Solid DVD+RW performance, fuss-free movie-burning capability and bargain- basement price tag makes the DW400A a good choice for digital video newbies and budget upgraders.BenQ's new internal DVD writer looks fairly basic compared with some of its rivals. For starters, the DW400A offers only CD and DVD+R/RW recording support and its no-frills software bundle isn't likely to catch the eye of advanced video editing mavens. But this back-to-basics burner makes up for its single-format handicap with speedy performance and ease of use. Like the Sony DRU510A, the DW400A supports 4x writing to DVD+R and DVD+RW. Factor in the low AU$299 sticker price and what you get is an affordably fast backup device that's also supremely efficient at DVD playback.
BenQ's decision to omit multiformat support on the DW400A means that writing to other common DVD media types--like DVD-R and DVD-RW--is not an option. The drive will, however, read files stored on these (and other preformatted DVD) discs normally, like a DVD-ROM drive. In addition to its blistering DVD rewrite speeds, the DW400A will also efficiently process CD- RWs at 10x and CD-Rs at 16x and play back DVD video at a smooth 12x.
Unlike some manufacturers, BenQ doesn't penny-pinch when it comes to accessories and manuals. The company supplies the three most common pieces of installation hardware: IDE/audio cables and mounting screws, plus two complimentary high-speed DVD blanks (DVD+R and DVD+RW) to get you started.
The DW400A's no-frills software bundle is generous albeit targeted at the newbie segment of the digital video editing market. The included CD/DVD mastering software comes from Ahead, and includes Nero Express and Nero InCD for packet writing. InterVideo's WinDVD is the supplied DVD player software while WinCinema is available for basic video editing and authoring.
As with most new-generation DVD burners, the DW400A is compatible with Windows 98 SE through to Windows XP but doesn't support Macs. The drive also supports Mount Rainier, Philips' versatile packet writing technology that allows for seamless file drag-and-drop functionality over a variety of operating systems including Windows and Linux.
Installing the IDE drive should be a straightforward plug-in-play affair for seasoned hardware gurus. Additionally, BenQ also offers ample paperwork to guide non-techies though the intricacies of desktop hardware installation. The unit's multilingual express setup sheet offers precise and easy-to-understand instructions to help guide with hardware installation, and even provides useful troubleshooting tips for users running prehistoric operating systems like Windows 98 SE.
Thanks to the DW400A's speed endowment and a beefy 8MB memory buffer, the drive turned in a strong performance when writing to DVD+RW, though its 2 minutes 23 second timing was still 24 seconds slower than Sony's competing 4x DVD+RW-capable DRU510A. But the DW400A burns and reads DVD+R faster than Sony's multiformat drive, filling a 4x-rated media with 500MB of data in just 2 minutes 12 seconds (or around 3.7 Megabytes per second).
Although outpaced by other models in the market--high-end drives like Plextor's PX-708A feature faster CD writing and rewriting at 40x and 24x, respectively--the DW400A still manages to process CDs at a respectable speed. The drive wrote a 500MB file to a 40x CD-R blank in about 4 minutes 56 seconds. This works out to a real-world throughput of about 2MBps.
BenQ DW400A DVD+RW EIDE
Company: BenQ
Price: AU$299
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 130 336
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