compatible -r discs with sony dru 500a

[save chip]

first post guys so be gentle
i am here in sunny england (i use that term very loosely )
i recently bought a sony dw10a & upgraded firmware to change to sony dru500a (f/w 1.0g). ithen went to f/w 2.0f & had these results:-

i purchased 40 -r discs 20 datawrite 4x(red discs) & 20 bulkpaq 4x (orange discs) total success with every red bar 3, but only 1 in 3 with orange
so i basically went back to f/w 1.0g & hey presto every red disc worked but alas even worse results with orange everyone fails after lead in on orange discs.
just wanted to know if there were other discs that were tried & tested by any peeps with this drive in the uk.
the reason i ask is because i am gonna have to restock shortly & wanted a back up list if u will of tried & tested discs for this drive just in case i cant for whatever reason lay my hands on the red discs again.

maybe its my setup thats at fault i dont know, the way i have them set up is this:-
my combi drive (cd writer/dvd rom) is master & my sony is set as slave
any help with this will be greatly appreciated
thanks in advance,
chip

[mkelley]

Well, I'm in (no kidding) sunny Nevada, USA, so I don't know how much help this will be, but my Sony drive likes all quality media: Verbatim (one of my faves), TDK, Fuji, Samsung Beall. Haven't burned a coaster yet (approaching 300 burns).

One thing I'd make sure of is to use Record Now (it came with your drive) instead of any other burning software. It is *very* reliable, and other approaches are not necessarily (for example: letting your authoring software do the burn).

Good luck, mate (oops, wrong continent).

[save chip]

thanks mkelly for response, i will certainly look out for the verbatim discs,a number of my work colleagues have mentioned them so i will keep an eye out for them this weekend.
a number of people i have spoken to have also mentioned i should switch my sony to master & combo drive to slave.......got to admit not sure wot difference it will make but i will try anyway
cos u never know........................

thanks again
chip

[lingy]

ive got the same writers one with 500a 20f firmware the other standard the datawrite reds are ok ish the bulkpaq are ok for data only in my opinion but try these clonediscs here http://www.dvd-and-media.com/dvdr%20media.htm they are proper never let me down ive used 200 and the only coasters were my fault hope this helps you mate
regards fellow brit
lingy

[save chip]

cheers lingy

have ordered 10 4x & 10 of 2x, did that last night should get them fri morning by the looks of things, so will let you know mate thanks for taking the time to reply & thanks once again for the reccomendation.
if all goes well i will let you know & will be ordering more...........


thanks again mate from a fellow brit.

chip :P

[ewingr]

MKELLY

You say you like Verbatim. Have you checked to see what Media Code they are? (media code identifies who really manufactured them. Most of the time, you'll find they are OEM from someone).

I have another post (https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=165638) about media. Been having problems myself. I use Record Now, and the test mode is showing failure on Verbatim, and others. You can read the post for further info.

But, the bottom line for me right now is I don't have a clue what to buy. One trend I am starting to see is that BULK PAKS appear to be problematic. I'm beginning to think that the Manufacturing process for bulk paks has some shortcuts or something, and the quality is VERY POOR. For example, eveyone trashes Memorex greatly, but when I purchased them in 10PAKs, they worked great. I have a 50 PAK sitting on my desk that are so bad I'd even be afraid to use them as coasters.

I just purchased a 25PAK of Verbatim last night, they all test bad. HAven't tried to burn one yet.

I am using Record Now DX, the version that I upgraded to from the Sony site. You using the same version, and do you use the test mode?

[save chip]

well my clonedisc order still havent turned up

but i bought white & yellow datawrite 4x today................
set everything to dma mode(was only sony that was set to pio mode)
& used recordnow max 4.50
& guess what .............
4 good burns out of 4 yahoooooooooooooooooooooo

so i will stick to this method i think
rest in peace/rot in hell nero :P
gonna stick to f/w 1.0g
now i'm a happy bunny

chip

[lingy]

yeah ive been waiting for a couple days this order, not happy but when you get them you will be happy im getting on the phone to chace my order up, them datawrite are they the lite yellow ones and where you get them and how much if you can give us a link mate cheers
lingy

[save chip]

good to hear from you again lingy,
yes they are the lite yellows i got mine from a shop not too far from me which is run by two brothers who know their s**t dude!!!!!
was well impressed with advise they gave me
they do have a site
where abouts you from mate anyway??????
which part of country?????
as soon as i find link to their site i will post asap 8)

chip

[rawplug]

cheers lingy

have ordered 10 4x & 10 of 2x,

Hey Save Chip, really interested to hear your opinion on the "CloneDisc DVD-R - 4x White surface - Made by RITEK" be sure to post your results )

Cheers
Rawplug

[rhegedus]

Hey there!

First of all, I'd put the Sony as master and your combi as slave - not sure if it matters but it won't hurt.

I've got a DRU500A, but the specs for your drive are identical so I should imaging that the differences are cosmetic.

The following media have worked for me:

-R

Verbatim x2, x4
Packard Bell x1

+R

Verbatim x2.4, x4

+RW

Imation x2.4
Sony (the one you get with the drive) x2.4
Philips x2.4

Even though I've had a recent bad run of Verbatim -R 2x, I still believe that you get what you pay for.

