Is Sony's DW-U14A the same as the DRU510a?

[Pack'nHeat]

My DRU500a may have bit the dust.
When I look on PriceWatch, vendors say that the DW-U14A is the OEM version of the DRU510a, but Newegg shows them with different face plates. I think the specs may be different also.

Can someone please set me straight?

After I get the above figured out, give me your choice between the Sony and the new Pioneer (06)?

Thanks for the help.

Pac

[valeyard]

When I look on PriceWatch, vendors say that the DW-U14A is the OEM version of the DRU510a, but Newegg shows them with different face plates. I think the specs may be different also.

Can someone please set me straight?

They are the same hardware, only the firmware is different.

You can easily convert it into a DRU510A by flashing it with some altered firmware then you can flash to the current version.

http://www.ued.janis.or.jp/~jabawock/down.html

[autotran]

Is there any reason or advantage to flash it to DRU510A since it seems to have all of the DRU510A features already? I have already downloaded the firmware upgrade from the site you mentioned but since I can't read Chinese I don't know if there site explains why you should upgrade.

[handyguy]

http://sony.storagesupport.com/dvdrw/dru510adwn.htm

[valeyard]

Is there any reason or advantage to flash it to DRU510A since it seems to have all of the DRU510A features already? I have already downloaded the firmware upgrade from the site you mentioned but since I can't read Chinese I don't know if there site explains why you should upgrade.

This means, of course, you get all the technical benefits of the retail model at the lower price of the OEM model.

Also, since the OEM model is not directly supported by Sony you will not be able to get newer firmware as Sony makes improvements.

I did the conversion myself a few days ago and had no trouble flashing to the latest firmware. The drive has been performing well overall.

http://sony.storagesupport.com/legalagreement.zulu?dlid=dvdrw/downloads/Firmware10d/510A_10d.zip

[autotran]

I flashed my DW-U14A to DRU-510A (1.0c) and then flashed it to 1.0d with no problems using WIN 98SE. It is now working OK and properly identified in both 98SE and XP.
I dual boot my computer with WIN XP Home (using Partition Magic), and it wouldn't flash while in WIN XP where I first tried to flash it. The Sony site says to possibly disable DMA (in XP) while updating the firmware and gives instructions for doing this.

You must disable DMA before updating the firmware.

To disable DMA Go to:
Right Click My Computer
Choose Properties
Choose Hardware
Choose Device Manager
Click the + in front of IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers
Double Click the secondary IDE Controller
Choose the Advanced Settings Tab
Change the DMA mode for both Device O and Device 1 to PIO Only
Click Apply, and OK
You will need to restart the computer for the settings to take effect

I couldn'd do this as I no longer have a "Advanced Settings Tab" for the secondary IDE Controller and I couldn't find any other place to disable DMA. I installed Intel's Application Accelerator program a couple of months ago and maybe that is why it is missing.
Also, where in WIN XP can you find the firmware info for this drive? I have no problem at all finding it in WIN 98SE but it is not in the same place in XP. I can find it OK when I run NERO so I know it is 1.0d, I would just like to know how and where to find it in XP. Dave

[valeyard]

I couldn'd do this as I no longer have a "Advanced Settings Tab" for the secondary IDE Controller and I couldn't find any other place to disable DMA. I installed Intel's Application Accelerator program a couple of months ago and maybe that is why it is missing.
Also, where in WIN XP can you find the firmware info for this drive? I have no problem at all finding it in WIN 98SE but it is not in the same place in XP. I can find it OK when I run NERO so I know it is 1.0d, I would just like to know how and where to find it in XP.

You are supposed to disable UDMA as you said and I, too, have been running the IAA but did not uninstall it before flashing-- both flashes completed successfully in any case.

I found this little utility on Samsung:

http://www.samsungodd.com/uploadfiles/FW/WININQUIRY.exe

Nero's infotool will also tell you.

[autotran]

I found this little utility on Samsung:

http://www.samsungodd.com/uploadfiles/FW/WININQUIRY.exe

I get an access violation when I execute WININQUIRY.exe then the program starts with no drive(s) showing.

[valeyard]

I get an access violation when I execute WININQUIRY.exe then the program starts with no drive(s) showing.

Are you an administrator of your machine?

Everything showing up in the device manager?

[autotran]

Are you an administrator of your machine?

Yes

Everything showing up in the device manager?

Yes

I have two IDE hard drives, three SCSI hard drives, one IDE CD, one IDE DVD, one SCSI DVD, one SCSI CD-RW and one DVD+-R/RW (Sony DRU-510A). They all work OK and they all show up.

[valeyard]

I have two IDE hard drives, three SCSI hard drives, one IDE CD, one IDE DVD, one SCSI DVD, one SCSI CD-RW and one DVD+-R/RW (Sony DRU-510A). They all work OK and they all show up.

I cannot think of any reason for it not to work. Perhaps there is a problem with your ASPI layer.

[autotran]

I logged off of WIN XP and started WIN98SE, I then executed WININQUIRY.exe and it worked like a charm. All five CD/DVD drives showed up with the firmware info, quick & easy.
I would still like to know if you can find the firmware info just using WIN XP.

I cannot think of any reason for it not to work. Perhaps there is a problem with your ASPI layer

I don't know for sure, probably not, I just updated it recently and I have no other problems to speak of. Thanks, Dave