LG GSA-H22N Super Multi DVD Burner Review


Review: LG GSA-H22N
Reviewed by: agent009
Provided by: LG Electronics U.S.A.
Firmware: 1.00
Manufactured: September 2006

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LG Electronics USA was kind enough to send us their new Super Multi DVD Rewriter, the LG GSA-H22N.

LG's latest and fastest Super Multi drive reads and writes all DVD and CD formats: DVD+R/RW/DL, DVD-R/RW/DL, DVD-RAM, and CD-R/RW. Single-layer DVD+R and DVD-R are burned at up to 18x, double-layer DVD+R DL and dual-layer DVD-R DL at up to 8x, DVD-RAM at up to 12x, CD-R at up to 48x, and CD-RW at up to 32x.

LG dubbed GSA-H22N the "World's Fastest 18x DVD Rewriter." In this article we will see if this claim is true by testing LG GSA-H22N's reading and writing performance with a variety of DVD and CD media.

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Corporate information:

LG is a South Korean industrial group. The name LG comes from an abbreviation of "Lucky-Goldstar", the company's name until 1995.

LG Electronics was established in 1958. Today, LG Electronics is one of the world's leading electronics manufacturers.

The LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. Information Systems Products division (LGE ISP) markets LG-brand LCD displays, as well as optical storage CD and DVD readers and writers, to reseller and retail distribution channels.

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As the world's largest manufacturer of CD/DVD drives, LG CD and DVD readers and writers include such models and CD-Re-Writers (CD-RW), Combo CD-RW/DVD, DVD-ROM readers and DVD writers. LG is frequently first to market with the newest technology and fastest recording speeds.

In the fast-growing area of DVD writers, LG takes the lead with the LG Super-Multi DVD writers, featuring triple DVD format compatibility (DVD+, DVD- and DVD-RAM). LG Super-Multi drives eliminate the issue of which format discs can be read, or to which format you have to write.

LG's stated goal is to enhance customer's life with intelligent features, intuitive functionality, and exceptional performance. 

Learn more about LG Electronics U.S.A. by visiting the company website: http://us.lge.com/

Drive overview:

The LG GSA-H22N is a Super Multi DVD burner capable of reading and writing DVD+R/RW/DL, DVD-R/RW/DL, DVD-RAM, and CD-R/RW formats.

"Super Multi" was coined by LG in 2003 and is an informal term describing DVD burners compatible with all existing DVD and CD formats.

Prior to 2003, DVD-RAM and DVD+R/DVD-R drives were separate devices. LG Electronics was the first company to release a drive that supported all three DVD formats. Several companies have since followed this strategy, making "multi" and "super multi" commonly used terms.

Drive specifications:

LG GSA-H22N specifications on LG Electronics website list the following:

LG GSA-H22N supports a 66.7 MB/s ATAPI-5 interface, also known as Ultra ATA/66 or Ultra DMA Mode 4.

This high-speed ATA mode requires the use of an 80-wire EIDE cable in order to work reliably at full 18x speed. Although 80-wire EIDE cables have 40-pin connectors, they can be easily recognized by higher wire density in the cable and differently colored (blue, grey, and black) connectors.

LG GSA-H22N requires high-quality 16x media in order to reliably achieve 18x DVD burn speeds, and the list of approved media provided in the second footnote to the table above is quite short.

Only Mitsubishi/Verbatim, That's/Taiyo Yuden and Maxell media made in Japan are listed as capable of 18x burns.

Fortunately, 16x Mitsubishi/Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden media is widely available in many countries.

What's inside the box?

The drive we received was a retail package. It included everything needed for an easy installation:

  • Internal Super Multi 5.25" GSA-H22N drive
  • Recording and authoring software disc
  • Quick Set-up Guide
  • Two-device, three-connector, 80-wire EIDE ribbon cable
  • Audio cable
  • Four mounting screws

The North American retail package contains a beige drive.

The OEM, or bulk, version of the drive comes in either beige or black color.

Front panel

The front panel has a distinctive LG look with a slightly protruding, contoured tray, common to all recent LG drives. The silver-colored company logo and various DVD, CD, and Super Multi logos indicating drive functionality are symmetrically arranged on the tray. The rest of the panel houses an eject button, an emergency eject hole, and a brighter than usual, round, green activity LED.


Top View

The top cover of the drive has four indentations that redirect airflow generated by fast disc rotation and also help reduce disc resonance and chassis noise at high speeds.


Drive Sticker

The sticker lists the drive model (GSA-H22N), serial number, firmware revision (1.00), manufacture date (September 2006) and country (China), power ratings, and various regulatory compliance logos and notices.

The 12V rating is a low 1.3 A, quite impressive for an 18x drive with a fast motor.


Bottom View


Left-side view


Right-side view

Left, right, and bottom sides of the drive provide standard mounting holes for case or rail screws and attachment points for the removable front panel.


Rear view

The rear side houses the standard 4-pin DC power connector, a 40-pin EIDE/ATA connector, jumper pins that set the drive to IDE master, slave, or cable-select mode, and a four-pin analog audio connector.


Panasonic MN103SD2GSA chip

The drive's electronics is built around a Panasonic chipset.


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