NEC 2500A = junk

[zanos]

It's a well constructed unit but it's horrible at reading discs. I can't even extract the contents of a dvd without getting an error. It gets even worse if you try to update the firmware from nec. It's ridiculous that the hacked firmware I'm using right now works better. If that's what it takes to get this thing working properly it's junk.

[guns1inger]

I haven't had any problems reading or writing with mine. I use DVDInfoPro to read test all my burns, and with the exception of a batch of Princos that had manufacturing faults, every one of them reads back sweet. The only time have had problems reading disks it is because they have been scratched in some way. DVDxRescue has recovered them.

[zanos]

Which hacked firmware are you using?

[guns1inger]

Up until about a week ago I was using the 1.06 NEC firmware it shipped with. I am now running Herrie's hacked 2510 2.15 DL firmware. This also removes RPC2 and rip locks, so I have speed improvements in ripping (down to 5 minutes a disk, give or take)

[zanos]

The 1.06 firmware seemed kind of stable for burning my newest prodisc 4x at 8x. However my silver inkjet printables would only burn at 4x. Ricoh was at 6x and the burner had problems reading discs for purposes of scanning data. I'm having more success reading discs with the hacked 1.07 firmware but I still get bogus scans. This is truly a piece of garbage.

[JSB]

The 1.06 firmware seemed kind of stable for burning my newest prodisc 4x at 8x. However my silver inkjet printables would only burn at 4x. Ricoh was at 6x and the burner had problems reading discs for purposes of scanning data. I'm having more success reading discs with the hacked 1.07 firmware but I still get bogus scans. This is truly a piece of garbage.

RMA it.... I think you have a bad drive.

JSB

[Jojje]

I guess your Nec is broken or you´re using cheap crap disc´s... You´re just looking silly by saying that "all is junk" without looking into possible alternatives suck as cheap discs, scratched discs, dust in the drive, bad burning software etc.

[Kool_Aid]

I guess your Nec is broken or you´re using cheap crap disc´s... You´re just looking silly by saying that "all is junk" without looking into possible alternatives suck as cheap discs, scratched discs, dust in the drive, bad burning software etc.

......user error.......

[zanos]

I guess your Nec is broken or you´re using cheap crap disc´s... You´re just looking silly by saying that "all is junk" without looking into possible alternatives suck as cheap discs, scratched discs, dust in the drive, bad burning software etc.

Dude didn't you read my post where I pretty much listed all the dvds I used? Crap discs? I don't think so.

[kyemeng]

Well, I am one of those who owned the drive and am haved coutless disks. Overall, I would rate this drive as being one of the best in its class.

[chas0039]

Over at CDFreaks they are busy trying to modify their Liteon firmware to work as well as the NEC. I searched through the media test files and after an hour I could not find a single scan of any media burned on an NEC that was anything but spectacular. That doesn't mean they don't exist but all forum evidence is pointing to a defect rather than a bad design. I am ordering an NEC this weekend and I will be selling my Pioneer 107D on Ebay.

[black-diesel]

This review rated it as one of the best. I have one and have not had any problems with it. I just bought a Lite-on dual layer burner, I may go back to the 2500A

CDFreaks Review

[loconess]

your 2500A = junk

everybody else's 2500A = fantastic

you not equal everybody else

dont make that statement "NEC 2500A = junk"

[dun4cheap]

guns1inger

did does herries 2.15 hack for the 2510 also have the speed writing hack? I am running the 1.07beta on my 2510 so it shows as a 2500 dl but I would like to go back to the 2510 label if the speed hacks were included. Has it done well for you?

[guns1inger]

The version I'm running has been modified for the 2500, so it shows up as a 2500 (and as 1.07). According to the download post, the only changes are RPC1 and rip lock removal. All the other benefits (DL burning, bitsetting for DL media) come from the 2510 firmware. There are no additional write strategies or changes.

I have been happy - rips are down to 5 -6 minutes in most cases, all burns have been clean, and read back perfectly in DVDInfoPro's read test.

I have not been able to test DL burning yet because I have not been able to get my hands on any media (and I'm told it's about $15 per disk !)

[Vanderlow]

Actually you must have missed this in the summary of CDfreaks review of the drive:

- Problems with reading discs that is not in perfect condition.


