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Plextor PX-716UF CD and DVD Burners

1. Before You E mail Log On FAX Call for Support Please gather as much of the following information as possible before contacting us e The serial number and TLA top level assembly number of your PX 716UF drive Your serial number and TLA number appear on the drive label e The latest version of firmware you loaded onto the drive if applicable e The version of the Windows operating system you are using e The brand name and model number of your computer e g Dell 466 NP Hewlett Packard Pavilion 752n etc e The type of VGA Super VGA or other graphics board you use e Brand name and model number of any other peripherals you have installed or connected to your computer e g CD ROM scanner fax board network board 90 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix B Technical Support Returns In the unlikely event that you need to return a drive to Plextor you need an RMA Returned Materials Authorization number You need this number before any Plextor drive can be returned for repair or replacement Here s how you get an RMA number and return your drive 1 Contact Plextor Technical Support You will receive assistance in troubleshooting your system If the drive is determined to be defective you will receive a Tech Support Ticket Number Locate the RMA request form at https www plextor com english support rma_request_form htm Complete the form providing the Technical Support Ticket num
2. Reads stamped DVD discs at up to 16X Reads DVD Video discs with CSS at up to 2X CLV Supports DVD RW DRT DM Distributed Real Time Defect Management e Supports DVD RW background format For CDs the PX 716UF e Writes to CD R recordable CD media at up to 48X speed e Writes to CD RW rewritable CD media at up to 24X speed e Reads all CD ROM CD RW and CD R data media at a maximum of 48X speed e Reads CD DA audio and CD R audio media at up to 40X speed e Reads CD RW audio media at up to 32X speed 2 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started Features of the PX 716UF USB 2 0 and FireWire interface Features both USB 2 0 and FireWire IEEE 1394 to connect to a PC or Macintosh computer with either of these high speed interfaces Supports both Hi Speed USB 2 0 480 megabits per second and Full Speed USB 1 1 12 megabits per second Intelligent recording Achieves recording at high quality and optimum speed using any media thanks to unique Plextor technology Writing technology for unknown media When a writable or rewritable disc isn t listed in the drive s internal media catalog AutoStrategy automatically checks the disc and develops a write strategy for it Q Jntelligent Tilt Precise laser control and three dimensional tilt adjustment for uneven disc surfaces Ensures optimal recording and reading especially with double layer media Q PoweRec Plextor Optimized Writ
3. 6 77 read response measuring 49 read specification CD 83 DVD 82 read transfer rate test 46 reading speed CD 2 CD R 2 CD RW 2 controlling for video playback 5 controlling with silent mode 34 digital audio 83 DVD 2 DVD Video 2 5 31 SpeedRead and 31 rear panel connectors 13 78 79 recommended media definition 75 recording modes PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 99 Index CD 5 80 DVD 5 80 red book 80 region code 29 79 regional setting 29 79 reliability 88 returns 15 91 RMA number 15 91 92 ROPC See running optimum power control running optimum power control 5 S safety standards 88 SecureRecording 6 lost password 39 security sticker 15 self test diagnostics 4 73 self test switch 13 73 79 serial number 18 shipping your drive 15 91 92 shock specification 87 silent mode 3 34 SpeedRead and 36 silent operation 12 sleep mode 85 software 8 CD R RW 8 DVD R 8 DVD RW 8 Easy Media Creator 8 15 30 PlexTools Professional 8 15 specifications 77 82 speed monitoring 30 reading CD 2 reading CD R 2 reading CD ROM 83 reading CD RW 2 reading digital audio 83 reading DVD 2 82 reading DVD Video 2 5 31 writing CD R 2 writing CD RW 2 writing DVD R 2 writing DVD R DL 2 writing DVD R 2 writing DVD RW 2 SpeedRead 5 12 31 disabling 32 enabling 32 silent mode and 36 sp
4. Determine Your Computer s Operating System 17 Determine What Interface to Use ccccececcccceescceessseeceessseeeeseeees 17 Connect the PX 716UF Drive ccc ecceccccesssececsssceceenseeeesssseees 18 Record the Serial Number and TLA Code cceececceceeseeee 18 Install the Drive in Your Windows Computet c c 18 Identifying Cables and Ports ccccesceeseeeseesceeseeeeeeseeeeeeereees 20 If You Have Windows 98SE and FireWire ccceecceceeeeeees 21 If You Have Windows 98SE and USB cecccccceessseeeeeeeees 21 Switching Between USB and IEEE 1394 Interfaces 22 If You re Using Fire Wire cccccecseesceesceeseeeseesecsseeseeeneeeeeeneeees 22 If You Have a Macintosh ccccccccsccccesssscecsssceceessseecseseeeesseees 23 3 Using Your PX 716UF csscsssssssssscsssssscsesssessssessssssseesneees 25 What Mediato Uses miine iian ccc hel bende eave heeled ees 25 DVD Media seg erie aenn N ee oy Ce 25 CD ROM M dia n 28 eds ied thea R EE RRE E 26 Tray Loading and Operation ccc eeeeeeceeeeceseceeeeceeeseeseeneeetenee 2 Handling DVD and CD Media ee eeeeeeeeeecneeeeceseeeeeeeeeees 27 Cleaning Discs sc sccccecvecceseesededee E Ei E 28 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual V Table of Contents Mounting Positions c cccccceisecsiccetieteecisesicieticeiebestencdiestestents 29 Playing DV DS ienne enii n a iii dosent 29 Writing to DVD
5. E e IDE Interface 1 ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 7124 Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions Show Beta Show Jitter Q Check Beta Jitter Test Running LBA 138580 Figure 21 Q Check Beta Jitter Test window 3 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the sample length the length of one sample the time length indication of the graph and the limit of the beta measurement scale 60 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Preferences freedb Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD Copy CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta VJitter Test Q Check PI PO Test CD Graph Options Sample Length v Time Length Indication 100 Minutes Beta Scale Limit 0 05 0 05 DYD Graph Options Sample Length 16 ECC Blocks v Time Length Indication 5 GB Beta Scale Limit 0 05 0 05 Figure 22 Changing preferences for graphing beta and jitter Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check Beta Jitter Test window To begin measurement in the Beta Jitter Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of beta error measurement jitter measurement To end m
6. Q Check tests The Plextor PX 716UF achieves high quality recording on virtually any DVD or CD media To see for yourself use the Q Check features to check laser operation or measure and display characteristics of the media you re using Q Check TA Time Analyzer The PX 716UF supports time interval analysis that shows a histogram of a disc s lands and pits a valuable aid in assessing disc quality DVD Features Lossless linking for DVD R RW Allows DVD RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD ROM players Zero Link for DVD R RW Has 0 byte gap between sessions so the discs are compatible with all players This allows DVD RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD ROM players Double layer discs Reads and writes DVD R DL double layer discs so you can burn up to 4 hours of high quality MPEG 2 DVD video on a single 8 5 gigabyte DVD disc 4 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started Wide DVD R RW and DVD R RW media compatibility Compatible with a wide range of DVD R and DVD RW media Multiple DVD types Supports DVD ROM DVD Video multi border multi session DVD VR for read and write Versatile recording modes for DVD R RW Including disc at once DAO for DVD R DL double layer discs DAO multi session and incremental write for DVD R and random access write and sequential write for DVD RW Recording versatility for DVD R RW too Including DAO incremental recording mult
7. FAQ section of our web site to assist you in troubleshooting the problem on your own NOTE We encourage you to go the Plextor web site www plextor com before attempting to contact Technical Support The answers to the most common questions callers ask can be found quickly in the support area Select PlexHelper for online troubleshooting or FAQs for answers to common questions If you have not been successful in your quest our Technical Support Department will help you solve problems that relate specifically to your PX 716UF drive In many cases a problem that appears to be caused by your Plextor drive actually originates in another part of your computer In such instances our technical support staff will try to help you identify the part at fault and will refer you to the manufacturer of that part for further assistance PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 89 Appendix B Technical Support How to Contact Plextor Technical Support There are several ways for you to contact Plextor s Technical Support Department e Visit our web site www plextor com for answers to Frequently Asked Questions e Send us e mail at techsupport plextor com Include your telephone number and the hours during which you can be reached Be as detailed as possible in describing your problem Please include system configuration hardware and software as well as versions of drivers used e Call 510 440 2000 and select the tech support option
8. The PX 716UF contains a set of self test diagnostics that can help isolate trouble and determine if a problem is in the drive or elsewhere What You ll Need To perform the tests you ll need a blank piece of Plextor recommended DVD R DVD R or CD R media See Recommended Media on page 81 or visit our web site The self test will write to this media so you won t be able to use this disc again Performing the Self Test This tests three functions of the drive writing at maximum speed continuous playback at maximum speed and random access To perform the CD write read test 1 Unplug the USB or FireWire cable from the rear of the Plextor PX 716UF drive CAUTION Failure to disconnect the USB or FireWire cable before starting the test could result in system data loss 2 Set the PX 716UF drive s power switch to OFF so the 0 is depressed 3 Slide the SELF TEST switch to the left ON position Use a pen point paper clip or other similar object 4 While pressing the eject button set the PX 716UF s power switch to ON the 1 is depressed The front panel disc busy indicator blinks green and amber and the disc tray opens 5 Insert a blank Plextor certified DVD R DVD R or CD R disc Be sure to use only media of the type recommended by Plextor Then close the disc tray Q Ifthe disc busy indicator blinks amber three times the loaded disc is not a blank DVD R DVD R or CD R disc Remove the
9. 6x 4x 2x 0x 0 Start 4 07x End Curent 4 07 Figure 16 Write Transfer Rate Test window 4 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You see the Transfer Rate Preferences window 5 Inthe Preferences window you can change the Write Test Options and the Write Test Graph Options Q Uncheck the Simulate box to write to the recordable CD or DVD disc or leave it checked to simulate writing If you simulate the blank disc is preserved Q Set the CD or DVD length to the capacity of your blank disc for example 5 GB for a DVD Q Specify the Data Format CD DA or Mode 1 data Q Fora CD you can select Overburn to overburn the disc 6 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Write Transfer Rate Test window 7 To begin measurement in the test window click the Start button You see the start and current write speed 50 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 8 To end the measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself You see a graph representing the drive write response 9 To see the results select View Log You see the Test Results window that shows what color corresponds to what test You can clear all or selected tests then run more tests for comparison What the Measurement Means This test reports the writing response of the Plextor PX 716UF drive The graph sh
10. 99 minutes 59 seconds in length or a data disc up to 875 megabytes in capacity Minimum Configuration to Use the PX 716UF Here s what you ll need in order to install and use the PX 716UF drive e Computer Q PC Pentium 4 1 4 GHz or faster CPU Q Macintosh Power Macintosh G3 or later G4 or higher recommended for faster video encoding e Minimum RAM 256 MB e Interface USB 2 0 or 1 1 or IEEE 1394 FireWire interface On board USB 2 0 or IEEE 1394 host controller recommended e Hard disk size To write to a CD in image mode that is to write an image of a CD to your hard disk you need 1 GB of free space For a DVD 10 GB of free space is recommended For more accurate guidelines see the help files or documentation for the recording software you re using e Operating System Q PC Windows XP 2000 Me 98SE Q Macintosh For FireWire and USB 1 1 OS 9 1 or higher recommended For USB 2 0 OS X is required NOTE You cannot use the PX 716UF with early versions of Windows 98 if you are using Windows 98 it must be Windows 98SE Second Edition Also Windows 98SE must be updated with the latest Microsoft patch 6 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started NOTE The built in USB ports on older computers and even on inexpensive new ones provide only USB 1 1 that is Full Speed 12 Mbps USB This limits the CD RW drive performance to 4X write 4X rewrite and 6X read while
11. Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check TA Test You see the TA window PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help 3 IDE Interface 0 4 ce ID 0 Y120L0 it T Frequency Distribution IDE Interface 1 3 ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 7124 2 1 Oe l 2 3 4 5 6 7 4 Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Lahd T Frequency Distribution Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD DVD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Ready Figure 24 Q Check TA Test window showing results with a high quality disc 3 Click the Start button You see a window that lets you select the test area the inner zone middle zone or outer zone of the disc If this is a double layer disc you can also select the layer 4 Select the zone and layer and click OK After a few moments you see a histogram showing frequency distribution of the lands and pits in the disc What the Histogram Means The histogram gives a graphic representation of jitter that is the variation of the 3T segment the 4T segment etc The test measures the time intervals between each two successive pit land transitions and compares them with DVD specifications The test is done on a specific area inner middle or outer of the
12. Auto AC 100 240V 50 60 Hz 23W USB IEEE 1394 Interface Interface Typical standby current 500 mA 500mA Typical DVD read 1 7A 1 7A current DVD 16X 1 7A CD 48X Typical DVD write 1 7A Typical CD write 1 7A 1 7A current CD R 48 X Peak current 2 8A These parameters were not yet confirmed at the Typical CD read current ee 1 7A current DVD R 12X Typical pause current 1 0A time this manual was published 78 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Rear Panel continued Power Switch Turns power on and off Power OFF is O power ON is 1 1394 USB Interface switch switches the PX 716UF drive to Switch operate with a different interface USB or IEEE 1394 IEEE 1394 4 pin and 6 pin connectors for attaching an IEEE Connectors 1394 FireWire cable Use only the IEEE 1394 FireWire cable shipped with your PX 716UF USB Connector for attaching USB cable Use only the USB Connector cable shipped with your PX 716UF You can connect to a USB 2 0 or USB 1 1 interface SELF TEST For normal operation leave the switch to the right Switch off position For self test slide the SELF TEST switch to the left hand ON position DVD Regional Setting Compatibility RPC phase 2 compatible Changing Max 5 times regional setting Other Features Data Buffer 8 MB PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 79 Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Supported Media Supported Stamped D
