Yamaha CRW-F1ZE 44x24x44 Internal EIDE CD-RW Drive (White)

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Title : Yamaha CRW-F1ZE 44x24x44 Internal EIDE CD-RW Drive (White)
Author : Yamaha
Release Date : 20020827
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $249.99
Amazon.com Price : $178.45 (29 %)
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Editorial Reviews :
Designed for uncompromising individuals willing to pay a few extra dollars for state-of-the-art performance, Yamaha's amazing new CRW-F1 CD-R/RW drive is quite simply one of the slickest internal CD burners currently on the market.
Apart from its striking blue/pink LED that changes color and blinks or glows steadily depending on the unit's operational mode, the CRW-F1 looks no different than any other internal CD drive. Inside, however, Yamaha's top-of-the-line burner packs a serious punch. Rated at 44x write, 24x rewrite, and 44x read, it posts sizzling numbers across the board, and especially during CD rewrites, where it outperforms virtually all its peers.

Yet the CRW-F1 is no mere speed demon. The unit features a variety of convenient amenities, including the latest edition of Yamaha's buffer underrun prevention utility, SafeBurn. We tested the system long and hard and not once created a useless CD 'coaster.' Of greater interest to those who regularly access and modify their data rewrites is the enclosed version of Ahead Software's packet-writing tool InCD, which now includes full Mt. Rainier support. By accessing InCD, you can format your CD-RWs and thereafter treat them as you would a regular diskette or hard drive--transferring, deleting, copying, and reading files and directories quickly and easily through Windows Explorer or any other file browser.

Two of the CRW-F1's most intriguing perks are geared strictly to the audio enthusiast. The first and arguably most innovative is Yamaha's new DiscT@2 system, which allows users to burn laser images directly onto the surface of their CDs. A futuristic alternative to traditional labeling, DiscT@2 delivers crisp, impressively professional images that unfortunately tend to be quite faint and can be etched only upon the unused portion of the disc. The second, Yamaha's advanced Audio Master Quality Recording (AMQR) system, burns larger 'pits' and 'lands' into the disc surface, theoretically resulting in a better-sounding, more durable CD. In our listening tests, we noticed slightly superior dynamics in the AMQR-recorded CD, but only by the slimmest of margins. In any case, we appreciate any technology that will extend the life of our discs.

Pros:
Etches custom-designed laser images directly onto CD surface
AMQR recording mode offers theoretically superior audio CDs
Includes the latest version of Nero InCD
Integrated Mt. Rainier support offers diskette-like CD-RW operation

Cons:
More expensive than most internal CD burners
DiscT@2 images are quite faint

Buyer Reviews :
I was in the market for a new CD-R/RW drive, and read some articles about Yamaha's latest 'hot' drive. I was a little apprehensive about the higher-than-average price, but the reviews I read were so enthusiastic that I decided to give it a try.

To begin, Yamaha's documentation and installation materials are excellent! Other companies should take lessons from them. Physical installation was no different from any other CD-R/RW, and was accomplished without incident in about five minutes. Installation of accompanying software (the current, full version of Nero Burning ROM, and some drive-specific tools) was similarly quick and easy.

The drive's performance is truly stunning, especially upgrading from an older, slower drive. Yamaha chose to 'top out' CD-R read & write speed at 44x -- an odd number, since most other drives either go 40x or 48x. Yamaha's explanation is that they chose to 'split the difference' and certify at 44x -- but, in reality, burn speeds are often above 44x (as high as 52x, in my experience with the drive). Caution: if you're going to burn at higher speeds, use *quality* media; the cheap generic 'bulk' brands may say 40x or 48x capable, but that's not been my experience. Burning a full 80-minute disc at 44x takes about 2.5-3 minutes (not including lead-in and lead-out).

Just as impressive is the CD-RW speed, certified at 24x. Remember the days of 1x (or even 4x) drag & write to CR-RW, where you drop the files and then go have lunch while the drive writes your data? No more: the 24x is no exaggeration, and file writing is as fast (or faster) than to a floppy drive.

Now, to one of the cooler features of the drive (and the one that'll make you slap your forehead and wonder 'Why didn't *I* invent that?'), is Yamaha's proprietary (but probably-soon-to-be-licensed) Disc T@2 (pronounced 'tattoo') technology. To summarize, Yamaha has partnered with Nero to integrate a feature into the software that allows you to burn text and graphics into the unused outer area of a finalized CD. Yamaha's claim is that their laser control technology is engineered to be so accurate as to make this possible -- 'standard' CD-Rs wouldn't have the accuracy or power/speed control to reliably burn bitmapped images with sharpness and clarity. Well, however they do it, they *do* it, and it's incredibly cool! Since the available area to 'T@2' depends on the amount of data burned on the disc, you may not always get to be as artistic as you'd like; however, even with just a narrow strip of unburned media, you can burn the disc title and some pertinent data around the edge. This feature is really great, though, for such things as 'gift' or 'memento' CDs, where you burn a smaller photo album or video to disc and then burn a message or image to make it more special for the recipient. A word of caution though: different CDs use different types of dyes in the media layer. Silver CDs are basically useless for T@2. Gold, light green, and light blue are OK, and give a watermark or hologram-like effect. Darker blue (azo) media offers the most posibilities, and allows more detail and contrast in text, and especialy images.

If you want a *fast* drive (and especially if you use CD-RW a lot), the Yamaha is fast. If you hate CD stick-on labels, and like to be an 'early adopter' of technology, you'll appreciate the Disc T@2 functionality. And if you're concerned about quality (and who isn't?), Yamaha's reputation is excellent. I highly recommend this drive.

(by Bill Peckenpaugh)

Features/Technical Specs :
* Delivers 44x read speed, 44x write speed, and 24x rewrite speed
* Records audio and data at the same, fast speed
* Record a 74-minute audio CD in under 3 minutes
* Unique DiscT@2 system burns graphics and text on any CD, eliminating the need for labels
* Record studio-quality audio and data with Yamaha's exclusive Advanced Audio Master recording system

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