Here's what the folks at storagereview.com had to say about the Lite-on:
On the whole, the LTD163 paints one of the most complete DVD-ROM pictures we've yet seen.
In summary, its strengths include:
DVD playback software included with retail package
Audio track advance button in addition to eject button
Low pricing
CD and CD-R transfer rates outperform all competitors
Excellent performance in file and disc copy tests
Quickest DAE ever measured from a single-beam reader
Fastest DVD transfer rates
Drive is extremely quiet when playing DVD-Videos
Overall, we are very impressed with Lite-On's latest DVD-ROM drive. It shatters DVD-ROM barriers in transfer rates and DAE speed while providing quiet operation during movie playback. On the other hand, the drive could use some work with DAE quality with more banged up discs, and perhaps in a related matter, improve its playback error correction with audio CDs. Perhaps these minor infractions may be eliminated with firmware tweaks.
In the end, the drive easily impresses us enough to supplant the Pioneer DVD-116 for a coveted Leaderboard spot.