13. DVD performance with USB 1 1 is 0 7X For optimum performance if your PC or Macintosh does not have built in USB 2 0 use the FireWire port if available Or for PCs and Macs with expansion capability you can purchase and install a third party PCI USB 2 0 or FireWire plug in host adapter card What You Can Do with the PX 716UF Just look at some of the things you can do with your PX 716UF e Record slide shows or digital video onto DVD R DL DVD R DVD R DVD RW and DVD RW discs e Play DVD ROM DVD R DL DVD R DVD RW DVD R and DVD RW discs e Record data or audio onto writable or rewritable CD media e Play music CDs e Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs e Create a CD or DVD sneakernet to share information with colleagues just use software such as Roxio s Drag to Disc to drag and drop files onto DVD R DVD RW CD R or CD RW media then continue adding files and sharing the same disc e Archive images and video to DVD or CD e Master new software programs on DVD or CD PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 7 Section 1 Getting Started About Software In order to record on DVD R DL DVD R RW and CD R RW discs you will need to have mastering packet writing or duplication software installed on your computer system If you purchased a retail kit from Plextor you ll get software packages that include such software PlexTools Professional is a powerful application software pac
14. Manual 43 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 3 Select the GigaRec tab You see the GigaRec window At the bottom of the GigaRec window you can see information about the disc currently in the drive The disc capacity and recording time are shown PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 l e IDE Interface 1 amp ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 7124 Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD DVD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test Q Check TA Test Figure 13 Selecting the GigaRec writing capacity Basic Advanced VariRec CD GigaRec Silent Mode SecuRec Enable GigaRec GigaRec Rate Normal Rate O 6x O x 0 8 1 2 1 3 Model 703 MB 407 MB 481 MB 555 MB 850 MB 924 MB 998 MB Blank CD R Maximum Capacity Mode2 Form2 797 MB 464 MB 547 MB 631 MB 964 MB 1047 MB 1130 MB 79 59 71 MSF 79 59 71 46 24 65 54 48 47 63 12 30 96 47 36 105 11 19 113 35 01 4 To enable GigaRec place a check mark in the Enable GigaRec box 5 Move the slider to one of the GigaRec Rate numbers to select the capacity For example choosing 1 2x increases the disc s writing capacity by 20 percent So the capacity of a 703 MB disc is increased to 850 megabytes Mode
15. Minimum 62G Permissible velocity change Minimum 220cm sec Shock Non operating Electrostatic Discharge Reliability MTBF Tray Loading Read Error Rate Country Region USA Canada Europe Taiwan Korea Australia Power off without disc 8KV aerial discharge 4KV contact discharge Both with no hard errors no damage 60 000 hours 50 000 load unload cycles CD ROM Mode 1 1 block 10 bits CD ROM Mode 2 1 block 10 bits Safety Laser and EMC Standards Type Safety Laser EMC Safety EMC Safety Laser EMC EMC EMC EMC Agency UL FDA FCC UL C UL IC CE CE CE BSMI MIC C Tick 88 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Standard UL 60950 FDA 21 CFR 1040 10 and 1040 11 FCC Part15B Class B CSA 22 2 No 60950 ICES 003 Class B EN60950 EN60825 1 EN55024 EN50022 Class B CNS13438 Class B EN55022 Class B Appendix B Technical Support Store Plextor s e mail web site phone and fax numbers in a convenient location Keep your drive s serial number and a copy of your sales receipt handy as well If you experience a problem while installing or operating your drive please refer first to the relevant sections of this manual regarding setup and installation Chapters 1 3 If you do not uncover the solution there please refer next to the maintenance and troubleshooting chapter that begins on page 69 You may also wish to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions
16. With media rated at 8X to 16X PoweRec determines if higher speed is possible and sets the optimal write speed up to a maximum of 16X 16X writing may not be possible on media other than this recommended media Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Ricoh Maxell Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Ricoh NOTES All DVD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times 8X DVD RW writing requires 8X media Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Maxell TDK NOTE With media rated at 8X PoweRec determines if higher speed is possible and sets the optimal write speed up to a maximum of 16X 16X writing may not be possible on media other than this recommended media Victor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Victor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim TDK NOTE All DVD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times Maxell Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 81 Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Recommended Media continued CD R 4X 16X CD RW 24X CD RW 4X 10X Maxell Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden Ricoh NOTE You can disable PoweRec With PoweRec disabled you can write at any speed although your results may be poor Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Ricoh Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim NOTE All CD RW media are rewritable up to 1 000 times Performance Specifications Read Speed DVD
17. and proceed to the outer edge Do not attempt to clean your drive using solvent based cleaners or an air compressor Do not attempt to clean your drive using a CD cleaning disc These discs can damage your drive permanently PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 9 Section 1 Getting Started Where to Go From Here e See Chapter 2 beginning on page 11 to learn how to connect your drive 10 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive This chapter explains how to physically connect your PX 716UF external drive to your computer PX 716UF Drive Features and Controls Before proceeding you should become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below Front Panel PX 716UF External Drive Power Disc tray indicator Emergency eject hole Disc busy Eject indicator button Figure 1 Front panel of the PX 716UF external drive PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 11 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive Disc busy indicator Illuminated yellow for disc initializing reading and ejecting Illuminated amber for writing Blink rate indicates writing speed Illuminated green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is operational Illuminated yellow green and amber when AutoStrategy is operational Disc tray Slides out to allow you to
18. can check for defects fingerprints or media damage e Basic Displays number of bytes of corrected PI error in 1 ECC block This measurement does not include burst error so it is correlated with jitter This measurement can check the quality of a written disc e Burst Displays burst errors The existence of PI PO errors on a DVD is perfectly normal since they can be corrected by the drive s CIRC logic However these numbers should not be too high because they can create uncorrectable errors when the disc s playability decreases for instance because of dust fingerprints scratches etc As for POF errors these cannot be repaired so the occurrence of a POF is not acceptable With POF errors there is a chance that the data will become unreadable TA Test The Time Analyzer TA test analyzes the lands and pits of a disc and produces a histogram of T3 T11 and T14 You can use this test as a visual indication of the quality of a disc This test is for use on a DVD R or DVD R disc that you have recorded It s not for use with any CD nor is it for use with a commercial pressed DVD or a DVD RW or DVD RW disc NOTE At first release the PX 716UF does not support CD R RW media Support will be provided by a firmware upgrade See page 70 for details on how to upgrade your drive s firmware To view a TA analysis 1 Place a pressed or recorded CD or DVD in the PX 716UF PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 65 Section 4
19. disc 66 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional 2 16 06 Options Help B e IDE Interface 0 ce ID 0 4 Pit T Frequency Distribution IDE Interface 1 ID 0 PX 7164 D 1 PREMIUM Drive Information 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 wo mM R Ro Ww ake Drive Settings CD DVD Info Land T Frequency Distribution Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD DVD Test T Figure 25 Q Check TA Test on a poor quality disc A DVD has a total of 10 different pits including nine from 3T to 11T and one 14T pit These histograms show the degree of jitter occurring at each pit An ideal condition when jitter is small is when the adjacent pit land peaks are thin long and clearly separated from each other A better quality disc will have histograms in which the peaks are narrow indicating less variation in length deviation Also in a good disc there will be no peak shift that is peaks will lie along the green axes If the frequency distribution of the lands and pits seems muddy or the segments run together the disc quality is not good PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 67 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Advantages of Buffer Underrun Proof Technology PlexTools Professional software lets you enable or disable Buffer Underrun Proof Technolo
20. for PI and POF errors PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 amp ID 0 Y120L0 Z e IDE Interface 1 e ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 712A Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DYD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD DVD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transter Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check PI PO Test Q Check TA Test 0 0 1 2 5 Show PIE 22723 rows BECC Show POF 0 LSN 1192208 View Log Preferences i Q Check PI PO Test Running Figure 23 Q Check PI PO Test window 3 Place check marks in the boxes for the parity errors you want to check PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 63 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 4 Use the pulldown box to select the type of test SUM8 SUM1 Basic or Burst 5 Select the Preferences button You see the Preferences window for PI PO tests 6 In the Preferences window select the desired preferences Then click OK You see the main PI PO test window again 7 To begin measurement in the PI PO Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of PI error measurement and POF error measurement 8 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself Your window shows the test results and a graph of the error counts recorded by the applicati
21. party PCI USB 2 0 or FireWire plug in host adapter card e If you don t want to purchase a separate card you can use your PC s built in USB 1 1 port However this limits the CD RW drive performance of the Plextor PX 716UF to 4X write 4X rewrite and 6X read DVD performance with USB 1 1 is 0 7X PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 17 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive Connect the PX 716UF Drive This section explains how to install your drive that is how to connect it to your computer Record the Serial Number and TLA Code Before proceeding to connect the Plextor PX 716UF drive to your personal computer record the serial number and TLA number of your drive on the inside front cover of this manual Install the Drive in Your Windows Computer If you have a computer with Windows XP Windows 2000 or Windows Me use the following procedure to install your PX 716UF drive Windows 98SE users see page 21 then come back here after you have updated your Windows installation To install the PX 716UF drive in a Windows based computer 1 Turn ON your computer system 2 Set the interface switch at the rear of the PX 716UF drive to USB switch to the right if you are using a USB cable or to 1394 switch to the left if you are using IEEE 1394 FireWire 3 Connect the AC adapter to your PX 716UF as shown in Figure 3 4 Turn the drive s power switch ON the 1 side is down 5 C
22. playback is at 4X CLV no matter the Silent Mode setting During DVD video playback of CSS discs playback is automatically slowed down for quieter video playback This is different from the control you have with Silent Mode To enable SpeedRead for DVD Video discs with CSS press the eject button for 3 seconds For more details see page 31 Using SecureRecording The Plextor PX 716UF s SecureRecording function lets you write on a CD R disc and protect the data with a password To view the contents of password protected disc or even to see a catalog of files the user must enter the correct password The password can be entered via PlexTools Professional software or with Secu Viewer software SecuViewer software is easily available to any user simply by downloading it from the Plextor web site at http www plextor com english support downloads reader html 36 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Password Protecting a Disc with SecureRecording You can choose to password protect a disc so it is readable by any Plextor PX 716UF drive assuming the user enters the correct password or by any drive using the SecuViewer To password protect a disc with SecureRecording 1 Insert a blank CD R disc in the Plextor PX 716UF drive 2 Inthe PlexTools menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 3 Select the SecuRec tab You see the win
23. switch ON and 5 insert a blank CD or DVD disc e IEEE 1394 4 pin connector Connect an IEEE 1394 also known as FireWire cable with a 4 pin connector here PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 13 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive IEEE 1394 6 pin connector Connect an IEEE 1394 FireWire cable with a 6 pin connector here NOTE The PX 716UF does not get its power from the IEEE 1394 bus or the USB bus It must be connected to the AC adapter CAUTION Use only the IEEE 1394 FireWire cable shipped with your PX 716UF Interface switch Switch the PX 716UF drive to operate with a different interface USB IEEE 1394 This allows you to connect the drive to either interface depending on the requirements of your computer If you change interfaces with this switch you must also cycle the PX 716UF power That is turn the rear panel power switch off then on again USB 2 0 connector Connect the USB cable here You can use a USB 2 0 or USB 1 1 interface CAUTION Use only the USB cable shipped with your PX 716UF DC 12V power connector Connect the AC adapter here CAUTION Use only the AC adapter shipped with your PX 716UF Power switch Press this switch to turn the power on or off Press the 0 down to turn power off Press the 1 down to turn power on 14 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive What Else Is In the P
24. to Plextor Be sure to write the RMA number on the outside of the shipping box Any drive sent to Plextor without an RMA number will not be accepted NOTE The RMA number must be clearly visible on the outside of the shipping box Drives must be sent postage prepaid We recommend that you insure your shipment as Plextor cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur during shipment 92 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix C Warranty PLEXTOR CORP Plextor warrants your PX 716UF drive against any defect in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of one year following its date of purchase In the event this product is found to be defective within the warranty period PLEXTOR will at its option repair or replace the defective unit This warranty is void a if the unit is operated or stored under abnormal use and or conditions b if the unit is repaired modified or altered unless such repair modification or alteration is expressly authorized in writing by PLEXTOR c if the unit is subjected to abuse neglect lightning strike electrical fault improper packaging or accident d if the unit is installed improperly or e if the serial number of the unit is defaced or missing PLEXTOR will not under any circumstances be liable for direct special or consequential damages such as but not limited to damage or loss of property or equipment loss of profits or revenues cost of rep
25. use on a CD or DVD that contains content that is a commercial pressed disc or a disc recorded on a DVD or CD burner To measure read transfer rate response 1 Place a recorded disc in the PX 716UF You can use a pre recorded commercially stamped CD or DVD disc or you can use a recorded DVD R RW disc DVD R RW disc or CD R RW disc 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Read Transfer Rate Test You see the Read Transfer Rate test window with a graph for read speeds 46 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 e IDE Interface 1 BDO PX 7164 ID 1 PX 7124 Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudiolD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions 0 Start 1 96 End Curent 1 95 Read Transfer Rate Test Running 3 BIBXCAV View Log Preferences Figure 14 Read Transfer Rate Test window Select the speed pulldown menu and choose the desired transfer speed Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the Read Test Options and the Read Test Graph Options PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 47 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Preferences Q Check FE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PI PO Test General Digital
