Pass the Data and the Popcorn, Please

Overwriter's Block

The SD-R1002's write performance for both CD-R and CD-RW media was right on target for a 4X/4X drive. Using the bundled Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4.02, the SD-R1002 wrote a 430MB image file in 7 minutes, 14 seconds, and it wrote the same amount of data on the fly in 7 minutes, 46 seconds. Packet writing 100MB to CD-RW, using the included DirectCD 3.0, was completed in 3 minutes, 31 seconds for the original copy. But the drive took a whopping 8 minutes, 12 seconds to overwrite the same data on CD-RW. We saw much better overwrite times when we used Prassi's abCD (not included with the drive): In an identical packet-writing test with abCD, the SD-R1002 took 3 minutes, 26 seconds to complete the first write, and just 3 minutes, 36 seconds for the overwrite.

Toshiba wisely chose Cyberlink's excellent PowerDVD 2.55 software MPEG-2 decoder for DVD movie playback. PowerDVD performed flawlessly in our tests, rendering sharp images without any discernible jaggies or other decoding artifacts. And as the drive changed tracks, it exhibited no hesitation or gaps in playback.

The SD-R1002 also includes a sampler of games on DVD-ROM, including demo versions of Test Drive Off-Road 3, Outcast, Silver, Demolition Racer, Test Drive 6, and Slave Zero, as well as a full version of V-Rally '99. Toshiba provides a one-year warranty on the drive, and backs the unit with technical support. Though support is available for 12 hours on weekdays, all calls are on your dime. However, the concise and detailed documentation Toshiba provides should eliminate the need for most calls.

If you're looking to add both a DVD-ROM drive and a CD-RW drive to your system, a combo drive might be a good option--assuming write performance isn't paramount. Right now, your best bet for an all-in-one is Toshiba's SD-R1002. Though Ricoh's MediaMaster MP9060A is the faster CD-R writer, Toshiba's drive features better all-around performance, and at a lower price, too.