Customer Reviews

CL) U) ROADSTOR PORT CD BURNERW/SLOT

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The two most popular solutions for backing up a digital camera during a vacation is to either bring your laptop computer or use a digital wallet (portable hard drive). Laptop computers are heavy and take up valuable carry-on baggage space. Portable hard drives do not give me the most amount of confidence, but are small enough to stuff in a camera bag.

This gizmo backs up photographs to CD-R or CD-RW (I prefer not to use CD-RW since a multi-session CD-RW is not as reliable to read). Backing up digital photos to CD-R while traveling provides a shock-proof, xray-proof media which will have you sleeping a bit easier at night. It also eliminates that long USB download when you get home.

It's a little bulky to drag around during landscape photography day trips, but it makes a wonderful hotel room companion. Just unload your CF card(s) at the end of the day with the press of a button. Bring an RF modulator with you to review your photos on the hotel TV. It also doubles as a DVD player which can play all my DVD-R's. It also holds many hours of MP3's, using the video output and infrared remote as a song selector.

There are a few annoyances, for this otherwise perfect device. The USB cable is too short to do anything with. The power cable can wiggle out unless you prop it up just right, but the plug is compatible with most popular battery packs and 9v adapters. The owner's manual is only a few pages long, so if you don't like figuring stuff out through experimentation, it may drive you nuts for a while.

But, as for the function and design - you can't find anything better. The drive is similar to those found on most laptop (notebook) computers. The built-in DVD player is wonderful. It's just a great idea and I wish I had thought of it myself. Oh, in case your notebook computer needs a CD burner or DVD drive, it will do that too.

Grab one before they raise the price.

I agree with everyone who has posted about this item. I purchased it, tried it and was not able to get it to actually work while I was on vacation. I burned (i.e. wasted) three CDROMs which never succeeded in finishing, and when I talked the guy in the photo shop to let me use his computer to verify what had happened, it was clear that the CD was not properly burned. Fortunately I had a 1GB card in my camera and did not run out of storage. It would operate for a while and then simply spit out the CD without any message or failure notice.

However, I was able to get this to work like others have. The problem is two fold.

First, one reason I had such difficulty was that we were on a cruise ship at sea. Apparently this unit is PARTICULARLY motion sensitive. On "shore" it works perfectly as long as you LEAVE IT THE HECK ALONE.

Second, the internal software is so buggy you expect to see them come crawling out the CD drawer. The thing locks up with no diagnostic messages or recovery mechanism except power cyling. If you push the wrong button, you end up with the thing locked up and it ignores any buttons or anything with the remote control.

It works fairly well as an accessory burner and I have burned dozens of MP3 backup CDs as well as audio CDs for my car.

To use this for the intended purpose I bought it (which is to backup my digital camera) you need to do the following:

1) Be sure it is fully charged.
2) Turn on the power.
3) Insert a blank CD.
4) turn off the power.
5) insert the memory card.
6) turn on the power and wait for the display to let you know it is completely ready.
7) press the "backup" button.
8) wait a few seconds.
9) press the "backup" button again.
10) watch the display progress through the backup.
11) watch the display progress through the "table of contents"

If you have more data than fits on one CD, it will cycle through the CDs. (Like for my 1GB card, it took two CDs to finish.)

To use this as a USB burner, do the following:

0) always make an "image" file first, never write the CD directly with just the current layout.
1) plug in the burner to the wall and turn it on with no CD in it.
2) wait for the display to indicate that the device is ready.
3) plug the USB cable between the burner and your computer.
4) wait a good 10-15 seconds for it to be recognized by windoze.

As long as you realize this device has one of the buggiest firmware codes I have ever seen in a consumer product, and use it in one and exactly only one way, you will be happy.

If, however, you actually expect it to do all of what it advertises it does (like for example play a DVD - you can play the DVD alright, you just cannot navigate the menu and select the actual "play" option...) you will be sorely dissapointed.

The problems that others had are possibly not defective devices (although it is entirely possible) it may just be that they pressed the wrong key in the wrong sequence, the thing got confused, and they got mad because they assumed that the person writing the firmware code Had A Clue (tm).

I have not used the similar Sony product and did not buy it simply because it does not support compact flash. This omission was a stupid decision on Sony's part and is an obvious ploy to push their own memory card technology, however Sony has to realize that I am not going to walk away from compact flash technology just because of their portable CD burner. Grow up, VHS won over Beta, and this is the same argument.

Okay, you just bought a big 5 Meg digital camera and took a whole memory card full of pictures, Now what? You rush home, download them onto your PC, and hope the Harddrive doesn't crash until you can burn them onto a CD later. Lucky for you, you know how to burn a CD. Granted, it isn't hard for me but everybody who owns a camera doesn't know how.

What about if you or I were on a trip to Europe or Asia? Take a whole memory card full of pictures. Now what? Your PC is back home in the USA. Better buy another memory card. Can you say $$$$?

This RoadStor product takes away all that fuss. Take the card out of your camera, plug it into the RoadStor and push a button. While you sip on your drink, it's writing the pictures to the CD and will do that day after day on your vacation until it fills up the CD or until you decide to "finalize" the CD and start another. Watch your pictures in the hotel room after a day of sightseeing. Or watch a DVD movie if you plug it up to the TV in the room. Use the little remote. The RoadStor even comes with cables for all this to happen.

I do not see how it could get any simpler than this. The Roadstor is a real bargain for $230. Oh, and it even comes in its own little black, miniature nylon suitcase/carrying case for travel. And it holds everything needed including room for a couple of blank CDs.

I would give it 6 out of 5 stars if I could.

The RoadStor is great for backing up digital photos
and playing DVDs when traveling or after you get home.
It can also play audio CDs and connect to a computer.

