Although in theory the SATA interface for optical drives and hard disks is faster than PATA, our tests of two of the latest SATA DVD writers, Samsung's Super Writemaster SH-S183L and LiteOn's Super AllWrite LH-20A1S, show only modest speed gains at best.
The Super AllWrite is rated at 20X for writing single-layer DVDs, but it managed less than half this speed in our tests. It couldn't match its claimed 8X write speed for double-layer DVDs either, but it was one of the fastest writers we've seen for DVD-R DL discs.
The Super AllWrite comes with an excellent bundle that includes a SATA data cable, mounting screws and some alternative coloured fascias.
In contrast, the Super Writermaster comes without any extras, as it's a barebones OEM product. Unlike the Super AllWrite it can burn labels on compatible LightScribe discs. Even though it's rated at only 18X for writing single-layer DVDs, it was actually faster than the 20X Super AllWrite and produced one of the fastest single-layer writing speeds we've seen. We were less impressed with the Super Writemaster's two-layer writing speeds, though.
It's hard to recommend either drive completely. The Super AllWrite has an excellent software and accessories bundle and is fast at writing dual-layer DVDs, but otherwise its performance is disappointing. The Super Writemaster is notably quick at writing single-layer DVDs but comes without any software.
Unless you absolutely must use a SATA port for your DVD writer, we'd recommend Samsung's PATA Super Writemaster SH-S182M instead. Its performance closely matches the SH-S183L's but it comes with Nero Recode and is cheaper than both the drives reviewed here.
20X DVD-R, 20X DVD+R, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+RW, 8X DVD-R DL, 8X DVD+R DL, 12X DVD-RAM, 48X CD-R, 32X CD-RWAuthor: Alan Lu
LiteOn Super AllWrite LH-20A1S