Which Plextor drive should I buy (if any)?

naaloh 2010-04-20 04:29:49 UTC #1

Hello.

I want my new burner to be as reliable as possible, so I'm thinking about a Plextor drive, because I'm very impressed with the capabilities of PlexTools software, especially VariRec technology, which, as far as I understand, allows to burn discs more reliably with decreased speed. Since I couldn't care less about the time it takes to burn a dics, it seems like a nice feature to me.

But as far as I know, the recent Plextor drives are just rebranded drives from the other vendors, which are not even supported by PlexTools, so I have the following questions.
1) What is the last "real" Plextor PATA drive?
2) Which one of the "real" Plextor drives is considered the most reliable burner (specifically for DVD+R DL media)?
3) Does the VariRec technology work for DVD+R DL?
4) If I only manage to get the OEM version of a Plextor drive instead of the retail one, will I be able to update the firmware and download PlexTools separately?

Thanks in advance.

jamesp 2010-04-20 05:03:42 UTC #2

The only real Plextor drive currently available is the Premium 2 CD burner. If you need a DVD drive that works with Plextools’ advanced features then you should look for an old PX760, PX755, PX716 or PX712.

Cheers

James.

negritude 2010-04-21 16:39:30 UTC #3

To be clear, the last “real” Plextor manufactured PATA drive (Sanyo chipset) was the PX-760A.

Everything after that is a rebadge from some other company.

kg_evilboy 2010-04-22 02:23:36 UTC #4

If you are able to get a bulk Plextor, it might not come with PlexTools. But PlexTools Professional XL has been released as freeware. Firmware updates are no problem.

I personally prefer the PX-716A as it burns without PIF relink spikes and comes with 8 MB buffer instead of 2 MB. However, it is said that the earlier TLAs of 716 (0000, 010n) tend to die early. As I have only enjoyed 020n and 0309 TLA 716s (that are still alive) I cannot say much about that.

naaloh 2010-04-24 00:07:40 UTC #5

Thanks for the answers, they’re much appreciated.

negritude 2010-04-29 16:42:35 UTC #6

The TLA is on the drive’s label. Ask the seller or look at it before you hand over the cash.

As for supported media, yes, the 760 supports more than the 716 in firmware, but both drives have the AutoStrategy feature which allows decent burning of even unknown media.

RICOHJPN D01 is not going to work that well on any burner unless it’s under the FalconMedia Pro brand (note the Pro, it’s important).

naaloh 2010-05-05 00:15:38 UTC #7

Thanks. Can you tell me what’s the difference between PX-716A and PX-716AL?

kg_evilboy 2010-05-05 00:30:29 UTC #8

716’s AutoStrategy is crippled. It only works on discs that are unsupported by firmware (“AS Forced” option does not exist).

PX-716AL is a slot-in and PX-716A is a traditional tray-loading device.

deanwitty 2010-05-06 10:43:45 UTC #9

[QUOTE=naaloh;2512794]Thanks for the answers, they’re much appreciated.

It looks like I’m able to get a PX-716A, but I don’t know about its TLA. Can you tell me how to detemine TLA of a particular drive? And another question: do later Plextor drives like PX-760 support more media types than PX-716? I’m particularly interested about RICOHJPND01 media type.[/QUOTE]
My PX-760A handles Falcon RICOHJPN-D01’s without problems up to the rated 8X speed. It is not my best D01 burner, but it handles them fine and it is nice to have a Plex around for all the advanced scanning/burning abilities with Plextools.

naaloh 2010-07-21 11:23:40 UTC #10

OK. Which drive IS the best RICOHJPN D01 burner?

deanwitty 2010-08-10 07:49:27 UTC #11

[QUOTE=naaloh;2533201]OK. Which drive IS the best RICOHJPN D01 burner?[/QUOTE]
My Optiarc AD7200A with a MCSE RICOHJPN D01 067 to MKM003 strategy swapped firmware takes the prize for best D01 burner among my burners. With my newer drives I have the best luck with iHAS324/Asus 24B1ST. YMMV :). I would suggest trying to use the best D01’s you can get your hands on, such as Falcon Pro’s. It’s unfortunate that some companies producing D01’s are cranking out poor quality stuff. The 2 drives mentioned do a decent job of producing usable burns on the lower quality D01’s as well.