DVD-burning problems (Pioneer DVR-630H)

[tigrr]

I've had a Pioneer DVR-630H for around two years and have generally been happy with it. I usually record straight to the hard drive, but occasionally burn stuff I want to keep to DVDs.

Since I had problems from the very beginning with unsuccessful burning sessions (I've always used the "high speed" option, and my recordings have all been "SP" ones) resulting in many "coasters".
I try to buy quality branded media, and first started using the following:

TDK 1-4x
Imation 8x

So after this experience I decided to get some really good media, and bought Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD-R discs. Still problems. I get around 50% coasters!
I seem to get a greater chance of a coaster if I try to fill up a disc close to its maximum capacity (4GB) while something like 3.7GB works better.

The DVD-recorder was bought with region-free firmware from the store. It was only much later that I learnt that the region free firmware was very "unofficial" by Pioneer (I called up Pioneer and they didn't even know about it!) and that "official" region-locked firmware (Pioneer download page) has by far surpassed the region-free one by many updates. From what I've been told, only a single region-free firmware version has been released.

I spoke to the store where I bought it and was told that I would have to return the recorder to them for a checkup (which could take 4 weeks), but I'm worried that they won't find any problems with it (after all, it DOES burn to DVD discs, but it often results in coasters), and declare the recorder as OK, and I have to pay for their servicing hours.

So I have a couple of theories:

1) Since the region-free firmware has been outdated by the many region-locked ("official") updates, perhaps a newer region-locked firmware will result in less coasters?

2) Even with such high quality/expensive blank media as those from Taiyo Yuden, perhaps the Pioneer 630H is designed only to work with a few selected types of media?
The user-manual states a few brands/models, but it's hard to determine anything other than the brand name when you go into a computer or electronics store. Besides, they keep changing manufacturing processes and quality all the time, as far as I know.

[Seeker47]

I've had a Pioneer DVR-630H for around two years <snip>

(I've always used the "high speed" option, and my recordings have all been "SP" ones) resulting in many "coasters".

So after this experience I decided to get some really good media, and bought Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD-R discs. Still problems. I get around 50% coasters!
I seem to get a greater chance of a coaster if I try to fill up a disc close to its maximum capacity (4GB) while something like 3.7GB works better.

that "official" region-locked firmware (Pioneer download page) has by far surpassed the region-free one by many updates. From what I've been told, only a single region-free firmware version has been released.
<snip>
So I have a couple of theories:

1) Since the region-free firmware has been outdated by the many region-locked ("official") updates, perhaps a newer region-locked firmware will result in less coasters?

2) Even with such high quality/expensive blank media as those from Taiyo Yuden, perhaps the Pioneer 630H is designed only to work with a few selected types of media?

Your theory may have some merit. I have the models 520 & 640, and have used several brands of media in them -- but NO junk or less-than-mediocre blanks. If the TY 8x doesn't work for you, I'd say you have a serious problem (either as per your f/w theory, or intermittent burner failure), as the TY should be automatic, for just about any burner that accepts -R media. I've used a lot of it, and it loads noticeably quicker than most anything else -- as if the burner recognizes it right away and there is no searching for an appropriate write strategy. The only other blanks that came close to this were the Sony 8x, while they were still being made in Japan. These days, you will have great difficulty in finding any media other than TY that are still available in 8x.

In regard to the capacity thing, I'd agree that for archival purposes it is best to stop somewhere in the 3.7G to 4.2G range, on a DVD-5. I will sometimes fill a dvd to the brim, for the sake of convenience, but this is generally with something I only intend to view once or don't really care about. My burn failures have so far been pretty rare (and more related to very heavily edited material with lots of cuts -- especially if it's within the Copy List editing -- or multiple small titles), with no apparent connection to how full the disc was.

[tigrr]

Thanks for your comments.

So perhaps I might get better results if I update my region-free firmware with the very latest "official" firmware (region-locked unfortunately) from Pioneer?

In that respect, will I render the warranty void as in "tampering with the inside of the DVR", or is it a no-risk sort of thing, and if it doesn't make any difference I can just put the region-free firmware back in?
Are there any limits to how many times a firmware can be updated?

[Krispy Kritter]

If there is a newer firmware available, they will often note any updates/changes from the previous version. In which case it may note if more media is supported.

In the case of attempting to fix a problem, firmware updates are permitted. If you really want to be safe, contact Pioneer first and get their opinion.

There aren't any limits (that I'm aware of or have encountered) on the number of times a firmware can be flashed.

[tigrr]

Yes, there is a brief note along with the latest (May 2007) update for the 630H. It says:

Firmware History File
Model: DVR-530H / DVR-630H
Ver Update Date: 8 May, 2007
The update improves:
- displaying titles in the schedule area
- recording audio of a scrambled program from an external decoder when scanning HDD titles or pausing HDD titles.
- recording performance for JVC 8x DVD-R DL.

