Plextor PX-610U User manual

DVD±R DL (DOUBLE LAYER/DUAL LAYER),
DVD±R/RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R/RW DRIVE
October 2008
INSTALLATION AND USERS
MANUAL
Model PX-610U Slim External USB Drive

Plextor reserves the right to make improvements in the products
described in this manual at any time without prior notice.
Plextor makes no representation or warranties with respect to the
contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties
of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further,
Plextor reserves the right to revise this manual and to make
changes in its content without obligation to notify any person or
organization of such revision or change.
This manual is copyrighted, all rights reserved. It may not be
copied, photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic
medium or machine-readable form without Plextor’s prior
permission.
Manual copyright ©2008 Plextor
First edition, October 2008.
Licenses and Trademarks
Plextor and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Shinano Kenshi..
All other licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Record Your Serial Number
For future reference, record the serial number in the space provided
below.

PX-610U Installation and Users Manual iii
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
STATEMENT
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
LASER INFORMATION
These products have been designed and manufactured according to IEC 60825-1 on
the Safety of Laser products. This product comes under “Class 1 Laser Products.”
CAUTION: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures
other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure.
A Laser Caution Label is attached on the top of the internal drive model.
The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is visible and invisible. Accordingly:
•Do not open the optical pickup housing.
•Obtain service only from Plextor-authorized personnel.
CAUTION: To disconnect the internal DVD/CD drive from an electrical
current, pull out the computer’s power plug.

PX-610U Installation and Users Manual iv
Table of Contents
Record Your Serial Number...................................................................ii!
Table of Contents ....................................................................................iv!
1. Getting Started.....................................................................................1!
About this Manual .................................................................................1!
Meet Your Plextor DVD Rewriter ........................................................2!
What the PX-610U Does...................................................................2!
Features of the PX-610U...................................................................2!
Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-610U ..................................5!
What You Can Do with the PX-610U...............................................6!
About Software...................................................................................... 6!
Precautions ............................................................................................8!
2. Installing the PX-610U Slim External USB Drive ............................9!
PX-610U Drive Features and Controls..................................................9!
Front Panel—PX-610U Slim External Drive....................................9!
Rear Panel—PX-610U Slim External Drive ................................... 10!
What Else Is In the PX-610U Box ...................................................... 10!
Save Your Box! ...............................................................................10!
PX-610U QuickStart Installation ....................................................11!
4. Using Your PX-610U ......................................................................... 12!
What Media to Use .............................................................................. 12!
DVD Media .....................................................................................12!
DVD-RAM Media...........................................................................13!
CD-ROM Media..............................................................................13!
More About Media for Your Plextor Drive .................................... 14!
Tray Loading and Operation ...............................................................14!
Handling DVD and CD Media........................................................14!
Cleaning Discs.................................................................................15!
Mounting Position ............................................................................... 15!
Playing DVDs......................................................................................16!
Writing to DVD Media........................................................................16!
Specifying +R/RW or -R/RW .........................................................16!
Writing to CD-R and CD-RW Media..................................................16!
Using the Disc/Busy Indicator.............................................................17!
5. Maintenance and Troubleshooting ..................................................19!
Cleaning the your Plextor Drive..........................................................19!
Upgrading Firmware ........................................................................... 20!
Emergency Eject..................................................................................21!
Troubleshooting................................................................................... 21!

Table of Contents
PX-610U Installation and Users Manual v
Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized................................................ 22!
6. Frequently Asked Questions............................................................. 23!
Appendix A: Technical Support........................................................... 25!
How to Contact Plextor Technical Support......................................... 26!
Before You E-mail or Call for Support ............................................... 26!
Returns................................................................................................. 27!
Contacting Plextor’s RMA Department .......................................... 27!
Packing Your Drive......................................................................... 27!
Shipping Your Drive to Plextor ...................................................... 28!
Appendix B: Warranty ......................................................................... 29!
If You’re Outside the U.S. or Canada ................................................. 30!
Index........................................................................................................ 31!

