Plextor's PX-712SA Dual-Format DVD+/- SATA Drive

CD/DVD Read Performance Testing Movie Playback

Nero CD-DVD Speed - Movie Playback Test:

Next, we are going to focus on DVD movie playback performance.  This part is a two-fold test since a Movie DVD and Data DVD will perform quite differently. To start off, we used a commercial copy of Underworld.  Initially, we ran the test with SpeedRead enabled and then with it disabled to show the differences with both options.  After that, we ran a comparison test with the Artec Drive.

Plextor PX-712SA

Artec Dual DVD

With SpeedRead enabled on the PX-712SA, the drive utilized CLV (Constant Linear Velocity), maintaining a steady, quiet 2X throughout the playback of the disk.  This is a good way to maintain a steady throughput without winding up the drive unnecessarily.  The end result is a quieter drive, which is important when watching a movie.  When we disabled SpeedRead, however, the drive shifted to CAV (Constant Angular Velocity), aiming to reach its maximum achievable throughput.  The main advantage of being able to enable this option is when you are looking to rip a DVD to a hard disk at the fastest possible rate.  By default, the Artec uses CAV regardless, throttling the drive during movie playback.