Power Calibration error

[DeeGee88]

Hi Guys,
I have been going along merrily backing-up movies to DVD without any probs, until I got one that Nero through up the above problem.

I use DVDShrink and have a NEC ND 1300A Writer.

I thought something may have been amiss with the rip process, so did it again - with the same result. DVDShrink did have it at about 53.9% compression (I'm wondering if this could have caused the problem - I run it at a max of 4300mb)

Any one got any ideas?
Thanks
Den

[johns0]

Its either a media problem or your burner is flaking out.

[DeeGee88]

Thanks for your input, but logic would dictate (unless I'm missing something) that your points don't fit.

Firstly, I've been using the same media for months without a gliche. Secondly, I've done another four movies since the error.
Thirdly, the same movie kicked 3 disks.

I've now given up on the movie, but am still convinced that there is a problem with the files.

[jyn999]

Nero's error messages have never been models of clarity but I think that the laser on the NEC burner is slowly dying. You may be able to burn now but as time goes on, you'll get the Power Calibration errors more and more often.

Luckily the prices for DVD burners have dropped to the point of affordability.

[Capmaster]

Thanks for your input, but logic would dictate (unless I'm missing something) that your points don't fit.

Firstly, I've been using the same media for months without a gliche. Secondly, I've done another four movies since the error.
Thirdly, the same movie kicked 3 disks.

I've now given up on the movie, but am still convinced that there is a problem with the files.

Media quality can change repidly from lot to lot. Because you've been successfully using the same media for a while doesn't guarantee that it will continue to be good. My guess is you got some crap media.

You could also try cleaning your laser lens using a CD Laser Lens Cleaner - about $10 from Walmart. It removes the dust from the lens. I used to get the same power calibration error until I got into the habit of cleaning it every 2 or 3 weeks.

But ...it's probably the media

[Reaper88]

I have gotten a few "Power calibration errors" with Nero too. What i have found is that if i drooped the burn speed it works fine. I do believe that it is the media. Some work fine at faster speeds and some i get that error.

[indolikaa]

Thanks for your input, but logic would dictate (unless I'm missing something) that your points don't fit.

Nope. His logic is up to speed on this one.

The Power Calibration Area of blank media is where the optics perform a self-test to ensure the media meets a set of standards programmed into the servo controller. If the PCA test fails, the drive reports to the ASPI layer that the disc is not likely to produce a readable disc.

When you have a Power Calibration Error, it's either because the media didn't pass scrutiny, or the laser didn't function correctly. It can happen just the way you've described. I've had 100-pack spindles of TY media produce a PCA failure on one disc, while the rest worked fine.

[raffie]

I too have had these Power calibration errors on my Vivastar 1x and sometimes just changing the speed setting from 'maximum speed' to '1x' does the trick. Could be a bug in Nero, has anyone had this error on another burning app?

[JSB]

I heard of this error (from nero) on a CD burner... turned out the burner was going bad and died within a week.

JSB

[DeeGee88]

Hi guys,
I am now in agreeance with your general consensus that my problem is either faulty media or a dying burner.

My quest now is to attempt to establish which, as I live rather remotely from a PC parts store and can only make the trip about once every two weeks and, hence, can only deal with one possibilty at a time.

The latest scenario is - a movie might spit 3 disks then burn on the fourth one - sometimes they spit immediately, sometimes burn to 'lead-out' and then spit. The ones that spit immediately can still be used to burn 2 - 3gb of data (mp3s etc) without error.

I suppose my questions now include -
1) What is the likelihood of virtually a whole spindle of disks being faulty?
2) Given that the disks can have data written to them, could Nero be the problem?
I've included a section of the Log file if the techies can make any sense of it - it's like Ancient Greek to me

3:29:41 PM #18 Phase 36 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Burn process started at 2.4x (3,312 KB/s)

3:29:41 PM #19 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1978
Verifying CD position of item 0 (relocatable, CD pos, no patch infos, orig at #0): write at #0

3:29:41 PM #20 SCSI -1066 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1203
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0, buffer 0x022FD000
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x05 (KEY_ILLEGAL_REQUEST)
Sense Code: 0x24
Sense Qual: 0x00
CDB Data: 0xAD 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0C 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x05 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0A
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x24 0x00

3:29:41 PM #21 Text 0 File DVDPlusRW.cpp, Line 1186
Set Booktype to DVD+R (10), set mode 'next writes' (2) on DVD+R media, return: -1065

3:29:41 PM #22 Text 0 File DVDPlusRW.cpp, Line 398
Start write address at LBA 0
DVD high compatibility mode: Yes

3:56:58 PM #23 Text 0 File WriterStatus.cpp, Line 115
<_NEC DVD_RW ND-1300A > start writing Lead-Out at LBA 2127248 (207590h), lenght 0 blocks

3:56:59 PM #24 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 219
all writers idle, stopping conversion

3:57:16 PM #25 SCSI -1106 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1203
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x03 (KEY_MEDIUM_ERROR)
Sense Code: 0x73
Sense Qual: 0x03
CDB Data: 0x5B 0x01 0x01 0x00 0x00 0x01 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x03 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0A
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x73 0x03

3:57:16 PM #26 SCSI -1176 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1203
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 0, LUN 0
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x05 (KEY_ILLEGAL_REQUEST)
Sense Code: 0x72
Sense Qual: 0x03
CDB Data: 0x5B 0x01 0x06 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x70 0x00 0x05 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x0A
0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x72 0x03

3:57:16 PM #27 CDR -1106 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1468
Power calibration error

3:57:16 PM #28 TRANSFER -24 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1468
Could not perform end of Disc-At-Once

3:57:16 PM #29 Phase 38 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1655
Burn process failed at 2.4x (3,312 KB/s)

3:57:16 PM #30 Text 0 File Scsicmd.cpp, Line 406
SCSI not using temporary buffers
20 out of 20 temporary buffers allocated

Thanks once again for your time,
Den

[rockstar70]

I recently experienced thgis problem. I did two things and it fixed the problem. First I changed the power wire going to the drive to one that wasn't shared by any other drives. Second, I uninstalled the drive, disconnected the ide cable and then reconnected it and reinstalled the drive. Worked like a charm. Good luck!

[grindliner]

The only time I have encountered this with my pioneer 106 was while Sony CDR's bought on sale at Comp USA. Slowing the speed down worked on a couple, but gave me the error most of the time. 2 out of 5 discs gave me this error.

Since that I refuse to buy Sony CDR, as after going back to using Imation and Memorex, I have only had 1 power calibration error in 500 burns, and on that one I just put the disc back in and hit burn same project again, and away it went.

Also to note I have never had a problem while burning DVD, even with Sony DVD media.

[billcay62]

had the same problem with my plextor 708A it would burn a couple of disc's then would get calibration mess. with nero ,it got progressivly worse untle it would not read or write a thing, luckly it was still under warrenty and I got a new one