26. which type of compact disc you use DVD Media DVD recordable media is available in two different non compatible formats e DVD R DVD R DL double layer and DVD RW e DVD R and DVD RW Your PX 716UF can read and write either media format in single layer or double layer media It supports all these types of DVD media e Digital Video Discs You can immediately play pre recorded DVD discs including movies and other DVDs e DVD R DL DVD R DVD R Recordable DVD You can record on these discs but only once You can also read them e DVD RW DVD RW ReWritable DVD You can record and re record up to 1 000 times on these discs You can also read them DVD R DL DVD R DVD ReWritable R RW Figure 5 The logo identifies the type of DVD media With double layer media you don t need to turn the disc over to record on side 2 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 25 Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF CD ROM Media In addition you can use these types of CD media e CD ROM You can immediately play or read prerecorded compact discs such as audio CDs and data discs e CD R Recordable CD You can record on these discs but only once You can also read them e CD RW Normal Speed High Speed and Ultra Speed ReWritable CD These discs support recording and re recording up to 1 000 times You can also read them To achieve a certain writing speed you must use the appropriate media To achieve 48X CD R writing speed you mu
27. 000 right click on the My Computer icon and select Properties Click on the Hardware tab then click on the Device Manager button Click the sign next to the DVD CD ROM drives heading and look at the PLEXTOR DVDR PX 716A device entry underneath 4 If you have a PX 716UF drive that is not recognized in Windows a If your USB or IEEE 1394 controller has a yellow diamond with an exclamation point contact your PC or motherboard manufacturer for help and to troubleshoot your controller for driver compatibility or conflicts It may just be a matter of obtaining the latest driver or a motherboard BIOS update from the manufacturer b Ifthe USB or IEEE 1394 controller is listed and does not have a yellow diamond with an exclamation point but the Plextor drive is listed as a USB or IEEE 1394 Storage device select the Storage device and then select the Remove button Reboot your system The system will do another hardware scan and should install the driver properly 5 Ifyou still have problems or if the USB or IEEE 1394 controller is listed and does not have a yellow diamond with an exclamation point but you do not see the Plextor drive listed as one of the devices contact Plextor Technical Support See Appendix B Technical Support for the different ways you can contact us 72 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Using the PX 716UF Self Test Diagnostics
28. 1 or about 96 minutes NOTE MSF stands for minutes seconds frames This is the structure of the CD 2048 bytes per frame 75 frames per second 60 seconds per minute Using a disc at once DAO recording application such as PlexTools Professional CD DVD ROM Maker or AudioCD Maker record data on the CD R disc 44 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 7 To disable GigaRec and return to normal writing clear the Enable GigaRec check box How GigaRec Works CD R and CD RW discs are manufactured with special information about manufacturer model name disc features and maximum write capacity written to a narrow strip along the inner margin of the disc The Plextor PX 716UF can ignore and even overwrite this information which extends the disc capacity Important Facts about GigaRec e When you enable GigaRec it is active for all recording functions e With GigaRec writing speed is fixed at 4X or 8X e You can use only CD R discs with GigaRec e Only disc at once DAO recording in which all tracks are written in a single operation is supported GigaRec does not support session at once SAO recording e Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is turned off during GigaRec operation Writing stops if a buffer underrun occurs e A disc recorded with GigaRec is playable in all Plextor PX 716UF drives However because GigaRec is out of the limits for Orange Book and Red Boo
29. 1 playing 29 reading speed 2 82 recording modes 5 80 regional setting 29 79 write methods 5 80 DVD R compatibility 75 media 25 81 software 8 writing 30 writing speed 2 83 DVD R DL 4 media 25 81 writing speed 2 83 DVD RW compatibility 75 editing 4 media 25 81 software 8 writing 30 writing speed 83 DVD VR 2 4 DVD R 75 drive capabilities 25 media 81 writing speed 2 83 DVD RW 75 drive capabilities 25 DRT DM See distributed real time defect management media 81 writing speed 83 zero link 4 DVD Video reading speed 2 5 31 E Easy Media Creator 8 15 30 minimum configuration 8 77 editing DVD RW 4 eject emergency 70 methods for 78 eject button 12 closing tray 27 self test and 73 electrostatic discharge specification 88 EMC standards 88 emergency eject hole 12 70 emergency eject tool 12 15 70 environmental conditions 87 error rate specification 88 F FAQs 75 FE See focus error features 3 11 CD R 5 DVD 4 FireWire See also IEEE 1394 hints 22 Index switching to USB 22 Windows 98SE and 21 firmware 40 obtaining 70 upgrading 4 70 75 flash memory 4 70 focus error measurement 46 55 58 formats 80 CD 5 80 DVD 5 75 80 frequently asked questions 75 front panel controls 11 78 G GigaRec 6 43 Buffer Underrun Proof Techn
30. Audio Extraction CD DVD Copy CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options freedb Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Read Test Options Write Test Options Sample length v F Simulate Test every 1 Minute v Test every 1 Minute Read Test Graph Options Write Test Graph Options Max Read Speed Indication 56 Max Write Speed Indication 56 Max DVD Read Speed Indication 16 Max DYD Write Speed Indication 16 CD Length Indication 100 Minutes CD Length Indication 100 Minutes DVD Length Indication 5 GB v DVD Length Indication 5 GB x Data Format Internal Buffer Mode1 j CO Overbum Figure 15 Transfer Rate Test Preferences window 5 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Read Transfer Rate Test window 6 To begin measurement in the test window click the Start button You see the amount of recorded data represented in minutes the start speed and current speed 7 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself You see a graph representing the drive read response 8 To see the results select View Log You see the Test Results window that shows what color corresponds to what test You can clear all or selected tests then run more tests for comparison 48 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional What the Measurement Means This function reports the read r
31. DVD 5 DVD R 75 DVD RW 75 computer PX 716UF minimum 6 77 configuration minimum 6 77 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 95 Index connecting multiple IEEE 1394 FireWire devices 19 22 connecting multiple USB devices 19 connector IEEE 1394 13 14 79 power 14 78 USB 14 79 connectors and jumpers rear panel 13 78 79 content protection for recordable media 4 content scrambling system 5 12 31 contents of box 15 controls 11 front panel 11 78 CPRM See content protection for recordable media cradle PX 716UF 15 CSS See content scrambling system D daisy chain don t 19 22 data buffer 68 79 data connector 86 DC 12V connector 14 18 78 diagnostics 4 73 dimensions PX 716UF 86 disc cleaning 9 28 labels 28 loading 78 testing 4 46 testing with Q Check 51 disc capacity changing with GigaRec 6 43 44 disc tray 12 controlling with silent mode 34 disc busy indicator 12 78 96 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual blink rate 30 Buffer Underrun Proof Technology and 78 color 30 78 self test and 73 distributed real time defect management DVD RW 2 double layer side 2 25 double layer DVD 4 drivers USB for Windows 98SE 21 77 DRT DM See distributed real time defect management DVD compatibility 5 double layer disc 4 formats compared 75 formats supported 5 80 media 25 8
32. E 1394a 2000 400 Mbps max PLEXTOR sp DVDR sp sp sp PX 716A sp sp where sp is one space Refer to Plextor ATAPI command manual 86 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Environmental Conditions Mounting Position Operating Temperature Operating Humidity Storage Temperature Storage Humidity Acoustic Noise Vibration Operating Vibration Non Operating Shock Operating Horizontal or vertical orientation Horizontal 15 degrees Vertical Front side up or down 15 degrees 5 to 35 degrees Celsius 20 to 80 non condensing 40 to 60 degrees Celsius 20 to 95 non condensing Playing balanced disc Maximum 45dB Playing unbalanced disc Maximum 45dB Tray ejecting Maximum 50dB Sine sweep 5 minutes CD DVD read 0 15Go px 5 300Hz CD R write 0 15Go pk 5 300Hz CD RW rewrite 0 10Go pk 5 300Hz DVD write 0 10Go p 5 300Hz Sine sweep 5 minutes 2 0Go px 5 300Hz Power off without disc 11msec half sine 10 sec interval CD read 5 0Go pk 5 300Hz CD read 2 5 Go px 5 300HZ vertical orientation DVD read 5 0Go pk 5 300Hz DVD read 2 5 Go pk 5 300HZ vertical orientation CD R write 1 5Go px 5 300Hz CD RW rewrite 0 5Go px 5 300Hz DVD write 0 5Go px 5 300Hz PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 87 Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Environmental Conditions continued Permissible velocity
33. Installation and Users Manual High Normal Speed CD RW Media Read Kbps 9280 22160 CAV 6925 16620 CAV 4709 11080 CAV Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Performance Specifications continued CD Transfer Speed Write Kbps Read Kbps Rate 48X 3180 7200 CAV 40X 2710 6000 CAV 32X 2170 4800 CAV 24X 3000 3600 CAV 16X 10X 8X 1200 CLV 4X 600 CLV 600 CLV Initialization Time measured from power on until disc is available Time to read DVD lt 13 sec typical lt 15 sec max CD lt 13 sec typical lt 15 sec max Access Time Time measured from command phase until bus free no disconnect DVD lt 150 msec typical lt 180 msec max CD lt 100 msec typical lt 130 msec max Sleep Mode Entered after 2 minutes of no access to drive default setting Wake Mode lt 5 5 sec max to start drive after sleep PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 85 Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Dimensions and Weight Dimensions W H D excluding front panel Weight Host Interface Type Data Connector USB 2 0 Transfers USB 1 1 Transfers IEEE 1394 Transfers Inquiry String ATAPI Commands 7 24 x 2 05 x 10 43 184 mm x 52 mm x 265 mm lt 3 8 Ibs 1 7 kg USB B type IEEE 1394 6pin 4pin USB B type IEEE 1394 6pin 4pin Hi Speed 480 Mbps max Full Speed 12 Mbps max IEEE Std 1394 1995 IEE
34. Media 00 eeccceseeccsceseeeeeeeeseeeeeeesececeeeecneeaeeeeneens 30 Specifying R RW or R RW ceeccesceceesseeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeteensees 30 Writing to CD R and CD RW Media cceeeesceeseeseeeseeesseeseeees 30 Using the Disc Busy Indicator cceceeceesseesseeeeeeseeseeeeeeeeeeesees 30 Switching to SpeedRead for Video Playback s s s 31 Using Auto trate sy is 605 es Roker cee Salen nk 32 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional s 0000 33 Loading PlexTools Professional Software ccceeseseseeeeerees 33 Using Silent Moderiert a n e 34 Turning On Silent Mode cceeceecseeseeeseeeeceeeeeseceseeneeeeeeneeees 34 Important Facts about Silent Mode sssseseneeeseeeesseeeessesersresesee 36 Using Sec teRecotdihsnieirieeniene nn a i 36 Password Protecting a Disc with SecureRecording 37 Reading a Password Protected Disc ccccesceeseeseeeteereeeeeees 38 Important Facts about SecureRecording ceceseeseseeereeees 39 Usm Vari Rec cers aie econ eas ET EE E oeawetees tested 40 How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined 0 40 Changing the VariRec Setting ccceceeceeseeseceteeeeeeneeeseees 41 Important Facts about VariRec c eeccesceeseeeseeteesteeeeeeneeeneeees 42 Using GigaRee sonin osterie r ata dete nuuiatin awe oul 43 Burning a Disc with GigaRec ccceesceeseeesceseeeteeseeneeeeeeneeees 43 How GigaRec Works cc
35. Mode 1 Inthe PlexTools Professional menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 2 Select the Silent Mode tab You see the Silent Mode window 3 To enable Silent Mode check the Enable Silent Mode box 4 To slow writing speed making this process quieter select the Max Write Speed drop down menu and make a new selection Smaller numbers mean quieter operation but take longer to write a disc 5 To slow reading speed making this process quieter select the Max Read Speed drop down menu and make a new selection Smaller numbers mean quieter operation but slow disc reading 34 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help a e IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 Basic Advanced VariRec CD GigaRec SilentMode SecuRec e IDE Interface 1 ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 7124 Max Write Speed 20 48 P CAV Max Read Speed 17 40 X CAV Drive Information Drive Settings Access Time Fast CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudiolD Player Tray Speed Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker Loadina a CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy 3 CD DVD RW Functions Eject CD DVD Test eed Transfer Rate Test Wii nsfer Rate T 6 10 Reset Values Save Changes To Drive Figure 10 Silent Mode options in PlexTools Professional To slow disc access by the drive making spinup and spindown slo
36. PX 7 16UF Model PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive DVD R DL DOUBLE LAYER DVD R RW CD R RW DRIVE INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL Prextor SEPTEMBER 2004 Plextor reserves the right to make improvements in the products described in this manual at any time without prior notice Plextor makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose Further Plextor Corp reserves the right to revise this manual and to make changes in its content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revision or change This manual is copyrighted all rights reserved It may not be copied photocopied translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without Plextor s prior permission Manual copyright 2004 Plextor Corp First edition September 2004 Licenses and Trademarks Plextor PlexTools and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Plextor Corp All other licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners Record Your Serial Number For future reference record the serial number and the TLA code found on your drive s label in the space provided below TLA Firmware Revision Number FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This
37. Speed Stamped DVD DVD DVD DVD R RW R SL DL DL 6 16X va CAV 5 12X VA VA VA VA CAV 3 8X Y vV V v v CAV 25X vy v V v v CAV 6 16X v v V x v CAV NOTE SL Single layer disc DL Double layer disc NOTE When a DVD Video with CSS copy protection via the Content Scrambling System is loaded the PX 716UF slows its playback speed to reduce drive noise 82 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Performance Specifications continued Read Speed Speed Mode 1 Mode 2 CD DA CD Discs Discs Discs 20 48X Stamp R CAV 48X with SpeedRead default is 40X 17 40X Stamp R Stamp R CAV RW RW CAV RW RW RW CAV RW RW RW RW RW RW 4X CLV Stamp R Stamp R Stamp R RW RW RW NOTE Stamp indicates commercially pressed silver discs Write Speed Speed R RW R R RW DVD R RW DL 16X va s CAV 12X VA s PCAV 6X 8X VA va s PCAV 6X CLV y va VA 4X CLV Y va s VA S 2 4X VA S VA CLV 2X CLV VA Y 1X CLV Y PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 83 Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Performance Specifications continued Write Speed Speed CD R Ultra CD R RW DVD Transfer Speed Rate 16X 12X 8310 16620 f PCAV 6X a 4X 2 4X 2X 2770 CLV 1X 1385 CLV 84 PX 716UF
