Thread: Sony DRU-820A DVDWriter

Sony's latest entra nt, the DRU-820A, has the added functionality of DVD¬
RAM recording. Let's have a look at what else it has to offer.

Design: One thing we really like about Sony DVD burners is their faceplate design. The white bezel has a silver upper section giving it a smart look to the otherwise bland design.

With the 820A, Sony has gone just a little different. They have used grey text instead of blue on the silver upper section, giving a good contrast if installed in black chassis. An additional black bezel is bundled along.

Features: Sony adds DVD-RAM recording functionality making it a true multi-recording device. (DVD-RAM is a disc specification other than DVD-R and DVD+R. It's not compatible with most DVD recorders and most of the standalone DVD players cannot read DVD-RAM discs. DVD-RAM is more suitable to data back-ups and use in camcorders than DVD+/-RWs).

The bundled CD is for Windows, the package includes Nero 6.6 and the product manual. Three manuals (quick installation guide, bezel changing guide and Software installation guide) are shipped along with the drive. The manuals are well written and pretty illustrative. The Sony DRU-820A incorporates BenQ's exclusive Dual Cooling System (DCS) which features an Anti-Dust Cooling System and Air Flow Cooling System to reduce the risk of over-heating during high-speed reading and writing. The popular BenQ 1640 and 1650/55 drives are equipped with the same.



Performance: Once again, we will compare the Sony DRU-820A to the BenQ 1640, one of the best drives we have tested.

CD: The 820A has excellent CD read speeds, almost similar to that of the BenQ 1640, the only gripe being that it reads CD-RW at 40x whereas most of the competitors can do it at 48x. CD-R and CD-RW burning is very fast and has excellent media compatibility.

OVO: It has excellent DVD read speeds. DVD-R media support is good but the writing quality is average. DVD+R writing quality is good. Overall, it's an above average DVD writer and the future firmwares should improve DVD-R write quality.

Pros: Can read/write DVD-RAM; very good reading speeds.
Cons: Average quality DVD-R burn; does not support disc quality (PI/PO) checking.