LG-4040B - cannot burn >4GB DVD-R

[Thrung]

I have an LG GSA-4040B (301 Firmware) with which I'm generally happy. It will do the business with DVD-RAM, and will burn +R and -R media at 4X. However, while I can burn a full 4.7GB (4.37 "real world" GB) onto +R media (and -RAM), any attempt to burn over about 4 "real world" GB onto -R media (various brands tried at 2X and 4X) fails to verify in Nero 6 (all versions from release to latest).

Thinking back, before I upgraded to 301 Firmware I'm sure I couldn't burn 4X -R, only 2X, but didn't have this capacity issue either.

I know that -R supports only CLV, while +R supports CAV also (-RAM supports XCAV). Could this be the issue, or am I reading too much into the technical specs when I should instead be looking for a simpler solution? Has anyone else observed this phenomenon?

[raptor333]

Oh no! Nero again, maybe it's something else, in any case my two 4040b's one with Firm A300 & other A301 works fine in Roxio 6 and CopytoDVD with -R up to 4.37 gig.
What media are you using ?

[Thrung]

Princo, Ritek, "the usual suspects".

I get the same problems burning an image using Alcohol 120%, whether at 2X or 4X.

+R Media Codes that are problem-free:

00000000 08 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 25 B1 4F .............%.O
00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 52 49 43 4F 48 4A 50 4E 52 .......RICOHJPNR
00000020 30 31 02 38 23 54 37 09 00 3C 67 00 AC 62 16 18 01.8#T7..<g..b..
00000030 0B 0B 0A 0B 01 19 1B 0B 0B 0E 0F 01 00 00 00 00 ................

00000000 08 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 23 DF 3F .............#.?
00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 4F 50 54 4F 44 49 53 43 4F .......OPTODISCO
00000020 50 31 01 38 23 54 37 09 02 64 6A 02 C8 63 18 18 P1.8#T7..dj..c..
00000030 0A 0A 0E 0E 01 1B 1D 0B 0B 11 13 01 00 00 00 00 ................

00000000 08 02 00 00 A1 0F 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 26 05 3F .............&.?
00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 52 49 43 4F 48 4A 50 4E 52 .......RICOHJPNR
00000020 30 31 02 38 23 54 37 09 00 3C 67 00 AC 62 16 18 01.8#T7..<g..b..
00000030 0B 0B 0A 0B 01 19 1B 0B 0B 0E 0F 01 00 00 00 00 ................


-R Media Codes that are problematic:

00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 50 00 02 8A 0D 14 .j...@....P.....
00000010 88 88 80 00 03 54 44 4B 47 30 32 00 04 30 30 30 .....TDKG02..000
00000020 30 30 30 00 05 CC C0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 000.............

00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 50 00 02 7A 0D 11 .j...@....P..z..
00000010 88 88 70 00 03 4F 50 54 4F 44 49 00 04 53 43 4B ..p..OPTODI..SCK
00000020 30 30 31 00 05 88 80 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 001.............

00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 F7 0E 0B .j...@....R.....
00000010 77 88 70 00 03 50 52 49 4E 43 4F 00 04 00 00 00 w.p..PRINCO.....
00000020 00 00 00 00 05 AA A2 22 22 20 01 00 06 0B 0F 12 ......."" ......

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[Thrung]

Can be DVD-Video, collections of AVIs, any kinds of files, usually under 1GB each, and usually burning to ISO/UDF. Bear in mind that these same file collections burn to DVD+R with no problem.

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[Thrung]

Will do at some point this week. I'll let you know the result. At least, if it goes wrong, I can re-use the result...I hope.

[Thrung]

I would suspect the media then. If the drive burns okay to +R, then there can not be alot wrong with the drive itself.

Since CAV involves constant rotation speed, while CLV requires the drive to vary rotation speed (slow down) as the laser moves towards the outside of the disk, a problem with motor speed control could cause -R writing to fail, but not +R...couldn't it?

