Panasonic (Matshita) UJ-845
Notebooks are not usually big on upgrade potential. The parts are difficult to obtain, are generally more expensive, and people are nervous about opening up an expensive piece of equipment.
One of the few upgrades paths is the optical drive. Typically a notebook will have a CD burner, possibly with DVD reading capabilities. The latest notebooks will undoubtedly contain a DVD burner, but the great majority will be lacking this feature. Enter the Panasonic UJ-845!
Marketed as an OEM drive, the UJ-845 is unlikely to be found in retail stores. However it is easily purchased from any number of websites, and for a surprisingly reasonable cost, especially considering that is dual-layer, slot-loading, and supports DVD-RAM. That’s good going even by desktop standards.
For the purposes of this review, an Acer Travelmate 800 was used as the test notebook, replacing its standard QSI CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive.
Description & capabilities
The drive is a standard 12.7mm notebook unit that should fit most notebooks. It is also suitable for appropriate SFF PCs, and could be used in conjunction with the right housing to provide a slim line external DVD burner.
The official capabilities of the drive are:
- 5X Speed DVD-RAM Writing
- 8X Speed DVD-R Writing
- 4X Speed DVD-RW Writing
- 24X Speed CD-R Writing
- 16X Speed CD-RW Writing
- 8X Speed DVD+R Writing
- 4X Speed DVD+RW Writing
- 24X Speed CD-ROM Reading
- 8X Speed DVD-ROM Reading
- Buffer Under Run Protection
- +R Dual Layer Writing
Nero InfoTool gives the following report on the capabilities of the drive:
| Drive: | MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ-845S |
|---|---|
| Type: | DVD-RAM Recorder |
| Firmware Version: | D100 |
| Buffer Size: | 2 MB |
| Date: | 01-11-05 |
| Location: | 1:0 |
| Read Speed: | 6.0 X |
| Write Speed: | 4.0 , 2.4 X |
| Read CD Text: | Yes |
| Return C2 Pointers: | Yes |
| Read CD-R: | Yes |
| Read CD-RW: | Yes |
| Read DVD-ROM: | Yes |
| Read DVD-RAM: | Yes |
| Read DVD-R: | Yes |
| Read DVD-RW: | Yes |
| Read DVD+R: | Yes |
| Read DVD+RW: | Yes |
| Read DVD+R DL: | Yes |
| Read Digital Audio: | Yes |
| Read CD+G: | No |
| Read VideoCD: | Yes |
| Write CD-R: | Yes |
| Write CD-RW: | Yes |
| Write DVD-R: | Yes |
| Write DVD-RW: | Yes |
| Write DVD+R: | Yes |
| Write DVD+RW: | Yes |
| Write DVD+R DL: | Yes |
| Write DVD-RAM: | Yes |
| Buffer Underrun Protection: | Yes |
| Mount Rainier: | No |
| Modes: | Packet, TAO, DAO, SAO, RAW SAO |
| Region Protection Control: | RPC II |
Basically, the drive supports almost every format you could possible want! Note the difference in what Panasonic believe is the drive speed, and what Nero reports.
Comments (page 10 of 16)
Nov 27, 2006 12:59 pm
Here is the site address.......
http://panasonic.co.jp/psec/support/dvdram/lim/eoem/sw9573drvxp.html
Nov 27, 2006 12:15 pm
Hi,
I have just bought an Acer 5672 and I only seem to be able to burn at 2.4 with 8X Bulkpaq media. I found this site which has drivers for Matshita DVD RAM UJ 845S and is Panasonics own download centre.
ANYONE BRAVE ENOUGH TO GIVE IT A GO AND LET US KNOW IF IT WORKS!
I'm still well within warranty so not sure if I've got enough bottle to give it a go.
Hope this helps everyone!
Nov 18, 2006 6:45 am
problem with matshta dvd-ram. can pay all dvds but cant load cd rom or audio disks. cant restore as i turned it off & then my problem started. im about to throw this piece of garbage away... please help.