This site www.blankdiscshop.co.uk/acatalog/catalogbody.html lists the media code for each product so you can just check it against your burner in the media section.

In reality, in over 6 months of usage, I've not found a brand I've not been able to burn (but then I've not tried any generic media).

[save chip]

i certainly will rawplug as soon as they turn up (looking like i have to wait till monday now, fingers crossed)

rightlingy have got a couple of links for you mate

first one is shop i use a lot
like i said they are local to me, looks pokey but its well set out & advice from these two guys has always been spot on in my opinion.have been going here for about 6 months now
http://www.jcmediasupplies.co.uk/

also found this site too with datawrites

http://www.ukdvdr.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_DVD_R.html

i know wherever you go prices vary but common sense prevails nowadays
you get what you pay for.......i am of the opinion that sometimes you need to spend that little bit more for reliability

dont forget lingy though its the 4x yellow not the 1x
& the whites are top notch they got the dark purple dye on bottom (ritek dye) & they list these as branded

hope this helps lingy mate

chip

[TBoneit]

I agree,use quality media and get quality results.
I don't overclock my Computers and I don't have a desire to try and get 2X burns on 1X media either. I prefer reliable no worry burns.

Here in the USA, I use
Verbatim 2.4X and then 4X +R & 2X -r
Fuji 2.4X +R
Sony 2.4X +RW
TDK 4X +R
Princo 1X
Maxel 2X -R & 2.4+R
Memorex 2.4X +R

Currently Firmware 2.0f

I'm working my way through a 100pc spindle of TDK right now bought locally for $189.00.

I probably used 175 verbatims and 1/2 way through the TDks and nary a problem, I fill them right to the max and they play fine.

I ster clear of generic and only use the princo brand for short term projects where I don;t care about longevity of the media.

Hope this helps

Cheers
Roger

[lingy]

hey chip i live in coventry im going to try these datawrite yellow the whites sound good to do they look the same just diferent colour and rawplug ive had loads of them clonedisks aint had a problem yet but lets see how save chip gets on with them more testers the better
cheers again chip
regards lingy

[psx_pirate]

the datawrite red 4x disks are princo dye same as the bulkpaq orange 4x so therefore they both fit in the crap disks department throw them in the bin and buy better disks i have a sony dru550a and have had 100% success with datawrite grey (tdk dye) 2x speed and have just tried several mirror 4x disks (an03 dye) both have worked perfectly and play in every standalone i have tried including the mustek v520 which wont play mant dvd-r's without freezing .... and the good news is both disks are priced cheaply i payed 90 pence for the datawrite grey 2x and only 85 pence for the mirror 4x (i live in the uk)

[lingy]

psx-pirate leave us a link thats cheap yea i agree the reds are crap with sony unreliable crap


lingy

[save chip]

only problem being they are going to do away with the grey 2x in the not too distant future. whites are here to stay for a while though so thats me happy for now anyway.
short one cos it was my mums 50th b'day bash last night so need a bit of time to recover lmao 8)

[save chip]

just a quick one, lingy you had any joy chasing your order cos i am getting nowhere fast with these guys gonna try again now but i am not holding my breath

chip

[lingy]

chip the disks arrive tomorrow the blokes promised me,if they dont come tomorrow im cancelling never to order again but they are good disks maybe hes had big orders ps can you help me with the firmware change dw-u10a to dru 500a ive lost all my notes at xmas well pissed have a new drive for spare, old one done 300 plus burns just couldnt resist another theyre so cheap now mate
regards



lingy

[shop4tech]

if you are having problem burnning generic media at 4x, log on to sony.com and download this firmware 2.0f, then you should be able to burn most of them, however, most of generic media out there are having problem to be burn them at 4x as described, so make sure which one you are buying. Princo, lead data are sure thing that don't work.

[save chip]

right guys finally the clonediscs have arrived so i am about to do a couple of films now so will post results in the next couple of hours.......

hey lingy did you get your discs when promised????????

later
chip

[spiderman2k1]

The sony drive its junk i hate to say I had two dru500ax some media it just does not like. Pioneer is much better

[lingy]

chip yes mate and there real good as promised you will re order i am they do come from ireland i found this out yesterday good luck with yours


regards ling 8)

[SaSi]

Hi guys,

sorry to say that, but, well... nice to know I'm not alone in misery

I've been having all the problems you mentioned with specific brands and f/w versions. There are some disks that f/w 1.0d will happily burn, even with Nero. Switch to 2.0f and they fail to finalize.

The only brand of disks that I have succesfully used with every version of f/w and had no problems whatsoever is TDK. I've used 2x -Rs, 2.4x +Rs and recently, I've been buying 4x -R and +Rs. Of course to burn at 4x I need f/w 2.0e or f, which ruled out some of the older -R disks.

However, the media is not the only problem. The Sony f/w is a bitch, sorry about my words but this is a gross understatement.

Also, Nero used to give me problems. Versions 5.5.10.0 ~ 5.5.10.14 or something, just forget them.

