RecordNOW Max, 4x media, 2x media and confusion

[MarcD]

An odd thing happened last night while burning a disc. The disc happened to be an disc authored in DVD Workshop of CCE Basic converted material.

Anyway, I needed to make 2 copies, and had 1 Apple 4x -R and a single TDK 2x -R laying around and decided to use those. I loaded up RecordNow, added my VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders, put in the Apple disc, selected 2 copies and began burning. After the Apple DVD finished @ 4x, Record Now paused and waited for me to load the other disc, which was the 2x TDK. Soon, RNM started burning at 4x on the 2x media! Fifteen minutes later I had a finalized disc, and given real-time and size of disc I was burning it DID burn at 4x.

The Apple OE code is:MXL RG..02
The TDK's is: MXL RG..01

Anyway, the 2x TDK overburned at 4x played fine in my set top box, and both PCs (1 Athlon, 1 Apple iBook with Combo Drive). I guess I was shocked to find that the RG01 media burned ok @ 4x, and that my Cendyne DVR-105 (Pioneer OEM) drive with 1.21 firmware even allowed it.... Anyone else experience this?

Marc

[Gazorgan]

I used to get Nero to burn 48x on 24x media doing the same thing. Burn the first one to calibrate the laser, then swap media and go. However, I had higher read error rates on the overspeed burn. I liken it to a photo copy that's too light, you can still read it, but barely and only with perfect lighting.