38. V 4X Buffer Green On Underrun Proof DVD linking active Write setting Yellow green created by amber AutoStrategy Switching to SpeedRead for Video Playback When you are playing a DVD Video disc that has CSS copy protection via the Content Scrambling System the PX 716UF normally plays at a slow speed with a maximum of 2X CLV speed to reduce drive noise You can speed up DVD playback by turning on SpeedRead PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 31 Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF To manually enable SpeedRead and speed up DVD playback 1 Make sure the PX 716UF disc tray is closed and empty 2 Press and hold the PX 716UF s eject button for at least 3 seconds The disc busy indicator blinks green three times to indicate SpeedRead will be active for DVD Video discs with CSS copy protection 3 Release the eject button The disc tray opens 4 Insert a DVD Video disc that is equipped with CSS copy protection 5 Begin playing the disc SpeedRead changes the default DVD read speed to 6X 16X CAV for single layer DVD discs or 3X to 8X CAV for double layer DVD discs To manually disable SpeedRead You can manually disable SpeedRead and return to normal video playback operation for DVD Video discs with CSS in either of two ways e Eject the disc or e Turn off power to the drive NOTE You can also enable and disable SpeedRead with PlexTools Professional software In PlexTools Professional go to Drive Sett
39. VDs Single layer Double layer Media DVD DVD R For general version 2 0 DVD RW Version 1 1 1 2 DVD R Version 1 2 DVD R DL Version 1 0 DVD RW Version 1 2 Supported Stamped CDs Discs compliant with Media CD Red Yellow Green White Blue Book CD R Orange Book Pt Il compliant discs Type 74 Type 80 CD RW Orange Book Pt Ill compliant discs Supported CD 12 cm Media Size DVD 12 cm 8cm DVD R RW Usable Formats Logical DVD Read Write Logical CD Read Write Write Methods DVD R RW Write Methods DVD R RW Write Methods CD R RW DVD ROM DVD Video multi border multi session DVD VR DVD VR CD DA CD Extra CD ROM Mode 1 CD ROM Mode 2 CD ROM XA Photo CD Video CD multi session CD TEXT CD I CD G UDF DVD R Disc at once DAO multi session incremental DVD RW Random access write sequential write DVD R DL DAO DVD R DAO incremental recording multi border recording DVD RW DAO multi border recording incremental recording restricted overwriting DRT DM Track at once TAO DAO packet write variable and fixed session at once SAO 80 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Recommended Media DVD R 16X DVD R 12X 8X 6X 4X 2 4X DVD RW 8X 4X 2 4X DVD R DL 4X 2 4X DVD R 16X 12X 8X 6X 4X 2X DVD RW 4X DVD RW 1X 2X CD R 4X 48X Mitsubishi Chemical Verbatim Taiyo Yuden NOTE
40. X 716UF Box What you find in your Plextor box depends on what the company that sold you the box put in or took out while the Plextor drive was in their possession Plextor currently sells the PX 716UF drive in this configuration PX 716UF DVD R DL DVD R RW and CD R RW drive USB 2 0 cable IEEE 1394 FireWire cable AC adapter and power cord Emergency eject tool Cradle for vertical operation 1 piece of approved DVD R media Plextor software disc with bundled PlexTools Professional Also contains Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 Basic DVD Edition PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual e PX 716UF Quick Reference Guide Save Your Box Be sure to save the box after you have installed your drive The box and its packaging material were designed and drop tested to ensure your drive can endure rough treatment and still arrive in working order If you have to ship your drive back to Plextor you want to send it in the original box For more details about returning your drive to Plextor see page 91 If the security sticker on top of your box is cut there may be a good reason for example a dealer may have added other components or software Carefully check the contents to ensure nothing has been removed If something is missing contact the party from whom you purchased the box for an explanation NOTE This applies to the Plextor retail box Your drive may have been shipped in a different box with other contents dependin
41. a range of addresses that represent anywhere from 15 seconds to 5 minutes on the disc This test lets you check for the relative amounts of jitter in different media brands or compare a specific media brand recorded on different drives What the Beta Measurement Means Beta is a representation of the balance between pit and land If the laser power is too high the pit becomes too pronounced If power is too low the land becomes too pronounced In either case data will not be accurately reproduced In the Beta Jitter Test window the beta measurement is displayed as a red line on the graph and also reported as an absolute value When the Plextor PX 716UF controls its write strategy using VariRec the resulting strategy will be the best balance of the lowest jitter and the appropriate laser power for a quality recording 62 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Measuring Q Check PI PO Errors This function reports on the PIE parity inner errors and POF parity outer fails on the current DVD disc in the Plextor PX 716UF drive This test is for use on a DVD that contains content that is a commercial pressed DVD or a disc recorded on a DVD burner To measure PI PO error 1 Place a pressed DVD disc or a recorded DVD R DVD RW DVD R or DVD RW disc in the PX 716UF From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check PI PO Test You see the Q Check window with a graph
42. al fii Bottom View of External Drive Showing Caution Label Location Class 1 laser label Front of drive Detail of PX 716UF Laser Caution Label CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT TO IEC 60825 1 2001 LASER KLASSE 1 PRODUKT NACH IEC 60825 1 2001 iv PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Table of Contents 1 Getting Started cccssscssssscstsccessssssssesssssesesssessssesssesssessoeese 1 About this Manual 0 0 0 0 cccccccccsscccecssscecsessececesseeceessssecessseeesseaess 1 Meet Your PX 716UF srananira saab E Be E A Levene 2 What the PX 716UF DOSi asrini 2 Features of the PX 716UF uu cece cccccccccessccceesseceesseeeeesteeeesenes 3 Minimum Configuration to Use the PX 716UF s e 6 What You Can Do with the PX 716UF ee eccccceeeeeeeees 7 About SoftWare eres c6i sects ccs et EAE E E steve are EEN Rn 8 Precautions neee ieee eee iste Wek EE ene 9 Where to Go From Here sosenem iaie ER EE N 10 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive 11 PX 716UF Drive Features and Controls ccccccecceceesseceeeeeees 11 Front Panel PX 716UF External Drive 0 cecccceeeeeeees 11 Rear Panel PX 716UF External Drive sssseeeesseeeeeeeseseeseee 13 What Else Is In the PX 716UF BOX ssescseseessssssisssseresrrssesrrrsreeessee 15 S ve Yo r BOR alaena i i eaa a ienaa ee ol aie Eest 15 Mount the PX 716UF DTrive esssessesesereeseeeresrresrrerresressressreseeesss 16
43. ality and a failure to write a disc without errors can be caused by either the drive or by the media Variations in the reflective layer polycarbonate thickness eccentricity that is if the spindle hole is not in the exact center of the disc and the quality and thickness of the dye layer are all factors that determine if the laser accurately burns the data on to the disc PoweRec can reduce the drive speed during recording to ensure a higher quality recording but the reduction in speed may be perceived as a problem with the drive when compared against a drive without PoweRec The FE TE graphing capability of the Plextor PX 716UF drive displays the mechanical characteristics of the disc by indicating how consistently the laser tracks across the surface of the disc and how accurately the focus is maintained on the recording dye layer To be specific e Focus error is a measure of how accurately the laser is focused on the disc surface That is how round the laser dot is A good disc will show a low number of focus errors across the graph A bad disc will show a high number of focus errors across the graph or high points where the drive cannot focus the laser correctly because of poor disc quality e Tracking error is a measure of how accurately the laser tracks in the disc s pre groove area of the disc that is how well the laser follows the spiral A good disc will show low tracking error across the graph showing a fairly consi
44. and FireWire If you have a computer with Windows 98SE to ensure stable operation when using the FireWire IEEE 1394 interface you ll need to update Windows with a patch file from Microsoft You must do this before you can install the PX 716UF drive To update your Windows 98SE operating system 1 With your web browser go to the Microsoft web site to download the appropriate patch file The URLs are Q English http support microsoft com default aspx scid kb en 242975 Q Japanese http support microsoft com default aspx scid kb ja 242975 2 Install the Windows patch according to the instructions provided with it 3 Install the PX 716UF drive as detailed on page 18 If You Have Windows 98SE and USB If you have a computer with Windows 98SE and are using the USB interface you ll need to update Windows with the Plextor driver before you can install the PX 716UF To update your Windows 98SE operating system 1 Install the Plextor drivers Q Ifyou have a DVD Player insert the Plextor disc and install from the button labeled 98SE USB Driver Q Ifyou do not have the Plextor disc or do not have a DVD player download the PX 716UF drivers from http www plextor com english support drivers drivers html usb 2 Install the PX 716UF drive as detailed on page 18 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 21 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive Switching Between USB a
45. ber and details of the drive failure After completing the form click the Submit button IMPORTANT NOTE The RMA form will NOT be processed without the Tech Support Ticket Number 3 Plextor will then return the RMA form to you via e mail with the RMA number and shipping information included When you receive the RMA number pack the Plextor drive securely in a box and include the RMA form as a packing slip Write the RMA number in large letters on the outside of the box and ship the box and the drive to Plextor Contacting Plextor s RMA Department You can contact our RMA Department and request RMA forms at rmasupport plextor com Or by fax at 510 651 9765 Or by calling us at 510 440 2000 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 91 Appendix B Technical Support Packing Your Drive Check the drive to make sure there is no disc inside and if possible pack your drive in the original box Some of our customers have not held on to their boxes and have had to resort to less than secure methods to get drives back to us Be sure to include the AC adapter when you ship the drive CAUTION Never ship the drive with a CD or DVD disc inside it If you did not receive a box we recommend you pay a packaging store such as The UPS Store to ship your drive If you don t have a packaging store in your area ask for packaging pointers when you contact us to get an RMA number before returning any drive Shipping Your Drive
46. c DVD Silent Mode e IDE Interface 1 ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 7124 Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player a Digital Audio Extraction Recording Strategy Default AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD DVD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Recording Speed 4 O 5540 KB s _ o Figure 12 Changing the VariRec parameters 8 Use AudioCD Maker or CD DVD ROM Maker from PlexTools Professional to create a disc layout 9 If necessary in the list of recording options make sure the Enable VariRec box is checked and continue recording Your disc is recorded with the new laser strategy Important Facts about VariRec e Use VariRec with DVD R or CD R discs e VariRec writes in either Track at Once TAO or Disc at Once DAO mode e VariRec writes data or CD DA digital audio on recordable media at lower speeds for example 4X or 8X for CD R rather than at the full speed of the drive For this reason data or audio recording using VariRec takes substantially longer than a standard audio recording 42 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Using GigaRec GigaRec lets you change the capacity of a standard CD R disc from 60 percent up to 130 percent of its standard capacity You can use GigaRec for CD DA or data writing at 4X and 8X disc at
47. ccccesecesessseesceeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeseeeereens 45 Important Facts about GigaRec eeeeceseeseesseeseeeteeseeeseeeseeees 45 Testing Your CDs and DVDS c eeceeecceseeeteceeeteeeseenseeneeeneeenes 46 Measuring Read Transfer Rate 0 ccccesceesseeseeeeeeseeeeeeeeeereees 46 Measuring Write Transfer Rate cecccseesseesseeeeeseeereeteeeeeees 49 Measuring Q Check C1 C2 CU Errors cccesceeeeseesteeseeeteeees 51 Measuring Tracking and Focus Error sssr 55 Making Q Check Jitter Beta Measurements ceeeeeeeeeeeees 59 Measuring Q Check PI PO Errors cccccesseesseeseeeeeeeseeeeeeeeees 63 NSAST OSC c catclte ibs a a ste ties stone as Ae 65 Advantages of Buffer Underrun Proof Technology 0 68 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting sscccccsssssecseeesseeeees 69 Cleaning the PX 716UF Drive eecceeeeseceseceeeeeeeneeeneeeneeees 69 Upgrading Firmware cccccsceeseesseesceeseeeseeeeceseessecseeeneeeeeeneenes 70 Emergency D e A E E secpeeciiasfenpeecieel eee 70 vi PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Table of Contents Troubleshooting inisenisi ieni 71 Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized ccccecsseeseeseeeeeeeeereees 71 Using the PX 716UF Self Test Diagnostics 73 What You Wl Need vccieieciedinetneniiah ei aaed ae aeek 73 Performing the Self Test ccceccescesecseecseeeeeeeeeeeeeereeereeeees 73 What the Self Test Results Indicate 0 0 ee eeceeeeceteere
48. changes for DVD R 4X and 2 4X DVD R 4X and 2X and CD R 4X and 8X CD DA data writing VariRec also lets you change the write strategy to match the dye profile of your disc You can make these changes to do comparison testing with your DVD or CD player to find the setting that best suits you Changing the laser power and write strategy changes the characteristics of the audio or data being written For audio you can hear these changes during playback although what you hear will depend on speaker quality audio settings and environment To use PlexTools Professional to change VariRec settings for writing 1 Place a blank DVD R or CD R disc in the PX 716UF 2 Inthe PlexTools menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings 3 Select the VariRec tab You see the VariRec window 4 To turn VariRec on for recording place a check mark in the Enable VariRec box 5 Move the slider to adjust the laser power in either the plus or minus direction 6 Click the Recording Speed drop down menu to choose the recording speed for example 8X or 4X for a CD R 7 Click the Recording drop down menu to choose the recording strategy for example for a CD R you can choose Default Azo Cyanine Phthalocyanine A etc PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 41 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 Basic Advanced VariRe
49. device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation CAUTION Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user s authority to operate the equipment CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS STATEMENT This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES 003 Cet appareil num rique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB 003 du Canada LASER INFORMATION These products have been designed and manufactured according to IEC 60825 1 on the Safety of Laser products This product comes under Class 1 Laser Products CAUTION Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure A Laser Caution Label is attached on the bottom of the external drive model The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is visible and invisible Accordingly e Do not open the optical pickup housing e Obtain service only from Plextor authorized personnel CAUTION To disconnect the external DVD CD drive from an electrical current pull out the AC adapter power plug PX 716UF Installation and Users Manu
