The model we're testing today is Toshiba's current top of the line DVD-ROM, the SD-M1202. It's your standard DVD-ROM drive, with all of the goodies you'd expect from a drive made by a premier manufacturer.
Here's the black and white on it:
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Model:
Host Interface:
Fomat Compatibility:
Media Capacity:
Sustained Data Rate:
Maximum Data Transfer Rate:
Maximum Data Transfer Rate:
Random Seek Time (DVD)
Random Seek Time (CD-ROM)
Memory Buffer:
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Toshiba SD-M1202 DVD-ROM
ATAPI
DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-RW, PhotoCD,
VideoCD, CD-G, CD-DA, CD-I
8.5GB per side
9.4GB total
17.0GB total
2704 - 6536/KB per sec.
4.8X (DVD)
32X (CD-ROM)
105ms
90ms
256KB
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To fully test the Toshiba drive's DVD abilities requires a PCI MPEG-2 decoding card (the home DVD players include this internally). We decided to utilize one of the products from Sigma Designs, specifically their REALmagic Hollywood Plus playback card.
The REALmagic series of DVD decoders is very popular, and the "Plus" model we're using here will only set a user back about $100.
Here are the goods on the Hollywood Plus card:
Model: REALMagic Hollywood Plus
Features:
· Plays DVD-video, MPEG-2, and MPEG-1 titles
· Displays full motion video at full-screen up to 1600x1200
· Full screen NTSC/PAL TV Output
· Dolby Digital 5.1 channel output via S/P-DIF connector
· Dolby Surround, 2-channel stereo analog audio output
· Full Frame, Letterbox, Pan & Scan, and Widescreen support
Basically the Hollywood Plus card will let you do anything that a good $500 home DVD player will, for a whole lot less. (Assuming of course that you have a $1000 PC to power it up). This makes DVD on a PC a whole lot less costly to experiment with than with a DVD set-top box, in fact the whole Toshiba DVD-ROM drive plus the Hollywood card will pillage your wallet to the tune of only $275.
