Serious Burn: Copying CDs In Just 3 Minutes – THG.RU

The 12x to 24x Burner Quartet

Using the latest hardware, a complete CD can be burned in about 3 minutes, giving impressive results, and making us quite eager to evaluate the best products for the task. No more long waits for CD copying. The new TDK CDRW 241040X, which writes to compatible blank CDs at a speed of 24x (equivalent to 3.6 MB per second), makes it all possible. We got this device from TDK on exclusive terms, although other well-known manufacturers will be launching similar models shortly. No question about it – for the moment at least, the TDK burner is the record-holder in burn speed. Our comparison includes three other models: the Yamaha CRW 2200E – a 20x/10x/40x model – which writes to CD-Rs at a maximum speed of 20x. Also included in the test sample were the Yamaha CRW 2100E with 16x burn speed and the AOpen CRW 1232A with 12x write speed.

Common to all four burners is the ability to process CD-RW media, or rewritable CDs, at 10x speeds (1.5 MB per second).

Checklist For Purchasing A CD Burner

The typical user has a few things in mind when buying a CD burner: first of all, to make backups, and copies of game or music CDs. Many current games prompt for the original CD, which at first glance does not lend itself well to copying. Sophisticated copy-protect mechanisms prevent users from making too many copies of popular games. But several options exist that can be used to bypass or disable any protection. Also, and it does not happen often, backing up personal data — best done by creating a CD — is a powerful incentive to get a CD burner.

We examined our four CD burners in a rather intricate procedure. Numerous blank CDs of various types were tested with every burner. Most importantly, each device had the task of writing to oversize media (overburn function) at maximum speed. However, there is one topic we left unexplored – methods of duplicating current game software. We’ll leave that for others to try.

Aopen CRW 1232A: Praiseworthy All-Rounder

The AOpen CRW 1232A is a 12x/10x/32x device and only costs $ 85.

This is how the AOpen burner looks straight out of the box.

Taiwan-based AOpen is well-known in the market for its motherboards. For $ 85 the customer gets a good device for all-purpose use that doesn’t push the envelope in any respect. In the test it showed no problems: in 7 minutes and 14 seconds, the CRW 1232A wrote the 705-MB image without error. Copying a commercial CD (with 506 MB of content) took 5 minutes and 2 seconds. Worth mentioning – the AOpen can write to media at a maximum speed of 12x. One advantage is that the burner can read audio CDs (DAE – digital audio extraction) at 32x speed. That means there are no built-in constraints (GEMA restrictions) as is the case with several of the competitors’ models.

The short access times are also exemplary: for full access, the CRW 1232A only needs 217 ms and is thus the fastest in this test. The actual burn process shows a few deficits: AOpen has no 1x write speed and no automatic laser calibration, but could be easily overlooked when considering the low price. On the other hand, one aspect deserves criticism – read errors occurred on the outer range of the media when it read our test data CD to the point that the transfer rate suddenly dropped. The chart below shows this in a striking manner.

In addition to the NERO Burning ROM burner software, the package includes two blank CDs (CD-R and CD-RW) as well as audio and IDE cables.

Accessories included.

AOpen’s read speed along the radius of the test CD.

TDK CDRW 241040X: Copying CDs In About 3 Minutes

The front-runner: The TDK burns CDs at a speed of 24x, but at a price – it costs $213.

Contents of the TDK package – a manual, a CD pen and a cable.

The TDK burns normal CD-ROMs with 500 MB to 550 MB capacity in just under 3 minutes! The CDRW 241040X re-created our oversize 705-MB test image in 4 minutes, 8 seconds. There is an internal restriction when reading audio CDs (DAE): in the test, the TDK read our music CD at a maximum speed of 20x. But the error correction of the drive works flawlessly, making the drive the only test subject to reach a maximum read speed of 38.48x (5772 KB/s). The built-in write cache (2MB) is way too small for us. At a maximum write speed of 24x (3.6 MB/s) the write cache is empty after half a second – provided that the data flow stalls. TDK is the only device in the test group that manages to read the data flow continuously at an increasing transfer rate. Even so, the data transfer rate in the outer ranges of the test CD is around 5,772 KB/s (38.48x speed). This fact alone points to perfect error correction in comparison to the other models, which showed problems in reading the outer range of the test CD.

The access times of the TDK burner are quite fast, even though full seek took 258 ms to complete in the test. By and large, the TDK meets the demands of advanced users who want to copy all types of CDs. However, special blank CDs are recommended for writing at 24x speed. Media from the discount store around the corner can only be processed at 12x maximum burn speed – but if the burn speed is set too high, the CDRW 241040X will automatically drop back to a lower mode. Such a range of functions has its price: at just over $ 200, the TDK is the most expensive device of those tested.

