Sony continues to roll out their external optical drives. Not so long ago we managed to get hold of DRX-800UL DVD burner and today we would like to offer you some detailed performance measurements for this baby. If you check our Storage section you may also want to compare the today’s results with the performance and burning quality offered by other solutions from Sony, which we have reviewed earlier.

Of course, this article will be or primary interest for those of you who cannot go with a cheaper internal solution for some reason.

Closer Look

I would like to say right away that the Sony burner drive we are going to talk about today is actually none other but a LiteOn SHOW-1693S – the results of typical OEM relationship. Another analog of this device, though design as internal solution is Sony DW-Q28A. Also, note that the exterior looks of our today’s hero is exactly the same as that of the previous model – Sony DRX-720UL.

The exterior design of the retail drive makes it look very attractive. The case is made of light-gray shining plastic. The entire front panel is made of aluminum. The rear part of the casing is slightly narrower than the front. At the top of the drive there is the manufacturer’s name printed in large letters and the sticker next to it indicates the major highlight of the solution: its ability to work with dual-layer DVD-media. There is another sticker with the product barcode and model name on the front panel of the drive. When the drive is idle, its tray is hidden behind the front panel. Once you press the button on the right-hand side of the case, the panel opens and you can access the tray. At the top of the front panel there is a small slit with a status LED. When it lights up green, the drive is powered on, and the red color indicates that it is working with some media at the moment. The drive feels quite heavy and has four small feet made of some rubber-like material with high friction coefficient that is why it sits firmly in place when set horizontally. You can also set it vertically, in this case you will need to use a special vertical stand.