Sony DRU700A writting troubles ...

[lcoulon]

Hello,

I just got a Sony DRU700A ( firmware VY02) and i get many troubles when burning DVDs :

Verbatim x4 DVD+R are not properly written, Fuji DVD+RW either !
I made the test with burn speed = x2.4 and x4 and results are the same :
DVD's are not fully compatible with home DVD players and pictures freezes at any time.

Has anybody idea to fix these problems ?

I know that Sony DRU700A is the same as Lite On 832S
Can i use Lite on firmware update on the Sony DRU700 A ?

Thanks for your experience and your help,

[Calico]

I have the same drive and have used the 4X Verbatim discs without a problem. It could just be some bad discs...

[kmfritz]

Hello,

I just got a Sony DRU700A ( firmware VY02) and i get many troubles when burning DVDs :

Verbatim x4 DVD+R are not properly written, Fuji DVD+RW either !
I made the test with burn speed = x2.4 and x4 and results are the same :
DVD's are not fully compatible with home DVD players and pictures freezes at any time.

Has anybody idea to fix these problems ?

I know that Sony DRU700A is the same as Lite On 832S
Can i use Lite on firmware update on the Sony DRU700 A ?

Thanks for your experience and your help,

I too purchased this drive and had the same problems with Memorex 4X DVDs that are actually media code RICOHJPN01. These are supposed to be good discs that can be actually burned at 8X! I burned the same DVD+Rs at 2.4X and those played fine. I was able to burn some Memorex 4x that are actually made by CMC Magnetics at 4X without playing problems! So, for this drive CMC is good, Ricoh is BAD!

My Optorite DD0203 had NO problems with ANY brand of media I used....I'm disappointed!

Since you could not burn at 2.4X either, I'm guessing this is a laser power problem, and my drive is just a bit better than yours.

[Chunky Chicken]

I'm sure the bugs have yet to be worked out on this first version. I'm leaning towards the NEC brand myself, as I have had great experience with my multi format 4x DVD burner. Never been a big fan of SONY(MHO)


Chunky

[code65536]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

[kmfritz]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

Hello code65536,

I did in fact flash the LiteOn VS04 firmware after patching it using your Omnipatcher tool and enabling autobitsetting and the faster reading speeds (those are the ONLY changes I made). Still the RICOHJPNR01 (Memorex 4X) DVD+Rs don't burn reliably at 4X. Actually reliably isn't the correct word - NO 4X burn on RICOHJPNR01 4X media has worked for me! All 4X burns either refuse to play on all of my 5 DVD players, or they play and start pixelating/stuttering beginning partway through the disc. This is on two different Pioneer DVD players, a Cyberhome, a Sampo, and a Panasonic. Strangely enough, they play OK in my LiteOn LVW-5001 DVD+RW recorder!

2.4X burns onto the same 4X RICOHJPNR01 produce stable video every time. Meanwhile 4X burns onto 4X CMC MAG.F01 (also Memorex 4X) media produce stable video every time! At first I figured that my burner is flawed, but a friend that also just bought a Sony DRU-700a is having the exact same problem with the RICOHJPNR01 media.

So while I was hoping that the LiteOn VS04 media would solve the problem, it has NOT. I was considering using Omnipatcher to actually remove the 4X check from the RICOHJPNR01 media so I cannot accidentally waste another blank! Seems like a shame since I stockpiled this media and my Optorite drive has NO problem with it....LiteOn missed the boat with this media.

[lenti_75]

already ?? it;s been like a full month without a bad sony burner....
why people keep buying that crap ?

wake up......

[kmfritz]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

By the way is that http://www.ritekusa.com/abpress_news.asp?news=7 link what you were trying to link to? It seems to point to a Ritek press release about NOT reselling their discs. Is this the link you intended to point to?

[code65536]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

By the way is that http://www.ritekusa.com/abpress_news.asp?news=7 link what you were trying to link to? It seems to point to a Ritek press release about NOT reselling their discs. Is this the link you intended to point to?

ROTFL. Oops. I copied & pasted the wrong link. My original post was updated with the proper link...

The corrected link: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=226304

Thanks for catching that.