Also included in the TDK package.

Setting an example: The transfer rate increases with the radius of the CD. There are no drops in the data transfer rate.

Yamaha CRW 2100E

The Yamaha 2100E is a 16x/10x/40x burner and costs $ 110.

The Yamaha 2100E package.

The Yamaha CRW 2100E’s features make it a mid-range burner: it can write to CD-R media at a maximum speed of 16x, although its read speed can go as high as 40x. Like all of the other test participants, the CDR 2100E writes to CD-RW disks at a maximum speed of 10x. Recording an oversized CD image took exactly 5 minutes and 51 seconds, while the copy of the 506-MB CD-ROM took 4 minutes and 7 seconds. The rather low transfer rate shown by the Yamaha deserves criticism. The data transfer rate of only 3661 KB/s (24.41x) does not exactly let this renowned company bask in glory. The AOpen CRW 1232A, working at a 32x read speed, almost reaches the same transfer rate (3537 KB/s)!

Unlike its counterpart, the CRW 2200E, the Yamaha CRW 2100E is not equipped with the burn proofing function. The device’s access times turn out to be quite fast, although full seek access was completed in 238 ms in the test. The 8 MB storage cache of the Yamaha prevents sudden interruptions in the write process, especially as the device does not have burn proofing. Audio CDs are read with the maximum speed possible of about 6,000 KB/s, allowing MP3 files to be recorded very quickly.

The package includes the NERO Burning ROM 5.5 software and two discs (CD-R and CD-RW).

Overall, at just over $ 100, the “little” Yamaha 2100E is a better choice than the larger CRW 2200E model with a maximum burn speed of 20x, which costs $ 79 more.

Complete package of the Yamaha 2100E.

As with the larger CRW 2200E model, the data transfer rate drops off significantly in the outer range of the test CD. But after a short time, it increases somewhat.

Yamaha CRW 2200E: Problems With Blank CDs

The Yamaha 2200E costs $ 179 and reaches a maximum write speed of 20x. Other data: 20x/10x/40x.

Yamaha 2200E package.

Yamaha’s top model is the CRW 2200E, a burner that writes to CD-Rs at a maximum speed of 20x. A comparison with the smaller CRW 2100E shows the following differences: the CRW 2200E is equipped with the burn-proofing function, which prevents the blank CD from being destroyed in the event of a crash. In the test, it read audio CDs at maximum speed (40x, about 6,000 KB/s), indicating that the manufacturer did not build in any limitations imposed by the hardware. Problems arose in the CRW 2200E when used with various blank CDs. The Yamaha 2200E did not process the five different types of blank CDs in an optimum manner. Very often, the burner shifted down during the burn process from 20x to 8x burn speed. And that despite the fact that we used only blank CDs that were particularly specified for such high burn speeds. Even at a reduced speed of 16x or 12x the device shifted down to 8x speed. We were not able to determine a precise cause for this problem. Otherwise, the Yamaha CRW 2200E supported all functions needed in duplicating CD-ROMs. The test with both of our CD-RW media produced curious results: they were inscribed at a maximum speed of 10x.

The CRW 2100E, available for just over $ 100, showing no signs of problems, is preferable to the CRW 2200E priced at $ 179. What remains is the error correction function, which is far from flawless and found in both of the Yamaha models.

Flawed error correction: the data transfer rate slows in the outer range of the test CD.

Optional accessory: an ASCSI/IDE adapter.

Test Configuration: Audio And Data CDs

We carried out the data and audio tests with the test CDs.

We conducted the comparative tests of all four burners in basically the same environment. The most important tests deal with the devices’ suitability for practical use, which is also the ultimate criterion for any user interested in purchasing a burner. First we examined the digital audio extraction function (DAE) to find out the maximum read speed that could be attained without errors. DAE is interesting for those users who want to convert audio files to the space-saving MP3 format later on. The recommended devices have no limitations on read speed.

Another criterion of the test was the maximum burn speed. Although this is physically predetermined, not every burner is able to handle the various types of blank CDs effortlessly.

The CD speed test application.

Access time is important when the burner is used as a CD-ROM drive for the installation of applications. In the mid-range, access time should not be more than 250 ms.

Furthermore, we took into account the times it took to achieve various tasks, such as mounting time, opening and closing of the drive drawer or the time needed to recognise a CD.

The two CDs shown were used as test CDs.

Fast MP3 encoding: DAE – digital audio extraction – with the aid of the Xing encoder.

