Super DVD Writer 

With the support and technological expertise of companies such as Panasonic, Pioneer, Sony, Philips, Hewlett-Packard, Ricoh, Dell and Yamaha, DVD writers seem to have the ideal properties for being the removable media of choice for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately there has been one fly in the ointment. Whereas Panasonic and Pioneer joined forces as supporters of the DVD-RW format, the other companies preferred to throw their considerable weight behind DVD+RW.

Both formats use similar technology whereby a special layer, held between the plastic and lacquer of the disc, can exist in a crystalline or non-crystalline state so allowing content to be changed. Unfortunately the process used to achieve this is different resulting in a difference in the reflective capabilities of the disc. The DVD+RW standard is less reflective than DVD-RW media and therefore more acceptable to the ordinary DVD players in general use. You will probably not be surprised to hear that Microsoft has announced that it intents to support both formats.

So where does this leave the customer who has to make a decision between the two incompatible formats when it comes to purchasing a DVD burner. Fortunately manufacturers of DVD burner are now producing units that can support both formats. Falling into this category is the Iomega Super DVD writer. This is an internal drive that can handle DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD RAM and CD-RW formats.

Installing the drive in an empty 5.25 inch bay is relatively straightforward. Iomega has included four screws to help with the mounting and a dual EIDE data cable so that two drives could be attached to the motherboard. You also get an audio cable for linking the drive to the motherboard or sound card. Finally a spare power cable needs to be attached. Basic instructions are listed in the mini Quick Install booklet or, if you need more reassurance, you can print out the User Manual found on the supplied CD-ROM.

This CD-ROM contains a number of software applications. A DVD Solutions Wizard will help select the appropriate software and type of disc for the proposed task. There is a copy of Iomega Automatic Backup to cover backup tasks that can include multiple sets on different destination drives. Drag & drop file recording, CD copying and imaging plus a jewel case editor are just some of the features found in the Iomega HotBurn Pro software. Also included on the CD-ROM are copies of Sonic MyDVD video editing software, MusicMatch Jukebox music management software and Adobe ActiveShare photo management software.

While Iomega has put together a varied collection of software applications to go with the DVD burner, it has failed to include any media to take immediate advantage of the product. You are not supplied with a single DVD-R or DVD+R disc, or even a CD-RW disc, to check out the kit for your first excursion into making your own DVD creation – a big disappointment and hopefully an approach that will not be adopted by others.

The drive’s write speed is rated at 4x for DVD-RW and DVD+RX, 3x for DVD-RAM and 24x for CD-RW. Priced at £229, the Super DVD Writer is an impressive addition to Iomega’s portfolio of personal storage products.