VSO Inspector 2.1

VSO Inspector lists and lets you view firmware data and other various information about CD, DVD and Blu-ray readers and writers that are connected to your computer.
Probably, the best aspect of this application is that it's free. The program also provides comprehensive data on connected CD/DVD/Blu-ray writers and their features. VSO Inspector displays information such as supported formats, region details and codes, firmware versions, buffer size, read and write modes, and other data.

I also like that it can scan burned media and show information about it too. It will list data such as the media ID, its developer and model, its number of layers, or the supported speeds with the current writer. It will help you detect read errors and be aware how effective a backup job would actually be.

Another remarkable advantage of using this application is the fact that it offers a sector viewer which lets you scan a media and identify bad sectors. Its neat and simplistic interface and the fact that it is free are also important benefits. This programs gets my recommendation as its only noticeable downside is its very slow media scanning speed.