Popular Burner Software: CDR Win, NERO And Clone CD

Writing to a blank 700-MB CD.

Not every blank CD can handle 24x speed: slowing and defective blanks in interplay with the TDK CDRW 241040X.

The latest version of NERO Burning ROM 5.5.

We would like to touch briefly on the subject of burner software. Current software should always be able to handle disc-at-once mode (DAO), since there are no longer any problems with this in the hardware. All burners work optionally in tack-at-once (TAO) and DAO mode. Additional functions, such as CD text, have only recently begun to be supported by burners and their corresponding software. Clone CD 3.0.5.1. proved to be the best CD-copying software in our tests. This program, only 2.5 MB, can copy almost all game and application CDs. The software can also write data without correction, which is the feature behind the important term “subchannel”. The program NERO Burning ROM, version 5.5 of which is included with most of the burners in this comparison, is well-suited for creating personal and audio CDs . NERO also offers various features to turn off automatic error correction algorithms.

Popular Burner Software, Continued

Clone CD with the subchannel function copies almost all protected game and application CDs.

Burning 90-minute blank CDs with NERO Burning ROM 5.5.

NERO 5.5 can also handle extra-long CD-Rs, provided that the connected burner supports this function. It is also possible to edit the length of pauses on audio CDs. Audio CDs can be burned right from MP3 format in real time without being converted beforehand. CDR Win 4.0 is and has always been a very good program. The main advantage of this software is in the exceptionally low CPU load during the burn process.

NERO Burning ROM 5.5 with the burn-proofing function activated.

Overburning CD-Rs: The Software Makes It Happen

Currently, blank CDs are available on the market with a capacity of up to 990 MB. Standard CDs with the CD-R 74 format have a capacity of 650 MB. On the other hand, CD-R 80 media can store a maximum of 700 MB. Both media formats can be processed by all CD burners. It is a different situation with blank CD-R 90 and CD-R 99 discs: They hold a maximum of 800 and 900 MB respectively, or 90 minutes of music and 99 minutes of audio data respectively. Whether a burner can write to CD-R 90 and CD-R 99 media depends entirely on the positioning electronics of the CD burner. The CDR Win 4.0A software that we used along with others for our tests is capable of producing 90-minute audio CDs. NERO Burning ROM 5.5 also offers this feature as an option. However, media written in this way can only be read in the same drive. As a rule, standard CD-ROM drives cannot recognise special formats.

Special blank CD for a maximum 24x burn speed.

Standard blank CD for up to 12x burn speed.

Bypassing Copy Protection – But How?

Data read erroneously should not be corrected either by the burner or the software and should be rewritten without an error algorithm. These functions are supported by Clone CD 3.0.5.1, Win On CD 3.8 and CDR Win 4.0A. Original CDs with what is known as a laser lock need an additional special patch so that they can run after they are copied, as the laser indentations are read at unspecified intervals by the program.

Test Results At A Glance

The following charts show all test results at a glance.

CD Spin Up And Down Time

All test subjects showed similar behaviour.

CD Media Load And Eject Time

This chart compares the times for opening and closing the CD drawer.

Total CD Writing Time

This picture shows the total write speeds for all test participants.

Disc Recognition Time

The time it takes for the drive to recognise a CD is an important criterion.

Access Speeds

The diagram shows the various access speeds for all test participants.

Size Of The Internal Write Cache

Both Yamaha models are equipped with an 8-MB cache, while that of the TDK burner is much too small considering the write speed of up to 24x.

In Detail: Accessories And Features

Summary: TDK For Speed-Mongers, Aopen For Bean-Counters

This test of four high-speed burners clearly shows that the TDK, with its maximum burn speed of 24x, is definitely the favorite when it comes to speed and short burn times. In just 3 minutes, a complete CD-ROM can be written – none of the other test subjects can do this. However, the write cache that comes with the device shows deficiencies: 2 MB are decidedly too scant for a burner in this speed class. But with maximum use of the available resources (24x) it has a sustained data flow of 3.6 MB per second. The cache is thus emptied in less than one second.

Those who place less importance on burn speed and are looking for a good all-around burner should go for the AOpen CRW 1232A. It combines short access times with very good error correction. However, it makes less points for the features offered: There is no laser calibration and no burn-proofing function. But on the other hand, the burner can be had for $ 85.

Both Yamaha writers offer by and large equally useful features – but regarding error correction, they are less attractive. The CRW 2200E shows anomalies when writing to certain CD-Rs: In operation, the device shifts down from a 20x to an 8x burn speed.