Best DVD-R for Matshita UJ-815

[kagharaht]

I didn't find it doing a search for "DVD-Media" section of the forum. Just bought 50 DVD-R from Americal.com. White top DVD-R, 702886 part#. So far out of 4, 2 good burns then 2 bad one. Typical error at the end of the burn "Sense Key" error. Seems to me that its not a reliable media or not very happy with Ti SuperDrives. So for the PowerBook Ti SuperDrive, what do you guys recomend? I can't return this 50 pack, so I have to use it, but my next purchase I want to make sure its really compatible to get the most out of it.

[galactica]

I just got a pack of maxell unbranded dvd-r from meritline.com

they seem to be working fine.

Other good ones are the apple brand, and the verbatim and imatation
(spelling could be a bit off)

Generally the less expensive ones are the ones you want to stray away from.

anything under 50$ origional price for 25 I would not get.

[Quigonsean]

I have a Panasonic DVD-RAM/R in my PC and according to the sticker on it, not to mention websites like Nero list it as Matsushita/Panasonic. I use Emtech that I get from www.tigerdirect.com for about a buck a peice, but I've never had a bad one from the package and never had one fail to burn for other reasons so I've decided to stick with'em.

Sean

[kagharaht]

I'll keep a note of that one. Emtech...hmmm. I bought a pack of verbatim before. 15 for 60 bucks. Expensive, but none of them failed...So I guess I got what I paid for. But boy that .79 a piece sounds so good.....

[MichaelLAX]

Want to sell the remainder of your americal DVD-Rs? Let me know by email...

[kagharaht]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm not quite ready to give up on them yet. Did some more burns today so now its 4 good burns out of 6 disk. So I'm out $1.78 or so.

[MichaelLAX]

Best of luck with them.

I live in Los Angeles, and I order from americal by phone and then go pick them up in Van Nuys for no shipping costs or delays.

I have also used their white-toped DVD-RWs with great success, but I have heard that your model DVD burner has been hobbled with Apple ROMs to keep it from burning DVD-RWs (that is if you have the 12" Powerbook G4; they may work on the 17")...

[kagharaht]

Yes its a shame that Apple hobbled the drive to do only DVD-R. The drive is fully capable of doing more. Many users are very upset about this, since its suppose to be a SuperDrive.....well not quite. More like SuperKindaHalfaDrive...Perhaps because of the PowerBook thin form factor, it may have been to tight to relieve the heat generated for RW functionality. If so, they shouldn't have called it SuperDrive.

[MichaelLAX]

I just purchased a 12" Powerbook G4 and I find that it plays my DVD-RW Videos that I burn on my iMac G4.

I haven't tried data disks yet.

I have read on some other forums that this is the same drive that MCE sells as a Powerbook Superdrive upgrade, and they support RW ( http://forum.firmware-flash.com/viewtopic.php?t=9220 and http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?t=12170). So, as heat may be the issue for Apple, apparently it wasn't for MCE ( http://www.mcetech.com/sdpbg4.html ).

[kagharaht]

Thats a very interesting offer by MCE. Looks to me that your right, as heat is not the issue for having DVD-R/RW capabilities on the thin form factor. Irks me a bit to have to blow another 500 bucks to get a "real" SuperDrive....but.... Your link for that firmware page is awesome. I lover learning new stuff like this everyday. I hope something good happens there for PowerBook users with hobbled SuperDrives.....Seems like someone is helping the Mac community there.

[MichaelLAX]

I purchased the Powerbook 12" at the local Apple Store with the understanding with the manager that I could return it if it did not burn DVD-RW. I opted to keep it:

1) It is a helluva machine for what it is...

2) It will play my DVD-RWs, which I can still burn on my iMac G4... and

3) It is my hope that someone will hack the firmware to open up DVD-RW capability on this machine.

I expect the new 15"ers to come out any day now, and I bet dollars to donuts that they will burn DVD-RWs, but $2,000 was my limit anyway, so the 15" will be out of my price range (I got the Apple Store to meet a local store's advertised sale of "they pay the sales tax" and to throw in a "refreshed" (i.e., previously opened box, but otherwise new and warrantied) Airport Extreme card for $40 if I install it. That price was too good to pass up.

[kagharaht]

Have you tried burning yet with the Americal white top DVD-Rs? Are you getting sense key errors like me?

I've scoured the web site for DVD-Rs retailers and so far I haven't found any that list the Matshita as compatible. They just generically say compatible with Apple SuperDrive. We all know they are not the same drives on the Apple product line. We have the hobbled model. Well, the main thing I'm trying to find now is a DVD-R that is fully compatible with the Matshita....hopefully the cheaper kinds. Those Maxels and well known name brands are so expensive. 2 to 3 dollars a piece.....sometime more...