50. disc and insert a blank Plextor certified recordable disc PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 73 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting 6 The drive begins the diagnostic routine Upon completion of the diagnostic you see the results Q If there was no problem the disc is ejected automatically That is the disc tray opens allowing you to remove the disc Q Ifthere was a problem the disc is not ejected and you see the disc busy indicator blink green One green blink indicates a write or read error Two green blinks indicate an initialization error 7 Ifthe disc was not ejected automatically press the eject button to eject the disc 8 Tum the PX 716UF power switch to OFF and set the SELF TEST switch to the right OFF position 9 Turn the PX 716UF s power switch to ON so the 1 is depressed 10 Reconnect the USB or FireWire cable from your PX 716UF drive to the computer What the Self Test Results Indicate e Ifa drive passes the self test then the drive s operation is OK e Ifthe drive fails the self test in some cases the problem may be caused by the media Try the self test again using a different brand of DVD R or CD R media if the drive passes the self test this time the drive is OK 74 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 6 Frequently Asked Questions Q Which is better DVD R and DVD RW Or DVD R and DVD RW A Neither is better or worse They re just diffe
51. double click the PlexTools Professional exe file You see the InstallShield Wizard for PlexTools Professional 3 Accept the license agreement and accept the default installation settings 4 When prompted click Finish to complete the InstallShield Wizard 5 When prompted restart your computer After installation PlexTools Professional is launched automatically unless you disable automatic running To disable automatic running at startup choose Options Preferences go to the General tab and uncheck the Automatic run box Even if PlexTools Professional is not set to run automatically you can launch it from the Start Programs menu in Windows PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 33 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Using Silent Mode Although the Plextor PX 716UF drive is quiet in normal operation its Silent Mode is ideal for use in environments where silence is golden Silent Mode reduces sound from the drive in several ways e Slows writing speed e Slows reading speed e Slows access spinup and spindown speeds e Reduces tray speed that is the opening and closing of the disc tray You can actually control the tray speed directly Turning On Silent Mode You can turn on Silent Mode with software applications that have been written to make use of this technology One of these applications is the PlexTools Professional software To use PlexTools Professional to control Silent
52. dow for SecureRecording PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help e IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 Basic Advanced VariRec CD GigaRec Silent Mode SecuRec S e IDE Interface 1 amp ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PK 7124 Protection Settings Password Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Verity Password Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DYD Copy CD DVD RW Functions CD DVD Test Read Transfer Rate Test Write Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Q Check FE TE Test Blank CD R 79 59 71 PIPO Q Check TA Test Ready 7 De Activate Protection Protection Status ACTIVE Figure 11 Password protecting a disc with SecureRecording 4 Enter the desired password in the Password field 5 Retype your password in the Verify Password field PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 37 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 6 Click the Activate Protection button The Protection Status field shows that protection is Active Use a disc at once DAO recording application such as CD DVD ROM Maker in PlexTools Professional or any other DAO recording application to record your data onto a CD R disc Once protected with SecureRecording the disc can t be read by a non SecureRecording drive unless the correct password is entered Reading a Password Protected Disc To read a disc that has been password protected wi
53. drive PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 75 Section 6 Frequently Asked Questions Q What are the transfer rates for the different interfaces A Different interfaces have different maximum transfer rates The following table compares the transfer rates for the different interfaces Interface Maximum Transfer Rate USB 2 0 Hi Speed 480 Mbps max USB 1 1 Full Speed 12 Mbps max IEEE 1394 FireWire 400 Mbps max Actual transfer rates in the real world depend on the type of media and software you re using and on the type of data being transferred Q Can I get USB 2 0 on a Macintosh A The Macintosh currently has USB 1 1 built in If your Macintosh has a PCI slot you can purchase and install a USB 2 0 interface card However any OS below OS X does not have USB 2 0 support so you may also have to upgrade your Mac operating system If your Macintosh lacks a PCI slot you should use the FireWire port if available 76 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Minimum System Requirements PX 716UF Drive Computer PC Pentium 4 1 4 GHz or equivalent Macintosh Power Macintosh G3 or later G4 or higher recommended for faster video encoding Minimum RAM 256 MB Hard Disk Size 1 GB of free space to write to a CD in image mode or 10 GB of free space to create DVD images For more accurate guidelines see the help files or documentation for the recording software you re us
54. easurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself Your window shows the test results and a graph of the error counts recorded by the application PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 61 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional What the Jitter Measurement Means The data on the surface of a CD or DVD disc is expressed by pits burned into the recording dye and by unburned areas or lands which represent the 0 and 1 binary bits of the computer data The CD book standards prescribe these 0 and 1 pits and lands as a series of 3 to 11 pieces in sequence described as 3T to 11T The millions of 3T data segments on the recorded media actually contain minute variations in length with practically no individual 3T segment matching another This variation distribution is called the jitter ratio and is a measurement of the variation of the prescribed length of the 3T segment against what is actually written on the disc A lower jitter value indicates better uniformity of 3T data which means the recording is of a higher quality The book standard regulates jitter value at no more than 35 nanoseconds Using PlexTools Professional and the Plextor drive you can use the Q Check Beta Jitter Test to determine the quality of writing on a disc The test graph displays an average rate for jitter occurring between 3T and 11T When you select the sample length you actually specify
55. eeeeees 74 6 Frequently Asked Questions csccssssssssssssssssssssesesesessseees 75 Appendix A PX 716UF SpecificationS seeseeeseseseeeoeseeoeseceorseeeee 77 Appendix B Technical Support scssccsssssssssesssesessssessseseees 89 How to Contact Plextor Technical Support ceceecesseeseeeeeees 90 Before You E mail Log On FAX Call for Support 90 Retin Srian eeno eana eee toe dei sede heheh adeeb 91 Contacting Plextor s RMA Department eee eeeseereeteeees 91 Packing Your Drives ch dcistin ciated cath elo anv iene 92 Shipping Your Drive to Plextor ccecceeseeseeeeeeseeeseeeseeseensees 92 Appendix C Warrantty cccccsscsscssessssssesssssssssesssessssssessesseess 93 If You re Outside the U S or Canada s s s 94 TINO sees scecscccsetssoasseseseasdacsceosessesoesoscooventsceveosceceseossssetsesdusscvectetssuosseses 95 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Vii Table of Contents This page intentionally left blank viii PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 1 Getting Started Congratulations Thank you for purchasing the Plextor PX 716UF a reliable high performance recordable DVD and CD writer rewriter and player We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us Our goal is to put you and keep you on the leading edge of DVD and CD technology About this Manual Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference Use the manual for i
56. esponse of the Plextor PX 716UF drive The graph should display a smooth linear curve up to the limit of the recorded data If the curve is not linear or smooth repeat the test with another piece of recorded media Most read transfer failures are caused by poor quality or damaged media Measuring Write Transfer Rate The Write Transfer Rate selection lets you test the transfer rate of data written to a disc The function reports the writing response of the Plextor PX 716UF drive This test is conducted on blank media to determine the capabilities of the drive media combination To measure write response 1 Place a blank recordable or rewritable disc in the Plextor PX 716UF drive You can use a blank DVD R or RW disc a DVD R or RW disc or a CD R or CD RW disc 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Write Transfer Rate Test You see the Write Transfer Rate Test window with a graph for write speeds 3 Select the speed pulldown menu and choose the desired transfer speed PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 49 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 amp ID 0 Y120L0 e IDE Interface 1 ID 0 PX 7164 ID 1 PX 712A Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD D D Copy CD DVD RW Functions Write Transfer Rate Test Running 8X
57. g Firmware Plextor creates firmware revisions to meet the particular needs of large computer manufacturers It is rare that these revisions will impact the performance or operation of your drive However we advise that you always update your drive with the latest available firmware Among other benefits updating firmware ensures that your drive has the latest media catalog Before troubleshooting a possible problem with your PX 716UF drive please visit our web site at www plextor com to check if you have the latest firmware To obtain new firmware for your drive 1 Go to the Plextor web site at www plextor com 2 Look for firmware upgrades in the Support area on the Downloads page There is a description of the latest firmware revision and its intended use 3 Download the firmware to your computer To upgrade firmware in your drive s flash memory 1 Run the executable file that you downloaded from Plextor s web site 2 Accept all defaults by continuing to click on the Next button until you see the message Firmware update has completed 3 Restart your system Emergency Eject If the computer power is turned off or the automatic eject button at the front of the drive does not work use this procedure to open the drive To use the emergency eject tool to open the drive 1 Make sure power to the drive is OFF That is turn off your computer 2 At the front of the drive insert the emergency eject to
58. g on whom you purchased the drive from and what they included inside the box PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 15 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive If your drive came pre installed some or all of the items above may have been installed and may not be separately available See the Plextor web site for locations to purchase additional or replacement accessories Mount the PX 716UF Drive This section explains how to physically connect the PX 716UF external drive to your computer In general this is what you ll do 1 Determine what operating system your computer is running Q If your computer is running the Windows XP 2000 or Me or the Macintosh operating system you can install right away Q Ifyou have Windows 98SE and you are using the FireWire IEEE 1394 interface you ll need to go to the Microsoft Windows web site to bring your system up to date Q Ifyou have Windows 98SE and you are using USB you ll need to install a set of Plextor provided drivers to bring your system up to date 2 Determine which interface you want to use FireWire IEEE 1394 or USB 3 Set the PX 716UF interface switch for IEEE 1394 or USB 4 Connect the AC adapter to an electrical outlet and to the PX 716UF 5 Turn the drive s power switch ON the 1 position 6 Connect the USB or FireWire cable corresponding to the setting of the interface switch from your PX 716UF drive to the compu
59. ge the preferences You can change the scale limit and the time length indication and you can choose to include all tracks on the disc or only selected tracks 52 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional x Q CheckFE TE Test Q Check Beta Jitter Test Q CheckPI POTest General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD Copy CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options freedb Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test Graph Options Scale Limit 200 7 Time Length Indication 100 Minutes z Track Selection C Include All Tracks Include Selected Tracks Figure 18 Changing preferences for graphing C1 C2 errors 4 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check C1 C2 Test window 5 To begin measurement in the C1 C2 Test window click the Start button You see the error counts representing the result of C1 error measurement BLER and C2 error measurement E22 If the disc is defective you may also see a trace for CU error The test halts if a CU error is detected 6 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself Your window shows the test results and a graph of the error counts recorded by the application PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 53 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional What the Measurements Mean CDs are written via a non contact optical technology resulting i
60. gy on the Plextor PX 716UF via Drive Settings Advanced But yov ll usually want to leave this feature enabled because Buffer Underrun Proof Technology guarantees that you can write discs at high speed and still use your computer for other tasks while you re writing To prevent the interruption of data during writing every CD R RW drive has a buffer a memory chip that acts as a kind of holding area Typically the buffer size is 2 to 8 megabytes However this buffer can be emptied quickly when you write at high speeds or if you use other applications like surfing the Internet or playing games or watching movies while writing Buffer Underrun Proof Technology compensates for any interruption in data flow to the disc It remembers where writing stopped on the disc when the data flow was interrupted then restarts writing in the same place once the data is available again Buffer Underrun Proof Technology in your drive means you can safely use your computer for other things while you re writing to a CD R or CD RW disc It lets you multitask freely and easily and lets you successfully create CDs on the first attempt 68 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting This chapter explains maintenance and troubleshooting procedures for your PX 716UF drive With proper maintenance you can prevent problems If trouble arises you can often solve many simple problems on your own rather
61. hat supports writing to DVD R DVD R DL and DVD RW discs or to DVD R and DVD RW discs Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 on the CD that accompanies your PX 716UF contains this software Specifying R RW or R RW You don t need to specify whether to write to R DL R RW or R RW The selection is automatically made for you based on the media you insert in the drive Writing to CD R and CD RW Media In conjunction with your drive mastering and packet writing software such as Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 allows you to write audio video data or other information to writable CD R or rewritable CD RW media The PX 716UF writes to all types of CD RW media Using the Disc Busy Indicator The color and blink rate of the front panel disc busy indicator give you information about the drive s operation When you are writing to a CD R or CD RW disc the color and blink rate of the front panel disc busy indicator indicate the speed of writing as follows Operation Disc busy LED On Off Blink Blinking color interval Nodse t ao On O Initialize Yellow hee n Standb sen on a DVD write Amber Blink sa 8X and higher 30 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF Operation Disc busy LED On Off Blink Blinking color interval 4 7X less than 4X CD R write Amber Blink 40ms 32X and higher 16 31X less than 16X 24X CD RW write Amber Blink 80ms 10 23x 10X CL
