It passed all tests I threw at it except for the one fatal deal killer.  So, I'll only list the drawbacks.

Wrote 8x to Verbatim DataLife Plus Mistubishi MKM 8x DVD+R DL.  HOWEVER, it did NOT do it for very long!  The Average Write rate was only 4.4x!  No bombing out at the layer change on Write or Verify, though!

The deal killer is writing to CD's; it basically doesn't!  If the image size is under 100 MB, writing is fine.  I tried an 800 MB CD Audio image and it NEVER wrote to ANY CD-R or CD-RW due to a semaphore timeout has expired issue.  This was on Verbatim DataLife Plus CD-R that were big enough to hold the image and several 24x Memorex CD-RW.  A 500 MB test I attempted to write failed to complete due to an invalid write address error.  And those burns that did start and complete only wrote to 16x on 24x rated CD-RW media.

Bottom line is, PASS on this drive unless you NEVER intend to write to CD's.

Now, my unit was sold Used - Like New.  I am in the process of getting a New unit and see if that improves the CD writing capability.  However, I hold out little hope.  The CD issue is most likely a bad firmware one and, thus, present in ALL units of this model.

Unfortunately, I don't really have any graph data because of the nature of the drive destroying rewritable media.  This post is more of a warning for people to be wary of this drive.

I've had 2 of these drives and they both suffered from the same problem of destroying rewritable media.  So, it's not that I just received a bad drive the first time.  It's an inherent design flaw in the drive.

I've thrown about half a dozen Ritek 8x DVD+RW (Disc ID: RICOHJPN-W21-01) at it.  After each write completes in ImgBurn, this drive would render the disc empty.  Verifies never start because the drive is constantly attempting to recognize it.  The drive lights flash infinitely.  Windows will not recognize a disc has been inserted but File Explorer will list the disc as empty.  I tried the same on a Verbatim BD-RE DL. It did the same thing.  So, this drive destroys rewritable media.  I could never fully erase the discs and try again because no drive, even my other Pioneer and ASUS USB, ever recognizes a disc has been inserted. 

I inserted 2 Verbatim BD-RE DL that had been formatted by Windows as giant floppies.  I copied over files to them and on random files, Windows would return the "error" Cannot read from source file or disc.  Immediately selecting Retry resumes the copy.  It did this once on the first disc and twice on the 2nd.  However, the real killer is the files actually written to the media are not written correctly!  I copied over many parts in a chain of a file backup from Macrium Reflect to these discs.  Reflect would load the last file in the chain to get the list of files from the archive.  However, on Verify, the first file would fail to read from the first disc!  It would cause Reflect to Not Respond and eventually return the "error" Verification failure Read error - permission denied.  So, this means the drive wasn't even correctly writing to the BD-RE DL media.  Even after I replaced the destroyed disc with a new one.

This drive definitely is worse than the ASUS USB one I had.  I went with an ASUS internal because of my good experience with the ASUS USB.  However, the internal USB drive appears to be junk.  It destroys rewritable media.  Not just one kind, but at least 2 different disc formats.  So, it seems that all rewritable media would probably suffer.  This isn't a firmware issue, unfortunately, because there are no firmware updates for this model or the model that preceded it.

What few DVD-R and BD-R I burned were apparently fine.  So, WORM media seems to be no problem with this model.  However, since this rewritable issue happened on 2 different samples of this model I received, it's an inherent design flaw in the drive itself.  Because it destroys rewritable media, I cannot recommend this drive.  I can say you shouldn't try it because I've already tried it for you. 

I use this as my go to BD burner for now.  It's the best of worst so far.  It has a few drawbacks.  For instance, it cannot write to the higher quality Verbatim MCC DVD-R or DVD+R.  The MCC 03RG20 DVD-R will either fail to complete burns, fail Verify afterwards, or playback with skips and pops.  LG refuses to acknowledge Verbatim/CMC has changed the dye formula, even though 2 years of results on different samples of the drive, 2 different firmware revisions, and different cake stacks bear this out, when the MID had been working before.

Other than the above, the NS60 has passed every single quality disc I thew at it.  For instance, it may choke on CMC MID discs but I don't use those.

