Beijing Paradise BBS Backup/PARADISE.ISO/software/BBSDOORW/DA2WAV14.ZIP/SYWTBACD.TXT

Text File | 1995-12-03 | 9.3 KB | 173 lines

So you want to buy a CD-ROM drive?

Let me first say the following is my opinion based on a whole
lot of personal experience, and a whole lot of feedback about
my program CDDA (extracts audio from CDs and stores it as WAV files).
Some people may be offended by the fact that I have bad things to
say about a lot of drives.  Tough.  If this doc helps cut the traffic
on the net about peoples trouble with crap drives then it has done
what it is intended.

I'm going to include CD-R manufacturers as well in this discussion.

Summary:  Most CD-ROM drives suck.  Most companies tech support
sucks.  I'm going to name the good ones and the bad ones.

If I had to go out today and buy a drive, I would use the following list:

Ultra cheap 2x drive:      Mitsumi FX001D
2x non-scsi/soundcard:     Sony 33A
2x non-scsi/IDE:           Sony 55E
2x scsi:                   Toshiba 3401
4x non-scsi/IDE:           Toshiba 5302
4x scsi:                   Toshiba 3601
6x scsi:                   Plextor 6Plex


Here are the manufacturers I've dealt with, and the drives involved.  They
are not in any particular order, just the order I remembered their names.

Mitsumi:  They make good cheap drives.  If you just want to read
plain CD-ROMs, then get yourself an FX001D double speed.  Don't spend
more than $100.  Don't expect things like XA or reading DA to work.
Avoid the new 4x drives.  I'm getting tired of all the messages on
the net about people and the trouble they are having with IDE.
Their tech support is virtually nonexistant.  As far as I know the
only way to get ahold of them is through their BBS.  The only good
answers I got was by talking to one of the engineers directly.
Note:  Mitsumi drives have not, do not and will not ever support
reading DA.  Period.

Sony: If I had to pick a good 2x (non-SCSI) drive, it would be a Sony.
I hear very little in the way of problems with these drives and my
program.  They work just fine reading DA and also work just fine
reading both Green and White book CDi discs.  I understand that the
31A, 33A and the 55E are all about the same.  I haven't heard much
yet about their 4x drive so I can't comment.  If I had to pick a
2x scsi drive it would NOT be a Sony.  I have a lot of trouble with
these drives reading DA.  They have a lot more jitter than most
other manufacturers.  I've not had a lot of luck in dealing with
their tech support either.  PS don't ever try and get a programming
manual for their drives.  It is a grand exercise in futility.

NEC: My favorite (NOT).  I so rarely ever hear from someone who gets
my program working on a NEC drive, I wonder if anyone ever gets
anything to work on a NEC.  Their drives may on may not read DA.
Don't ask them which do and don't.  Tech support doesn't know.  Actually
they don't know much about anything.  Certainly they don't know
CDROM.  They only positive note is that they have an 800 number
so it's not your nickel to have your questions not answered.  Who
can forget the 511 vs. 510 problems?  For those that have forgotten,
NEC made two versions of the 3x drive.  They OEM'd one and sold the
other.  The drives had problems like only giving 1.5x performance,
and anyone who bought the OEM drive was denied support from NEC, and
thus was stuck with a crappy, slow drive.  NEC won a lot of new
friends over that one.   I've been trying to get programming manuals
for their drives for over 2 years.  I've been promised phone calls
several times, but in the end they never follow up on those promises.

PLEXTOR:  These guys are known for fast solid, drives.  I hear lots
of good things about the drives.  Tech support was very good
when I had to deal with them.  They also have an 800 number.  I got
the pages I needed from the programming manual faxed to me, although
they never did send me a whole one.  Both their 4x and 6x drives
seem to be getting good reviews on the net and from users of my
program.  They bought up the old TEXEL and have been selling their
drives (3028/5028).  They are a little pricey, but it may be worth
it for you.  The only downside is that they seem to have built
their drives around the Sony microcode.  The jitter problems in the
Sony drives are mysteriously present on the PLEXTOR.  The PLEXTOR
programming manual just happens to be word for word the same as the
Sony except that they did do a global search and replace on the
string "SONY".

