Problems burning at 4X Sony DRU500AX

[DrJOnes666]

Hi,
I just got one hundred Mitsumi DVD+R 4x media. The first disc I used, I was able to burn at 4X. But that was the only one I was able to burn at that speed so far from the batch I purchased. I can burn no problem at 2.4X or lower, but for some reason, it doesn't want to burn at 4x. It starts with the Leadin, but then after 2 minutes, it stops without even starting to burn the actual data.

I always get a "NO SEEK COMPLETE" error message, no matter what software I use to burn on this media at 4X. Here's a complete LOG of the error from Alcohol 120 (I also tried Nero and DVD Decrypter).

22:24:42 DVD Source Info: Session: 1, Track: 1, Length: 4.37 GB / 508:56:13
22:24:43 (D SONY DVD RW DRU-500A(1:1): Recording Method/Speed
22:24:43 Recording - DVD DAO - 4.0X (5520 KB/Sec)
22:26:44 (D SONY DVD RW DRU-500A(1:1) - [Write ERROR] LBA: 2256, Length: 16
S:KEY - 03/02/00 - "No Seek Complete"
22:26:44 (D SONY DVD RW DRU-500A(1:1): Recording failed!
22:26:44 Error message: [03/02/00] - No Seek Complete
22:26:44 (D SONY DVD RW DRU-500A(1:1): Recording failed!


I realize the problem might simply be the media itself. But I wonder why I was able to burn one of these discs at 4X. And I'm thinking, maybe there is something you guys know I could do to optimize the burner to be able to actually burn these discs at 4X like they should.

Note that I have the latest 2.1a firmware and DMA is automatically set at Ultra DMA 2 - Ultra33 for my SLAVE on the Primary IDE channel (Slave is the DRu500AX); Ennable Write Cache is greyed out.

Any ideas what I could do?

Thanks,

DrJOnes666

[louthewiz]

I have the same drive gathering dust they are unreliable,I purchased 2 lite on dvd burners ,the 812 and the 851 and they both burn at the right speeds.

[Mark_Venture]

I have the same drive gathering dust they are unreliable....

I don't know that I'd go as far to say unreliable. But I will say they are picky about media.

I got my DRU500a years ago (November 2001) and I have burned hundreds of dvds (movies and data). Its still my one and only DVD burner.

The only times I've had problems was using 1-4x Memorex that were CMC media code, or recently Fuji Film 1-8x (TY02 media code). Some would burn successfully, others would error out at Lead-in, Lead out or various stages of the burn process. Some would burn and verify ok in the PC, but when you later try to read the data you get CRC errors.

If I stick with 1-4X discs that are media code RICOHJPNR01 (I've found Verbatim, Memorex, and Sony that are RICOJPNR01). Since sony released the firmware to make the drive up to 4x for +R, I get 100% success rate at 4x. That is, burn and verify completes, they play in all my DVD players, can be read in all my DVD-Rom drives, and continue to be useable weeks, months and years after they were burned. Prior to that all burns were also successfull and still work to this day.

I realize the problem might simply be the media itself. But I wonder why I was able to burn one of these discs at 4X.

My guess... a media issue. Looks similar to what I was seeing at one point recently....

I got Fuji Film "up to 8x" +R's when they were on sale at Best Buy because they were YUDEN000T02 media code, and every one says that TYs are really good. With firmware 2.1a installed on my drive, some would burn successfully at 4x, however many would not and I now have my first pile of coasters .. I have since given the remainder of the spindle to a friend who has an 8x sony burner, and he has no problems.

In my case I say its media or rather how the drive's firmware handles the media, because switching back to RICOJPNR01 media code, I have not burned a coaster yet.

[DrJOnes666]

Thank you for sharing the info Mark.

[handyguy]

Getting the Sony to do anything more than 2x requires a miracle. There have been posts on this for about 2 years.

[DrJOnes666]

Sorry handyguy... Maybe I should have searched more before posting.