Need some information about the dvd burner of the T43

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dodik · #1 Post by **dodik** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:09 pm

Hi there,

I'm looking to buy a brand new T43, but i'd like to know more about the dvd burner.

I'm looking to buy this one : http://www5.pc.ibm.com/ch/products.nsf/ ... enDocument

Can someone tell me if the dvd burner can write dvd-r, dvd-rw, dvd-+, dvd+rw (and DL - maybe ?) and the speed of each one.

Thanks

MadeInJapan · #2 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:18 pm

Since the description says 4X max, it is an upgrade of the UJ-812 which was 2X max. Most likely it is the Panasonic or Matshita UJ-822. You can do a Google on it and find some information. My understanding is that although it plays all formats of DVD, including DVD-/+R/RW and DVD-RAM, and it also records to these. Although it is rated at 4X, everyone has complained that 2X for DVD-/RW and 2.4X for DVD+/RW is about as fast as they are burning right now...maybe a future firmware release that gives it the 4X, I don't know. Unfortunately for the very slim drive bay on the T43, the UJ-812 and UJ-822 are the only multi-burner drives available in the entire world. Most people here are astounded that IBM couldn't do better with this drive and commission someone to build one that is slim enough for the T4* series that burns at 8X or even 16X (these are available in the 12.7mm models that fit T2* and T3* as well as the X series Tp's). Do a search here on this forum (or anywhere for that matter) for UJ-812 and UJ-822 and you'll find that I am correct.

Many people don't like these burners (Panasonic/Matshita) because of their limitations (slow as well as not able to make region-free, and not dual layer compatible) and are going to external USB2 DVD multiburners or even firewire connected by PCMCIA slot. You can search that here too and find some discussion about it.

Good luck!

craigg · #3 Post by **craigg** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:28 pm

The new multiburner plus writes in all formats except dual layer. Here are the actual specifications:

Features and Benefits:

Now reads and writes to DVD+R and DVD+RW in addition to reading and writing to CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM media.
Stores up to 9.4GB per double-sided DVD-RAM disc, up to 4.7GB on other DVD discs, or up to 700MB on a CD disc, based on media used.
Up to 50 percent faster(1) writing to CD-R and 25 percent faster writing to CD-RW Media over the previous ThinkPad Multi-Burner Ultrabay Slim Drive:
- Burn to CD-R media at maximum speeds of 24X (3.69 MB/Sec )

- Burn to CD-RW media at maximum speeds of 10X (1.53 MB/Sec )

- Burn to DVD-R and DVD-RW media at maximum speeds of 2X (2.77 MB/Sec)

- Burn DVD+R and DVD+RW media at maximum speeds of 2.4X (3.32 MB/Sec)

MadeInJapan · #4 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:34 pm

Craigg...right you are...I was just correcting my own post while you were posting yours....sorry about that...I had to rack my brain after my initial posting and go to the IBM site to make sure...it was the UJ-812 that couldn't do both +/- formats.

But even though the T43 description is for a burner that does 4X, we all know that 2X with - and 2.4X with + is the best the UJ-822 can do right now.

By the way, here is the URL about this drive:
http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/store ... &storeId=1

rrobalew · #5 Post by **rrobalew** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:50 pm

There's still something strange going on. In most places (parts & accessories, let me build it choices, etc.) the following two drives are listed:
ThinkPad Multi-Burner Ultrabay Slim Drive
ThinkPad Multi-Burner Plus Ultrabay Slim Drive
With these, it's clear that the "Plus" is the newer version that added an extra format.

However, if I go to a CTO URL that I found and build a T43 machine, one of the options reads as follows:
ThinkPad Multi-Burner 4X Max DVD Recordable Ultrabay Slim Drive
This is listed in addition to the two drives listed above. Also, this drive only costs $60-something to add, while the others cost $250-something. So I doubt it's a "better" 4X DVD-writing drive. The part number shown when I click "continue" is 73P3343, but this does not appear to be a valid part number when searching on the IBM site.

This may be the drive that the original poster was asking about. What is it?

MadeInJapan · #6 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 3:04 pm

rrobalew, how recent is this addition of the "third drive?" You may be on to something and it is possible that IBM has commissioned the manufacturing of a new drive altogether, or has "firmware upgraded" the UJ-822 to burn faster (would explain the $60 or so to upgrade)...but if so, no one I know knows about it, and it is great news for the T4* community...long awaited, if truly so. You do know that the UJ-812/822's also have IBM FRU#'s that are different than UJ-etc., But... I do think you are right...something definitely wierd going on here.

I'd like to find out the answer to your question too...Does anyone know?

rrobalew · #7 Post by **rrobalew** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 3:53 pm

I don't know when this option became available - I just found a URL for the CTO stuff a couple of days ago. But I do not think it's a new, better drive. The $64.60 price to add it to a configuration is not over and above the "Ultrabay Plus", it's instead of. So you can add this "4X Max DVD Recordable Ultrabay Slim" drive for $64.60 OR you can add the "Multi-Burner Ultrabay Slim" for $254.15. Actually, you can add both, but the point is that this is a significantly cheaper drive - or else the site currently has a big pricing error.

On the other hand, the part number of 73P3343 is one number greater than the 73P3342 number of the "Plus" drive, so who knows.

Does anyone know what existed BEFORE the two Multi-Burners that are currently listed? Could "4X Max" refer to the read speed, making this a really old, slow drive?

Oh, and I just discovered that this was a Student URL I was using. It's
http://www-1.ibm.com/shop/pc/personalpages/public/. If you then click "Products & Services" at the top of the page, then select "Thinkpad T series - Express CTO", then "Add Options" to the 2686E6U, you should see this option under "Storage Options".

craigg · #8 Post by **craigg** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 4:47 pm

I know IBM sells the Targus external drives and Targus has a relatively new external slim 4x dvd burner. That could explain the option and price. I can't imagine that IBM would introduce the new multiburner plus and another new 4x slim drive at the same time and I believe the low price rules it out.

MadeInJapan · #9 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:32 pm

One option is to buy it and see...if you don't like it (it's some old drive that only reads 4x, etc.), you have, what is it...10 days or is it 30 days before saying to them that you didn't want it and send it back for a refund. All of us here want to know...inquiring minds want to know....LOL.

For $64 it isn't much of a risk anyway....you could get both!

Need some information about the dvd burner of the T43

Need some information about the dvd burner of the T43

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