[pharlap]

try the magic mark of <3680Mb and see if it works if it does the discs are the problem

[Thrung]

I can get more than that on before they fail - 3962.41MB (3.87GB) and 3985.16MB (3.89GB) are both to hand.

Tried this morning with a DVD-RW. Media Code:

00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 D6 FD 9E D8 20 00 02 0D 07 05 .j...@.... .....
00000010 88 76 09 00 03 50 52 49 4E 43 4F 00 04 00 00 00 .v...PRINCO.....
00000020 00 00 00 00 05 0B AC 76 0C 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .......v........


Result: Failed to verify one file:

7:23:30 am #38 VERIFYERR 13 File UDFCompilationImpl.cpp, Line 1360
Status summary
Total files=18, identical=17, different=0, inaccessible=1, skipped=0.

I'm about to try with a Datalife Verbatim "SERL" DVD-RW:

00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 D6 FD 9E D8 20 00 02 0E 07 05 .j...@.... .....
00000010 88 75 0D 00 03 4D 43 43 20 30 30 00 04 52 57 31 .u...MCC 00..RW1
00000020 31 4E 39 00 05 05 88 75 0D 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1N9....u........

I'll report back in an hour or so.

[Thrung]

It worked! 4.36GB successfuly (if slowly) written. Colour me confused. One swallow doth not a summer make, but that's the first successful full-capacity -R(W) burn in months.

[Thrung]

Well, I've just revisited what I thought was a successsful -R burn, <4GB, Bulkpaq Orange, that had verified after burn using both Nero's built-in verify (when still in the burner), and "Beyond Compare" (moved to my LiteOn reader to be sure it was OK), and one month on it now has 217 unreadable sectors. I think I'll stick to +R media.

No-one has volunteered the same symptoms, so I still believe my burner has become faulty. I'll take it up to Firmware 302 over the weekend, see if that makes any difference, otherwise it's back to the supplier.

[zod5000]

god damn lg-4040b's eh. I bought a pack of ritek 4x dvd-r discs and the damned thing doesn't like to burn them at 4x. It'll let me choose 4x in the burning programs of whatever i use, but it just freezes when its trying to write the lead-in. I thought it was the burner, but some leftover maxell discs i have burned at 4x fine and the leftovers of my last ritek batch (with a Y's power label on them) still burned fine.

Even with the new firmware this drive still seems to be rather touchy when it comes to media. Its an allright drive when you get a batch of media it likes.. but I think my next dvd drive won't be an LG

- Brian

[shady_76]

just installed lg-4040B with v302 and am having no luck. Using Verbatim DataLifePlus +RW Nero 6 calls it "illegal disc". Using sony +R seems to burn fine usinf Nero but won't play on either of my 2 dvd roms or home player. Already disenchanted.

[shady_76]

just installed lg-4040B with v302 and am having no luck. Using Verbatim DataLifePlus +RW Nero 6 calls it "illegal disc". Using sony +R seems to burn fine usinf Nero but won't play on either of my 2 dvd roms or home player. Already disenchanted.

[typhus]

Hi there,

though i'd make a suggestion. I've got one of these too, and the first couple of brands i bought would only write at 2x even though they were 4x. Then i tried the TDK disc i got with the drive and that wrote at 4x, np. So i went to a website and bought a "variety pack" of asorted DVD brands to find one which works. Then i just bought a shed load of that sort. Atm i'm using "DataSafe" which i think it Ritek04.

I did the 302 update a couple of days ago, not had chance to test other brands yet though. I know "Mirror" 4x will only write at 2x with 301f/w, so i wanna try them again with 302. And just for the record, i've got some "Datawrite Yellow" 1x, which wait for it, i can write at 2x, go figure?

Ill test a few more discs during the week and post the results. I tend to use - not +, but the "qp" +4x writes at 4x with 301f/w.

L8r's Typhus