Samsung Writemaster Double Layer DVD Burner

Can you hear it now?

With LightScribe disc-labeling drives showing up from BenQ and HP, it’s understandable that you might overlook Samsung’s 16x dual-format, double-layer Writemaster DVD burner. But that would be a shame, because if you don’t feel the need to tart up your disc’s label, the Writemaster’s talents will be of particular interest to anyone building or upgrading a media center PC.

First, the basics. The Writemaster (we always sit up straight when we hear that name) was able to burn 8.3GB of data to a 2.4x double-layer DVD+R disc at 5x speed, for an impressive burn time of 23:03 (min:sec). That time is about five minutes shy of the Plextor’s capabilities, but it’s still well above average. Similarly, we burned 4.25GB of assorted files to a single-layer DVD+R disc in just 5:55 (min:sec)—spooky! Is that the number of the other beast?

We’d normally be beside ourselves with glee at this point, but the Writemaster let us down by refusing to overspeed any media other than 2.4x double-layer DVD+R, so we were limited to writing at 8x to 8x DVD+R media instead of 12x, and so on. DVD rewriting is a bit of a let-down as well; it’s stuck at 4x even though 8x DVD+RW media is finally starting to appear. Finally, the Writemaster does not support bit setting, which some DVD+R/RW drives use to fool older set-top players into thinking the recordable discs are actually DVD-ROMs, to increase compatibility.

The Writemaster is bundled with the ever-reliable Nero Express from Ahead, but you don’t get any fancy drive-tweaking software like you do from BenQ and Plextor. Nonetheless, this drive is one of the quietest on the market—even when writing at maximum speed to DVD! If you know how fast that disc is spinning in there—that would be stupid-fast, Wink—then you know this is no small feat.

Quiet operation has been a welcome feature in Samsung drives for the last couple of years. And that’s what really makes the Writemaster ideal for home-brew entertainment and media center PCs—unless you actually enjoy the sound of a gentle blow-dry during your movies.
—Logan Decker

+ S’mores: Very fast double- and single-layer DVD+R writing; nearly silent operation.
- S’nores: Cannot overspeed most disc formats; no power-user features.

Month Reviewed: June 2005
Verdict: 7
URL: www.samsung.com