62. i border recording for DVD R and multi border recording incremental recording restricted overwriting DRT DM for DVD RW SpeedRead For DVD Video discs equipped with CSS copy protection you can enable fast playback SpeedRead or leave at the factory default for quiet video playback CD R and CD RW Features Variety of recording modes Supports track at once disc at once session at once multi session and variable and fixed packet writing Buffer Underrun Proof Technology Eliminates buffer underrun errors so you can safely use your computer for other tasks while you re writing to a CD R or CD RW disc Wide compatibility Wide CD R and CD RW media compatibility Orange Book compatibility Compatible with Orange Book Parts I and III OPC and ROPC Optimum Power Control and Running Optimum Power Control which adjust the laser power for the optimum write strategy PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 5 Section 1 Getting Started e CD TEXT CD G Supports CD TEXT and CD G writing e GigaRec Variable capacity recording that lets you change CD R disc capacity over a range from 60 percent to 130 percent of the rated value You can get much more data onto a CD Or decrease disc capacity while gaining improved audio quality e SecureRecording Security protection that lets you make your CDs readable only by persons with the correct password e Overburn Another way of burning more information onto a CD audio up to
63. indown controlling with silent mode 34 spinup controlling with silent mode 34 SUM1 error measurement 65 SUM8 error measurement 65 support 89 system requirements 77 T TA test See time analyzer TE See tracking error tech support ticket number 91 technical support 89 90 temperature specification 87 storage 87 testing laser operation 4 46 55 media 4 46 ticket number tech support 91 time analyzer 4 46 65 TLA code 18 tracking error measurement 46 55 58 transfer rate CD 85 DVD 84 IEEE 1394 76 86 USB 76 86 100 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual tray 12 closing 27 loading and unloading 27 loading specification 88 troubleshooting 71 U ultra speed CD RW media 26 write speed 26 84 upgrading firmware 4 70 75 USB cable 14 15 18 20 connector 14 79 Macintosh and 76 ports 7 switching to FireWire 22 transfer rate 76 86 Windows 98SE and 21 USB cable shipped with PX 716UF 14 USB hub don t use 19 V VariRec 3 40 changing setting 41 default setting 40 write speed and 42 vibration specification 87 video playback speed 5 31 Ww wake mode 85 warranty 93 web site Plextor 89 weight PX 716UF 86 white book 80 Index Windows 98SE 6 16 17 18 Plextor USB drivers for 21 77 updating for FireWire 21 write methods CD 5 80 DVD 5 80 write transfer rate test 49 simulati
64. ing Interface USB 1 1 or 2 0 supported IEEE 1394 FireWire supported On board USB 2 0 or IEEE 1394 FireWire controller suggested Operating PC Windows XP 2000 Me or 98SE System Macintosh For FireWire and USB 1 1 OS 9 1 or higher recommended For USB 2 0 OS X Special considerations for Windows 98SE To ensure stable IEEE 1394 operation with Windows 98SE update Windows with Microsoft patch file before installing the PX 716UF For Windows 98SE and USB use the Plextor USB drivers NOTE Roxio Easy Media Creator 7 requires Microsoft Windows XP SP 1 or later or Microsoft Windows 2000 SP 4 or later This product will not work with Windows 95 Windows 98 Windows 98SE or Windows Me For real time MPEG 2 capture and burning Easy Media Creator 7 requires a 1 6 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 77 Appendix A PX 716UF Specifications Front Panel Eject Disc Busy Indicator Power Indicator Disc Loading Rear Panel DC 12V Connector Power Supply Power Consumption Typical Current Eject button manual emergency eject software eject Yellow when initializing reading or ejecting disc Green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology or Lossless Linking Zero Link is active Blinking amber when writing to disc Blink rate indicates writing speed Illuminated blue when AC adapter is connected and PX 716UF drive power is ON
65. ing Error Reduction Control PoweRec adjusts laser power and writing speed so they re at the optimum settings for that particular disc For example when you re writing an 8X rated DVD PoweRec checks to see if a higher speed is possible and sets the optimum write speed up to a maximum of 16X VariRec Lets you change the write strategy to record at highest quality on different types of discs Also provides user adjustment of the recording power above or below a default level This adjustment lets you customize the optimum laser power to your own needs Silent Mode Unique technology that sets the drive for super silent operation By controlling access speed read write speed and tray opening and closing speed you reduce drive noise to a whisper MMC compliance Supports the MMC 4 command set PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 3 Section 1 Getting Started Flash memory Allows upgrading the PX 716UF to the latest firmware revision available from the Plextor web site without opening the computer or physically accessing the drive Black tray Reduces the effect of optical distortion by absorbing reflections from the laser beam enhancing read quality Plug and Play Supports Windows Plug and Play CPRM support The PX 716UF supports Content Protection for Recordable Media so you can play CPRM copy controlled media Self test diagnostics The PX 716UF has a self test diagnostic function for easy troubleshooting
66. ings Advanced and enable or disable SpeedRead with the check box Using AutoStrategy AutoStrategy is an self adjusting writing technology for unknown media AutoStrategy enables high quality disc recording even if the disc is not listed in the drive s internal media catalog If you prefer you can disable AutoStrategy using PlexTools Professional software Go to Drive Settings Advanced and check the Disable AutoStrategy check box 32 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional The Plextor PX 716UF has a number of advanced features that set it apart from other drives For instance you can operate in Silent Mode display and analyze disc errors password protect an entire disc increase a disc s capacity beyond its rated value and more To use these features you need to install software that supports them PlexTools Professional available on the Plextor CD gives you access to all these advanced features along with many other tools for controlling and monitoring your drive s operation Loading PlexTools Professional Software To load PlexTools Professional software on your computer 1 Insert the Plextor disc into the Plextor PX 716UF drive or another DVD drive that can read the Plextor software disc 2 On the screen choose the PlexTools Professional installation If the installation doesn t start right away use Windows Explorer to navigate to the drive and
67. insert a disc Emergency eject hole If the automatic eject button does not work turn the power switch to OFF then insert the emergency eject tool paper clip or other thin rigid object in this hole to eject the disc tray manually Power indicator Illuminated blue when the PX 716UF drive power is ON Eject button Push once to eject the tray Push again to load the tray back into the PX 716UF To prevent wear on the drive always use the eject button to load the tray This button also controls SpeedRead and silent operation for DVD Video discs with CSS protection To enable SpeedRead with the disc tray empty press and hold the eject button for 3 seconds then insert a DVD Video disc The disc is played back at an accelerated speed 12 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive Rear Panel PX 716UF External Drive IEEE 1394 Firewire 4 pin 6 pin connector connector Interface switch Self test switch USB 2 0 connector DC 12V Power power switch connector Figure 2 Rear panel of the PX 716UF external drive e SELF TEST switch Set switch to the right off for normal operation or set it to the left ON to execute the self test diagnostic routine To execute a self test 1 Disconnect the USB or FireWire cable 2 turn the drive power switch OFF 3 set the SELF TEST switch ON left 4 press and hold the eject button while turning the power
68. is however recommended to use this measurement on CD R media recorded by DAO Disc at once Measuring Tracking and Focus Error Supported in PlexTools Professional software this function reports on the mechanical characteristics of the DVD or CD you re using in the Plextor PX 716UF drive It actually measures the amplitude of the laser focus error and tracking error and displays the results This function tests blank CD R DVD R and DVD R media It s not for CD RW DVD RW DVD RW or DVD R DL discs PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 55 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional To use PlexTools Professional to measure tracking and focus error 1 Place a blank CD R DVD R or DVD R disc in the PX 716UF Don t use a rewritable RW disc or a double layer DL disc 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check FE TE Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for focus error and tracking error PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 E e IDE Interface 1 e ID 0 PX 716A ID 1 PX 712A Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions 0 0 Show FE Show TE Q Check FE TE Test Running 1 Elapsed Time 6 25 Figure 19 Q Check FE TE Test window 56 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and Ple
69. k recording the recorded disc many not be playable in all CD players For a list of players that are compatible with GigaRec discs see www plextor com e The PX 716UF also supports overburn which is different from GigaRec When you overburn a disc the drive reads the disc s information then writes to the disc vendor s stated maximum capacity and a little beyond Overburn provides smaller increases in disc capacity than are capable with GigaRec PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 45 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Testing Your CDs and DVDs The Plextor PX 716UF achieves high quality recording on virtually any media To confirm operation you can use the PlexTools Professional software to measure and display characteristics of the drive and media you re using You can also check the operation of the drive s laser Among the measurements and tests available are e Read transfer rate for CD and DVD Write transfer rate for CD and DVD C1 C2 CU errors for CD Laser tracking and focus errors for CD and DVD Beta and jitter for CD and DVD PI and PO errors for DVD TA time analyzer This section illustrates how to perform some of these measurements with PlexTools Professional Measuring Read Transfer Rate The Read Transfer Rate selection lets you test the transfer rate of data read from a disc This function reports the read response of the Plextor PX 716UF drive and is for
70. kage that lets you take full advantage of the CD DVD functions of the PX 716UF drive When installed on your computer this software lets you use your Plextor PX 716UF to burn CD R CD RW and DVD discs It also lets you take advantage of all the unique new features found in the Plextor PX 716UF drive You can also use Roxio s Easy Media Creator 7 Basic DVD Edition to burn DVDs and CDs The software lets you burn and share anything on CD or DVD including music photos and videos and you can easily back up your critical data to a CD or DVD One component of Easy Media Creator is Drag to Disc which makes the Plextor PX 716UF drive as easy to use as a hard disk drive For more information about Easy Media Creator install this application and examine the help files NOTE Easy Media Creator 7 requires Microsoft Windows XP service pack 1 or later or Microsoft Windows 2000 service pack 4 or later This product will not work with Windows 95 Windows 98 Windows 98SE or Windows Me If you already have Easy CD amp DVD Creator 6 these should work with any operating system supported by the PX 716UF although they do not support DVD R DL recording In addition for real time MPEG 2 capture and burning Easy Media Creator 7 requires a 1 6 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent For more details about Easy Media Creator system requirements see http www roxio com en products ecdc system_requirements jhtml For details on other software that is a
71. lacement goods or expense or inconvenience caused by service interruptions Under no circumstances will any person be entitled to any sum greater than the purchase price paid for the unit To obtain warranty service you must contact PLEXTOR s Technical Support Department by e mail techsupport plextor com or by calling 510 440 2000 The Technical Support Department will attempt to diagnose and correct your problem If the unit does not function properly they will give you instructions on obtaining a Return Material Authorization RMA number You may be asked to furnish proof of purchase to confirm that the unit is still under warranty All product returns must be authorized in advance by PLEXTOR Authorization is confirmed by issuance of the RMA number which must be written prominently on the outside of the box in which the defective unit is returned to PLEXTOR PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 93 Appendix C Warranty All drives returned to PLEXTOR must be securely packaged and shipped postage prepaid The drive will be returned to the customer at Plextor s expense when originating within the United States For a drive originating outside of the United States the customer is responsible for shipping costs in both directions NOTE Warranty validity is limited to that applicable in the location where the drive was originally purchased If You re Outside the U S or Canada Note that the warranty and RMA policy
72. n errors on the written disc Error correction is therefore an important component of drive quality Audio written to a disc contains no major error correction Missing audio bytes are interpolated replaced by an approximate value in the drive and the reproduced output is generally very close to the original Differences are usually detectable only by an audiophile If there are large numbers of missing bytes due to poor media scratches fingerprints etc these are reproduced as pops or crackles in the audio output but the media will still play Data non audio content is much more sensitive to errors The data blocks on the recorded disc contain extensive embedded error correction as part of the data stream This error correction is derived from the actual content of the original computer data and is used to reconstruct the original data if needed when the disc is read Every CD has two layers of error correction called C1 and C2 e Cl is error correction for the block error rate BLER which consists of bit errors at the lowest level BLER is normally given in errors per second The typical maximum BLER for quality recording is 220 errors per second e C2 error correction applies to bytes in a frame 24 bytes per frame 98 frames per block and is an indication of the drive s attempt to use extended error correction to recover the data Even a few C2 errors can be an indication of poor media quality or a drive s inability
73. nd IEEE 1394 Interfaces You can connect any or all of the interface cables USB IEEE 1394 4 pin and IEEE 1394 6 pin and switch between them You can even have different cables attached at the same time allowing more than one computer to share the PX 716UF To switch between interfaces attached to the PX 716UF 1 Ensure the interface cable for the desired USB or IEEE 1394 interface is attached to the PX 716UF and to the computer 2 At the rear of the PX 716UF set the interface switch to the desired interface 3 Cycle the PX 716UF power That is turn the PX 716UF s power switch off then on again If You re Using FireWire If you are using FireWire IEEE 1394 remember these hints for better operation e Do not daisy chain the PX 716UF that is do not connect it to the same cable along with other FireWire devices e The PX 716UF is not bus powered that is it doesn t get its power from the IEEE 1394 cable so you have to use the bundled AC adapter 22 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive If You Have a Macintosh If you have a Macintosh use the following procedure to install your PX 716UF drive 1 Turn on the Macintosh 2 Ensure you are running Macintosh OS 9 1 or higher for FireWire and USB 1 1 or OS X for USB 2 0 3 On the PX 716UF set the rear panel interface switch to USB or IEEE 1394 corresponding to the interface you
74. ng 50 writing a CD image 6 77 writing response measuring 51 writing speed achieving 26 CD R 2 84 CD RW 2 84 DVD R 2 83 DVD R DL 2 83 DVD RW 83 DVD R 2 83 DVD RW 83 GigaRec and 45 high speed CD RW 26 monitoring 30 normal speed CD RW 26 silent mode and 34 ultra speed CD RW 26 VariRec and 3 42 writing to CD R 30 writing to CD RW 30 writing to DVD R 30 writing to DVD RW 30 Y yellow book 80 Z zero link 4 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 101 Index This page intentionally left blank 102 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Notes PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 103 PLEXTOR CORP Phone 48383 Fremont Blvd Fax Suite 120 E mail Fremont CA 94538 6509 www plextor com 510 440 2000 510 651 9755 info plextor com
