This CD-R made a bootlegger outta me!
Written: Jan 22 '01 (Updated Jan 22 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to install, FAST recording
Cons: None that I can tell
The Bottom Line: Fast, easy to use and very reliable. Cut down my 'coaster' quotient by about 99% (only one out of 20 tries).
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| martytdx's Full Review: Plextor PlexWriter 12/10/32 |
I had an old HP 8100i CD-burner when I got my new computer, and I was ready to start churning out CDs from mixes I made from various sources. I had the software that came with it and found some others that worked well. I sat down and started recording - and got the dreaded BUFFER UNDERRUN error. One coaster.
I stopped some programs and tried again. Nope - coaster #2 (btw, a 'coaster' is a disc that is ruined during the recording process, essentially leaving it only good as a drink coaster, hence the name). Started my system clean and tried it again - it worked! But that would be a rare occasion, I found.
Aggravating to say the least, I knew that it wasn't my system (PIII 450 with 256 MB RAM and a TON of hard drive space available). Then I stumbled upon a review by lpmiller (http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-C1D-2916FE2E-3994211C-prod5) which told me about this drive he had 'discovered'. He and I emailed back and forth, giving me a better idea of what to expect. Time passed, but this drive stayed in the back of my mind. Then Xmas came and it was time.
I bought the PlexWriter 12/10/32 at Buy.com, and got free shipping to boot (that deal no longer exists, sadly). I got the drive quickly, and ran home to install it.
It is simple to install if you have ANY expertise at installing hardware into your computer. Even if you have relative inexperience at putting new equipment in your computer, the instructions are well done and thorough, and should provide all of the assistance that you need. In terms of Windows finding it – it showed up instantly and was set up in only a minute. You can’t ask for better than that. But you aren't interested in that, are you? You want to know how it performs. Well, compared to my HP, this is a Ferrari vs. the HP Chevette.
After installing their software, I immediately went to the old standby, Adaptec Easy CD Creator Deluxe 4.0 (see my review) and put a bunch of songs in the queue to make a disc. I held my breath as I hit the record button and watched it go. And go it did. The disc - a full 73.5 minutes of music - was recorded in less than six minutes. It took me longer to set it up than to actually record it!
The drive comes as a 12x write/10x rewrite and a 32x read, although I can't say that I use the read function all that often (as I have my 44x CD-ROM, too). But the write speeds are phenomenal. I’ve gone to being able to create CD-R at will, without having to sacrifice the time needed.
More importantly, the Plexwriter comes with BURN-PROOF technology, a blessing if I have ever seen one. This technology virtually eliminates buffer-underrun errors, which are errors created when the computer can't deliver enough information to the CD burner fast enough. On other CD burners, this causes the burner to stop recording, thus destroying the disc. On the Plextor, Burn-Proof uses a system which allows the burner to pause and wait for the computer to catch up, eliminating this problem. For those of us who have had upwards of a 50-70% coaster rate, this is a great addition!
This programming also gives you the ability to run other programs at the same time because it will compensate for the decreased data flow. I don’t bother since it only takes 5 – 7 minutes to create a disc, and I can be away from my computer that long.
For copying files, it seems even quicker, although this might be an illusion. Copying the entire contents of all of my MP3’s onto two CD-R took only about 15 minute total – and that includes the time needed to select the files. Amazing.
SOFTWARE
This drive comes with two pieces of software: Easy CD Creator 3.5 and a specialized Plextor Manager 2000. CD Creator 3.5 is okay, but I would recommend upgrading to 4.0 because of the ability to record MP3 files directly rather than having to convert them every time. The Plextor Manager is one of those packages which has a little of everything - a player, a disc copier and a CD ripper - none of which are the best that you can get. I would suggest picking up Music Match Jukebox or CloneCD to get those functions - they are better products.
I’ve had this drive for over a month, and the only problems I have had were software-related. The drive has surpassed expectations and produced disc after disc of great music for me. It’s easy to install, easy to use and has a blazingly fast record speed – everything you need to make yourself a mix in the time it takes to floss.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
martytdx
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Marty
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 481
Trusted by: 179 members
About Me:
Doing what I can to try new places, restaurants, books and beers.
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