Cdrinfo.com also shows it and the 2510A does not have great error correcting abilities. Hacked firmware shuold only make it worse since it ups the rip speed.

[thor300]

My 1300A is also "Monday Made", just like Zanos' 2500 I believe CDFreaks are correct. Still, from the posts i read about nec drives i would assume most of them are good, maybe its just bad quality control that lets "monday drives" pass.

[lenti_75]

dude, I still use my nec 1100 and don;t feel like change it.

you got a broken one, sometimes happens, you know.....shit happens, not everything is perfect.

I rip, burn and no coasters.....but i use quality shit.

[overloaded_ide]

I think my NEC 2500A may have taken a dump too, but it was a great drive when first installed.

I am testing in a different system now!
Just ripped a disk in 27 minutes and 10 seconds according to the program.
So far so good, Read below what has happened recently to me with this drive. After I burn the disk I will post back rather it worked or not!

First even though it is a 8X drive, I had tons of Ritek printables 4x, so I only ever burned 4x speeds. Never a problem with a rip or burn, to begin with!

Then for some reason alittle while back I dropped from 4x to 2x, same disks, same spindle! All disks appeared to be perfect, but were only burning at 2x. I was going to check into posible system or software problems that may have caused that.

BUT, now I just did like 3 coasters in a row! One has thin burned line, blank unburned space, thick burned area. That's in the first 1/3 of the disk, the rest is blank! Another disk seemed to burn 1/3 perfect, then just locked up. I forget what the 3rd burn was like. All 3 burns appeared to be about 2x speeds.

Not a hardware or file problem I am sure, I still had my Toshiba 2X drive installed and I burned all 3 DVDs just fine at 2X on the Toshiba. Same 3 DVDs I had authored, same burning program, same spindle of disks!
No way I had every other disk be bad 3 burns in a row with these Riteks, never had a bad one yet except these 3!

Also My system locked up when trying to play a DVD in the Nec 2500. This was right after the last failed burn. I tried to burn a DVD-r, it coastered. I burned the disk on the Toshiba, it burned perfect. I played the disk in the setop DVD player works great. Put disk in NEC2500 and my system apeared to be frozen or locked, I think I skipped forward about 1/3 the 3 disk. Also I rebooted the system with a disk in the drive and the system was jumpy and froze.
Not sure why this would happen, but I have never had it happen before and the coasters just started and only with this drive!

[thor300]

I will for sure never buy a Nec drive again, i refuse to believe that users who have bad NEC drives are more stupid and make more users errors than others.

[Captain315]

I received an NEC 2500A with the computer I bought but I stopped using it completely. The drive is totally unreliable at reading and writing. On the other hand, the Plextor 708A I installed does the same tasks with no problems at all. The NEC will be replaced with a DL later on.

[overloaded_ide]

Well guys,
Update to my earlier post on my problems.

I am at the office and installed the Nec2500a into this system. On the way here I stopped and got a DVD from the rental store that was less than perfect for sure!
(I already own the same DVD, but mine aren't in bad shape and I needed a worn disk for testing a different drive)

The results? Perfect rip with my NEC2500A on a worn disk.
What seems to be perfect burns twice (2 different sets of files) but at 2x speed.

Ok, now what is going on here I don't know? Look at my earlier post about the problems I had in the other system. That was last night and today the drive was not working, now it seems to be working? I did remove the drive, carrying it 15miles in the car and install to a totally different system that never had a DVD burner before
Is it that it liked the drive in the country, that I shook it around, or a problem with my other system?
Remember before we say the other system is the problem these 2 things!
1: My other system was burning the same disks and files just fine with the Toshiba 2x drive that the NEC turned to coasters.

2: I am still only getting a 2X burn on 4x printable riteks that have always burned at 4x in the past with this drive!

The 2 disks that worked in this system were a 2x Leda/princo cheapy and a 4X Ritek printable (burned at 2x though)

I will do a bit more testing, but as it stands at the moment I will be RMAing this drive. 2X burns on 4X media with an 8X drive is unexceptable even if it keeps working. I guess I will try new firmware, but I can't find anything at NEC about this drive at all unless I go UK and then just info,

Where did you guys find the new firmware?

[Kool_Aid]

Where did you guys find the new firmware?

The NEC Forum

[overloaded_ide]

Thanks.
I patched to Herries 1.07 and it made no difference at this time, I still got a 2x burn again!