It is also, unusually for an LG drive, a pretty good reader.  It's not failed to read anything I've thrown at it that wasn't degraded to begin with and failed in other drives.  This is a change of pace for LG's drive which I've found to be problematic in the past failing to read discs other drives would.

The drive is slower at Verifies, though, versus, say, a Pioneer or ASUS.  Another speed issue is when the drive encounters a buffering issue, regardless of how fast it reached before.  When it resumes writing, it's maximum write speed is significantly slower than the maximum allowed.  Another speed issue is 16x DVD-R will write at 16x but only gets there with under 1 minute before the burn ends.  Also, 16x rated Verbatim BD-R burns at a maximum of 12x only, unlike Pioneer or ASUS.

It's accepted everything I've ever thrown at it with 2 caveats.  The first is Ritek 8x DVD+RW.  You don't get a lot of rewrites out of these discs to begin with, but with this drive, it seems you get only about 20 rewrites out of them.  Eventually, what happens, is ImgBurn will write an image to them, but never starts Verify.  The disc is ejected and reinserted, but the Verify never starts as the drive just keeps trying to read it.  Inserting the disc into any other drive causes the same thing, infinite read attempts.  With drives like Pioneer BD writers, what usually happens when this occurs is a Verify starts but craps out immediately, attempting to read like sectors 0-31.  This drive just destroys the media, rendering it unreadable.  While the discs can't be salvaged anyway, it is unusual that this model can't even get the Verify started to fail reading.

The other problem is a BIG one.  It does not properly write to the 2nd layer of Verbatim BD-RE DL (Disc ID: VERBAT-IM1-000).  Verify fails at the layer break change.

I 12:35:11 Source Device: [0:0:0] HL-DT-ST BD-RE  WH16NS40 1.02 (S:) (SATA)
I 12:35:11 Source Media Type: BD-RE (Disc ID: VERBAT-IM1-000)
I 12:35:11 Source Media Supported Read Speeds: 2x, 4x, 6x
I 12:35:11 Source Media Supported Write Speeds: 2x
I 12:35:11 Source Media Sectors: 24,438,784
I 12:35:11 Source Media Size: 50,050,629,632 bytes
I 12:35:11 Image File Sectors: 13,401,120 (MODE1/2048)
I 12:35:11 Image File Size: 27,445,493,760 bytes
I 12:35:11 Image File Volume Set Identifier: 584057A558405765
I 12:35:11 Image File Implementation Identifier: Microsoft IMAPI2 1.0
I 12:35:11 Image File File System(s): ISO9660 (Bootable), UDF (1.02)
I 12:35:11 Read Speed (Data/Audio): MAX / MAX
I 12:35:12 Read Speed - Effective: 2x - 6x, 6x - 2x
I 12:35:12 Verifying Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 13401119)
I 12:35:12 Verifying Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 13401119)
I 12:35:12 Verifying Layer 0... (LBA: 0 - 12219391)
I 12:56:30 Verifying Layer 1... (LBA: 12219392 - 13401119)
W 12:56:34 Failed to Read Sectors 12219424 - 12219455 - Reason: L-EC Uncorrectable Error
W 12:56:42 Failed to Read Sector 12219424 - Reason: L-EC Uncorrectable Error
W 12:56:42 Sector 12219424 maps to File
W 13:04:02 Retrying (1)...
I 13:04:07 Verifying Sectors...
W 13:04:15 Failed to Read Sectors 12219584 - 12219615 - Reason: L-EC Uncorrectable Error
W 13:04:23 Failed to Read Sector 12219584 - Reason: L-EC Uncorrectable Error
W 13:04:23 Sector 12219584 maps to File
E 13:04:35 Failed to Read Sector 12219584 - Reason: L-EC Uncorrectable Error
E 13:04:35 Sector 12219584 maps to File
E 13:04:35 Failed to Verify Sectors!

Immediately after this burn failed, I put the same disc, burning the same image, in a Pioneer BD writer that I know properly writes to this media.  It passed Write and Verify.

