Sony has taken its already impressive DRU-510A multi-format DVD writer and given it a performance boost in the shape of the DRU-530A.When it was released in June 2003, Sony's DRU-510A was the fastest and finest multi-format DVD drive on the market -- and the only one that wrote DVD+RW media at 4X. Its successor, the DRU-530A, due out in December, gives other formats a boost, pushing DVD+R writing to 8X, CD-R to 40X and CD-RW to 24X.
Sony has a rock-solid track record in optical storage, and with the DRU-530A, it's simply improving on an already excellent product. The DRU-510A received an Editors' Choice for its blazing speed -- and the DRU-530A is even faster.
However, this time it's Sony who is playing catch-up in the speeds-and-feeds race. Plextor's remarkable PX-708A which hit the streets at the end of August, writes DVD+R at 8X (to 4X-rated media, no less); it also writes CD-R/RW at 40X/24X. Plus, the PX-708A has a headphone jack and volume control, which the DRU-530A lacks.
Sony's DRU-530A may end up playing second fiddle to Plextor's impressive PX-708A, which sells for around AU$600. Local pricing and availability for the DRU-530A were not available at the time of writing, and it will be interesting to see what price point Sony chooses to launch at.
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