Lite-On 6S series - which drive is recommended ?

[dodecahedron]

hi.
i'm thinking about getting a new Lite-On DVD burner and would like to get some input from you guys with Lite-On DVD burner experience.

the usage of the drive will be, in order of priority:
1. using it for media scanning.
2. using it as a ripper.
3. using it for burning DVDs.
2 and 3 may change between them, depending on how good a burner it is.
since it might replace my main ripper (Toshiba DVD-ROM) due to no more space in the case, it will probably become my main ripper.
also depending on how good a burner it is. right now my main burner is the LGGSA-H10L.

i'm curious: is there any difference between the four 6S models SHW-160P6S, SHW-160H6S, SHM-165P6S, SHM-165H6S other than the differences in specs?
i mean in terms of: goob burners; good rippers, good (?) scanners ?
are they all the same hardware actually (except maybe for LightScribe hw in the H models) but just different firmwares?
in terms of available firmwares (special test firmwares etc.) ? if i'm not mistaken, only the 165P6S has the special features in official (not test) fw, right ?

TIA

P.S. Ian the SHM-165H6S got 7 for performance in your review. has your opinion of it changed since then ?

[MediumRare]

AFAIK, the hardware is essentially the same. The 160P6S was initially offered as a "downgrade" of the 165P6S, where the DVD-RAM access didn't work.

The latest official firmware for all 4 drives now supports the advanced features- although the 165P6S was the first (it's probably the "mainstream" version). There is test firmware available for most models (not sure if for all). I have the 165P6S (for reasons I explained here), it goes for < 40 Euros in Germany. If your requirements are different, I see no reason not to go for one of the other drives.

C0deking has released a new set of patched firmware (not the test firmware from Wind, but patched official releases) that increase the reading and/or writing speed for most media.

I'm happy with my drive. And I've just about got my display tool to the point where I can publish it.

G

[Ian]

P.S. Ian the SHM-165H6S got 7 for performance in your review. has your opinion of it changed since then ?

I really haven't revisited it since then so I don't know if the new firmwares are better or not.

[DrageMester]

the usage of the drive will be, in order of priority:
1. using it for media scanning.

I hope you only mean DVD scanning because LiteOn DVD burners are almost useless for scanning CD media (they report ridiculuously low C1).

If you want more than just my opinion, have a look at my comparative CD scans here using a LiteOn 1635S (CDFreaks Optical Drives forum). The 6S series are just as useless for this purpose and from what other reports I have read, so are earlier LiteOn DVD burners.

[dodecahedron]

thanks DrageMester, but no no no!
for CD scanning i've got my trusty Lite-On LTR-52327S!
i meant DVD scanning.

[MonsterMan]

I thought BenQs (16xx) were regarded as the best (ie, most accurate) for scanning?

[dodecahedron]

I have the 165P6S (for reasons I explained here), it goes for < 40 Euros in Germany.

i can get the SHW-160P6S for 40 Euro.
i think i saw in a supermarket!, no less, the SHM-165P6S for 57 Euro. have to go back there and check if it's indeed the 165 not the 160.

apparently the LightScribe models H6S aren't to be found in Israel.

[dodecahedron]

I thought BenQs (16xx) were regarded as the best (ie, most accurate) for scanning?

that's a matter of opinion.
however i've got a LG GSA-H10L, and there's an issue with scanning H10x burned discs with BenQ drives.

[MonsterMan]

Well, I know there's an "issue" with scanning discs from an NEC 3540 on the Benqs...massive error spike in the middle of the disc...all brands, all speeds. Think I remember seeing something like that on one of the NEC reviews here, too...

Might pick one up too...for the same reasons as you: scanning & ripping.

Are these things still as loud as heck?

[Ian]

No drive is perfect. IMO, Lite-On's are a little too forgiving and BenQ's are too sensitive to jitter. Combine the results and you can get a pretty good idea of the quality.

[dodecahedron]

i was wrong
the supermarket had SHW-160P6S, not SHM-165P6S.

as far as i can tell, SHW-160P6S is the only 6S drive sold in Israel.
i'll have to check with my contact at my favorite computer-stuff store if they can get the other models.
if not i may wait a bit see if they will get here in the near future.
or maybe hold off for the 18x/20x models ???

(too bad, i was thinking of getting one of these as a birthday present for myself)

BTW, the model number printed on the box said SHW-160P6S02C.
what's this 02C stand for ?

[Ian]

BTW, the model number printed on the box said SHW-160P6S02C.
what's this 02C stand for ?

I think that's the firmware version on the drive but I could be wrong.

If you don't care about warranty, you could just buy the SHW-160P6S and flash it with whatever firmware you want.

[dodecahedron]

yeah? that works?
i didn't know that. i don't read the Lite-On forum at cdfreaks, and this wasn't discussed here.
OK i might just do that if i see they don't bring the other models...

i guess that just shows how ignorant i am of all things Lite-On.
in the Lite-On world, it's just a given that you can crossflash anything into anything, right ?
and it didn't even occur to me to think of this...

[MediumRare]

I think the 02C refers to the colour- but don't nail me down on that.

There's no point in flashing it with H6S firmware (although you could) because it won't have the Lightscribe hardware. You could try 165P6S firmware- it may even be able to write to DVD-RAM, but don't count on it.

The latest official firmwares for the 16xH6s and 160P6S were released more recently than for the 165P6S, but the capabilities (other than the Lightscribe/RAM support) won't differ much. In the past, 165P6S firmware has been updated earlier and more often than the other models.

The codeguys have a workaround to LiteOn's brain-damaged firmware list. See http://codeguys.rpc1.org/lofw/ for a chronological list of their latest offerings (CD-RW, DVD-ROM etc are all mixed in too).

G

[Scour]

I think the 02C refers to the colour- but don't nail me down on that.

Think the same

[dodecahedron]

i don't think so since i think it comes with 2 bezels.

OTOH the latest firmware for the drive is PS0B, and the oldest one that was available for download was PS04, so possibly the firmware in the boxed drive is PS02.

[MediumRare]

i don't think so since i think it comes with 2 bezels.

OTOH the latest firmware for the drive is PS0B, and the oldest one that was available for download was PS04, so possibly the firmware in the boxed drive is PS02.

I found some comments in the thread about the review of the LiteOn 16H5S at CDFreaks, starting here. For that drive, 05C is black, 02C is beige. So I think here 02C means "retail, 2 bezels". It's definitely not the firmware- it would be too expensive to revise the packaging after each fw change at the factory.

Why don't you just buy it and let us know what fw it has?

G

[dodecahedron]

I found some comments in the thread about the review of the LiteOn 16H5S at CDFreaks, starting here. For that drive, 05C is black, 02C is beige. So I think here 02C means "retail, 2 bezels". It's definitely not the firmware- it would be too expensive to revise the packaging after each fw change at the factory.

sorry that sentence didn't make any sense to me.
the comments in that cdfreaks topic are conjecture and not conclusive.
oh well...
the model number is right after the serial number. so it's just like the serial number is changed for every drive (i can't recal if the serial + model numbers are printed on the box or on a white sticker).

Why don't you just buy it and let us know what fw it has?

good point!
however i think i'd rather get the model with the DVD-RAM capability if i can.