75. not wipe the disc in a circular motion Figure 8 Wipe the disc from the center outward HINT Keep your frequently used discs in jewel cases at all times to prevent them from becoming dirty or damaged 28 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF Mounting Position You can operate your PX 716UF drive in either a horizontal or a vertical position Figure 9 You can operate the PX 716UF either horizontally or vertically Playing DVDs To play a digital video disc insert the DVD as you would any other disc The drive plays both single layer and double layer discs The first time A code on each DVD allows it to be played only on players designed for a certain regional area such as North America Europe etc When the drive ships from the factory there is no region code set The first time a DVD that has a region setting is inserted into the drive the drive is automatically set to that region code If you later insert a DVD with a different region code you are prompted to either accept changing the new region code or not If you don t accept the change then that DVD will not play If you do accept the change then the region code setting is changed But remember you can change the drive s region code only 5 times After that you can t change it any more PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 29 Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF Writing to DVD Media You need special software t
76. nstallation operation and troubleshooting If your drive needs service see your dealer or call Plextor s Technical Support Department In this manual you should find all the information you need to successfully install operate and troubleshoot your drive If you run into a problem that doesn t seem to be covered however please contact us See Appendix B Technical Support for the different ways you can reach us You will be connected to our friendly helpful band of tech support engineers What might seem like an uncooperative drive to you could very well be a 30 second fix to them But we will never know unless you contact us PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 1 Section 1 Getting Started Meet Your PX 716UF The PX 716UF is a DVD ReWritable CD ReWritable drive that provides professional quality DVD and CD performance for writing rewriting and reading What the PX 716UF Does For DVDs the PX 716UF e Writes DVD R recordable DVD plus format media at up to 16X speed on recommended 16X or 8X media e Writes DVD R DL double layer media at up to 4X speed e Writes DVD R recordable DVD dash format media at up to 16X speed on recommended 16X or 8X media e Writes DVD RW rewritable DVD plus format media at up to 8X speed Requires 8X media for 8X writing e Writes DVD RW rewritable DVD dash format media at up to 4X speed Supports DVD VR and DVD VR format for read and write
77. ol or a paper clip or other thin rigid object into the emergency eject hole 70 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Figure 26 Emergency eject 3 Push the tool or other object straight in until the disc tray clicks open 4 Carefully continue to slide the disc tray open 5 Remove the CD from the disc tray 6 Carefully push the disc tray shut Troubleshooting If you have problems during or right after installation of your drive first make sure the drive is recognized If you still have problems visit the Plextor web site for tips and troubleshooting help Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized If you re having trouble after installation make sure the PX 716UF drive is recognized by your computer To see whether the drive is recognized 1 Turn the computer ON After the computer boots up you should see the Windows display 2 Open Windows Explorer or My Computer and ensure there is an icon for the Plextor drive The Plextor icon may be D or E or another designator PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 71 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting 3 In Windows 98SE or Me once the computer starts click the Start button then Settings then Control Panel then double click on System icon then click on the Device Manager tab Click the sign next to the CD ROM heading and look at the PLEXTOR DVDR PX 716A device entry underneath Or In Windows XP or 2
78. older versions of PlexTools Professional may not be readable with the current version Remember your password Plextor has no way to retrieve data from discs for which the password has been lost or forgotten For this reason Plextor assumes no responsibility for lost passwords or data NOTE Use of this function is at your own risk If you forget your password your data will not be retrievable Plextor cannot be held liable for any damage unreadable discs or loss of data If you do not agree please do not use this function PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 39 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Using VariRec This drive is equipped with VariRec Variable Recording technology a unique feature offered by Plextor that allows you to manually adjust the drive s laser power during the recording process VariRec operates both for DVD and CD recording NOTE In order for you to actually perform the adjustment VariRec must be supported by the recording software you re using PlexTools Professional is one recording application that supports VariRec Being able to adjust the laser power during the recording process can have some definite advantages For instance depending on the capabilities of your specific audio equipment you may be able to change the sound quality of your recordings to suit the equipment Or you may be able to correct compatibility problems that occur when playing discs on certain audio
79. ology and 45 compared to overburn 45 disc compatibility 45 operation of 45 requirements for 43 45 selecting writing capacity with 44 writing speed and 45 H hard disk size 6 77 high speed CD RW media 26 write speed 84 host interface PX 716UF 86 hub USB don t use 19 humidity specification 87 storage 87 I IEEE 1394 See also FireWire PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 97 Index cable 20 connector 13 14 79 not bus powered 14 PX 716UF interface switch 14 18 transfer rate 76 86 indicator disc busy 12 power 12 78 initialization time 85 inquiry string 86 installation PlexTools Professional 33 PX 716UF 11 intelligent tilt 3 interface 3 6 77 choosing 17 host 86 switch 14 18 transfer rates 76 J jitter graphical representation 66 measurement 46 59 62 65 L label disc 28 laser adjusting power with VariRec 40 41 testing 4 46 55 laser standards 88 lossless linking 4 M Macintosh installing the PX 716UF 23 USB and 76 98 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual maintenance 69 media 25 care and handling 27 CD R 26 81 82 CD RW 26 82 DVD 25 81 DVD R 81 DVD R DL 81 DVD RW 25 81 DVD R 81 DVD RW 81 high speed CD RW 26 recommended 75 81 82 size 80 supported 5 80 ultra speed CD RW 26 writing unknown 32 media catalog 3 32 75 memory minim
80. on You can also view the log to see the results What the PI PO Measurements Mean This test measures the quality of the written or pressed media by counting the number of low level errors Most of these errors are correctable by the drive Each sector on a DVD disc has 2 366 bytes of data For error correction on a DVD the drive places 16 sectors of data into a series of rows and columns that form an error correction ECC matrix The drive checks the rows of the matrix for parity inner or PI and it checks the columns for parity outer fails or POF PI PO is basically the DVD equivalent of C1 C2 error measurement for a CD PI indicates the number of bytes that are corrected during PI stage while POF indicates the number of uncorrectable blocks A POF corresponds to a CU error an unrepairable error as detected by a CD error checker 64 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Your choices for error display are as follows e SUMS Displays total number of detected PI errors known as PI Sum8 in 8 consecutive ECC blocks The maximum allowable value of PI Sum 8 is 280 or less The result of this measurement includes burst error which may be corrected by the PO stage e SUM1 Displays number of PI uncorrectable rows in 1 ECC block According to DVD standards this value should not exceed 4 However it may be corrected if the value is over 4 This measurement
81. once DAO The most obvious advantage of GigaRec is that it extends the capacity of a standard CD R disc For instance a Type 80 CD normally allows 700 megabytes of data and 80 minutes of recording But with GigaRec you can get up to 913 megabytes of data on a single Type 80 CD GigaRec also lets you burn a disc at lower than rated capacity Say you re making an audio master that is only 490 megabytes in size By using GigaRec to record at 0 7x normal capacity you stretch that data to utilize the same physical space that 700 megabytes would normally occupy on the disc This changes the actual length of the pits and lands used for data bits increasing the accuracy and response of the data and resulting in a truer burn In order to use the GigaRec feature you need e CD R drive such as the Plextor PX 716UF that supports GigaRec e Recording software such as PlexTools Professional that supports GigaRec e Player software that recognizes the GigaRec disc Remember even if you can burn a disc with GigaRec your player software must be able to recognize the disc or you will not be able to play it back Burning a Disc with GigaRec To use PlexTools Professional to burn a GigaRec disc 1 Insert a blank CD R disc in the Plextor PX 716UF drive You can t use DVD R RW or CD RW discs with GigaRec 2 Inthe PlexTools menu bar select Drive Settings You see the tabs for drive settings PX 716UF Installation and Users
82. only apply to the United States and Canada If you are in South America contact your dealer or reseller for all warranty and RMA claims 94 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Index A ac adapter 15 connecting 14 18 using with PX 716UF 14 access time 85 silent mode and 34 AutoStrategy 3 32 disc busy indicator and 12 B background format 2 beta measurement 46 59 62 black tray 4 BLER See block error rate blink rate disc busy indicator 12 block error rate 54 blue book 80 box contents PX 716UF 15 buffer 5 68 79 Buffer Underrun Proof Technology 5 68 disc busy indicator and 12 78 GigaRec and 45 burst error measurement 65 C C1 C2 CU error measurement 46 51 54 cable identifying 20 IEEE 1394 15 18 20 USB 14 15 18 20 CD formats supported 80 reading speed 2 83 recording modes 5 80 write methods 5 80 CD cleaning disc don t use 9 CD reading speed 83 CD G 6 CD DA reading speed 2 CD R compatibility 5 media 26 81 82 reading speed 2 writing 30 writing speed 2 84 CD R RW software 8 CD ROM playing 26 CD RW compatibility 5 high speed 84 media 26 82 normal speed 84 reading speed 2 ultra speed 84 writing 30 writing speed 2 84 CD TEXT 6 cleaning a disc 9 28 cleaning your drive 69 precautions 9 69 closing tray 27 compatibility CD R 5 CD RW 5
83. onnect the USB or IEEE 1394 FireWire cable from your PX 716UF drive to the computer 18 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive 4 Turn ON computer Set interface switch P to IEEE 1394 left or USB right 5 Connect IEEE 1394 FireWire cable or USB cable from computer to Plextor drive Turn Plextor drive s POWER switch to ON G Connect AC adapter to Plextor drive Figure 3 Connecting the AC adapter and USB or FireWire cable The drive should be automatically recognized by the computer In some cases you may have to reboot turn the computer off then on again for the PX 716UF to be recognized CAUTION The PX 716UF should be the only device on the cable Do not daisy chain the PX 716UF with other IEEE 1394 FireWire devices or connect the drive to a USB hub PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 19 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive Identifying Cables and Ports This illustration will help you identify the cables and computer ports and make the necessary connections IEEE 1394 FireWire USB cables cables 0000 C oOooo H Q i Be MO Figure 4 Identifying cables and ports on your computer 20 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive If You Have Windows 98SE
84. ould display a smooth linear curve up to the limit of the disc capacity If the curve is not linear or smooth repeat the test with another piece of media or media from a different vendor Most write transfer failures are caused by poor quality media or media that is not rated for the maximum speed of the drive Measuring Q Check C1 C2 CU Errors This function reports on the C1 C2 and CU errors on the current CD in the Plextor PX 716UF drive This test is for use on a CD that contains content that is a commercial pressed CD or a CD recorded on a CD R RW drive It s not for DVD discs To measure C1 C2 CU error 1 Place a pressed CD ROM disc or a recorded CD R or CD RW disc in the PX 716UF 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check C1 C2 Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for C1 C2 and CU errors PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 51 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 ID 0 Y120L0 IDE Interface 1 ID 0 PX716A ID 1 PX 7124 Drive Information Drive Settings CD DVD Info Multimedia Player AudioCD Player Digital Audio Extraction AudioCD Maker CD DVD ROM Maker CD DVD Copy CD DVD RW Functions C e 0 0 10 20 30 40 60 70 80 30 100 Show C1 18052 MSF 77 15 62 1024X cv oy Show C2 549 LBA 347687 Show CU 0 Figure 17 Q Check C1 C2 Test window 3 Click the Preferences button to view or chan
85. players or older CD ROM drives How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined In most cases you don t have to worry about setting VariRec The setting is 0 zero by default and this usually works best This default setting is determined by a combination of steps 1 First we test many types of recordable DVD R and CD R media in our factory to determine the best write strategy laser power and other factors for that media 2 We include a catalog of the tested media and their write strategy in your drive s firmware This catalog is updated when you update your drive by downloading new firmware from the Plextor web site 3 When you insert a recordable disc into your drive Plextor s PoweRec technology automatically identifies the manufacturer model and special features of the media then adjusts the laser power and writing speed so they re at the optimum settings for that disc 4 The drive uses OPC Optimum Power Control to further fine tune the laser power setting to the specific disc that is in your drive 40 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 5 The combined values of the pre defined write strategies along with the OPC test results create the default VariRec setting of zero Changing the VariRec Setting VariRec lets you increase or decrease the laser power setting by up to 4 degrees in either the positive or negative direction You can make these
86. rent standards like English versus metric measurement Different manufacturers support different standards The DVD R and DVD RW formats are supported by Plextor Philips Sony Hewlett Packard Dell Ricoh Yamaha and other manufacturers DVD R DVD RW and DVD RAM are also supported by Plextor as well as Panasonic Toshiba Apple Computer Hitachi NEC Pioneer Samsung and Sharp No matter which format a DVD disc is recorded in it can be read by most commercial DVD ROM players Q What is recommended media A Recommended media are recordable or rewritable CD and DVD media that have been tested by Plextor and found to operate well consistently from one manufacturing lot to another For each drive Plextor engineers test media from many different manufacturers and manufacturing facilities creating a recommended media list and determining the optimum write strategy for that particular media type The results are listed as recommended media and are also assembled into a media catalog and stored in firmware in Plextor drives See page 81 for a list of recommended media for the PX 716UF at the time this manual was printed and see the Plextor web site at www plextor com for an updated list From time to time the media catalog is updated with new manufacturers and part numbers as Plextor tests additional media When this happens Plextor makes new drive firmware available You can download this new firmware and update your
