Plextor PX-712A

The complexity of DVD standards is something that puts a lot of people off buying a recordable drive. Knowing whether to use plus, minus or DVD-RAM discs can become overwhelming and the confusion is made worse by some manufacturers producing drives that are only able to handle a certain type of disc.

However, Plextor's PX-712A will read and write all types of DVD and CD with the exception of DVD-RAM discs. However, considering that these are rarely found in homes, it should hardly be a problem.

It is one of the faster drives around, writing DVDs at up to 12 times the basic speed, which means you can burn a full 4.7Gb disc in a matter of minutes. Although it claims to write CDs at up to 48-speed, like many recordable DVD drives it proved to be slightly slower at burning CDs than an equivalent CD-only burner. Nevertheless, it still managed to write a full CD in around five minutes.

The PX-712A comes with all the necessary cables, a manual and driver disc, which also contains the PlexTools and Nero DVD and CD burning software.

You also receive the PowerDVD playing software and Pinnacle Studio 8 to edit and create DVDs and a two-year collect-and-return warranty.

Contact: Plextor
www.plextor.com