[code65536]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

Hello code65536,

I did in fact flash the LiteOn VS04 firmware after patching it using your Omnipatcher tool and enabling autobitsetting and the faster reading speeds (those are the ONLY changes I made). Still the RICOHJPNR01 (Memorex 4X) DVD+Rs don't burn reliably at 4X. Actually reliably isn't the correct word - NO 4X burn on RICOHJPNR01 4X media has worked for me! All 4X burns either refuse to play on all of my 5 DVD players, or they play and start pixelating/stuttering beginning partway through the disc. This is on two different Pioneer DVD players, a Cyberhome, a Sampo, and a Panasonic. Strangely enough, they play OK in my LiteOn LVW-5001 DVD+RW recorder!

2.4X burns onto the same 4X RICOHJPNR01 produce stable video every time. Meanwhile 4X burns onto 4X CMC MAG.F01 (also Memorex 4X) media produce stable video every time! At first I figured that my burner is flawed, but a friend that also just bought a Sony DRU-700a is having the exact same problem with the RICOHJPNR01 media.

So while I was hoping that the LiteOn VS04 media would solve the problem, it has NOT. I was considering using Omnipatcher to actually remove the 4X check from the RICOHJPNR01 media so I cannot accidentally waste another blank! Seems like a shame since I stockpiled this media and my Optorite drive has NO problem with it....LiteOn missed the boat with this media.

I disagree. You either got a bad batch of Ricoh R01 media, or you got a defective drive. Ricoh R01 is actually one of the best-burning media types. If you take a look at the LiteOn forum at CD Freaks, you'll see that just about every LiteOn user ends up using it because it's one of the best-working types with all the LiteOns.

So, as I said, either you got a bad batch of discs, or you got a defective drive. If it's the latter, send it in for a replacement.

[kmfritz]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

By the way is that http://www.ritekusa.com/abpress_news.asp?news=7 link what you were trying to link to? It seems to point to a Ritek press release about NOT reselling their discs. Is this the link you intended to point to?

ROTFL. Oops. I copied & pasted the wrong link. My original post was updated with the proper link...

The corrected link: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=226304

Thanks for catching that.

Ah, yes. I did see that thread. I aleady downloaded the modified VY05 to allow bitsetting. Because of my problems even with the LiteOn VS04 firmware, I did download the VY05 firmware and burn it last night, and found out that the bitsetting was gone!

I think it's strange that the bitsetting is not part of the DVD+R spec. I thought the http://www.dvdplusrw.org/ site is the official of the DVD+RW group. Is that not true? This is the site where I originally learned about bitsetting, and there was a recommendation to urge the manufacturer of your burner to enable support of bitsetting! They recommended it as a way to improve compatability. This is also where the news of DVD+R9 seemed to first break. Going back to look at the site now, I cannot quickly locate the articles about bitsetting, so perhaps they were removed? Also, it seems like maybe the site is sponsored by philips because the promotional material is all Philips...

My guess about the lack of the bitsetting is that Sony likes the incompatability as a way to protect their interest in the movie market! Hmmm.

[kmfritz]

The original VY02 firmware for the 700A is buggy. Don't use it.

Either flash to the newer VY05 (though you may want to read this regarding bitsetting and VY05) or to a real LiteOn firmware (like VS04).

Hello code65536,

I did in fact flash the LiteOn VS04 firmware after patching it using your Omnipatcher tool and enabling autobitsetting and the faster reading speeds (those are the ONLY changes I made). Still the RICOHJPNR01 (Memorex 4X) DVD+Rs don't burn reliably at 4X. Actually reliably isn't the correct word - NO 4X burn on RICOHJPNR01 4X media has worked for me! All 4X burns either refuse to play on all of my 5 DVD players, or they play and start pixelating/stuttering beginning partway through the disc. This is on two different Pioneer DVD players, a Cyberhome, a Sampo, and a Panasonic. Strangely enough, they play OK in my LiteOn LVW-5001 DVD+RW recorder!

2.4X burns onto the same 4X RICOHJPNR01 produce stable video every time. Meanwhile 4X burns onto 4X CMC MAG.F01 (also Memorex 4X) media produce stable video every time! At first I figured that my burner is flawed, but a friend that also just bought a Sony DRU-700a is having the exact same problem with the RICOHJPNR01 media.

So while I was hoping that the LiteOn VS04 media would solve the problem, it has NOT. I was considering using Omnipatcher to actually remove the 4X check from the RICOHJPNR01 media so I cannot accidentally waste another blank! Seems like a shame since I stockpiled this media and my Optorite drive has NO problem with it....LiteOn missed the boat with this media.