Table of Contents
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PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 1
1. Getting Started
Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing a Plextor® optical disc
drive, a reliable, high-performance recordable DVD and CD writer,
rewriter, and player. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in
us. Our goal is to put you—and keep you—on the leading edge of DVD
and CD technology.
About this Manual
Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference.
Use the manual for installation, operation and troubleshooting. If your
drive needs service, see your dealer or call Plextor’s Technical Support
Department.
In this manual you should find all the information you need to
successfully install, operate and troubleshoot your drive. If you run into
a problem that doesn't seem to be covered, however, please contact us.
(See “Appendix A: Technical Support” for the different ways you can
reach us.) You will be connected to our friendly, helpful band of tech
support engineers. What might seem like an uncooperative drive to you
could very well be a 30-second fix to them. But we will never know
unless you contact us.

Section 1. Getting Started
Meet Your Plextor DVD Rewriter
The PX-610U External Slim DVD ReWritable/CD ReWritable is a
drive that provides professional quality DVD and CD performance for
writing, rewriting and reading.
What the PX-610U Does
For DVDs, the PX-610U:
•Writes DVD+R (recordable DVD, “plus” format) media at
up to 8X speed on recommended media.
•Writes DVD+R DL (double layer) media at up to 6X speed.
•Writes DVD-R DL (dual layer) media at up to 6X speed.
•Writes DVD-R (recordable DVD, “dash” format) media at
up to 8X speed on recommended media.
•Writes DVD+RW (rewritable DVD, “plus” format) media
at up to 8X speed.
•Writes DVD-RW (rewritable DVD, “dash” format) media
at up to 6X speed.
•Writes DVD-RAM discs at up to 5X.
•Reads stamped DVD discs at up to 8X.
•Reads DVD-RAM discs at up to 5X.
For CDs, the PX-610U:
•Writes to CD-R (recordable CD) media at up to 24X speed.
•Writes to CD-RW (rewritable CD) media at up to 24X speed.
•Reads all CD-ROM and CD-R data media at a maximum of 24X
speed.
•Reads CD-DA (audio) and CD-R/RW audio media at up to 10X
speed.
Features of the PX-610U
•Interface:
USB interface: The PX-610U easily installs in virtually any
PC with a USB 2.0 (recommended) or USB 1.1 interface.
•High speed transfers:
The PX-610U supports high speed transfers via the USB
interface.
Battery Solution: The PX-610U is truly a self-powered
portable DVD writer that does not require the use of an AC

Section 1. Getting Started
PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 3
adapter or multiple USB ports. Through the addition of
internal battery power, the PX-610U requires only a single
USB port for power and data transfer. For older USB
connections, the internal battery, which charges when the
drive is idle, provides additional power for DVD writing and
other activities.
Note: Before initial use, please charge your PX-610U’s internal battery via the USB
cable provided with your drive (4-6 hours). USE ONLY THE USB CABLE
PROVIDED WITH THIS DRIVE. Failure to do so may lead to failure or
insufficient drive performance.
Note: There are two kinds of USB Ports: High-power port, which can supply 5V
maximum 500mA power; Low-power port, which can supply 5V Maximum 100mA
power. Most desktop computer USB ports are high-power USB ports. On a laptop
computer, normally at least one USB port is high-power port, the other USB ports
may be high-power ports or low-power ports, please check your laptop manual.
•Flash memory: Allows upgrading the PX-610U to the latest
firmware revision (available from the Plextor web site and via
PlexUTILITIES) without opening the computer or physically
accessing the drive.
•Black tray: Reduces the effect of optical distortion by absorbing
reflections from the laser beam, enhancing read quality.
•Plug and Play: Supports Windows Plug and Play.
DVD Features
•Lossless linking for DVD+R/RW and DVD+R DL: Allows
DVD+RW and DVD+R DL discs to be edited and still play on
DVD-ROM players.
•Zero Link for DVD-R/RW, DVD-R DL: Has 0 byte gap between
sessions so the discs are compatible with all players. This allows
DVD-RW and DVD-R DL discs to be edited and still play on
DVD-ROM players.
•Double layer and dual layer DVD discs: Reads and writes DVD+R
DL (double layer) and DVD-R DL (dual layer) discs, so you can
burn up to 4 hours of high quality MPEG-2/DVD video on a single
8.5-gigabyte DVD disc.

