Transcend Speedy Secure Digital Memory

When choosing digital memory nowadays we are spoilt for choice, so to make your decision easier I took a look at two offerings from Transcend. I chose to look at this particular brand on four counts, performance, reliability, price and the warranty.

Both the items tested here are Secure Digital memory cards. An 80x speed 1GB card and a faster 150x 2GB card. I don't believe in quoting transfer rates and getting all technical, because in real world situations they really mean nothing. If you want the transfer rate specifications then they are available on the Transcend website. I tested both cards in a Nokia 800 internet tablet, and a JVC Everio hard drive camcorder. In the Nokia 800 the 80x speed card performed very well. It seems that the Nokia 800 sometimes suffers from slight jumps in video playback, which I really put down to the bitrate of the file you are playing back. In comparison the 150x speed card did improve things, and it was noticeable. I put this down to the read rate being better on the faster of the two cards…

Testing the cards in the JVC Everio was a different matter. I used them for the still capture feature of the Everio. Both cards really performed almost identically, with differences in write speed being less apparent, really down to a split second.

Transcend have a good track record for the reliability of their cards. In my short term test I experienced no write or read errors at all, I am hoping that I can hang onto these cards a little longer and report back on how things are going three months down the line. Pricing is also very competitive, if you jump down to the end of this review you will see just how keenly priced they are. The lifetime warranty is also difficult to better, rest assured that if you treat your memory card well and it develops a fault, Transcend will swap it out.

Now there is a difference in pricing between the 80x and 150x speed, so where should your money go. Well, my advice would be that if you are buying for a consumer level digital camera, the 80x speed is sufficient and will save you a little money. If performance is paramount, for a pro camera or video playback, then it is definitely worth spending that little extra on the 150x speed version.

Product: Transcend 150x 2GB Secure Digital Card
Price: £21.15 (average)
Supplied by: Transcend UK
Contact: sales@transcend-uk.com

Product: Transcend 80x 1GB Secure Digital Card
Price: £12.93 (average)
Supplied by: Transcend UK
Contact: sales@transcend-uk.com