Advantages Of Varirec Technology; How The Default Varirec Setting Is Determined - Plextor PX-708A Installation And User Manual

Advantages of VariRec Technology

This drive is equipped with VariRec (Variable Recording) technology, a
feature offered by Plextor that allows you to manually adjust the drive's
laser power during the recording process. The drive supports VariRec
for 4X and 8X CD-DA (audio) writing and data writing with CD-R
discs.
NOTE: In order for you to actually perform the adjustment, VariRec must
be supported by the recording software you're using.
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 players.

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 CD-R and CD-RW media in our factory
to determine the best write strategy (laser power and other factors)
for that media.
2. We include a table of the tested media and their write strategy in
your drive's firmware. (This table 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.
5. The combined values of the pre-defined write strategies, along with
the OPC test results, create the default VariRec setting of zero.
Section 3. Using Your PX-708A
PX-708A Installation and Users Manual
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