CDRLabs.com

CDRLabs kicks off the week with an in depth look at LG's new "Super-Multi" drive, the GSA-4160B. LG's new drive not only sports some impressive specs, it supports all major DVD formats, including DVD+R DL and DVD-RAM. The GSA-4160B is capable of 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD±RW writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. On top of that, it can read and write to DVD-RAM media at 5x, the fastest speed currently available.

In this review we'll take a look at some of the features found on the GSA-4160B and see how it compares to some of the 16x DVD±RW drives from the competition. Does LG's new "Super-Multi" drive have what it takes? Is it the fastest DVD writer around? You'll have to read the review to find out.

[url=http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=248]
LG GSA-4160B 16x Super-Multi DVD±RW/RAM[/url]

If you have any comments or questions about this review or the LG GSA-4160B, please post them in the forum by clicking the link below.

Before some one asks...

I do not know when the GSA-4163B is coming out.

thanks for the review...

I must admit though...this is getting tiresome (and just a bit stupid/silly) seeing the weekly "new" drive for LG or whoever with small tweaks here/small tweaks there....

We need some real news like -R DL actually coming out so we can physically touch it

Not sure what the purpose of this drive is really...good old 63b will be out in a couple of weeks no doubt.

I have to admit that I also feel a little frustrated with so many companies releasing lame minor upgrades. LG and LiteON are both pretty bad for this. BenQ is much better in that they give away the upgrades to previous model owners. Plextor has good improvements in the specs with every new drive... even when the drive sucks. Pioneer and NEC seem to be in a middle ground, in that they don't give great spec improvements, but usually it isn't a lame upgrade either.

I just wish some company would come out with a drive that could do PI/PO scanning, did DVD-RAM, and wasn't just an average writer. I really want a DVD-RAM capable unit but would like a well supported, high quality burner as well.

Sigh.

Try sending e-mails to BenQ asking for DVD-RAM support... I don't know if it'll work or not, but it's probably easier to get BenQ to support DVD-RAM then it would be to get LG to become a better then average drive, and support PI/PO testing.

well I have been an LG fan for a while, but my Benq 1620 has changed all that for sure now....LG could learn from this co. (as could many others)

Hello!

Again a great review, Ian
Pretty drive, but the writing quality is not the best and not so good like quality of the 4082 and 4120.

And again I see, that the Ritek DVD+R DL-media have bad results. Did any manufacturer of DVD-drives really support the Ritek DL? Doesn´t looks like, because other drives don´t like he media, too.

I hope that some other manufacturer supports in the future writing of DVD-RAM. Maybe Pioneer? The newer writers can read DVD-RAM, so I hope that Pioneer make their writers writing

Hello Ian!

Hm, why did you take the 8x DVD-R to the "high"´s, not to "Low"s´?

according to some post at CDFreaks, the 4163 has already been spotted (or at least so i understood it).
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showpost.php?p ... stcount=26

according to another post there, someone hinted that LG might be in the direction of quality scans (though the remark was cryptic i'm not sure i understood it right).

Scour wrote:Hm, why did you take the 8x DVD-R to the "high"´s, not to "Low"s´?

Good point. It should probably be in lows.. I'll change it later.

dodecahedron, it says that the 4163B will be available in Taiwan on December 5th. That means it will probably be available elsewhere in January or February.

long wait.
i'm starting to think maybe i should give it up and get a BenQ or NEC 3500

Highs:

Writes to DVD+R media at 16x
Writes to DVD-R media at 8x
Writes to DVD-RW and DVD+RW media at 4x
Supports DVD+R DL media
Reads and writes DVD-RAM media at 5x
Reads single layer DVD-ROM's at 16x
Reads DVD+R and DVD-R media at 10x
Reads DVD+RW and DVD-RW media at 8x
Good transfer speeds with all types of CD media
Features 40x CD-R and 24x CD-RW writing speeds
Good DAE speeds
Features Super Link buffer underrun protection
Very good CD writing quality
Includes software from Ahead Software and CyberLink
Automatically sets book type to DVD-ROM for DVD+R DL media
Supports UDMA 66
Good documentation
Affordably priced
Lows:
Questionable writing quality with some DVD±R media
High media requirements when writing at 16x
Cannot set the book type of DVD+R or DVD+RW media
Has a 2048KB buffer
Overburns to only 93:34
Doesn't support the Mt. Rainier format


Ian; why LG with increase in writing speed in D/L (+R), +RW , -RW and so on, they still choose not to have the DVD-R to go up to 16 X for burning?. With this draw back do you thing this drive still deserve your rating of 9 out of 10?.