Section 1. Getting Started
•Wide media compatibility: Compatible with a wide range of DVD-
RAM, DVD±R and DVD±RW media.
•DVD Multi Recorder: Supports the DVD Multi specification for
read and write; can read and write DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, DVD-
Video, multi-border, multi-session and DVD±VR.
•Versatile recording modes for DVD+R/RW: Including disc-at-once
(DAO), multi-session, and incremental write for DVD+R DL
(double layer) discs; DAO, multi-session, and incremental write for
DVD+R; and DAO, incremental write, and random access write for
DVD+RW.
•Recording versatility for DVD-R/RW, too: Including DAO,
incremental recording, and layer jump recording for DVD-R DL
(dual-layer); DAO, incremental recording, multi-border recording
for DVD-R; and DAO, multi-border recording, incremental
recording, and restricted overwriting for DVD-RW.
CD-R and CD-RW Features
•Variety of recording modes: Supports track-at-once, disc-at-once,
session-at-once, and variable and fixed packet writing.
•Buffer Underrun Proof Technology: Eliminates buffer underrun
errors, so you can safely use your computer for other tasks while
you’re writing to a CD-R or CD-RW disc.
•Wide compatibility: Wide CD-R and CD-RW media compatibility.
•Orange Book compatibility: Compatible with Orange Book, Parts II
and III.
•OPC: Optimum Power Control, which adjust the laser power for the
optimum write strategy.
•CD-TEXT: Supports CD-TEXT.

Section 1. Getting Started
PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 5
Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-610U
Here’s what you’ll need in order to install and use the PX-610U drive.
•Computer: Computer CPU, Memory, and configuration are
dependent on installed application requirements.
•Interface:
Model PX-610UA requires a USB 2.0 interface.
•Hard disk size: To write to a CD in image mode (that is, to write an
image of a CD to your hard disk), you need 1 GB of free space. For
a DVD, 10 GB of free space is recommended. (For more accurate
guidelines, see the help files or documentation for the recording
software you’re using.)
•Operating System:
Model PX-610U requires Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Section 1. Getting Started
What You Can Do with the PX-610U
Just look at some of the things you can do with your PX-610U:
•Record slide shows or digital video onto DVD-RAM, DVD+R DL,
DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs.
•Play DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD+R,
DVD+RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs.
•Write onto DVD-RAM discs with your set-top box and read the
discs with your Plextor drive; or write to DVD-RAM with the
Plextor drive, then read those discs on your set-top box.
•Record data or audio onto writable or rewritable CD media.
•Play music CDs.
•Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs.
•Create a CD or DVD “sneakernet” to share information with
colleagues—just use software such as Roxio’s Creator to drag and
drop files onto DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R or CD-RW media, then
continue adding files and sharing the same disc.
•Archive images and video to DVD or CD.
•Master new software programs on DVD or CD.
About Software
In order to record on DVD±R DL, DVD±R/RW, and CD-R/RW discs
you will need to have mastering, packet writing, or duplication software
installed on your computer system. If you purchased a retail kit from
Plextor, you’ll get software packages that include such software.
Roxio’s Creator software is one software suite that lets you burn DVDs
and CDs. The software lets you burn and share anything on CD or
DVD, including music, photos, and videos; and you can easily back up
your critical data to a CD or DVD. One component of Roxio Creator is
Drag-to-Disc, which makes the Plextor PX-610U drive as easy to use as
a hard disk drive. (For more information about Roxio Creator, install
this application and examine the help files.)

Section 1. Getting Started
PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 7
Take control of several powerful features of Plextor drives. With the
power of PlexUTILITIES you have now have extra support for your
Plextor hardware. PlexUTILITIES allows you to view basic and
advance drive information as well as offering high quality audio and
multimedia capabilities. By allowing you to measure and control the
burn quality of every disc, PlexUTILITIES makes coasters a thing of
the past. The distinctive design in PlexUTILITIES allows ease of use
for newcomers without compromising on the powerful features that
experienced burners demand.
PlexUTILITIES also features:
- View Basic and Advanced Drive Information List the drive’s hardware,
including serial number, firmware version and jumper settings, and
shows the capabilities of the drive. Concurrently, you can reveal
extensive information about the inserted disc— like format, sessions
and tracks, manufacturer, and CD TEXT.
- Permitting Drive Identification and Control allows you to control
different features of your Plextor drive.
- Measure Disc Burning Quality Test the quality of a written or pressed
disc by counting the number of errors, measure the mechanical
characteristics of blank media, show the write quality by checking the
jitter rate and the beta value of written media, and measure the quality of
the written DVD media by checking the pits and lands for compliance
with the DVD specifications.
- Automatic software and firmware updates immediately notify you of
pending updates to your Plextor drive so that you always have the most
current applications.
For details on software that is available for writing to DVDs or CDs,
please visit the web sites of the companies whose software you are
interested in, refer to their user’s manuals, or look at the help option
within the software. A list of various software that you can use with
your Plextor drive can be found in the Support/Compatibility section of
www.plextor.com

