Besides measuring C1/C2 and PI errors (the function we already saw in other drives), another interesting function of this model is the possibility of measuring the jitter and performing the FE/TE test (in the last firmware update). I will dwell on each function below.

Using special software like DVD Info Pro or CD Quality Check you can estimate the jitter rate of the written disc. You can choose to display the average value or construct a more accurate diagram based on the instant jitter values in each spot of the disc. This function in fact appeared quite long ago in optical drives, so we’d better focus on another feature of the BenQ DW1620 – the FE/TE Test.

Previously, you could estimate the level of Focus Errors (FE) and Tracking Errors (TE) of a blank disc only with the help of some drive models from Plextor.

The illustration above shows you what is meant by these two kinds of errors.

What’s the purpose of this test? The user has an opportunity to determine the range of speeds suitable for the given disc. This option is now present in drives from BenQ thanks to the exclusive QScan utility, available for download on the company’s website.

There are three modes for evaluating the level of FE and TE errors:

• Normal: the standard test of the entire surface of the disc;
• Full: a more accurate but lengthier version of the Normal test;
• Quick: a fast version of the test when the level of FE/TE errors is only determined on the outermost tracks of the disc (for single-layer media) or at the end of the first/beginning of the second layer (for dual-layer media), i.e. where this parameter is the most important.

The allowable number of Track Errors is 500 and less, of Focus Errors – 450 and less.

If you get a value that’s out of this range, you are not guaranteed to get a quality disc in the end. You can also quickly evaluate the disc before the burning using the SmartScan mode that determines the entire recommended range of burn speeds for the given disc.

As you see, the new optical drive from BenQ can challenge any competitor in terms of functionality. For example, I haven’t yet seen the Sliding Cone Mechanism in any other device. So we can expect interesting results in our tests. BenQ’s products are close to the latest drives from Plextor, a leader in the field, in the functions for the post- and pre-burn testing of the discs. But let’s be methodical and first examine the specification of the drive as declared by its manufacturer.