[MichaelLAX]

Have you tried burning yet with the Americal white top DVD-Rs? Are you getting sense key errors like me?

I have now burned 3 americal DVD-Rs on my Powerbook 12" with no errors. These were either "DVD" or "disk copy" using Toast.

[Roger]

Have you tried burning yet with the Americal white top DVD-Rs? Are you getting sense key errors like me?

kagharaht - have you tried burning with Disk Copy instead of Toast yet? There is a problem with some Powerbook Superdrives where the burn fails near the end. You get sense key errors in Toast and a long error code in Disk Copy. The error code is -2147352480 or sometimes -2147352542. Some discs seems to work but later prove flaky with data/video near the outer areas of the disc.

See this thread:
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?threadid=147415

This seems to be a pretty big problem that many people do not know they have yet since it only is obvious with some media and only with full or almost full disc burns.

[kagharaht]

Yes the error happens to me, always at the end of the burn. At the point where its writing the "lead out"?...I think thats what it says. Its the point where the countdown to finish is done and its finishing the disk. I really think the UJ-815 is very very finicky with DVD-Rs....doesn't like el cheapo brands. I guess we have the BMWs of laptops, why put regularl unleaded in it...we should use premium.... . Oh well, time to look for discounts on the Verbatim...Like I said somewhere before, I did 15 of them and never coastered one. But DAMM that .79 cents a piece shure looks good....

[MichaelLAX]

Want to sell those americal's now? I am only interested in 702886's.

[MichaelLAX]

I just got this email from americal, since I am on their mailing list. I have not had time to study it, but maybe it will help you out:

Dear subscriber,

This week we show owners of "general" type DVD burners how to improve their
machine's reliability, and also increase burning speed and reduce disc
errors with 2x and 4x rated DVD-Rs.

If you own a Pioneer, HP/Compaq, Apple, Toshiba, Panasonic or other general
purpose DVD burner -- even the newest models -- you need to read this
helpful email carefully. It can help your machine recognize and work better
with many different brands of higher speed 2x and 4x DVD-R discs.


SPEED PROBLEMS WITH 2X and 4X DVD-Rs
-----
Many models of DVD burners have had problems burning more than a few,
limited brands of DVD-R discs. And, sometimes discs that are sold as being
2X or 4X rated only burn at 1X speeds. And also, after being recorded many
DVD-R discs would either not play or produce playback errors in some DVD
players. Here are some of the complaints we hear most often:

* "My 4X DVD Writer won't even recognize many brands of 4X DVD-Rs!"
* "My 4X DVD Writer burns some 4X DVD-Rs at 4X and others at only 1X!"
* "My 2X DVD Writer burns all 4X discs at 1X... why not 2X?"
* "My DVD Writer shows lots of errors when burning 2X or 4X DVD-Rs!"
* "My DVD Writer seems to burn at 4X okay, but then the discs don't play
well!"
* "My old 103/104 model burned these same DVD-R discs at 2X, and now my
new 105/A05 only burns them at 1X -- what's going on?"


BACKGROUND
-----
Fixes are now available for many models of DVD burners that will address
some of these issues (see if your burner model is listed below). The DVD
recording industry is still evolving, and important improvements in how
well discs, burners and players work together are being made almost every
week. As the factories which produce the various brands of burners and
discs and players learn about ways to make their products work better, they
add these improvements into newer models they are shipping, and also
release "firmware upgrades" where possible to add these improvements into
burners and players they have already sold. Some of these problems are
impossible to fix, but great improvements are being made.

SOLUTIONS
-----
Fixing your "general type" DVD burner so that it will work better with
high-speed discs requires (1) installing new firmware as explained below,
and also (2) using the newest version 2.0 for general DVD-R discs. To
ensure that your DVD-R discs will work best with your upgraded burner's new
firmware, be sure that you're ordering the newest version 2.0 for general
type of DVD-Rs. Some previous 4x rated discs were made with the older
version 1.1 general format, and those discs will not work with upgraded
firmware drives. We now have those new version 2.0, high speed 1x-4x discs
in stock and at very competitive, low prices - only $1.79 in 100-paks,
slightly more in 25-paks. See them at...
http://Americal.com/cgi-bin/smart_cart2.cgi?category=4x%20dvd%20media

The newest firmware upgrades from burner manufacturers can improve your
burner's compatibility with DVD-R discs, making it possible to burn them
and play them with fewer errors and at higher speeds. you simply download a
free upgrade from your manufacturer, install it into your burner, and then
do some more tests. In many cases, after installing the latest firmware
upgrades you will find...