I disagree. You either got a bad batch of Ricoh R01 media, or you got a defective drive. Ricoh R01 is actually one of the best-burning media types. If you take a look at the LiteOn forum at CD Freaks, you'll see that just about every LiteOn user ends up using it because it's one of the best-working types with all the LiteOns.

So, as I said, either you got a bad batch of discs, or you got a defective drive. If it's the latter, send it in for a replacement.

Well, I now have definitive PROOF that the media is NOT at fault. If you recall, I mentioned that this media (from the SAME open spindle!) burns fine at 4X every time on my Optorite. The same media (again, same exact spindle) also burns fine on my friend's Memorex drive at 4X. Now, using deductive reasoning, the media is eliminated as a variable...what's left? Well two things - the physical components of the drive and/or the firmware in the drive. You did suggest the drive was possibly defective, and I did plan on exchanging it, BUT...

Last night I burned your modified VY05 Sony firmware, and GUESS what? My Sony DRU-700A NOW BURNS RELIABLY AT 4X EVERY TIME! Well, this was for the 4 RICOHJPNR01 DVD+Rs that I burned, anyway...time will tell, but it looks like the VY05 firware fixed the problem.

Conclusion:

1. My Memorex RICHOHJPNR01 media is just fine. Again, this was supported by the fact that other drives burn to it reliably all the time.

2. The LiteOn VS04 firmware is NOT as compatible with my Sony DRU-700a as the Sony VY05 firmware. Both firmwares were modified to allow faster ripping and autobitsetting. Again, with LiteOn VS04 - produce coasters on RICOHJPNR01 every time when burned at 4X. With Sony VY05 firmware, each DVD is just fine...

3. [Opinion] Perhaps Sony adjusted the laser write power for the RICOHJPNR01 media in their VY05 firmware? I understand that it is encoded in the firmware for each media type...is that true?

I disagree that RICOHJPNR01 media is the best, though I stockpiled it because I read that it was one of the better ones. I have several spindles (though not the one I've been testing with) where the purple dye is darker in the center and there is a sudden transition to a lighter purple outside of that area. It's almost like I used to see with Princo and some Ritek CD-Rs that seemed to develop this appearance as the blank media "aged." I've NEVER seen that on the Memorex 4Xs that are really CMC MAG.F01 discs. I must admit that despite this darker center, they seemed to burn fine. It just makes me suspicious when one batch of RICHOJPNR01s don't have the darker center, and other spindles do not. Usually the top one or two RICOHJPNR01s on a spindle also seem to have circumfrential scratches toward the outside of the disc. Seems like poor quality handling. I put those aside for short discs or for data burns.

Could this all be a coincidence, and the drive just needed to "burn-in" before making realiable burns? Perhaps that coincided with the flash of your modified VY05 firmware? Dunno, but it's working now!

[code65536]

Hmm. This is the first that I've heard of VY05 doing better than any of the LiteOn firmwares; so far, all I've heard about have been stories of improvements when going up to VS04. I've actually never really used either firmware, so when I say that VS04 is better, it's based mostly on what I hear. But if it works for you, then that's good.

Our patching of VY05 affected only bitsetting and shouldn't have affect write quality in any way...

And yes, there is a write strategy encoded in the firmware for each and every media code. These write strategies have been known to change between each firmware revision as LiteOn tries to tweak things. Sometimes, these tweaks are good, sometimes, they're bad, which is why there have been cases (like HS0P vs. HS0Q for the 811S) where an older firmware actually does better--when these tweaks don't go as well. They used to adjust the Ricoh R01 strats a lot, but I would've thought that they've already tweaked it to death by now and that there's nothing left to change. I dunno. *shrugs*

[kmfritz]

Hmm. This is the first that I've heard of VY05 doing better than any of the LiteOn firmwares; so far, all I've heard about have been stories of improvements when going up to VS04. I've actually never really used either firmware, so when I say that VS04 is better, it's based mostly on what I hear. But if it works for you, then that's good.

Our patching of VY05 affected only bitsetting and shouldn't have affect write quality in any way...

