ASUS DRW-2014L1 Dual Layer Burner – The Price is Right!
Written: Jun 05 '08 (Updated Jun 09 '08)
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Pros: Well-built, quiet, DVD Burner capable of creating Dual Layer DVD's.
Cons: IDE form factor is not as fast as other technologies available.
The Bottom Line: If you have reasonable expectations out of what you are purchasing, the ASUS DRW-2014L1 will not disappoint!
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| mongomad1's Full Review: ASUS DRW-2014L1 DVD±R Dual Layer Burner |
Why Buy IDE?
Whilst pondering a Mother’s Day gift, I decided mommy dearest could use a DVD player in her PC. Yes, she has a Dell 2400 that does all she needs since I upgraded it to the max of a whopping 1GB of RAM, BUT it did not come with a DVD player/burner. The importance that she have this setup is that previously, she could not watch TV and play my son’s DVD’s for him simultaneously. All is well in this scenario until grandma has to miss FSU playing in any sport – much like myself or her other favorite programming, which is not much.
So, without further ado, I purchased this IDE (flat ribbon data connector) device for her, did the installation and testing to ensure my phone does not ring for those incredibly long troubleshooting sessions. I made the right choice with this model to be sure. I know I could have gotten a SATA burner and an internal PCI card for the data transfer connection, but she would not have appreciated the difference one bit, as I suspect she will not be burning very many CD’s or DVD’s. What is that you are thinking? Well, I never got the G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip!
What Do You Get and What Do You Need?
It comes with Nero Essentials and an optional beige faceplate should that be more of a match to your PC’s case. My mom’s is black so there was no change needed. Nero Essentials will get most folks by as long as they originally had a DVD ROM, if not a burner, prior to the transition. However, if you are adding it to a computer that had a CD burner only, in order to play encrypted DVD movies – basically anything off the shelf including The Best of Thomas the Tank Engine – you need software that will decrypt them. Apparently, this is not “essential” to Nero.
There are plenty of free downloads that will do this, but I decided to spring for the full version of Nero 7.0. It is what I use and makes it easier to talk her through it when problems arise because I can usually duplicate what she is seeing. You also get instructions for installation and believe me, if you have ANY skills at being able to follow directions, you will make short work of this.
You need an available bay for the DVD player, obviously, a power connector as well as the ribbon connector for data. A Philips Head screwdriver will come in handy with all screws included, should you not be replacing another unit.
How Does She Run/Burn/Read?
Quite well, actually, and it is very quiet, especially in comparison to the antique it replaced. I put her through her paces, burning CD’s and DVD’s. The speed reached for both is as advertised and the LightScribe functionality as far as quality and time is about the same I get from my PATA ASUS (DRW-1814BL) DVD-RAM Burner.
As far as viewing a DVD, there are no skips and the display is mighty fine, even with her onboard graphics and VGA connection. Note: there is the option of downloading a free 30 day trial of Nero if you are adding this to a PC with no previous DVD player. The file is HUGE and will take hours unless you have high speed; at least over the level of DSL’s slower versions that providers sell you and my mom! You are better off going out and buying it or finding a free software that will accomplish the same thing.
Overall Impressions
This device is well worth the investment for the casual user for the purpose of watching DVD’s and burning occasionally, but it is not quite as good as the somewhat faster technology and other advantages of its SATA competitors. The catch is, you need to have a SATA power connector and data port on your motherboard or you will be purchasing an internal card to support the device.
For what was needed in this situation, it was the perfect solution and only set me back $35.99 for the burner itself, including shipping. With the sturdiness of the component and the “emergency eject pinhole”, I feel confident that I will be able to keep this running for my mother for quite some time. Smooth, quiet, inexpensive and easy to install make it a very good choice for someone that has similar needs for its performance as did I.
Technical Specifications
Performance
DVD-ROM Access Time: 50ms
CD-ROM Access Time: 140ms
Cache: 2MB
Write Speeds:
DVD R......20X
DVD RW......8X
DVD-R......20X
DVD-RW......6X
CD-R.......48X
CD-RW......32X
DVD R DL....8X
DVD-R DL....8X
DVD-RAM....14X
Read Speeds:
DVD-ROM....16X
CD-ROM.....48X
LightScribe
Form Factor: 5.25 in.
Panel Color: Black w/ optional Beige replacement
Load Type: Tray
Interface: IDE
Software Contents: Nero Essentials
Also Inluded: User Manual!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 35.99
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
mongomad1
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Location: Actionville, FL (Jacksonville)
Reviews written: 58
Trusted by: 65 members
About Me:
I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
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