Sony 24X SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive AD-7260S-0B - Bulk (Black)

by Sony

• Data Transfer Rate: Write:DVD+R/-R: 24X DVD+RW/-RW: 8X/6X DVD+R/-R DL: 12X DVD-RAM: 12X CD-R: 48X CD-RW: 32X
• Read: DVD+R/-R(Single): 16X DVD+R/-R DL: 12X DVD+RW/-RW: 13X DVD-ROM (Single/Dual): 16X/12X CD-ROM: 48X CD-R: 48X CD-RW: 40X
• Writing Mode: DAO, SAO, TAO with zero gap, variable or fixed packet
• Multisession Modes Supported: DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-I Ready, CD-Bridge, PhotoCD, VideoCD, CD-DA, CD Extra, CD Text
• Interface: SATA Buffer Memory: 2 MB Random Access Time: DVD - 160ms; CD - 140ms O/S Compatibility: Windows 7 compatible Form Factor: 5.25"

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003MRHOQG
• Item model number: AD-7260S-0B
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #50 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Computer Components > Internal Optical Drives > Internal DVD Drives
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 4, 2010

Product Description

DVD+/-RW (+/-R DL) / DVD-RAM - 48X (CD) / 16X (DVD) - 48X (CD) / 24X (DVD+/-r) /

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It works August 27, 2011

By Michigoon VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great little drive.

Pros:
-Handles every format of DVD and CD. Plus or minus, R or RW, this drive does it. It's not a BluRay drive, but that's about it.
-Speedy. I burned a disc image and verified the disc, walked away to grab some food, and it was done when I got back. It's not the most blazing drive ever made, but it's peppy enough that I had no complaints even when I needed to burn a disc in a rush.
-Simple black front. This drive isn't marred by CD jacks that went out of fashion a decade ago, it's not sporting a neon logo. Simple, elegant.
-Quiet. My computer has a big 120mm fan that puts out medium volume- you notice it, but it doesn't distract when watching video. I could barely hear the drive over that. It's not "whisper quiet", but it is quiet enough for a dorm room.

Cons:
-SATA-only. While this is standard in newer computers, older systems might not be equipped. Ensure your system has SATA hookups before ordering.

Overall:
If you're like me and you just need "a drive that works", look no further. Hits all the right notes, contains no major flaws.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Drive September 2, 2011

By Tony S

Amazon Verified Purchase

The unit installed automatically (Windows Vista) and was immediatly ready for use. Some of my CDs that wouldn't track on my older unit, played perfectly on this one. An added bonus was it ripped songs in half the time.

I am very happy with the purchase and the incredibly low purchase price.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent hardware, but non-existant support September 29, 2011

By G. Williams

Amazon Verified Purchase

The actual hardware appears sound, and is working just fine. However, there's a few things potential buyers should be aware of first:

This item is from a bulk seller. That means it comes with nothing but the drive itself. No instructions, no cables, no drivers, no reference documention, no warranty information. I purchased this item to replace a dying DVD-ROM drive on my grandmother's PC. Of course I forgot her PC is running Windows Vista. So what should have taken less than 5 minutes, became a four hour ordeal. Vista would detect the drive, but was unable to find a suitable driver. I jumped on Sony's website, but when I followed the links to download the driver for this item, I was redirected away from Sony's website, to some other company that wanted me to pay for their software program that is basically a "driver minder". It claimed it would automatically keep all of the PC's drivers up to date. Needless to say, I wasn't going to pay for this unnecessary program when all I wanted was a driver for this optical drive.

I searched through several forums, with other people seeming to have encountered the same problem.

In the end, I simply found a suitable driver for a similar optical drive, and fooled Vista into using it for this opitcal drive; which so far has worked just fine.

So my advice: If you're running Vista, you might want to look for a different drive that comes with a bit more support to help you get through the installation process. However, if you're running XP, or Windows 7, you'll probably be alright; and I think this drive will be a good investment, considering the nice low price.

UPDATE, 2 years later: While I can't say whether it's the drive or just Windows Vista, the drive is no longer operational. It's quite possible that it's just Vista being its usual PITA, but none of my old tricks are working and I can't get the drive back into operational status. And like my original post noted, Sony has supplied absolutely no support for this device. And their website still re-routes you to some other company's site that wants you to purchase their driver-minder software, which I find to be the most frustrating part.

Considering all this, I feel it necessary to drop this item from 3 stars to 2 stars.

Again, if you're a Vista user, I'd beware. Otherwise, I think you'll be alright.

I should also mention that the price for this product has shot up sky high. When I purchased it two years ago, it was only $20. I see it is now listed at $50. For fifty bucks, I think you can find better.

Good luck.