Error: Sense key=Medium Error. Sense Code=0x73, 0x03.

[Idlewild]

Hi Guys me again!

I had previously written here asking for help regarding burning avi episodes to dvd! I was able to successfully burn my first dvd but after that each attempt gives me the above error! I use toast and then tried using this open source program called BURN , that failed too! On googling I found that sometimes macbooks are not compatible with cheap blank dvds. However my first disc burned fine and after that I burnt a data disc via Toast which was okay too. I get this error when Im writing a video dvd.

Any suggestions? I have already wasted 3 dvds and dont know what the problem is!

[tomlee59]

If your macbook uses matsushita (matshita) drives, then be advised that these are known to be extremely fussy about what media they'll work with well. Many types are rejected outright, or will only burn at a tiny fraction of the rated speed. And many that seem to burn at speed may fail near the end (where margins are the smallest -- that's why a disproportionate share of burns fail there).

Try backing off on the drive speed (to 2x, say, to start), for one thing. And maximize your buffer size in your burning app. Also, don't ask your mac to do anything else while burning. That includes networking functions, so shut off Airport, etc. Not all of these things may be necessary, but it's a good idea (especially when you're trying to debug a problem like this). And if you're using stick-on labels, don't. They can provoke enough of a wobble at higher speeds to give the laser servo fits trying to maintain focus.

If none of that works, try some other media. Apple-branded media is supposed to work, but you pay through the nose for it. I personally have had good luck with TDK 8x and 16x media, but your mileage may vary (especially since vendors frequently change their sources of supply, so you can't always know ahead of time what you're getting). You'd expect the expensive brands to all work well, but that hasn't been my experience at all, so $$ are no guarantee of compatibility with your 'book, sadly.

[Eug]

I've had this problem when:

1) I was using lower end media.
2) My RAM was bad.

[panhype]

Your worst case scenario would be that your drive is dying, no kidding. I got the same error message from Toast (while another program, forgot which one, just shot dead a medium). That happened with my G5 and the built-in Pioneer drive, after 11 months. The service technician confirmed the drive dead and (covered by warranty) i got it replaced.

After another 11 month the same shit again. Drove me nuts and i just bought a Plextor drive on my own expense - no issues since then... Ok, with a MacBook things might be a bit more complicated.

[rumplestiltskin]

MacBook? Use Verbatim -R media. Don't even bother with +R of any brand. The drives Apple uses in the MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iMacs all hate +R media.

[dnix71]

There are Linux threads that suggest the error occurs during power calibration if the burn speed is too fast.

Matsushita drives in powerbooks have such a bad rep, that it makes me think you have a drive that just can't do much unless it has very good blanks and a low burn speed.

I have a G4 eMac with a Pioneer 107D. After I flashed it rpc1 and unlocked the burn/rip speeds, I made a bunch of coasters with that error, until I looked closely at Toast as it was getting ready to burn. I told Toast to burn at 8x, but gave it 4x discs. The new firmware allowed me to start to do something that was unpossible.

After realizing the mistake, I just let Toast pick the speed and haven't had a problem with any brand.

Matshita firmware is garbage anyway. Apple locked it rpc2 AND disabled the ability to mount a disc as a udf. Borrow a firewire burner from someone and try the same troublesome dvd blanks and see if you have the same problem.

[rumplestiltskin]

...snip...Borrow a firewire burner from someone and try the same troublesome dvd blanks and see if you have the same problem.

Excellent suggestion. You can build a FireWire DVD burner for about $75-80 using one of the Pioneer drives and get excellent performance. I built one using a Memorex drive and case for a few dollars less and it has no problems with +R media and burns everything faster than the Apple drive will.

[tomlee59]

Try the Verbatims, by all means. And if they don't work, try something else. I have spent many frustrating hours experimenting with various combinations of Matsushita ("we put the sh*t in Matsushita") drives and media. I posted the results on the website of the guy who ran a petition drive to try to get Apple to improve things. Short summary: those drives are unbelievably, spectacularly, unnecessarily and frustratingly fussy about media. Until Fry's changed vendors, their GQ DVD-R media (supplied then by Sony) turned out to be just what those drives wanted. Amazingly cheap and reliable. Of course, Murphy made sure that that was temporary, and the latest stuff (ISSM-2) is useless in almost every drive I own.

If you value your sanity, you will follow the suggestions to get an external drive (as long as it isn't a Matsushita). As Rumplestiltskin said, many Matsushita drives just plain don't like +R media. Getting an external drive will solve many problems in one go (including RPC restrictions, as well as media compatibility). If you plan to do a lot of burning, I recommend that route.

[Idlewild]

Hello,
and thank you for all our help. After posting here I tried once again (Im a die-hard) and it worked! All I did was reset the PRAM and then the dvd just burnt fine. One thing I noticed on Toast is that when I change the video bar to "Good" my dvds burn but if change it to "Best" , then it always fail! Do you think that its a coincidence or maybe something is up thr?

I chkd my macbook and the info says it has MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-857D:



The dvds Im using are the cheapest in the market (10 for 3$) so I don't even kn what +R or -R means but there is a faint etching on the drive in centre which says -R E B and the thr loads of numbers!

Also my macbook supports -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL. Does that mean it supports DOuble Layer discs and are these playble on old dvd players (like 2 years old)

thnks
tanya

[Case]

One thing I noticed on Toast is that when I change the video bar to "Good" my dvds burn but if change it to "Best" , then it always fail! Do you think that its a coincidence or maybe something is up thr?

The "Best" option may have created so much content (in MB), that the outer edge of the disc had to be used. This outer edge is the least reliable region on the disc, even more so for cheap discs.

The dvds Im using are the cheapest in the market, so I don't even kn what +R or -R means

You could look up what it means (-R, +R). Also check the Finder icon for the disc (that burned okay), as it states "-R" or "+R" on it. Another way to check for -R and +R is using Toast's Recorder menu > Disc Info (works with blanks too).

Also my macbook supports -R, -RW, +R, +RW, +R DL. Does that mean it supports DOuble Layer discs

Yes, the "+R DL" part means just that.

and are these playble on old dvd players (like 2 years old)

Maybe. DVD players are not required to support recordables, but manufacturers have built players that support DVD+R DL since about mid-2004.

[mhar4]

Try burning in Disk Utility instead of Toast, if the burning task allows it. I have had that error specifically with Toast.

[rumplestiltskin]

Instead of burning directly from Toast, use Toast to save to a Disk Image; then you may burn that image using Disk Utility. As mhar4 suggests, this may be more reliable.

[Scallywag]

I've got a Matsushita in my iMac G5. It won't burn anything but Sony and Verbatim discs. +R(W) burn more reliably. I get virtually no coasters if I stick with those two brands. Anything else, especially Maxell and Memorex, will result in 75% coasters.

[Idlewild]

Thnk you for all your replies. I burnt the dvds in slow speed and they were fine on toast. I think as Case pointed out that when encoding in Best it uses the outer edge which is not reliable! Maybe thats the problem. Anyways I 'll try burning another disc in Best and see if its a problem!
Thnk you for all ur awesoem replies!

[basskadet]

Sense Code = 0x73 0x03 means there is a problem with the laser power calibration.

Every disk has section that calibrates the drive's laser to match the media being used. This is done everytime you burn a disk and happens before it writes the lead-in.

Here are a few links to show you what I mean and ive you some more info. I hope they help.

Sense Codes:

http://www.t10.org/lists/asc-num.htm

Power Calibration:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_Power_Calibration

http://www.osta.org/specs/pdf/opc.pdf

Solutions:

http://www.electricattic.net/en/mediumspeederror.htm