Burn process reports success, but DVD is a coaster

[diyabolo]

After having no trouble with my Toshiba SD-R6472 for a year, it suddenly no longer burns DVD. The burn process completes successfully, with no error messages and normal buffer activity, before popping out a coaster. I'm using a Presario 2190 laptop 2.4GHz 256MB 40GB WinXP SP2. The burner has its original unaltered firmware. I didn't make any intentional configuration changes or install any programs between the last successful burn and the failed ones. Here are the details:

The burn reports success at 4x, but then loading the burned DVDR into the drive causes the drive to spin for several minutes before giving up and thinking it's empty. The disc won't play in my Apex standalone either, with which I've never had any problem viewing burned discs previously. Looking at the disc's playing surface, you can see a clear line about 1/4 of the way out, just the way a failed burn usually looks. To narrow down the problem I tried both Nero and CDBurnerXP, bulk and Fuji media, DVD-R and DVD+R, data and video projects -- all with exactly the same result, a visible line in the same position on the disc, leading me to the conclusion that it's either the hardware or XP. The one thing I didn't try was slowing down to 2x (due to impatience)--but seeing as until now I've had no trouble even at 8x, there's still something wrong if only 2x succeeds. It still burns CDR with no errors.

Does anyone know what might make a burn fail while the software reports sucess? I'd love for it not to be the drive, as it was one of the best reviewed out there a year ago when I bought it (manufacture date Jan 05, purchased Feb 05) and the only laptop drive at the time that could burn dual layer DVD (damn, never used that feature!). What XP settings and files relate to DVD burning? I read that SP2 has caused burn errors for some, but I've been using that for many months, since long before this trouble.

My sense is that it's the drive. If so, well I guess I'm lucky it's at least still a good CDRW. Any suggestions?

[ROF]

Are you sure it's burning the disc and not performing a "test" burn?

[diyabolo]

Yes, I'm sure. That wouldn't leave the disc partially written and unrecognizable by the drive anyway. But thanks.

I should also mention I made sure there was plenty of free HD space and ran a couple of defrags.

[ROF]

Actually during a test burn nothing is burned to the disc itself. It's just a test to make sure your system can keep up with the burning process. It will report a successful completion while the disc itself continues to be reported as blank

[jyn999]

You've eliminated the burning software and media as possible causes so that leaves your burner as the most likely cause. It sounds like the laser is only traveling a specific distance across the DVD and not going past that point.

[diyabolo]

jyn999 - my thought exactly. I was just hoping someone could come up with something else to try.

ROF - Are you reading my posts before replying? I've been burning since 1995 and nothing I said implied I thought test burns could write data. Also, the media isn't being read as blank -- the drive spins up for minutes before giving up on it. Thanks anyway.

[Saito_Hajime]

I'm having a problem burning dvds as data disc too. Sorry to bump in, was too lazy to create a new thread . Anyway, here it goes. I'm using Nero Express as my burning software and NU HDW-164 as my burner. And I often use different kinds of media (as long as it's DVD+R, since I'm not having any problem with it). But just recently, I begun to experience a problem with data discs. The burn process and data verification is successful, but when I play the videos (these are avi files btw), I end up getting corrupted files. I tried using DVD-R too but gets the same result. Any solution for this? And oh yeah, when I burn DVDs as DVD-Video, it's working fine.

[diyabolo]

The last spindle of bulk DVD-R I bought contained about 10 bad discs which always gave me unreadable sectors. I'll only use name brand media now. Are you sure the Video discs are really error-free, i.e. have you tried copying the burned video files back to hard disk? Standalone players can be more forgiving of bad sectors than a DVD-RW drive.

Do the AVI files fail to copy back to HD from the disc, or is the problem only with playing them directly from the DVD-R? What do you mean by "corrupt" -- crash, error message, distorted video?

[Saito_Hajime]

The last spindle of bulk DVD-R I bought contained about 10 bad discs which always gave me unreadable sectors. I'll only use name brand media now. Are you sure the Video discs are really error-free, i.e. have you tried copying the burned video files back to hard disk? Standalone players can be more forgiving of bad sectors than a DVD-RW drive.

Do the AVI files fail to copy back to HD from the disc, or is the problem only with playing them directly from the DVD-R? What do you mean by "corrupt" -- crash, error message, distorted video?

You mean the files inside the Video_TS folder of the DVD-Video? Nope, haven't tried copying it back to my hard disk. I've got no problem playing it in my DVD-RW drive and in my DVD player anyway. And besides, there is no need for me to copy it back to my hard disk, unlike in data disc were there are times that I need to copy those avi files back to my hard disk when there are BT seed requests.

About the data disc, what I meant by corrupt is the distorted video when playing them directly from the DVDR. When I tried to copy the files back to my hard disk, I get the same result and when I open my BT to seed the files, I end up being one of the leechers instead of a seeder .

[lordsmurf]

The last spindle of bulk DVD-R I bought contained about 10 bad discs which always gave me unreadable sectors. I'll only use name brand media now.

Time for a media lesson. Check out www.nomorecoasters.com

A "bulk" package of Taiyo Yuden will always be better than a "name brand" Memorex.
Brand name means nothing.
Bulk is simply when something is old in large quantity.
These concepts have no relation, and zero importance, with blank CD/DVD media.

Go for a good manufacturer, and get that disc, bulk or name branded.

[Saito_Hajime]

By the way, my problem is solved now . I found out that the firmware installed in my system is not compatible to my burner. 17QF is installed, which is for NU DDW-164, not for HDW-164. So I replaced it with 16QF, which is the right firmware for my burner. I tried burning a data disc just now and the data verification was successful. I also tried to play the files and its working well.

[trhouse]

Can the drive still read or play a known good dvd?

[Saito_Hajime]

Can the drive still read or play a known good dvd?

Yup. I guess everything is fixed now.

[diyabolo]

Sorry, Saito, if you didn't understand commonly used terminology, but by "bulk media" I was referring not to the quantity in a package but to any number of the cheapest, most carelessly produced (check out the sloppy edges) media with an almost random name slapped on it. I wouldn't count Taiyo Yuden in that category. So close your dictionary. My most recent 25 pack spindle of dirt cheap "Nexxtech" consisted of 40% unusable discs -- producing errors where a Fuji disc did fine burning the same project. I know that different brands of discs come from the same plants, with brand name meaning little (however, not "zero"). In most cases, you get what you choose to pay for.

[trhouse]

Sorry for the confusion. My question was directed to diyabolo. If the Toshiba can read a known good dvd.

[Saito_Hajime]

Sorry, Saito, if you didn't understand commonly used terminology, but by "bulk media" I was referring not to the quantity in a package but to any number of the cheapest, most carelessly produced (check out the sloppy edges) media with an almost random name slapped on it. I wouldn't count Taiyo Yuden in that category. So close your dictionary. My most recent 25 pack spindle of dirt cheap "Nexxtech" consisted of 40% unusable discs -- producing errors where a Fuji disc did fine burning the same project. I know that different brands of discs come from the same plants, with brand name meaning little (however, not "zero"). In most cases, you get what you choose to pay for.

Huh? Uhmm......I think you're getting it all wrong. It wasn't me who replied to you regarding the "bulk media" issue. I do have an idea what it means. But anyway, thanks for providing me added knowledge .

Sorry for the confusion. My question was directed to diyabolo. If the Toshiba can read a known good dvd.

Oh I see. Hehe sorry, my bad .