Philips DVDRW228

The DVDRW228 is Philips's second-generation DVD+RW drive. Like its predecessor, it reads and writes CD-R, CD-RW and DVD+RW media. However, the new model also adds support for DVD+R write-once discs so that you can prevent important data from being overwritten. Philips rounds out the package with a multimedia-rich software bundle, making the DVDRW228 a must-have for digital video enthusiasts.

Because the printed documentation included with the £323 (ex. VAT) DVDRW228 is astonishingly brief, the prospect of installation looks a little intimidating. But if you pop the included CD into a functioning optical drive on your computer before connecting the DVD+RW drive, everything becomes clear. The CD leads you through the entire process and includes a video describing how to connect the drive, so even novices should feel comfortable with the process. More printed material would be nice, but the CD contains a detailed manual and additional materials that should be sufficient for most users. The drive is compatible with Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, ME and XP.

The DVDRW228's software bundle is geared more toward multimedia tasks than data processing. It includes Sonic Solutions’ MyDVD 3.5, a simple DVD-authoring program, as well as Ahead Software's Nero Burning ROM 5.5, which is good for both DVD- and CD-writing tasks. You also get Pinnacle Systems' Pinnacle Studio 7 software, a sophisticated movie-editing program, and CyberLink’s PowerDVD decoder software for watching DVD movies on your computer. The one hole in the software package is its lack of a backup utility -- you can use Nero to create data discs, but it doesn't compare to a full-fledged backup application.

In our performance tests, the Philips DVDRW228 completed its tasks rapidly. It was faster at writing DVD+RW media than other drives we've tested, but slowed a bit when reading separate files. This means the drive is better suited to applications that read large chunks of data sequentially, rather than dealing with several files at once, which is often required in data operations. To help make sure you get successful recordings every time, the drive uses Seamless Link technology, which protects against buffer under-runs. It also uses Thermo Balance Writing, which adjusts the writing process to match the characteristics of your CD-R or CD-RW media.

The Philips DVDRW228 reads all common CD formats and can also write to inexpensive CD-Rs and CD-RWs. If you need more capacity than CDs offer, you can use 4.7GB DVD+RWs to archive large chunks of a multi-gigabyte hard drive. And because DVD+RW media is rewritable, you can easily write over the old data for subsequent backups.

Philips backs the DVDRW228 with a two-year warranty. If you need assistance, you can chat live with Philips or send email via the company's Web site. Or you can call Philips’ technical support: the UK customer care centre is open between 8.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and between 9am and 6pm on Saturdays; calls are charged at national rates.

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Overall, the Philips DVDRW228 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. If you want to work with digital photography, either still or motion, the DVDRW228 provides an excellent way to manage and distribute your files on discs that can be read in almost any DVD player.