Hi There people,

Is there any difference between these two drive? I know both has the same specs and the PX-716A comes in a nice face with the Retail Package. My concern here is that if the performance differ from each other. Does the PX-740A burn DVD-R media in good Quality? I have used NEC 3540A and currently have the BenQ DW1640 drive and it burns DVD-R media pretty bad. It freeze and skip at certain frame. When trying to make copy from the same Burned DVD-R media, it gives me errors from it.

I have read the thread here about the PX-716A that has the TLA#0302. Member here said it is the best for TY03 media which I have stacks of them. I would like to get this drive and need to know those two model have and difference with them. The reason why I am asking is that the PX-740A is much cheaper and if the performance is the same with the same support I'll go for it. Please let me know.

Thank much

PX-740A is a rebadge BenQ DW1640 with its own firmware.

PX-716A is a real Plextor drive.

What is your DW1640 firmware installed? If you have trouble with the BenQ DW1640/TYG03 try to upgrade your firmware to the last firmware BSOB, or burn it at 12x or 8x. Head over to BenQ forum if you need more assistance with the BenQ drive.

...and real Plextors can use scanning tools while the 1640, er "740", cannot. If you were to get a 740 you'd basically be getting a 1640 with a Plextor faceplate and modified (so it can't scan) BSOB firmware. Plextools will not work on the 740.

More precisely, it works but with limited features, as for the 750.

ET

partially true...if you flash the 740A to BenQ firmware, it will scan in Nero's CD/DVD Speed.

Quite limited, in fact. I thought just the features in the yellow section were restricted to "real" Plextors, but I couldn't use CD-DVD ROM Maker with my BenQ 1640, at least not on my old version of Plextools (2.25). Even with the non-Plextor selected, it allows you to proceed right up to the burn point, and then limits the choices to the Plextor drive or an ISO image.

@bandeng: You can do all kinds of cool things with optical drives if you're prepared to void the warranty!

Of course not... writing in PlexTools is supported only on Plextor drives, and the 1640 is not a Plextor drive, unless you "convert" it to a 740, which is supported in Audio CD/DVD Maker, etc. You were referring to the 740, that's why I said that it is supported, albeit missing special features (but at least you can use it as a writing device).

Regards,

ET

Well i have a 740a drive and i can scan with Nero's CD/DVD Speed or are tryed all the options and so far the worked here

But after reading this topic i'm wondering if i didn't bought a cat in a bag?
Looks like the 740 series is just some garbage that Plextor wanted to get rid of or am i wrong?
Is the 740 still a good drive with plextor quality or is just a fake?

imo Plextor wouldn't bring there name down by putting some lame ass drive on the market

:update:
atm i'm running on firmware 1.2 so maybe there is a way to get full potential from the drive by upgrading to BenQ firmware or is 1.2 the latest and best firmware atm for the 740a serie?

The 740 is not made by Plextor but is supported by Plextor tech support, warranty, and RMA. It is part of their "value line", lower cost products under the Plextor name. Good quality, but without all the bells and whistles supported by Plextoools Pro. v1.2 is the latest firmware for the Plextor version. Remember, if you flash to Benq and the flash does not take or corrupts the firmware, Plextor won't honor the warranty since it was not a mfr defect.