Section 1. Getting Started
Precautions
Like the rest of your computer system, your PX-610U requires
reasonable care in its installation and use.
•Keep the area around your drive clean from dust, smoke, and other
contaminants.
•Do not allow moisture or liquids, including water or cleaning fluids,
to touch the drive. Thinner, benzene, or alcohol-based solvents can
mar your drive’s surface.
•Do not drop or jolt the drive.
•Do not move, carry or transport a disc in the drive because this can
cause damage.
•Do not attempt to open the drive and service it yourself. Removing
the cover may expose you to harmful electrical voltages or the laser
beam. For your safety, entrust service to experienced service
personnel only.
•Keep your DVDs and CDs free of dirt or other contaminants, by
storing them in jewel cases. Use only industry-standard discs. Do
not insert dirty, warped, poorly balanced, or cracked discs into the
drive.
•Do not clean discs using a circular motion. Instead, using a soft, dry
cloth, wipe gently in a radial motion; start at the center of the disc
and proceed to the outer edge.
•Do not attempt to clean your drive using solvent-based cleaners or
an air compressor.
•Do not attempt to clean your drive using a CD cleaning disc. These
discs can damage your drive permanently.

PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 9
2. Installing the
PX-610U Slim External USB Drive
This section explains how to physically install your PX-610U slim
external USB drive to your computer.
PX-610U Drive Features and Controls
Before proceeding, become familiar with the controls and features of
your Plextor drive. Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations
below.
Front Panel—PX-610U Slim External Drive
Figure 1: Front panel of the PX-610U slim external USB drive
•Tray front door: Attached to tray drawer.
•Emergency eject hole: If the automatic eject button does not work,
insert the emergency eject tool, paper clip, or other thin, rigid object
in this hole to eject tray. Make sure that the drive is disconnected
from your laptop or mobile device before using this feature.
•Disc/busy indicator: Illuminated green for disc reading or writing.
•Eject button: Push once to eject tray.

Section 4. Using Your PX-610U
Rear Panel—PX-610U Slim External Drive
Also familiarize yourself with the drive’s rear panel.
Figure 2: Rear panel of the PX-610U slim external USB drive
•USB/Power connector
What Else Is In the PX-610U Box
What you find in your Plextor box depends on what the company that
sold you the box put in—or took out—while the Plextor drive was in
their possession. Plextor currently sells the PX-610U drive in this
configuration:
•PX-610U DVD±R DL, DVD±R/RW and CD-R/RW drive
•USB cable
•Plextor software disc
•PX-610U Quick Installation Guide
Save Your Box!
Be sure to save the box after you have installed your drive. The box
and its packaging material were designed and drop tested to ensure
your drive can endure rough treatment and still arrive in working
order. If you have to ship your drive back to Plextor, you’ll want to
send it in the original box. (For more details about returning your
drive to Plextor, see page 27.)
If the security sticker on top of your box is cut, there may be a good
reason: for example, a dealer may have added other components or
software. Carefully check the contents to ensure nothing has been
removed. If something is missing, contact the party from whom you
purchased the box for an explanation.

