New drive writes SVCD images only readable in some players

[absinthecarolinas]

Okay, let me try to boil this down as simple as possible.

I have a laptop, and the CD-RW/DVD-ROM (read only) drive in it started to go haywire. Audio CDs and MP3-data CDs only partially played, and (S)VCDs wouldn't play at all. I had previously used this laptop quite extensively for SVCD image burning.

I had purchased an extended warranty, and so I took the laptop to Best Buy for repair. It took a month to get it back, but now I've got it. It looks like they've replaced the drive with a "Toshiba SD R2212" combo drive.

Now the drive seems to work fine. However, (S)VCD images (bin+cue) burned to disc by this drive will not play back on ONE of my players, namely an Apex. This Apex player has always played everything I've thrown at it. These same discs, however, (burned in this new drive) will play back just fine in my Philips DVP-642, so I know there's nothing wrong with the new drive or my burning process.

Now, the Apex player will play back the exact same image burned on a different computer in either of two different drives. So, there's nothing wrong with or unusual about the data in the image. Also, I've used about every possible combinatio of Nero and Alcohol 120% on both computers.

*An interesting point: Are you familiar with how, when a disc is inserted into a player, you will often see on the screen a brief notation of what the disc is when it is first recognized? For instance, when I insert an SVCD the Apex player usually says "SVCD PBC ON." Well, when I insert the disc burned in the new laptop combo drive, the player indicates "CDDA," as if thinks it's a CD audio disc!! However, again, the very same image burned in a different drive on another computer will produce an "SVCD" as noted by the player when inserted. Very strange, indeed.

Ok, I could go on, but I've learned through some web searches that there may be a hardware limitation regarding writing in mode 2 with this Toshiba drive, as well as many others. I can't get any more specific info as I only learned that from a Google result "summary;" the actual link to the page is dead. Toshiba's website does not list any firmware upgrades for this model.

Does anyone know anything more definitive? If I can't get this to work, it's going to have to go back to Best Buy again. I figure it burned SVCDs fine previously, and so under warranty they ought to restore it to that condition. I really dread that, though, as it could take another month.

Thanx,

-abs

[absinthecarolinas]

I think I've been able to confim something about the drive. I read somewhere on the 'Net that the writer has a limitation of 748 MB in Mode 2. I decided on a little experiment.

I simply burned a VCD image that was only about 500 MB, figuring that should be no problem. Sure enough, that seemed to work. The Apex player will play it back, though it still indicates the disc is "CDDA." I just can't figure that out.

Is anyone familiar with this sort of built-in hardware limitation on a CD-RW drive? I've never had a problem with any other drive. Do you think I have a case for sending it back to Best Buy for further "repair?"

-abs