Problems with DVD-R/RW Burning

[Darryl Reid]

I am experiencing a frustrating problem which I hope someone may be able to help me solve. I purchased a DVD burner some months ago (Pioneer DVR-106D) and happily produced many videos on -R and -RW media. Then the burner seemed to get a intermitant dislike for -RW discs. Thinking it may be a bad batch of discs, I purchased some of the original brand but this had no effect. A short time later the burner began to frequently also dislike -R discs. It would happily burn the Video, either with Nero or Studio 8 but when I tried to replay the drive insisted that there was not a disc in the drive. Often the disc would play in another player but more often than not it would not play at all! My computer has had a new mother board, new RAM and the burner has been changed twice. I now have a brand new LG GSA-4081B and that behaves in exactly the same way. Windows(XP Home) has been re-installed as has other software including Nero and Studio, now upgraded to Studio 9. I have tried the drive as both master and slave. My computer technician insists that it is because of 'new technology' but I am bemused that something that worked quite happily for some time can gradually deteriorate to the point where DVD burning is out of the question. I am able to Burn VCD and SVCD and the drive happily reads normal DVD discs and videos that I burnt before I began having problems. Apologies if this is long winded but I am desperate to solve my problem. Short of purchasing a brand new computer I am at a complete loss. Help!

[just-me]

Have you tried updating your firmware? My DVD writer, when I got it, didn't support burning DVD+R/RW but, now that I updated my firmware it does. Give it a try!

[Darryl Reid]

Yes, I have updated the firmware and interestingly the burner(s) will function ok in another computer.

[just-me]

OK, you said you've changed everything, this may sound absurd but, have you changed the cables?

[Darryl Reid]

Doesn't sound absurd..because yes, I have tried that