Nov 17, 2006 7:29 am
I've read all the postings and would like to know what is the latest news on the region changes? I've used up my changes and I'm moving to a new part of the world so I'd like to make the drive region free.
Thanks
Nov 8, 2006 2:34 pm
Hello, I have a Matshita UJ-845S D201 and I can write DVDs ins 8x but I cannot read them faster the 4,5x... I cannot beleive it !
Nov 7, 2006 12:22 pm
Hi all.
For those who have problems with their drive writing DVDs at 2x only, I might have found a solution. To keep the story short, after noticing my drive does the same, and the firmware search didn't give any results, I stumbled upon this list of DVD media clases:
http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm
Even though I still have about 20 blank Datawrite 8x discs (Nero 7 says max write speed is 2x), I decided to spend a little and buy some media stated as 1st class, just to check what will happen. Guess what, without any firmware updates or similar, both DVD Identifier and Nero 7 say the new discs are 8x and I have just burnt one at 8x.
My laptop is Acer Ferrari 4005, the drive Matshita UJ-845S (factory firmware D200). I chose to buy TDK 16x DVD-R, media layer TTH02. They are working on my UJ-845S as 8x, just tested.
I hope this helps someone. I wish I knew before buying my Datawrite.
Don't know if other models of UJ will do the same. Just make sure to buy them from a shop which specifies the layer type also, not just the brand (in the UK I got them from http://www.svp.co.uk, they put the layer type for every DVD media they sell).
Cheers.
Oct 26, 2006 11:36 pm
I have an acer aspire 1690 with a matshita uj-845d. Just the other day it decided to stop reading blank dvd-r discs. Blank CD-R it reads fine and it plays all media already on dvd-r. It's only when trying to burn that it will not read them. Any ideas on why it decided to get picky?
Oct 24, 2006 11:26 pm
On February 25 I wrote that my Acer Ferrari 4005’s Matshita UJ-845s drive stopped functioning at anything above 8x when writing CD-R. I warranteed the drive for the second time in 6 moinths and now everything is back to 24x. The firmware on the replacement is D200 as were all the previous drives.
Note:- the Acer Ferrari 4006 model’s UJ-845s drive does have the D201 firmware. I requested the warranteed drive with the D201 firmware but to no avail.Will see if this replacement can last longer than 3 months.
LATEST in saga:
September 25, 2006 - Matshita UJ-845S drive in a Acer Ferrari failed again while writing CD-ROM at 24x speed. Spat out a coaster! Warranteed with Acer yet again and replacement works perfectly. Firmware is not the issue, Matshita drive is!
END
Oct 12, 2006 12:41 pm
I installed one of these drives into my 15" TiBook and it writes to DVD's fine but errors every time I have tried to write to CD-R's. Have tried Imation, TDK, and Maxell discs. Anyone have any ideas?
Oct 6, 2006 8:46 am
I just bought a Toshiba A105-S4114 from Circuit City. It came with this drive and the stupid thing hasn't worked! As long as I have had it this drive has NEVER read any cds other than music cds, though occasionally they skip all the way through even though they don't skip when I play them on my stereo. As a reult of this drive not working I can't download the software needed for my digital camera, mp3 player or the digital voice recorder I use to record lectures.
I took it to a Toshiba repair center and they told me that they were ordering a replacement drive weeks ago. They were supposed to call me when it arrived. They haven't called me, but I have called them. I always get a message that tells me that they are closed or out to lunch even though I'm calling during what the message says are their regular service hours.
I hate this drive. I hate this particular laptop. I also have a sinking feeling that I will keep calling Toshiba and making trips to the Toshiba service center and by the time the part arrives I'll be coming out of pocket for something that was broken when I got it. I'm so disatisfied with this drive and Toshiba's poor service that I never want to buy another Toshiba product.
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