TOSHIBA: These guys are my #1 choice for both SCSI and IDE.  They
were the ones who started it all allowing reading DA when they
modified a 3301 for Silicon Graphics.  They haven't looked back.
Their 3401 is still my favorite 2x SCSI drive.  They've had some
trouble lately with a couple of their drives, but it seems that they
have all been sorted out with the 4.4x SCSI(3601) and the 4x IDE(5302).
Tech support doesn't have an 800 number, but they always seem to answer
by the 3rd ring.  They seem to know what they are talking about, and
have genuinely been helpful with my problems.  Getting a copy of the
programming manual is downright simple.  I rarely ever hear from
people who have trouble with these drives.  Toshiba may be getting
themselves into trouble with the 5302 drive.  It seems that they are
only OEM'ing the drives and not selling them themselves.  This means
that they are not prepared to offer tech support.  This new
development smells of the NEC OEM fiasco.  I hope it stops soon.

CHINON: I gather they don't sell many of these drives.  I almost
never hear from anyone who has one.  Those that do all say that
the drive works well.  Tech support was fine but not an 800 number.
Getting the programming manual was a breeze.  I don't know much
about their 4x drive, but if it is like the 2x (535) then it should
be fine. PS. I recently tried to get updated programming manual information
from them.  No luck.  Things seem to have changed for the worse.

PANASONIC: (sometimes known as Matsushita or Matshita)  Their 562/563
drives have been going strong for more than a year.  I rarely ever
hear from anyone who has trouble.  Like the cheap sony 2x drives,
the Panasonic drive is a good choice for a starter drive.  Their
only downfall as far as I know is that the drives won't read Green
book CDi discs.  If that is important, have a look at Sony.  They
also have a SCSI version.  I have heard some about some trouble with
their new 4x drive, but don't know any details.

HITACHI:  They used to be a big player in the CDROM market, and then
I don't know what happened.  They have almost fallen off the face of
the earth.  I never hear from anyone using their drives, so I can't
comment.

SANYO:  I never hear from anyone using their drives, so I can't comment.
Apparenty their new 3 CD changer works well, and will read DA.

TEAC:  These guys were in first with the cheap sound card bus 4x drive.
Unfortunately it isn't up to much.  Tech support barely knows how
to pick up a phone to answer it, let alone know anything about the
products.  Certainly don't try to ask for programming information or
expect to get phone calls returned.  I hear from people who have
trouble with the 4x drive.  You can do much better for less money.
The drives promise to read DA, but in reality they just puke.

PIONEER: I hear quite a lot of good things about their drives.  These
are the folks who had 4x drives years (well it seemed like it) before
everyone else.  They also have 6 pack drives.  A bit too expensive for
me, but overall good drives.  I haven't had to reach tech support,
so I can't comment first hand.  Second hand I hear they are decent.

YAMAHA:  I hear plenty of good things about their CDR machine.  Most
people seem to have good luck producing reliable CDs.  Tech support
is available via an 800 number, and seem to know what they are doing.
Getting the programming manual was simple.

KODAK:  Apparently they just take a Philips drive and slap a Kodak
sticker on it.  Did you know that you can call 25 different numbers
for Kodak and not actually get to talk to anyone who knows anything
about CDR machines?  I won a gold medal for the most phone transfers
within a single company and not getting anywhere.  I have had mixed
success in getting them to return calls.  Apart from that, I hear
good things about the drives (which may be thanks to Philips). eventually
heard from a helpful chap at Kodak who offered to help track down the
manual.  He ended up having the same trouble I did, and he worked for
the company.

PHILIPS: To be honest I haven't had to deal with them yet.  I hear
good things about their drives (the recent ones that is).  I have since
received a copy of the programming manual from a nice person on the net,
so I haven't actually received help from Philips.

PINNACLE: They have been getting slammed lately on the net for having
a cheap CDR machine.  Deserved? I don't know.  I do know that tech
support (via 800) knows a fair bit about the product.  Just don't
expect promised phone calls, or try and get the programming information.
PS.  I finally got in touch with the manager of Customer Service who
pulled the necessary strings to get the programming manual.  Without him
there would be no Pinnacle support in my program.

APPLE: They just take a Sony drive, make a couple of tiny changes to
the rom and slap an Apple sticker on it.  Lately they have also been using
a Matsushita drive.