87. st use certified 48X media and to achieve 24X CD RW writing speed you must use Ultra Speed CD RW media Remember e Using Normal Speed CD RW discs that is NS RW media you can rewrite at 4X e Using High Speed CD RW discs HS RW media you can rewrite at 10X e Using Ultra Speed CD RW discs US RW media in this drive you can rewrite at up to 24X You can write to Ultra Speed CD RW discs only on drives that support this media Drives that are capable of writing to Ultra Speed ReWritable media such as the Plextor PX 716UF are identified by a Compact Disc ReWritable Ultra Speed logo dse wise dist B ReWritable ReWritable 2 5 Figure 6 The logo also identifies the type of CD RW media Spee See Recommended Media on page 81 for a list of Plextor approved media at the time this manual was printed and see the Plextor web site at www plextor com for an updated list 26 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF Tray Loading and Operation To load and unload the tray 1 While the drive is powered up push the eject button on the front panel The tray drawer slides out in 3 4 seconds Figure 7 Loading the tray 2 Lay a CD or DVD disc in the depression in the tray label side up 3 Press the eject button again and the tray will slide shut within seconds NOTE Always use the eject button to close the tray in a smooth and secure manner Closing the tray by pressing
88. stent track at all rotational speeds A bad disc will show high tracking error which is caused by eccentricity or poor quality of the manufactured media 58 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional The FE TE test result shows maximum writing speed for each disc However this maximum writing speed is specific for a particular drive you cannot assume this speed applies to any other drive If your discs consistently show high rates of focus error or tracking error you should probably try a disc from a different vendor NOTE The TE FE measurements are accurate only for a blank recordable DVD or CD If you attempt to measure a recorded or pre recorded commercially pressed DVD or CD the measurements have no meaning Making Q Check Jitter Beta Measurements This function reports on the degree of beta and jitter on the CD or DVD in the Plextor PX 716UF drive This test is for use on a disc that contains content that is a commercial pressed CD or DVD or a disc recorded on a CD or DVD drive To measure jitter and beta 1 Place a pressed or recorded CD or DVD in the PX 716UF 2 From the PlexTools menu bar select Q Check Beta Jitter Test You see the Q Check window with a graph for beta and jitter PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 59 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional PlexTools Professional V2 17 Options Help IDE Interface 0 amp ID 0 Y120L0
89. ter That s all there is to it We ll go over the procedure in more detail in the next few pages If you have a PC start here If you have a Macintosh go to If You Have a Macintosh on page 23 16 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive Determine Your Computer s Operating System To determine which operating system your personal computer uses 1 In Windows select the Start menu then select Settings then Control Panel and choose the System icon You see the System Properties window 2 Inthe System Properties window make sure the General tab is selected The System line shows details about your operating system For example Windows 2000 NOTE Your computer must be running Windows 98SE Windows 2000 Windows Me or Windows XP or the Macintosh operating system If you are not running one of these operating systems you cannot use the PX 716UF You cannot use the PX 716UF with early versions of Windows 98 it must be Windows 98SE Second Edition Determine What Interface to Use You can use either USB 2 0 or FireWire The built in USB ports on older computers and even on inexpensive new ones provide only USB 1 1 that is Full Speed 12 Mbps USB For optimum performance e If your PC does not have built in USB 2 0 use the FireWire port if available e If you have neither USB 2 0 or FireWire you can purchase and install a third
90. th SecureRecording 1 Make sure you have PlexTools Pro or SecuViewer on your computer 2 Insert the password protected CD R disc into a PX 716UF or Plextor Premium drive You only need these drives if you are using PlexTools Professional software With SecuViewer you can use any drive 3 In PlexTools Professional choose Drive Settings and choose the SecureRecording tab You see the SecureRecording window Or Launch SecuViewer 4 Enter the password in the Password field 5 Click the Activate Protection button The Protection Status field shows that protection is Active You can now read the contents of the disc using Windows Explorer 38 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Important Facts about SecureRecording SecureRecording burning is applicable to data ISO 9660 CDs only SecureRecording supports data CD R discs written by disc at once DAO techniques If you are distributing a SecureRecording disc to others please remember to provide them the reader driver on another disc or have them download the reader driver from the Plextor web site at http www plextor com english support downloads reader html Only data CD R discs recorded in DAO mode can be password protected with SecureRecording DVD discs audio CD DA discs or data CDs written by track at once TAO or multi session cannot be protected Discs protected with SecureRecording using
91. than wait for assistance from a Plextor representative Cleaning the PX 716UF Drive Plextor drives are sealed against external contamination so in a normal computer environment and with normal use your drive should not require internal cleaning However if your drive has been in use for some time and has just recently started to exhibit read write problems it is possible that dust has accumulated on the laser lens In this case e If your drive is still in warranty and you are experiencing problems send the drive to Plextor See Returns on page 91 e If your drive is out of warranty before returning the drive for repair you may want to try a short blast of canned air aimed at the center of the drive Use only electronics grade canned air sterile filtered and moisture free If you notice no improvements after this step you will need to return the drive for repair CAUTION Do not attempt to clean your drive using any solvent based cleaners Also do not use an air compressor because the high pressure blast can damage the drive ANOTHER CAUTION Do not use a CD cleaning disc Cleaning discs that use a felt pad can scratch the laser lens surface and render the drive inoperable Cleaning discs with brushes may also scratch the lens Moreover these cleaning discs are often out of balance making their operation very noisy PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 69 Section 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Upgradin
92. the front of the drawer using your hand is not recommended and risks damage or premature wearing of the mechanism Handling DVD and CD Media Take care when handling blank CD and DVD media Dust scratches and fingerprints on either side of the disc can cause write errors during recording When picking up or holding blank media you can either place your fingers along the outer edge of the disc or place one finger through the center hole and one finger on the outer edge Once you have finished creating a disc label it by writing on the top using permanent ink PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 27 Section 3 Using Your PX 716UF CAUTION We recommend using a non toxic marker such as a Sharpie pen that conforms to the ASTM D 4236 standard Some permanent markers will damage the media Also do not press too hard when writing on the disc NOTE We do not recommend placing self sticking CD R labels on the disc The weight of the label may unbalance the disc and cause write errors during recording or read errors during reading Also attempting to remove the label may permanently damage the disc Cleaning Discs For proper read and write performance your discs must be clean Trying to record on a dirty disc may result in a failed session and ruin the disc To clean the disc wipe the disc using a clean soft cotton cloth to remove surface dirt such as fingerprints Use a straight line motion wiping from the center out Do
93. to write or read correctly e CU error correction applies to uncorrectable errors or errors that are present after C2 level correction No CU errors are allowed in a recorded disc CU errors are usually a result of damage to a disc and represent unrecoverable data Discs with CU errors quite often cannot be read at all 54 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional The quantity of these errors are a measure of media and drive quality High quality media combined with a high quality drive will have recorded data with some C1 errors and no C2 errors Poor quality media or media with scratches fingerprints or other defects in the disc surface or written on a drive that has poor write quality will show a higher number of C1 errors and perhaps some C2 errors The best method to determine media quality is to compare your media against media from Plextor s list of recommended media vendors See page 81 If your discs consistently show a high number of C1 C2 errors you should try another brand of media If the graph reports CU errors the disc is defective and should be discarded Because the Plextor PX 716UF can report the number of C2 errors audio extraction applications can use this reporting to guarantee that the extracted audio matches the original NOTE This function measures C1 C2 errors in all kind of discs and recording modes even if they were recorded on another drive It
94. um 6 77 minimum configuration 6 Easy Media Creator 8 77 minimum RAM 6 77 MMC 4 command set 3 mounting position 29 87 MSF 44 MTBF 88 N noise specification 87 normal speed CD RW media 26 write speed 26 84 O OPC 40 See optimum power control operating system 6 requirement for Easy Media Creator 8 77 requirement for PX 716UF 6 77 Windows 98SE 6 16 17 18 optimum power control 5 orange book 5 80 overburn 6 compared to GigaRec 45 P packing for shipment 92 password protection 6 password lost 39 PC minimum 6 PI PO error measurement 46 63 basic 65 burst 65 SUMI 65 SUM8 65 playing DVD 29 PlexTools Professional 8 15 beta measurement 46 59 C1 C2 CU error measurement 46 51 focus error measurement 46 55 GigaRec 43 installing 33 jitter measurement 46 59 PI PO error measurement 46 63 read transfer rate test 46 silent mode 34 time analyzer 4 46 65 tracking error measurement 46 55 VariRec 40 write transfer rate test 49 plug and play support for 4 position mounting 29 87 power connector 14 78 Index indicator 12 78 requirements 78 supply 78 switch 14 18 PoweRec 3 40 precautions 9 PX 716UF installation Macintosh 23 Windows 18 PX 716UF operating system requirement 6 77 Q Q Check 4 46 51 time analyzer 65 questions frequently asked 75 R RAM minimum
95. vailable for writing to DVDs or CDs please visit the web sites of the companies whose software you are interested in refer to their user s manuals or look at the help option within the software A list of various software that you can use with your Plextor drive can be found in the Support Compatibility section of www plextor com 8 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1 Getting Started Precautions Like the rest of your computer system your PX 716UF requires reasonable care in its installation and use Keep the area around your drive clean from dust smoke and other contaminants Do not allow moisture or liquids including water or cleaning fluids to touch the drive Thinner benzene or alcohol based solvents can mar your drive s surface Do not drop or jolt the drive Do not move carry or transport a disc in the drive because this can cause damage Do not attempt to open the drive and service it yourself Removing the cover may expose you to harmful electrical voltages or the laser beam For your safety entrust service to experienced service personnel only Keep your DVDs and CDs free of dirt or other contaminants by storing them in jewel cases Use only industry standard discs Do not insert dirty warped poorly balanced or cracked discs into the drive Do not clean discs using a circular motion Instead using a soft dry cloth wipe gently in a radial motion start at the center of the disc
96. wer and quieter select the Access Time drop down menu and make a new selection Choose Fast for a rapid access time 60 milliseconds Middle for a medium access time 80 milliseconds and Slow for a low access time 120 milliseconds The quietest setting is Slow Use the Tray Speed Loading and Eject sliders to adjust the loading and eject speed Set a slider to the left to reduce the speed making the drive quieter Set the slider to the right to increase the speed To test the tray speed click the Test button Select Save Changes to Drive to save any Silent Mode changes to the drive To return Silent Mode to the factory defaults maximum speed click the Reset Values button This also turns Silent Mode off PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 35 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional Important Facts about Silent Mode When first started the Plextor PX 716UF drive is set with Silent Mode off When Silent Mode is active the drive s maximum speed is always restricted Any speed settings specified by other applications will be overridden When saved into the drive s flash memory Silent Mode remains active even if you power down the computer or the drive To clear Silent Mode settings select the Reset Values button If SpeedRead is enabled with Silent Mode on default read speed is 40X speed maximum If you are playing a digital audio CD DA disc using an application such as Windows Media Player
97. will be using 4 Connect the AC adapter to your PX 716UF 5 Turn the drive s power switch ON the 1 is depressed 6 Connect the USB or IEEE 1394 cable from your PX 716UF drive to the Macintosh computer The Macintosh automatically recognizes the PX 716UF if the base extensions are loaded and you should be ready to use the drive as a CD ROM To use the recording capabilities of the drive a recording application must be installed NOTE Most Macintosh USB built in ports provide USB 1 1 Full Speed 12 Mbps This limits the CD RW drive performance to 4X write 4X rewrite and 6X read DVD read performance is 0 7X For optimum performance if your Macintosh computer does not have built in USB 2 0 use the FireWire port Or you can install a third party PCI USB 2 0 plug in host adapter card ANOTHER NOTE For optimum performance if you use the USB interface you will also need Mac OS X If you use OS 8 6 x or 9 x with a built in USB port or a PCI adapter your PX 716UF will achieve only USB 1 1 performance PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 23 Section 2 Installing the PX 716UF External USB FireWire Drive This page intentionally left blank 24 PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 3 Using Your PX 716UF This chapter explains how to use your PX 716UF drive and how to load handle and care for your DVDs and CDs What Media to Use Use the right media Your PX 716UF drive s capabilities change depending on
98. xTools Professional 3 Click the Preferences button to view or change the preferences You can change the scale the start position and the end position I xi freedb Transfer Rate Test Q Check C1 C2 Test General Digital Audio Extraction CD DVD Copy CD DVD ROM Maker Recording Options Q Check FE TE Test G Check Beta Jitter Test Q Check PIVPOTest m CD Graph Options Scale Limit hs Time Length Indication 100 Minutes gt Start Position 000 00 00 MSF End Position 099 00 00 MSF m DVD Graph Options Scale Limit 100 X Time Length Indication 5 GB x Start Position 0 LBA End Position 2621440 LBA Figure 20 Changing preferences for graphing focus error and tracking error 4 Click OK to exit the Preferences window and return to the Q Check FE TE Test window 5 To begin measurement in the FE TE Test window click the Start button You see the traces representing focus error FE and tracking error TE PX 716UF Installation and Users Manual 57 Section 4 Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional 6 To end measurement click the Stop button or wait for the measurement to stop by itself You see a graph of the errors recorded by the application PlexTools Professional also tells you if the media is safe to write at highest speed or if you need to reduce speed to write safely What the Measurements Mean Recordable and rewritable discs can be manufactured with widely varying qu

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