Nu Tech DDW-081: More DVD+R madness

Final Thoughts

Nu Tech has come a long way in 3 months. They have a sharp image and the backing of QSI to keep them competitive in the DVDR industry. While the DDW-081 does not disappoint, it doesn't exactly scream spectacular either. Fortunately, the drive is well supported. SonicDVD, Nero, Roxio, DVDDecryptor, InterVideo DVD Creator and Alcohol 120% all had no problems detecting and burning with the Nu Tech DDW-081.

Our main concerns stem from the lack of 8X DVD+R media. While our current champion, the Plextor 708A, had no problems burning several brands of 4X media at 8X, the DDW-081 will only burn 8X certified media at 8X. The lack of bitsetting capabilities for the drive seemed disappointing also. Granted, our Plextor 708A does not support bitsetting either, but it does support DVD-R burn capabilities.

However, considering the extremely low cost of the unit, around $160, we have to give Nu Tech a lot of credit. If burning DVD-R's is not a problem, you save $100 over the Plextor 708A. Let us not forget also that Sony recently announced that their newest drive will not be supporting 8X DVD-R writes, and will debut at $270 (although the Pioneer 107 should support Z-CLV 8X). Could it be that DVD+R is pulling ahead in the “format wars”? Although it lacks the performance of the Plextor 708A, Nu Tech clearly wins the price grab.

Coming up later this month, we will have an exclusive look at the newer drives based on Pioneer's 107 8X DVD+/-R design, as well as dual format drives from Gigabyte and MSI!