Plextor PX-740UF/SW-B -DVD RW drive review (dual layer, external - Hi-Speed USB BLACK)

DVD movie rip/burn tests (min:sec)
(Shorter bars indicate faster performance)

4.4GB DVD Video burn test

4.4GB DVD Video rip test (from DVD Video)

Plextor PX-740UF (16X DVD+R)

05:45 

06:06 

Plextor PX-740UF (16X DVD-R)

06:01 

Iomega SuperDVD 16XU2 (16X DVD+R)

06:06 

08:53 

LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW with LightScribe (16X DVD+R)

06:08 

09:07 

Iomega SuperDVD 16XU2 (16X DVD-R)

06:18 

LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW with LightScribe (8X DVD-R)

08:34 

Double-layer DVD movie rip/burn tests (min:sec)
(Shorter bars indicate faster performance)

7.9GB DVD Video burn test

7.9GB DVD Video rip test (from DVD Video)

Plextor PX-740UF (8X double-layer DVD+R)

14:47 

11:47 

Iomega SuperDVD 16XU2 (4X double-layer DVD+R)*

27:00 

17:06 

LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW with LightScribe (2.4X double-layer DVD+R)

45:15 

17:33 

* The Iomega drive writes to 2.4X DVD+R double-layer media at 4X

CD Audio rip/burn tests (min:sec)
(Shorter bars indicate faster performance)

74:35 CD Audio burn test

74:35 CD Audio rip test

Plextor PX-740UF (48X CD-R)

02:57 

03:43 

Iomega SuperDVD 16XU2 (48X CD-R)

02:59 

03:57 

LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW with LightScribe (40X CD-R)

03:17 

03:47 

RW read/write tests (min:sec)
(Shorter bars indicate faster performance)

4.22GB RW write test

4.22GB RW read test

Plextor PX-740UF (8X DVD+RW)

07:29 

06:25 

Iomega SuperDVD 16XU2 (8X DVD+RW)

07:31 

09:22 

Plextor PX-740UF (4X DVD-RW)

09:48 

06:48 

Iomega SuperDVD 16XU2 (6X DVD-RW)

10:04 

09:36 

LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW with LightScribe (4X DVD+RW)

13:57 

09:30 

LaCie d2 DVD+/-RW with LightScribe (4X DVD-RW)

14:44 

09:22 

Unless otherwise mentioned, all write tests are run with Verbatim media, rated at the drive's maximum speed. Find out more about how we test optical drives.

Plextor backs the PX-740UF with a one-year warranty. Toll-free telephone support is available 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT, but only on weekdays. Plextor's online support lacks bells and whistles, such as live chat or a user forum, but it does provide regularly issued firmware upgrades and PDF versions of manuals. The site also has plenty of FAQs and tutorials to augment the more-informative-than-average user guide that Plextor includes with the PX-740UF. You should be able to find the answers you need using these sources, but we'd like to see additional links to online registration on the support page and menu, and to have the ones on the main page displayed more prominently.