wtf is wrong with my dvd burner?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - wtf is wrong with my dvd burner?

Posted: 10/1/2005 6:52:46 PM EDT

I have a lite-on SOHC dvd burner. I'm using memorex 8x dvd+rw discs. 50% of the time, the burner chugs a bunch but then fails to even recognize blank discs. 40% of the time, it will burn all the way through but then fail at the very end, and leave funny swirl marks on the edge of the disc. 5% it will work, but the disc will still be unreadable. Only 5% of the time does it produce a readable disc. What the hell is wrong here? I've gone through 12 coasters so far with only 1 success.

Posted: 10/1/2005 7:07:02 PM EDT

[#1]

1) update the drivers/firmware of your burner
2) try using some better quality media (your dvds might be bad, i've had bad luck with memorex before) such as sony or TDK
3) you may have a defective burner?

Posted: 10/1/2005 7:10:17 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
1) update the drivers/firmware of your burner
2) try using some better quality media (your dvds might be bad, i've had bad luck with memorex before) such as sony or TDK
3) you may have a defective burner?

already did 1)

I doubt 3), I burn lots of cd-r's with no problem, also lite-on is known for being one of the most reliable drives, so I guess it's 2). Kinda pisses me off though, two whole spindles at $20 each down the toilet...

Posted: 10/1/2005 7:11:48 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
1) update the drivers/firmware of your burner
2) try using some better quality media (your dvds might be bad, i've had bad luck with memorex before) such as sony or TDK
3) you may have a defective burner?

It doesnt get much better then Memorex.

Posted: 10/1/2005 7:31:30 PM EDT

[#4]

How old is it? It might be time for a new one because DVD burners are way more susceptable to dust than CD burners. You could try and take it apart to blow any dust of the lens with a can of air.

Posted: 10/1/2005 7:35:55 PM EDT

[#5]

careful with the firmware get it from the manufacturer only, a friend of mine got some bad firmware and his disks had the rings of saturn on them

Posted: 10/1/2005 7:40:09 PM EDT

[#6]

The Lite-On burner I had wouldn't even recognize the disks that came with it from the factory. It had roughly a 75% failure rate. I shit-canned it, and got an NEC, which has yet to fail.

Posted: 10/1/2005 8:57:22 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
1) update the drivers/firmware of your burner
2) try using some better quality media (your dvds might be bad, i've had bad luck with memorex before) such as sony or TDK
3) you may have a defective burner?

It doesnt get much better then Memorex.

True 5 years ago NOT any more.

Some of the most unreliable DVD media I have ever had was Memorex. Memorex is notorious for changing the supplier of their DVD media without changing the part number so one batch might be great the next shit.

Last 2 batches of Memorex I got were about 50% crap… I will buy no more Memorex.

I would bet he has a bad batch.

ETA: I have been using Ritek/Ridata media and not one failure in a 2 Lite-On, 1 Sony, and 1 Plextor DVD burners in 200 DVDs. A mix of DVD-R, DVD+R and DVD+RW.

Posted: 10/1/2005 9:02:40 PM EDT

[#8]

I just recived a package of 100 generic disks. for the 400 or so disks made by them i have had no problems.

Then this order gets here.These disks are so out of balance its not even funny.

Waiting on a RA #.

Posted: 10/1/2005 9:03:13 PM EDT

[#9]

Might have dirt dust or lint inside.

Posted: 10/1/2005 10:04:08 PM EDT

[#10]

This could be a serious problem that should allow me to fucking sue the companies for fraud!
The DVD hardware people blame the disc makers and vice versa for continous failure and then there is the "fabulous" Software that comes with the burner.
I have to ask, What Software are you using? Is it Nero Express?
At what speed are you burning the Discs at?
Try lowering the speed to see if it works. These companies will fucking lie about how fast they can burn the discs so lowering the speed might be important.
Also buy a small sample package of everybrand of DVD and note which ones work and which wont, then stick with the working ones. also try a different .VOB file movie when making the DVD, maybe the one you have is defective. Also try making a "data" DVD before a video DVD, see if the computer can read data files stored on the disc.

Posted: 10/1/2005 10:10:44 PM EDT

[#11]

I just use dvd's for backups, not burning movies. The drive is brand new and has the newest factory firmware. I'm sure it must be the media, I'll get a different brand tomorrow and try again.

Posted: 10/2/2005 6:21:53 AM EDT

[#12]

I was getting ready to ask if the DVD burner was old or new.

They do wear out, or rather, I think the laser gets weak.

New, huh? Sorry, no suggestions.

Posted: 10/2/2005 6:47:56 AM EDT

[#13]

Have you tried a lens cleaner disc? I burn TONS of DVD's with surveillance footage and have to clean my lenses about once every two weeks. Also, a can of compressed air is handy and then use the lens cleaner.

Secondly, the burner may be bad. The laser diodes do loose power after a while, or get knocked out of alignment. Used to could have them re-aligned but it is cost prohibitive now. I just upgraded to a SONY dual-layer DVD-RW for $100 and I love it.

Posted: 10/2/2005 6:54:10 AM EDT

[#14]

I'm currently using a Buslink DVD burner and using the Lite-On DVD-RW unit, and the Buslink company Tech guy specifically mentions DO NOT use Memorex media in their drives. Stick with TDK, Maxelle, etc.

Posted: 10/2/2005 6:59:27 AM EDT

[#15]

I use ritek media from meritline - I have only had two bad media in the thousands I have burned. I use the 8x +R media, even though I have a 16x burner.

Posted: 10/2/2005 7:08:27 AM EDT

[#16]

+1 on the Ritek/Ridata discs.

I also just picked up some Verbatim 8x DVD-R discs at Sam's. So far, so good and they're burning at 12x instead of 8x.

Posted: 10/2/2005 7:18:20 AM EDT

[#17]

Had a LITE-ON Drive for a bit, after two days, it would only read CD's it wrote, and the max writing speed on CD's was 2x.

Returned it and this one is working better...

Posted: 10/2/2005 7:20:02 AM EDT

[#18]

To be specific, I use this media, these cases, and these inserts.

I also use this media and this media from time to time.

I use this printer for all of the DVD printing - screw stick-on labels!

Posted: 10/2/2005 10:18:33 AM EDT

[#19]

see if you can return the dvd's from where you bought them. tell them they're defective and that you want to exchange them. if not im sure memorex has a satisfaction guarantee. might want to give them a call.

Posted: 10/2/2005 10:33:29 AM EDT

[#20]

My Sony DRU-510A works great with just about any media but Sony media.

With Sony media, it gets about 50%-75% completed and reports a write error. Thanks for a new drink coaster.

With TDK and other media, it burns the full 4 gigs, no problem.

Posted: 10/2/2005 11:43:17 AM EDT

[#21]

Well I just got a spindle of TDK 16x dvd-r's and they are working perfectly. So note to everyone: never ever buy anything by memorex.

Posted: 10/2/2005 12:30:42 PM EDT

[#22]

Ehhhh--
.....First, different drives like different brands of media, you just have to try different brands of blank disks until you get one that works well. One of the better brands is the gold Mitsui disks.
....Secondly, you need to clean your DVD drive out now and then. Unless your PC's fan setup is just right, dust tends to blow through and collect on the laser head. Get a brush-disk and can of air, run the brush disk and then blow a bit of air into the slot. DON'T stick the air-tube thing way in, just put it inside the slot cover, angle it down about 5 degrees, and blow just a bit.
www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
~

Posted: 10/3/2005 12:44:14 AM EDT

[#23]

Here is a blank media quality guide

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - wtf is wrong with my dvd burner?

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