On the other hand, I've downloaded 5.5.10.42 the other day and with f/w 2.0f I've succesfully recorded even the failing old 2x -R disks a friend has been giving me for free.

But if I buy, I only buy TDK. Since DVDR prices in Greece are crazy (3.50 ~ 4.3 euro which turns into $4-4.5) and every brand appears to cost more or less the same, I thought that I should at least get quality out of the price.

[save chip]

well lingy got to admit these clonediscs are good!!!!!
i burnt three discs on the trot .........all successful
first one started burning at 4x then dropped to 2x within a minute
& the other two burnt at 4x
all 3 movies play a treat
not sure if i will order from them again cos of the hassle from them didn't even tell me they stopped 2x discs but we will see gonna go get a load of datawrites tomorrow(yellow & white 4x ) as they seem to be ok with writer

chip

[mkelley]

MKELLY

You say you like Verbatim. Have you checked to see what Media Code they are? (media code identifies who really manufactured them. Most of the time, you'll find they are OEM from someone).

I have another post (https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=165638) about media. Been having problems myself. I use Record Now, and the test mode is showing failure on Verbatim, and others. You can read the post for further info.

But, the bottom line for me right now is I don't have a clue what to buy. One trend I am starting to see is that BULK PAKS appear to be problematic.
I am using Record Now DX, the version that I upgraded to from the Sony site. You using the same version, and do you use the test mode?

Hmmm, somehow I missed getting notified on these posts -- I guess even BBS computers can be erratic.

Yep, I use lots of Verbatim, and they all burn just fine. I well understand the codes, but I've never checked them because my Verbatims all have the very deep blue (almost deep purple) back coating, which seems to be the genuine Verbatim, as opposed to the light greenish backing of the imitations. Plus I bought them from reliable sources -- mostly from Office Depot.

In any case, they've all burned just fine. In fact, I almost hate to admit I've burned over 300 disks without a coaster -- but I've also thrown every kind of media I can at my Sony. I had tried a +R TDK that I *thought* was a coaster early on, but it was just that my Panasonic player couldn't read it. I had bought new Sony multi-disk players and they read just fine.

I can't go along with your theory on bulk packs, as I also buy bulk packs of 100 disks from TDK and Samsung (BeAlls) and they work just fine. I truly think one of the bottom lines is making sure you buy from reputable places -- I will never buy from online dealers, particularly since the price locally has dropped so much (without even trying I've been able to find quality media at $1.50 and below -- so much that I now have a supply of over 400 disks which should last me through the end of the year).

I use Record Now but I don't verify -- I just pop the disk into my player and play it. Most times we play the disks all the way through, although we don't play all of them (probably 2 out of 3 I burn we watch all the way through that day or next day).

So my only advice would be to buy from a store you trust, and if you have problems take them back (my local Target, Best Buy and Office Depot will all honor this, although so far I haven't had to return any media yet).

[ewingr]

Well, since my posts, I have upgraded to firmware 2.0F. and many of my burning problems have cleared up. With 1.0f, even TDK gave errors on the tests.

Now, since the 'errors' from testing have cleared up, I have burned a little bit. The TDK burned fine; haven't tried the Verbatim yet; the Memorex still fails, although further into the disk. The memorex are in a bulk pak. The TDK is sa 20 bulk pak.

With regard to pruchasing on-line: I never have done that. I purchased the Memorex from Best Buy...they wouldn't take them back. I told them why am I paying more than on-line if they don't give me the service? So, at a minimum I will never buy at Best Buy again.

Many people say Memorex is junk. I have had good success with Memorex, until I bought the bulk pak (50).

This whole DVD thing and all the varying problems everyone has, I really don't understand. I know there are several standards, but for any given standard, if a device supports it, it seems like it should work. And, it seems like -R (or +R or whatever standard you use) should work from every vendor (assuming you do use a name brand, and not some cheap stuff)...but that isn't the case. It seems like you can pretty much rent a DVD and play it in any DVD player, for the most part, but burn one yourself...and it's a crap shoot if it will play in your friends DVD player...even those that "support" a given -R, +R, or whatever.

[mkelley]

Roger,

Good to hear the 2f update solved your problems.

I totally understand and agree with you about the whole issue of it being a crapshoot when it comes to media AND playing in standalones. These are really two separate issues, although they often overlap.

Obviously there are tons of problems in quality control when it comes to media -- but I think this will shake out in the coming months (months, not years) as the DVD burning business has really taken off. Best Buy may not have honored your opened media return, but they *will* honor media that hasn't been opened, and usually people buy a few cases/spindles/whatever at a time. As more and more people start returning media that doesn't work for them the pressure will filter back to the makers. I'm pretty confident we'll be able to rely upon name brand media by the end of the year, in nearly every case (and those that we can't will suffer the consequences).

Players are more problematic, since while newer players seem to have overcome the compatibility problems there are still a ton of older models out there that will have years of life left in them. So we'll be running into the "Mom can't play that DVD you made of your vacation trip" scenerio for a long time to come. I don't know what can be done with this, except to hope and pray that blue laser technology has enough backwards compatibility with DVDR so that we don't have to redo everything we've done when that times comes.