Iomega Dual DVD Drive

Not so long ago, buying a DVD-writer came down to choosing between a DVD+R and DVD-R model.Now, though, companies are producing writers capable of burning both formats. Following Panasonic and Pioneer, Iomega is now the latest to produce an internal model capable of writing to both DVD-R and DVD+R (as well as DVD-RW, DVD+RW, CD-R and RW).

The Iomega Dual DVD drive is capable of writing DVD±R at 4x, DVD±RW at 2x, and burning CD-Rs and CD-RWs at a respectable 16x. The internal ATAPI drive is suitable for PCs only, although support for DVD+R is rumoured to be making an appearance in OS X 10.3 (Panther), so you could install it in a modern G4 by simply flipping the bezel off the front of the tray (still, you’d be advised to wait until Panther arrives before splashing out).

As with most DVD-burners (apart from OEM models), the Iomega Dual DVD comes with a comprehensive software bundle. This includes Iomega HotBurn Pro, which provides a decent enough solution for creating and burning both audio and data CDs, and video and data DVDs. There’s also a CD inlay design feature, and for quickly creating image-based inlays, it takes the hassle out of setting up templates in a layout or graphics app. On the whole, HotBurn Pro is pretty easy to use, although the Windowsmedia-esque interface could do with a little work. You also get Sonic MyDVD, CinePlayer and Adobe ActiveShare.

We encountered no errors at all when burning CDs and DVDs (even at the maximum speed on 4x media), so we can’t really knock the drive. It’s also extremely good value at £180. However, if you don’t need to burn to both formats, you can always pick up a drive from Pioneer (DVD-R) or NEC (DVD+R) for less. However, the ability to burn to both DVD+R and DVD-R does future-proof the device to a certain extent, and the extra cash could save you having to fork out for another machine in the near future.