is my DVD burner aging?

[Chipp]

first off, my drive is a TS-H553A that came with my dell xps 410 about 4 years ago.

i noticed that my buffer levels drop completely a couple times during a burn but otherwise remain at 100%. i then did a DVD speed test and it showed that a couple times during the test, the speed would suddenly drop down dramatically. i'm obviously here because i'm not sure if it's normal or even if the two are related. the problem is that most of the DVDs i rip come out just fine with all this going on, but a few skip in one or two scenes. so, my question in short is does this sound like a hardware issue or the normal process of ripping non-prefect DVDs ?

also, i would try other software (besides nero), but that wouldn't really tell me much as most of my DVDs come out fine anyway. any input would be appreciated.

[budz]

Are you burning your dvd discs with IMGBURN or just NERO crappy software?
sounds like your laser that reads discs is fine but the laser for burning is prolly dying a slow death. buy a new dvd burner.

[Chipp]

i have both, but use nero lite.

is there any software around to further test my drive's health?

[budz]

IMGBURN is the best software to use for burning dvd discs. Buy a new dvd burner because they're cheap these days. The time you'll spend on testing your aging dvd burner will equal a new dvd burner.

[redwudz]

If that burner is four years old and you plan to replace it, you might want to check whether it's PATA or SATA as older burners were commonly PATA (IDE). Either one would work fine, but you need one that will work with your existing cables and controller. I don't use Nero anymore, just Imgburn, but both generate logs and you can check those logs to see if there were any burning errors noted. With the present price of burners, I would probably replace it anyway.

[Chipp]

this is the Nero DiscSpeed info while writing on a DVD-R...
the speed is jumping around, but notice the buffer remains constant. i'll probably be getting a new burner soon, but what do you make of this chart?

(and yeah, i'll try out IMGBURN. just gotta get used to ripping and burning .iso's)

[Chipp]

and here is the log of my last burn using nero lite...

(the xps 410 is all sata)

[redwudz]

ImgBurn can burn VIDEO_TS folders also. You don't need to make a ISO for it.

[Chipp]

ok that's cool. always a bit of a challenge to break old habits.

anything suspicious in the chart or log i posted ?

[AlanHK]

(and yeah, i'll try out IMGBURN. just gotta get used to ripping and burning .iso's)

Use "Build" mode and you can just select files and folders, including "VIDEO_TS", which tells it you're making a DVD video.

[lordsmurf]

You're using bad DVD media -- CMC is low quality and crappy.
For a list of what to use -- and not to use -- read the blank DVD quality guide.

[jagabo]

Given that the problem is occuring at regular time intervals I suspect you have a software problem. Some high priority process is interrupting your burns every 30 seconds or so.

[Chipp]

while searching for a new drive, a came across a very positive review of the Sony Optiarc AD-7240S (which is the leading model sold at newegg)

BUT... in that review, the drive showed a very similar DiscSpeed pattern as my current drive. so, i'm holding off right now on buying a new drive. i'll be looking into any nero buffer issues AND checking out if i like imgburn and it performs well i.e. no buffer weirdness. please keep posting any info related to this thread, it's a big help!

[budz]

as already mentioned using crappy ass CMC discs which is your problem....it's not the drive...

[Chipp]

yeah, my future spindles will be verbatim, regardless, but are crappy discs often responsible for buffer fluctuations? moreso than nero?

[Chipp]

sorry for treating this like a murder investigation, but i have another potential lead...

why does my nero log, DVDFab, and system information all show this as an IDE drive (with DMA off) when there isn't an IDE controller or devise in my entire system? i'd really like to hear anyone's take on this?

[jagabo]

My guess is those tools only detect whether the drive is internal (IDE/SATA) vs external (USB). Then simply report IDE or USB.

[greymalkin]

..time makes your bolder
even dvd burners get older
and i'm getting older too...

[Chipp]

My guess is those tools only detect whether the drive is internal (IDE/SATA) vs external (USB). Then simply report IDE or USB.

thanks