Conclusion

The three tested DVD-burners belong to different product generations, so it’s not correct to compare them directly. Anyway, I will try to single out their weak and strong sides for you.

The LG GSA-4082B has the lowest speed characteristics, which makes it a less appealing buy, in spite of its support of the DVD-RAM format. The disadvantages of the drive include its inadequate quality of processing audio discs (a big offset and errors processing quality media). Its error correction mechanism needs improvement as it let pass a host of C2 Errors. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this drive to you, even though it costs less than the other two.

The second product from LG, the GSA-4160B model, leaves a better impression. It is truly a multi-format device, also capable of processing dual-layer DVDs, unlike the previous model. It features a good quality of burning, but its insufficiently good C2 error correction mechanism and big offset don’t make it a good choice for creating high-quality audio copies. If it doesn’t set you aback, you may want to consider this device.

The last drive reviewed here, the Sony DW-D22A, has the highest speed characteristics, supports dual-layer DVDs, and a variety of media formats, except the not-very-popular DVD-RAM. Its small offset, efficient error correction mechanism and ability to read all the types of auxiliary information make it a good choice for processing audio discs. The two CD-reading modes should also be considered an advantage, as you don’t always need the maximum speed and can sacrifice speed for the sake of noiselessness. As for disadvantages, the drive was slow when burning a DVD+RW, but this may have been an exceptional case. This drive can be recommended to any user, especially since it costs less than the previous model.