Watch Blu-ray And Burn DVDs: Three Low-Cost Solutions

Test Results: DVD Reads

After trying various DVD movies and finding none suitable for taking read-speed measurements near the outer edge of the platter, we decided to perform Nero’s full-platter write test first. We then reused the ultra-clean disc for the read test without removing it from the drive. Using this method insures that any write errors that slow the read down penalize only the drive from which the data was written.

LG reads a single-layer DVD-R at just over 12x average, with a maximum read speed well beyond its 16x rating.

Plextor’s PX-B320SA and Lite-On’s iHES208 show identical read performance, with average and peak read rates slightly lower than those of the LG UH08.

The UH08 drops to just over 8x max when reading dual-layer DVD media, averaging 6.18x.

Lite-On's and Plextor's dual-layer read results are identical to each other, while LG’s read results come close to matching them.