They call it a "history" file, but there's no mention of what previous updates have changed, and I assume that one update builds upon other updates, which might mean that some earlier issues affecting the Taiyo Yuden DVDs I've been using might have been improved.
There's a list of firmware revisions at the PioneerFAQ site, but the Pioneer firmware download page says nothing about version numbers.

I'll take your advice and contact Pioneer before updating the firmware.
By the way, my DVR is a 630HS. All reference I've seen is to the 630H and not the 630HS. What are the differences?

[Seeker47]

The DVD-recorder was bought with region-free firmware from the store. It was only much later that I learnt that the region free firmware was very "unofficial" by Pioneer (I called up Pioneer and they didn't even know about it!) and that "official" region-locked firmware (Pioneer download page) has by far surpassed the region-free one by many updates. From what I've been told, only a single region-free firmware version has been released.

So perhaps I might get better results if I update my region-free firmware with the very latest "official" firmware (region-locked unfortunately) from Pioneer?

In that respect, will I render the warranty void as in "tampering with the inside of the DVR", or is it a no-risk sort of thing, and if it doesn't make any difference I can just put the region-free firmware back in?

I don't know how this goes in Norway, but in the U.S. simply purchasing a firmware-modded unit would take it outside of the mfr. warranty anyway (if the time factor on the warranty even still applied, which is apparently not the case here), such that the only warranty you might still have would be from the dealer. At that point, I'd think you had little to lose, beyond whatever the risk to the dvr might be. In a situation like this, if at all possible I would prefer to be able to return to where I started, should things not go well -- something that would not be possible, unless you happened to have a copy of whatever firmware is on there now. As to flashing / re-flashing: I don't know if this is done to just the burner, or to some f/w elsewhere in the Pioneer, if the burner is removed when this is done vs. inside the Pioneer, or whether a CPRM i.d. for the burner has to be reapplied after the flashing is done. These are all questions I'd want to have answers for before proceeding.

[Hkan]

Yes, there is a brief note along with the latest (May 2007) update for the 630H. It says:

Firmware History File
Model: DVR-530H / DVR-630H
Ver Update Date: 8 May, 2007
The update improves:
- displaying titles in the schedule area
- recording audio of a scrambled program from an external decoder when scanning HDD titles or pausing HDD titles.
- recording performance for JVC 8x DVD-R DL.

They call it a "history" file, but there's no mention of what previous updates have changed, and I assume that one update builds upon other updates, which might mean that some earlier issues affecting the Taiyo Yuden DVDs I've been using might have been improved.
There's a list of firmware revisions at the PioneerFAQ site, but the Pioneer firmware download page says nothing about version numbers.

I'll take your advice and contact Pioneer before updating the firmware.
By the way, my DVR is a 630HS. All reference I've seen is to the 630H and not the 630HS. What are the differences?

The firmware at Pioneers page is 3.56, this is the last they made!
S is for Silver, some writes the S some dont, it's the same DVR anyway

[orsetto]

If the unit has always, from the beginning, made 50% coasters: then the importer likely damaged the burner by doing a firmware hack incorrectly. Not much you can do there because Pioneer recorder burner firmware is not the same as the firmware used on their PC burners, even though the mechanism is the same. I'm not sure if you can restore the original recorder burner firmware or where you'd even get it. There is also system firmware on the recorders motherboard which is all but impossible to reprogram yourself- it requires a Pioneer service setup in most cases.

If the recorder seems to be making many more coasters than it used to, the laser might just be worn out. If I remember correctly, the Pioneer 630 units are based on the earlier model 520 components. These older designs contain either the older #107 burner which is rather picky with media, or the #109 which tends to fail a bit earlier than other models. As others have mentioned, TY 8x media is a known Pioneer cure-all: if you are getting many coasters using it, more than likely you just need a new burner, period. You said you've had the unit for two years, and in my experience owning nearly every model from the 510 to the 633, Pioneer recorder burners last 20-24 months max before they start making frequent coasters. (The newer RAM-capable 640 and later models seem a bit more durable so far.)

You can replace the burner yourself, but first you need to take the top cover off and check the label on the burner to see if its model number ends in 07 or 09, so you know whether to look for a good working matching Pioneer 107/A07 or 109/A09 burner. With that in hand, you can follow the instructions on various Pioneer repair threads to swap some basic parts between old and new burner and re-install the CPRM id. You will need a copy of the service disc and a remote that can emulate the Pio service remote, both items are discussed at length in the threads and at Pioneerfaq.com.