After Installing the New Firmware...
-----
* Many 2X DVD-R discs that would only burn at 1X will now burn
successfully at 2X speed
* Many 4X DVD-R discs that would not burn at all, will now burn
successfully
* Many 4X DVD-R discs will now "fall back" to 2X instead of 1X when 4X
speed is not possible
* Many 2X rated DVD-R discs will now burn at 2X instead of only 1X or not
at all
* Overall writing or reading disc errors will be reduced on most disc
brands


FIRMWARE UPGRADE LINKS
-----
Here are the places to find firmware upgrades for several of the most
popular DVD burners.

* Pioneer's 4X Speed Warning Page
(links to different burner brand pages)
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/hs/

* Pioneer DVR-105/A05 DVD Writers
(improves reliability and burn speed with many disc brands)

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firmware/List_DriveVersions.asp?ListWhat=DVR
-A05/105

* Pioneer DVR-104/A04 DVD Writers
(improves reliability and burn speed with many disc brands)

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firmware/List_DriveVersions.asp?ListWhat=DVR
-A04/104

* Pioneer DVR-103/A03 DVD Writers
(improves reliability and burn speed with many disc brands)

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firmware/List_DriveVersions.asp?ListWhat=DVR
-A03/103

* Apple Superdrives
(protects against damage from 4X discs)
http://www.apple.com/hardware/superdrive/
* Older Sony DVD-R Writers - sold before Sept. '02
(improves performance with many disc brands)
http://sony.storagesupport.com/dvdrw/dru500adwn.htm

* Sony 500A/UL/AX Model Combo -R/+R Writers
(improves reliability and burn speed with many disc brands)
http://sony.storagesupport.com/dvdrw/dru500adwn.htm

* Ricoh DVD Writer
(protects against damage from 4X discs)

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firmware/List_DriveVersions.asp?ListWhat=MP%
205125A


If your brand or model of burner is not listed above, please contact the
manufacturer of the drive, or the store from which you bought the burner
itself. Tell them which brand and model number of burner you own, and ask
them for the URL where you can download the latest firmware for your own
specific model of DVD burner. Unfortunately some companies may not be as
active in fixing their burner problems as others, so you may find that your
burner may not have a firmware upgrade available. In that case please do
not try to apply firmware from another brand of burner, as it could
permanently damage your burner.


For answers to many other DVD-R recording problems and questions,
please see our "DVD Recordable FAQ" page at...
http://Americal.com/cgi-bin/smart_cart2.cgi?page=dvd-r-faq.html

[Roger]

Yes the error happens to me, always at the end of the burn. At the point where its writing the "lead out"?...I think thats what it says. Its the point where the countdown to finish is done and its finishing the disk. I really think the UJ-815 is very very finicky with DVD-Rs....doesn't like el cheapo brands. I guess we have the BMWs of laptops, why put regularl unleaded in it...we should use premium.... . Oh well, time to look for discounts on the Verbatim...Like I said somewhere before, I did 15 of them and never coastered one. But DAMM that .79 cents a piece shure looks good....

It is actually a problem with more that just cheap discs. Some discs will burn and verify but then show problems in video near the edge of the disc.

I have been testing this for weeks now and in order for Apple to be willing to discuss it I must be using Apple discs (definitely not cheap). Since then I have made a huge pile of Apple coasters. They have replaced the drive but it did not help. They are not saying that a firmware update may be needed. Duh! This only seems to occur in 12" and 15" PowerBooks. I have found no reports of this problem in 17" models.

It is possible that it is caused by problems with the laser tracking toward the edge of the disc or maybe it is related to the change in disc speed in that area.

Many people are not aware that they have the problem since they do not burn full (>3GB) discs and then test the video on standalone players.

-Roger

[kagharaht]

I got a reply from Meritline today. They said that the BeAll DVD-R is the most compatible for the Panasonic manufactured drives. So, when I fnish up my americal, I'll be getting some of those. Oh, by the way the americal is working okay so far. Full burns on 14 disk, only coastered 4. So 4 out of 18 is not bad. I'll expect more coasters eventually...can't wait to try the BeAll discs.

[caipirina]

What an aggrivating topic ... I bought 150 cheapos before I moved to Fiji, most of them worked just fine one my iMac ... than I sold the iMac and got me a nice TiBook ... now I run into the above problems .. yikes ...

what bugs me is that the error shows up after 40 - 50 minutes ... can't it tell me at least right away that the media is incompatible ??? grrr

well .. this morning I had ONE successful burn ... yeah ... another burn yesterday crapped out at 'writing out' but the disc seems to play fine ...

Other than overpriced apple brand (like 7US$ a pop) I cannot get any other DVDRs here ... grrrr ...

well, will just have to keep playing hit and miss ... but somewhat glad to know that it is a common problem and not that my machine is kaput

P