Plextor PX-504UF - External DVD+R/W and CD-R/W

Back in June, Shane took a look at the Plextor PX-504A DVD/CD burner. Today, we have the opportunity to examine Plextor's PX-504UF, which is basically the same drive packaged differently so that it can be sold as an external drive. One important thing I should note is that the drive that I received for review has firmware version 1.01; whereas, the PX-504A drive reviewed had version 1.00. External drives such as this one seem to be most interesting to people who have run out of IDE connectors or bays in their PCs, who do not like opening up their PCs to do upgrades, or who like the portability and flexibility of an external drive. The PX-504UF features both USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interfaces, so this drive can be used with a wide variety PCs and Macs, even ones with older USB 1.1 ports. I can't imagine burning up to 4.7 gigabytes of data at 12 megabits per second (the maximum transfer rate of USB 1.1), but for some people it would be worth putting up with that slow transfer rate for the convenience of a high capacity external optical drive. Fortunately, both USB 2.0 and Firewire support transfer rates of 480 megabits per second and 400 megabits per second, respectively.

The PX-504UF features a plethora of technologies that are meant to make the user's DVD and CD burning and accessing experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. For a more detailed look at the PX-504UF's features and specifications, check out this PDF from Plextor. Here are some of the highlights:

Specs and Features:

• External IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) interface (USB 1.1 also supported)
• 6-in-1 drive: 4X DVD+R, 2.4X DVD+R/RW and 12X DVD-ROM, 16X CD-R, 10X CD-RW, 40X max CD-ROM
• Lossless linking technology enables users to perform basic editing tasks directly on the DVD disc
• Buffer Underrun Proof Technology prevents buffer underrun errors that can cause wasted media or coasters
• PoweRec technology is a sophisticated write strategy providing superior quality recording at maximum speed for your chosen media
• Supports DVD+RW background format
• Supports DVD+VR real-time editing
• Horizontal or vertical mounting orientation (stand included for vertical orientation)
• Black CD tray minimizes jitter
• 2 MB buffer
• Flash memory allows for easy firmware upgrades
• Stereo RCA audio out jacks and headphone jack with volume control
• Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 9.1 or above compatible
• One-year full warranty (parts, labor and replacement)
• Unlimited toll-free tech support

According to Nero InfoTool and the user's manual, this drive can also read DVD-R and DVD-RW media.

Package Contents:

• PX-504UF DVD+R/RW CD-R/RW drive
• USB 2.0 cable
• IEEE 1394 (FireWire) cable
• AC adaptor
• Power cord
• Emergency eject tool
• Cradle for vertical operation
• 1 blank CD-R
• 1 blank DVD+R
• Plextor DVD with bundled software for writing DVDs and CDs
  • Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 DVD Edition (Roxio Toast 5 Lite is also included for those with Apple computers)
  • Roxio PhotoSuite 5 SE (Windows only)
  • CyberLink PowerDVD (Windows only)
  • Dantz Retrospect (30-day trial version - Windows only)
• PX-504UF Installation and Users Guide
• Quick Install Guide

Included software, manuals, etc.

Included cables - nice looking USB and FireWire cables!.