10 DVD Burners: 16x and Dual-Layer - or Nothing!

Lite-On SOHW-1633S

Lite-On's new drive is the SOHW-1633S, the successor to the SOHW-832S. The 1633S is used as the basis of many other burners (from Sony and others) and has very consistent characteristics. It will very soon be replaced by the 1653S, which will offer dual-layer writing at 4x and DVD-R at 12x.

The acronym SOHW stands for Sony Optical Half-height optical loader Writer. The name means that this is a product developed jointly with Sony and that its length is reduced, an advantage for certain Mini PCs. Protection against write failures is provided by Smart-Burn technology, which also handles management of the laser to suit the quality of the media.

Main characteristics:

  • Reading
  • CD: 48xDVD: 16x
  • Writing
  • CD-R: 48xCD-RW: 24xDVD-R: 8xDVD+R: 16xDVD-RW: 4xDVD+RW: 4xDVD+R DL: 2.4x
  • Buffer: 2 MB
  • Firmware: BS0H

The burner's compatibilities and specifications according to DVD Info and Nero Info Tools:

  • sasquatch451
    Please report noise levels in optical drive reviews. This is a big factor in which drive to buy for some people. My current DVD burner sounds like a jet engine for 5 minutes after putting a disc in.
    Reply
  • Ubrales
    Very informative article. Now I have a better understanding of Dual Layer DVDs
    Reply