TCAS wrote:Ian; why LG with increase in writing speed in D/L (+R), +RW , -RW and so on, they still choose not to have the DVD-R to go up to 16 X for burning?. With this draw back do you thing this drive still deserve your rating of 9 out of 10?.

You'd have to ask LG why. It's probably due to the same reason many Taiwanese manufacturers haven't done it yet: lack of media capable of these speeds.

As far as the score goes.. the slower -R writing speeds did have an effect on my performance score, but I'm not going to totally slam the drive over it. It performed as advertised.. can you really ask for more?

Ian wrote:

TCAS wrote:Ian; why LG with increase in writing speed in D/L (+R), +RW , -RW and so on, they still choose not to have the DVD-R to go up to 16 X for burning?. With this draw back do you thing this drive still deserve your rating of 9 out of 10?.

You'd have to ask LG why. It's probably due to the same reason many Taiwanese manufacturers haven't done it yet: lack of media capable of these speeds.

As far as the score goes.. the slower -R writing speeds did have an effect on my performance score, but I'm not going to totally slam the drive over it. It performed as advertised.. can you really ask for more?

You are right that you have based your evaluation and scoring based on drive advertised performance, but since you have added lack of drive support for MT Rainer on the drive lows (Cons) even though is not being advertised as drive capability, don't you thing atleast lack of 16X writing performance for DVD-R should be reflected on this drive Lows also.

As I said to Scour earlier, its something that will be changed. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

dodecahedron wrote:long wait.
i'm starting to think maybe i should give it up and get a BenQ or NEC 3500

May not be that long anymore. The 4163 is available in Germany now, e.g. here for 89 Euros (same price as 4160 black).

G

LG Germany has it on their website:

link at LG's German website
__________
edited by dodecahedron
please don't use long URLs , use BBcode instead!

yeah.
it already appeared in Singapore

and is in LG's international website too.
http://www.lge.com/products/supermulti/index.html
http://www.lge.com/products/supermulti/ ... c_4120.htm

read about it at cdfreaks.
first scans:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=115583

Ian, when will you review this drive ?

back to the 4160 review:

Ian wrote:sixth generation "Super-Multi" drive, the GSA-4160B

how do you count 6 generations ???

Why does it get a 9 out of 10 after these comments?

Ian wrote:...I was really hoping that LG's new "Super-Multi" drive would give the 16x DVD writers from the competition a run for their money.

This seems to indicate that you are disappointed with the drive and not impressed.

Ian wrote:In all honesty, the GSA-4160B isn't for everyone. While the drive's DVD-RAM capabilities will be appreciated by some, most consumers probably won't ever use this feature. For these people, there are better DVD writers out there.

Again, you don't seem impressed, why 9/10 rating then?

Sigh.. it got an 8 out of 10 for performance. Unlike some reviewers, I base it on more than just that. Features.. well except for bitsetting, the GSA-4160B is stacked in that area. Installation/documentation.. LG has always done very well in this area as well. And performance.. yes, it was not the fastest drive out there, but it performed as advertised. I give those drives an 8. If you want faster -R writing speeds or CAV writing methods.. buy something else. Like I said, its not for everyone.

As far as the generations go:

GMA-4020B
GSA-4040B
GSA-4081B
GSA-4082B
GSA-4120B
GSA-4160B

I actually took the whole sixth generation thing out of HLDS's press release.

Ian wrote:As far as the generations go:

GMA-4020B
GSA-4040B
GSA-4081B
GSA-4082B
GSA-4120B
GSA-4160B

I actually took the whole sixth generation thing out of HLDS's press release.

i thought it might be something like that.
but wasn't there a GSA-4180B too?

will the GSA-4163B be the 7th generation then?
boy they sure do run quickly through generations at LG

dodecahedron wrote:yeah.
it already appeared in Singapore

The OEM verison is in Japan now too..

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/ho ... 4163b.html

yeah, already reported at cdfreaks forums...

no sign in the US yet ?

i'm glad i returned my 4160 and decided to wait for thw 4163.
apart from all of the other improvements...bitsetting for DVD+R SL,DL !