LG GSA-4040B has failed already?

[lgmayka]

My GSA-4040B burner (+,-,RAM) is a little over a month old. I had finally found a media code (RITEKG04) that it recognized as 4x DVD-R, and had burned many such. But two days ago...

After one successful burn that day, the next one failed. Then the next one, and the next one. I went into simulation mode, and got this log from Nero Express 6.0.0.19:

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5:37:44 AM #18 Phase 32 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1843
Simulation started at 4x (5,520 KB/s)

5:37:44 AM #19 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 2136
Verifying disc position of item 0 (relocatable, disc pos, no patch infos, orig at #0): write at #0

5:37:44 AM #20 Text 0 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1703
Set remaining time: 3:56,514 (236514ms) -> OK

5:37:44 AM #21 Text 0 File DVDR.cpp, Line 1457
Recording mode: Sequential Recording Mode

5:37:44 AM #22 Text 0 File Mmc.cpp, Line 19195
Set BUFE: supported -> ON

5:37:44 AM #23 Text 0 File DVDR.cpp, Line 1572
Start write address at LBA 0
DVD high compatibility mode: Yes

5:37:44 AM #24 Text 0 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 7912
---- DVD Structure: Physical Format Information (00h) ----
Layer: 0, Address: 0 (0 h), AGID: 0; Length: 2050
Book Type: DVD-R (2), Part Version: 5
Disc Size: 120 mm, Maximum Rate: <not specified> (F h)
Number of Layers: 1, Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP), Layer Type: recordable
Linear Density: 0,267 um/bit, Track Density: 0,74 um/track
Starting Physical Sector Number of Data Area: 30000 h (DVD-ROM, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW)
End Physical Sector Number of Data Area: 26127F h
End Sector Number in Layer 0: 0 h
Data in Burst Cutting Area (BCA) does not exist
Media Specific:
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
02 FE 10 00 02 FF A0 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

5:37:46 AM #25 Text 0 File Writer.cpp, Line 318
05:37:46.734 - HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4040B : Queue again later (Intervall : 11msec)

5:37:57 AM #26 SCSI -1093 File Cdrdrv.cpp, Line 1413
SCSI Exec, HA 1, TA 1, LUN 0, buffer 0x04180000
Status: 0x04 (0x01, SCSI_ERR)
HA-Status 0x00 (0x00, OK)
TA-Status 0x02 (0x01, SCSI_TASTATUS_CHKCOND)
Sense Key: 0x03 (KEY_MEDIUM_ERROR)
Sense Code: 0x02
Sense Qual: 0x00
CDB Data: 0x2A 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00 0x00
Sense Data: 0x71 0x00 0x03 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x10
0x30 0x3C 0x00 0x0C 0x02 0x00

5:37:57 AM #27 CDR -1093 File Writer.cpp, Line 335
No seek complete

5:37:57 AM #28 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 228
all writers idle, stopping conversion

5:37:57 AM #29 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 222
conversion idle, stopping reader

5:37:57 AM #30 Text 0 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1703
Set remaining time: 0:00,000 (0ms) -> OK

5:37:57 AM #31 Text 0 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1703
Set remaining time: 0:00,000 (0ms) -> OK

5:37:57 AM #32 Phase 34 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1843
Simulation failed at 4x (5,520 KB/s)
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Simulation, and burning, at 2x appears to work properly. Similarly, Easy CD Creator 5.3.5.10 in 4x simulation mode says:

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E8004187b: Disc error - corrupted format - [05/30/05]
E80041925: TrackWriter error - Command retry failed - [T7118]
---

Once again I emphasize that 2x DVD-R burning continues to work properly, as does 4x DVD+R burning, 2.4x DVD+RW writing, 1x DVD-RW writing (I don't have any 2x DVD-RW disks), and DVD-RAM writing.

These same errors occur on all my remaining DVD-R blanks (all RITEKG04, marked for 4x). Trying another brand would almost certainly be useless, and certainly expensive, since I have already seen that RITEKG04 is the only (easily available and inexpensive) media code that reliably burns at 4x on the 4040B drive; and besides, I find it hard to believe that the quality of the RITEKG04 blanks would change drastically in the middle of a 25-pack spindle.

What could cause 4x to suddenly start failing (but with 2x still succeeding) without any other system changes? Does anyone have suggestions to try, or should I just contact LG for an RMA number?

[Colindale]

The latest firmware update A301, fixes all that!

[lgmayka]

No, I installed A301 the other day, and these unusual RITEKG04 blanks still cause the same problems. Someone in other forum was told by LG that RITEKG04 blanks "meant for" the European market sometimes exhibit these problems. If so, perhaps my source (allmediaoutlet.com) mixed American and European batches, because the blanks worked fine until I got about halfway through the spindle.

In a couple of days another shipment of RITEKG04 blanks should arrive, from another source (meritline.com). We'll see if I get an all-American batch this time.

[p0rnLiME]

Maybe somebody at the factory fell asleap during quality testing and didn't want to get caught sleeping at job

Seriously, wierd prob... My Traxtada (Ritek, "all" 3 of them) burned without probs at 4x (Firmware A104 though, haven't got any more discs to try with A301 )

[digitalboots]

I've got the same problem with my 4040b and Ritek G03. I burned one successfully and the next no go, now I can't burn at all. See my thread
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=183398
Gord.

[lgmayka]

I received a new shipment of RITEKG04 disks, this time silver-colored ones from meritline.com. These burn just fine at 4x. So I now believe that the ugly-orange media from allmediaoutlet.com was at fault. Either they mixed American- and European-targeted media, or were simply counterfeits.

[lgmayka]

A couple of months ago I was rooked by FujiFilm DVD-Rs that were mislabeled as 4x (media code TYG01) but were in reality 2x (media code TAIYO-YUDEN). A couple of days ago I decided to try again, due to Best Buy's 40%-off sale; Best Buy promised I could get a refund if the disks were not as claimed.

But this time, the disks are indeed of media code TYG01, and my GSA-4040B burns them at 4x speed nicely.