And yes, there is a write strategy encoded in the firmware for each and every media code. These write strategies have been known to change between each firmware revision as LiteOn tries to tweak things. Sometimes, these tweaks are good, sometimes, they're bad, which is why there have been cases (like HS0P vs. HS0Q for the 811S) where an older firmware actually does better--when these tweaks don't go as well. They used to adjust the Ricoh R01 strats a lot, but I would've thought that they've already tweaked it to death by now and that there's nothing left to change. I dunno. *shrugs*

Yes, Sony VY05 is indeed doing better for me than LiteOn VS04. I had reflashed the LiteOn VS04 without any Omnipatcher enhancements (this was before Sony VY05 was released), and I received the same bad results for the RICOHJPNR01 media. When I first used Omnipatcher on the stock Sony VY05, I did check the faster reading and autobitsetting, only to find out like others that autobitsetting was missing altogether. I then took your patched VY05 and applied the same two patches and burned that, and that has produced good 4X burns on this media ever since. I only ever burned one DVD+R at 4X with the VY05 missing the bitsetting, and that was on CMC MAG.F01 Memorex 4X media, and it burned fine, but of course it did on the VY02 and LiteOn VS04 firmwares, so no surprises there... I never thought you adjusted the write strategy, only that Sony may have to improve on this media. Up to the point where Sony eliminated the bitsetting, I had assumed that Sony firmware was actually encoded by LiteOn directly, but perhaps Sony does tinker with it?

By the way, with your bitsetting patch on VY05, there is no longer a checkbox for DVD-ROM book type in the Nero burn dialog, but it does come out as DVD-ROM in the end. Is this because the patch was a kludge that just changed all DVD+R to DVD-ROM? Does this also mean that we cannot use the booktype utility to change from the default DVD-ROM to DVD+R if so desired? Just wondering. I may end up trying the NEXT LiteOn firmware since I'd prefer to be on the "cutting edge" with bitsetting officially supported...

[code65536]

Up to the point where Sony eliminated the bitsetting, I had assumed that Sony firmware was actually encoded by LiteOn directly, but perhaps Sony does tinker with it?

No. The firmware was produced by LiteOn for Sony. Sony did not remove the bitsetting from the Sony firmware; LiteOn did upon Sony's request.

By the way, with your bitsetting patch on VY05, there is no longer a checkbox for DVD-ROM book type in the Nero burn dialog, but it does come out as DVD-ROM in the end. Is this because the patch was a kludge that just changed all DVD+R to DVD-ROM? Does this also mean that we cannot use the booktype utility to change from the default DVD-ROM to DVD+R if so desired?

I wasn't the one who patched it. It was my counterpart, C0deKing, who did this particular patch. As I've been busy with other things lately, I didn't really pay much attention to what he did with this patch. As I understand it, he restored the ability to bitset and also restored the code that was needed for the LiteOn booktype utility to interact with the drive (so the booktype utility should work, though I haven't tried it out). It could very well be that Nero's bitsetting option interfaces with the drive in a different way, and the code for that interface was not restored. But the booktype utility should work, and you should be able to use that to set the booktype (so you won't need that option in Nero in order for it to work).

[kmfritz]

Up to the point where Sony eliminated the bitsetting, I had assumed that Sony firmware was actually encoded by LiteOn directly, but perhaps Sony does tinker with it?

No. The firmware was produced by LiteOn for Sony. Sony did not remove the bitsetting from the Sony firmware; LiteOn did upon Sony's request.

By the way, with your bitsetting patch on VY05, there is no longer a checkbox for DVD-ROM book type in the Nero burn dialog, but it does come out as DVD-ROM in the end. Is this because the patch was a kludge that just changed all DVD+R to DVD-ROM? Does this also mean that we cannot use the booktype utility to change from the default DVD-ROM to DVD+R if so desired?

I wasn't the one who patched it. It was my counterpart, C0deKing, who did this particular patch. As I've been busy with other things lately, I didn't really pay much attention to what he did with this patch. As I understand it, he restored the ability to bitset and also restored the code that was needed for the LiteOn booktype utility to interact with the drive (so the booktype utility should work, though I haven't tried it out). It could very well be that Nero's bitsetting option interfaces with the drive in a different way, and the code for that interface was not restored. But the booktype utility should work, and you should be able to use that to set the booktype (so you won't need that option in Nero in order for it to work).

Thanks for all your great replies and the time you've taken to provide them, code65536!

My declaration of success appears to be premature. I was skipping chapters and watching segments of the RICOHJPNR01 DVDs that I've burned at 4X, and they looked flawless with the Sony VY05 firmware, while the original Sony and the liteOn VS04 showed immediate problems. However, I watched two titles from the beginning adn about 25 minutes into the movie, I got pixelation and sound breakup, though it was able to play through it. The picture would clear and then it would happen again...

Sigh...looks like this drive is going back! Different firmware HELPED, but did not SOLVE the problem...