PC- DVD Encore Dxr2
DVD -ROM upgrade kit
3 stars
It's been about six months since the electronics industry introduced DVD video and DVD -ROM technologies, yet most manufacturers are still scrambling to release their first DVD devices. Not so Creative Labs, which has already unveiled its next-generation DVD -ROM kit, the PC- DVD Encore Dxr2. Creative's head start in this area is evident in a release that's better and less expensive than competing products.
As with the Hi-Val and Diamond kits reviewed here in September and October, respectively, we tested the Encore Dxr2 on a PC powered by a Cyrix 6x86 PR166 processor and a Number Nine Imagine 128 Series 2 graphics card, using a ViewSonic 17PS monitor set at 1,024-by-768 resolution. It took only about 20 minutes to get the Encore Dxr2 up and running. The kit uses a customized version of Matsushita's second-generation DVD -ROM drive, which, in addition to functioning as a 20X CD-ROM drive, can also read CD-recordable discs, a rarity for a DVD -ROM drive.
Creative uses the same AuraVision chip set that Diamond has on its MPEG-2 decoder card, but there are some significant differences. First, Creative's card is less than half the length of Diamond's, so space within the PC case is less of an issue. But if you want to watch DVD video on your TV and hook it to your stereo, Creative's design is less satisfying, because it's missing direct Dolby ProLogic audio support--though when coupled with a solid pair of multimedia speakers, the Encore Dxr2 does deliver full-bodied sound. (The card supports Dolby Digital, a more expensive, less common technology.)
As with the Diamond DVD -ROM kit, the Encore Dxr2's MPEG-2 decoder requires a "loop-through" cable, which connects to a standard graphics card. Picture quality is sharper than the Diamond kit's, but fuzzy next to the video image produced by the HiVal/Quadrant combo.
Creative's navigational software successfully emulates the buttons on a DVD video player's remote control. You can also click on DVD menu choices on screen, a handy option.
With a price at least $100 less than that of its nearest competitor, the PC- DVD Encore Dxr2 is the best value yet in the emerging DVD -ROM drive market.
$379 (PC) from Creative Labs, (800) 998-1000, (408) 428-6600, www.creativelabs.com Circle #533 |