So, this drive seems to handle everything except Verbatim BD-RE DL.  Which kind of makes sense.  There hasn't been a firmware update to this drive in over 2 years, and these discs probably came out after the drive was manufactured.  I've thrown Verbatim DataLife Plus DVD-R, Verbatim DataLife Plus DVD+R DL, Verbatim DataLife Plus CD-R, and Verbatim BD-R at this drive with no problem.  I had never tried a Verbatim BD-RE DL with this drive back when I had it 2 years ago, though, to my knowledge.  I just got another one of these last week because Pioneer's had become too much   Only problem is, there's only one option left for me try, and that's the other Pioneer BD-RE they make, without the TL support.

Lite-On DH-20A1S UX14 - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: No

Lite-On DH-20A3P XY13 - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: No

Lite-On iHAS120 6 7L0M - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: No

Lite-On iHAS422 8 4L18 - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: No

Lite-On iHAS324 A BLTP - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS524 A BL2U - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 B AL0S - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS624 B GL2A - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 C LL0H - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS524 D 8L25 - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

LG GH24NS90 IN01 - Working? No

LG GH24NS95 RN00 - Working? No

LG GH24NS95 RN01 - Working? No

Samsung SH-S203B SB04 - Working? No

Samsung SH-S223F SB03 - Working? No

Samsung SH-S243N SB00 - Working? No

Pioneer DVR-218L 1.02 - Working? No

Pioneer DVR-219L 1.01 - Working? No

Pioneer DVR-220L 1.01 - Working? No

Asus DRW-24B3ST 1.00 - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 E 4L03 - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Samsung SH-S224DB SB01 - Working? No

Lite-On iHAS524 A BL2U @ 2.4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS524 A BL2U @ 4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 B AL0S @ 2.4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 B AL0S @ 4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 C LL0H @ 2.4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS124 C LL0H @ 4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS524 D 8L25 @ 2.4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: ??? - Force HT Enabled: ???

Lite-On iHAS524 D 8L25 @ 4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: ??? - Force HT Enabled: ???

Lite-On iHAS524 E 4L03 @ 2.4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: Yes - Force HT Enabled: Yes

Lite-On iHAS524 E 4L03 @ 4x - Working? Force HT Disabled: No - Force HT Enabled: Yes

http://www.vinpowerdigital.com/en-us/main/product.aspx?Categ...yID=208&Keyword=5280S-CB-ROBOT

Sony Optiarc 5280S-CB-ROBOT Archival / Duplication grade writer drive with DVD+R DL Overburn and Autoloader Tray Extension

 

The specially enhanced Sony Optiarc 5280S-CB-ROBOT drive was developed as an enhanced archival / duplication grade writer drive. The CB series of drives from Sony Optiarc were created to provide improved burning performance and disc content longevity which are critical applications when creating long lasting archival media or burning mass duplication in a simultaneous multi-drive recording environment. With features like Secure Media Speed Stability, Enhanced Recording Stabilization Control, Enhanced CD-R duplication, Archival media compatibility, Accurate Tray Extension for autoloaders and many other enhanced features makes the CB series the preferred writer drive of the archival and duplication industry. Even with all of these advantages, the CB series of Sony Optiarc drives remain competitively priced with similar ODD writer drives.

Most of the features that make this drive special are also available with the Optiarc 5280S-CB-PLUS drive.

http://www.vinpowerdigital.com/en-us/main/product.aspx?CategoryID=83&SubCategoryID=242&Keyword=5280S-CB-PLUS

Sony Optiarc 5280S-CB-PLUS Archival / Duplication grade writer drive with DVD+R DL Overburn

 

The specially enhanced Sony Optiarc 5280S-CB-PLUS drive was developed as an enhanced archival / duplication grade writer drive. The CB series of drives from Sony Optiarc were created to provide improved burning performance and disc content longevity which are critical applications when creating long lasting archival media or burning mass duplication in a simultaneous multi-drive recording environment. With features like Secure Media Speed Stability, Enhanced Recording Stabilization Control, Enhanced CD-R duplication, Archival media compatibility, DVD+R DL overburn, and many other enhanced features makes the CB series the preferred writer drive of the archival and duplication industry. Even with all of these advantages, the CB series of Sony Optiarc drives remain competitively priced with similar ODD writer drives.