Section 4. Using Your PX-610U
PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 11
NOTE: This applies to the Plextor retail box. Your drive may have
been shipped in a different box with other contents, depending on
whom you purchased the drive from and what they included inside
the box.
If your drive came pre-installed, some or all of the items above may
have been installed and may not be separately available. See the
Plextor web site for locations to purchase additional or replacement
accessories.
PX-610U QuickStart Installation
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to connect the drive:
1. Connect the USB cable to the External DVD Drive
Plug in the USB cable into the USB port on the back of your
external DVD drive.
2. Connect the USB cable to your PC, Laptop, or Mobile Device
Locate an available USB port on your PC and plug the other end of
the USB cable in that port.
Note: High Speed USB (2.0) ports provide high-speed data transfer
rates. You can connect the external DVD drive to a USB (1.1) port, but
this is not recommended because it will significantly lower the external
DVD drive’s read speeds. If you are unsure about which ports are
available on your PC, check your PC manual or Windows device
manager.
Troubleshooting tip: You can verify that your external DVD drive has
power by pressing the EJECT button on the front of the external DVD
drive to open and close the tray. If the tray does not open, ensure that
the cables are plugged in properly and securely.
3. Install the software
Note: Please ensure your external DVD drive is detected and properly
installed by the operating system before installing application software.
For further troubleshooting assistance, please refer to your PC’s and
Microsoft Windows help, under the “help support” section, in “adding
new devices”.
Insert the Software Installation Disc into your external DVD drive. Click on
Install Suite. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Section 4. Using Your PX-610U
4. Using Your PX-610U
This section explains how to use your Plextor drive and how to load,
handle and care for your DVDs and CDs.
What Media to Use
Use the right media! Your Plextor drive's capabilities change depending
on which type of compact disc you use.
DVD Media
DVD recordable media is available in two different, non-compatible
formats:
•DVD+R, DVD+R DL (double layer) and DVD+RW
•DVD-R, DVD-R DL (dual layer) and DVD-RW
Your PX-610U can read and write either media format, in single layer
or double layer media. It supports all these types of DVD media:
•Digital Video Discs: You can immediately play pre-recorded DVD
discs, including movies and other DVDs.
•DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD-R: Recordable DVD.
You can record on these discs, but only once. You can also read
them.
•DVD+RW, DVD-RW: ReWritable DVD. You can record and re-
record (up to 1,000 times) on these discs. You can also read them.
Figure 3: The logo identifies the type of DVD media
With double layer media, you don’t need to turn the disc over to record
on side 2.

Section 4. Using Your PX-610U
PX-610U Installation and Users Manual 13
DVD-RAM Media
Unlike standard DVD media, you do not need special DVD burning
software to write or read DVD-RAM discs on a computer. You can
access these discs like a floppy disk or hard drive. You can even write a
DVD-RAM disc with a set-top box, then read it on the PX-610U drive.
The PX-610U supports reading and writing with 4.7-GB (version 2)
DVD-RAM discs.
CD-ROM Media
You can use these types of CD media:
•CD-ROM: You can immediately play or read prerecorded compact
discs, such as audio CDs and data discs.
•CD-R: Recordable CD. You can record on these discs, but only
once. You can also read them.
•CD-RW: Normal Speed, High Speed, Ultra Speed and Ultra Speed
Plus ReWritable CD. These discs support recording and re-recording
(up to 1,000 times). You can also read them.
To achieve a certain writing speed, you must use the appropriate media.
To achieve 24X CD-R writing speed you must use certified 24X (or
higher) media.
Remember:
•Using Normal Speed CD-RW discs (that is, NS-RW media) you can
rewrite at 4X.
•Using High Speed CD-RW discs (HS-RW media), you can rewrite
at 10X.
•Using Ultra Speed CD-RW discs (US-RW media) in this drive, you
can rewrite at up to 24X.
You can write to Ultra Speed CD-RW discs only on drives that support
this media. Drives that are capable of writing to Ultra Speed ReWritable
media, such as the Plextor PX-610U, are identified by a “Compact Disc
ReWritable Ultra Speed” logo.
Figure 4: The logo also identifies the type of CD-RW media

Section 4. Using Your PX-610U
More About Media for Your Plextor Drive
See the Plextor web site at www.plextor.com for a list of Plextor-
approved media for your drive
Tray Loading and Operation
To load and unload the tray:
1. While the drive is powered up, push the eject button on the front
panel. The tray drawer slides out in 3–4 seconds.
Figure 5: Loading the tray
2. Lay a CD or DVD disc in the depression in the tray, label side up.
3. Push the tray manually to insert disc.
Handling DVD and CD Media
Take care when handling blank CD and DVD media. Dust, scratches,
and fingerprints on either side of the disc can cause write errors during
recording. When picking up or holding blank media you can either place
your fingers along the outer edge of the disc, or place one finger through
the center hole and one finger on the outer edge. Once you have finished
creating a disc, label it by writing on the top using permanent ink.
CAUTION: We recommend using a “non-toxic” marker, such as a
Sharpie®pen, that conforms to the ASTM D-4236 standard. Some
permanent markers will damage the media. Also, do not press too
hard when writing on the disc.