computer for 20 minutes or so. The utility automatically enters registration serial numbers, however, which slightly mitigates our displeasure.
Sony's DRU-530A follows up on the company's hugely successful DRU-510A, which was the fastest and finest multiformat DVD drive around when it was released in June 2003, as well as the first one that wrote DVD+RW at 4X. The DRU-530A gives other formats a speed boost, pushing DVD+R writing to 8X, CD-R to 40X, and CD-RW to 24X, but it does so in the wake of Plextor's remarkable PX-708A which writes DVD+R at 8X--to 4X-rated media, no less--and CD-R/RW at 40X/24X. Although the DRU-530A is faster than its predecessor and is a decent burner overall, it writes slower than both TDK's Indi DVD 840G and Plextor's PX-708A, nor can it write DVD+R at 8X on less expensive 4X media. In short, the DRU-530A will serve you well, but not quite as well as the excellent competition. Physically installing the Sony DRU-530A is an uneventful procedure. Sony ships the drive with both an IDE cable and mounting screws; as with most other DVD rewriters we've tested, you simply insert the drive into an empty bay and attach the ribbon and the power cables.
Sony's multilingual quick-start guides lead you through the hardware and software installation process, but because each page details a step in 12 languages, the guide is difficult to scan quickly. The included software CD contains HTML manuals with instructions that are easier to understand.
Installing the DRU-530A's software bundle is just as straightforward, although a bit more tedious. The setup utility requires you to install each major application one at a time, an annoying process that forces you to stay in sight of the computer for 20 minutes or so. The utility automatically enters registration serial numbers, however, which slightly mitigates our displeasure.
Sony ships the DRU-530A with Sonic's software bundle, which includes the easy-to-use MyDVD 5.0 LE movie-authoring program, the simple-but-effective RecordNow CD/DVD mastering program, and DLA (Drive Letter Access) packet-writing software. Also bundled are CyberLink's top-rated PowerDVD 5.0 for DVD-movie playback and the ever-popular Musicmatch Jukebox for ripping, cataloging, and burning audio tracks.
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