HP dvd840e Super Multi

HP also provides an all-round solution with this model, like the products that only LG has accustomed us to over the past few years. The DVD840E model contains all the features of the most advanced burners, such as high write speeds, and has compatibility with DVD-RAM media.

This model is also equipped with a particular labeling technology, in this case Lightscribe. Thanks to this feature it is possible to overturn the support at the end of burning, and to use the same laser used during burning to “focus” on a monochrome image. The most popular burning programs now support this technology when creating the cover.

The drive has a rather sober appearance. The external chassis is in black color, there are the HP logos on the front and on the top, while on the back there are some ventilation holes. The package includes a CD containing the Nero Suite in OEM version:

– Black Express 6.6
-InCD 4
-NeroVision Express 3
-Black BackItup
-MPEG-2 SVCD / DVD Plug-In

Lightscribe-type media is included for experimenting with labeling technology.

Tests and conclusions
CDFreaks has tested and reviewed the new external drive produced by HP. During the reading phase, a lock was detected for CD-RW and CD Audio media, which prevented the use of a speed higher than 32x.

In the writing tests the dvd840e performed excellently. 3 minutes and 6 seconds for a complete data CD, 5 minutes and 39 seconds for a single-layer DVD + R (with an average speed of 12x), and 5 minutes and 29 for an -R DVD. The quality test results were excellent, with a percentage score of 95 points.

It is possible to write rewritable DVD + RW media at 8x speed (the media used in the test was written in 14 minutes and 44 seconds, therefore equal to 4x), while only 6x for DVD-RW media (result of 11 minutes and 10 seconds).

Giovanni Fedele