*Backing up Digital Photos*
The RoadStor can back up the following types of
media cards to CD without a computer:
- MultiMedia Card and Secure Digital
- Memory Stick
- SmartMedia
- CompactFlash Types I/II and IBM Microdrive

Backing up a media card is super simple--stick in
the media card and blank CD, and press the backup
button twice. You can burn multiple cards to the
same CD as long as you have room on the CD. (Watch
out for media cards that hold more than a CD!)

The RoadStor does mess up the file dates for the
picture. The file dates for all photo burned
at the same time have the same date, even though
they were taken at different times. You can extract
the correct date information from the exif data in
the photo.

*Connecting to a TV*
You must connect the RoadStor to a TV if you want

to view any pictures on CD or view a DVD. It can
connect via S-video or RCA cables. The cables
are included.

You can also connect the RoadStor to a digital
camcorder that takes an s-video input to view
pictures on CD.

*Playing DVDs*
The RoadStor also works as a DVD player, if you have
a TV to hook the RoadStor up to. You'll need the included
remote control. Some of the buttons on the remote control
have confusing labels.

*Playing Audio CDs*
You can play audio CDs on the RoadStor. You need
headphones (not included). Plus, you have to use
the remote control to adjust the volume.

*Connecting to Computer*
You can connect the RoadStor to a computer via USB
to use it as a regular CD burner / DVD reader / card reader.
You have to turn the RoadStor on before plugging it
into the computer, or some functions might not work correctly.

*International Travel*
The RoadStor can switch between NTSC and PAL formats
and is dual voltage. You will still need a plug adapter
for power and the proper hook-ups on the TV.

*What You Get*
The RoadStor includes everything you need (except a TV)
- the drive itself
- some blank CDs
- CD burning software for Windows computers
- carrying case
- battery
- power adapter
- remote control
- all cables

*Summary*
The RoadStor does a lot in a portable package. It is most
useful for backing up digital photos when traveling without a
computer. The other features (playing DVDs, playing audio CDs,
connecting to a computer) are adequate, but not as nice as
DVD/CD burners and players that don't backup photos.

I just got this little wonder of a device and I absolutely love it. You can carry the roadstor around in it's included pouch, along with a few disks and take pictures till the cows come home.

I don't really aim to use the DVD features, but I love that I can view my pictures on a TV.

I anticipate using this thing a lot when I travel.

Two biggest drawbacks:
1. The door to the drive is a hair flimsy and needs to be closed quite forcefully.
2. Battery life of the rechargable battery is just 2 hours.

After reading a lot of mixed reviews for this product I finally just decided to see for myself. Indeed, after opening the box it took some minutes to figure out the best sequence for things, but after that the device worked flawlessly. No problem with the cord from the adapter being too loose. It read my 40x 1GB flash card no problem as well as some old smartmedia I tried. Burn time for 650MB was approx. 20 minutes. No problem burning multiple sessions, I just needed to switch off & on to burn to the same CD. Hooked up to the TV it played the picture-CD's (and homemade DVD's) like my nomal DVD player. I didn't test any audio CD's because I really need the Roadstor to burn all the pictures I take on the road or on vacation. For this purpose I would give this device 5 stars, but it does NOT see my memory stick PRO media (it should take "regular" memory sticks but I don't have any) and that is too bad. Maybe Micro Solutions will make a firmware upgrade available to download in the future.

Out of the box perfect! No errors, no problems. CDs burned by the Roadstor can even be read by my finicky, piece of junk, HP drive. I took it to work and tried it in both an old, ready to be replaced Mac, and another PC. No problems.
On the road I will be making double backups and checking on the motel TV that the images transfered all right but that's common sense. It's also the reason I spent just a bit more for one that could be connected to the TV.
I don't intend to use CD-RW with it because I don't trust those in any drive. CD-R are cheap and provide "permanent" storage.

I got mine yesterday delivered from Amazon in 24 hours! (Just amazing -- I paid nothing for shipping selecting Super Saver Shipping - and here you are - delivered next day - but that's beside the point). To make story short - it did not work! When CD is loaded it starts making kind of loud whirling noise then stops and nothing gets it in backup mode. So I burnt few hours try to get it work and failed. Quick test showd that unit had latest firmware installed. But surely diagnostic messages are all misleading.
Called support in the morning ( not tall-free number btw) and lady after hearing to these noises suggested that I should return item for replacement. That's it. I didn't try to hook it up to computer - why waste time? Will order JOBO CP 200 Apacer Disc Steno to see if there any difference.

I tried 3 different CD-R's and 1 CD-RW blank media to copy both SmartCard and CompactFlash -- all of the CD media became unusable. The CD-RW was so damaged that none of my other computers could even erase it any longer. It was only able to burn 1 CD-R correctly, but when I tried to add to the compilation with more pictures, it scrambled the table of contents, creating yet another coaster. Piece of junk -- I returned it the same day.

Even though its capacity is smaller, I chose Roadstor over a flash-HD for safety. I figured, when travelling I'd burn two CDs each time, keep one and mail the other home. Cheap insurance. If a flash-HD has problems I've lost all my pictures in one shot.

Had 500+MB of data to transfer from a CF card.

First attempt: Roadstor hung at 58% complete. Result: one (more) silver-colored drink coaster.

Second attempt (with different brand of CD-R): burn completed successfully. Approximately half of the photos were fine, and the other half were garbage. Were covered in wierd color casts, portions of the right edge of the image were on the left, vice versa, all kinds of strange stuff.

Verified in ACDSee, Paint Shop Pro and Irfanview on two different computers.

Back it went for a refund. Even though it's an extra step, I'll find an internet cafe and burn my CDs off the flash HD.

Roadstor doesn't even deserve one star.