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  1. Member
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    I had recently bought some cheap JVC DVD-R media and nero kept giving me an "illegal disc" error when trying to use them with my NEC 6650a dvd burner. After searching the web for quite some time for an answer with no luck, I decided to go about it like the drive just didnt recognize the media code. Sure enough, this was the problem, and I've decided to make a little guide through what I did in case anyone else has been struggling with the same problem. This should work for almost any NEC drive, and probably any other drive that the software used is compatible with.

    1. Download and install binflash from http://binflash.cdfreaks.com

    2. Use binflash to dump your current firmware, or you could download a compatible firmware(just make sure its the right one!)

    3. Download and install the program DVDIdentifier from http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com/

    4. Insert the media thats been causing the error into your dvd drive.

    5. Run DVDIdentifier and click the identify button, then under "additional info" click on the "media-code" block tab, Copy the entire block to the clipboard.

    6. Download the program MediaCodeSpeedEdit from http://ala42.cdfreaks.com/

    7. Run MediaCodeSpeedEdit and load your dumped/downloaded firmware.bin, then select a media you would more than likely never use with the same attributes as the disc causing the error.(ie if its a dvd-r 8x select a dvd-r that will burn at 8x)

    8. After the disc you wish to replace with the new media is selected, click on the import button and paste the media block into the popup window text area, then click okay, and click set.

    9. Save the new firmware, making sure to keep a backup of the original in case you want to revert back to the unpatched version.

    10. Use Binflash to load the new firmware onto the drive and reboot. Troublesome media should now burn perfectly.

    I hope this helps people with this problem
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  2. Member oldandinthe way's Avatar
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    Will not work 100% of the time.

    May generate less than optimal burns when it works - reducing media reliability. There are more parameters to a correct write strategy than speed.

    This is a bandaid. Correct solution is a proper write strategy in a manufacturer supplied firmware update. Or if that is not available and you insist on using modern media or oddball brands - a new drive.

    You are defeating the intentions of the DVD standard, and placing your data at risk.
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  3. Member
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    Well this has worked well for me, and all of the burns made to that media have been fine quality, and have worked in all the readers(dvd player, others) in my home. And the basic write strategies are included in the media code, so this should work 100% of the time.
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  4. Member
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    There is a lot of data included in the media code... Here's the actual media code in hex.


    ** INFO : Hex Dump Of 'Media Code'-Block Listed Below
    ** INFO : 4-Byte Header Preceding 'Media Code'-Block Discarded
    ** INFO : Format 0Eh - Pre-Recorded Information In Lead-In
    0000 : 01 40 c1 fd 9e d8 52 00 02 85 0d 0e 88 9a 80 00 .@....R.........
    0010 : 03 4d 4a 43 20 4d 30 00 04 30 35 00 00 00 00 00 .MJC M0..05.....
    0020 : 05 88 80 00 00 00 02 00 06 09 0b 14 87 78 90 00 .............x..
    0030 : 07 88 80 00 00 00 00 00 08 08 13 0d 11 0c 08 00 ................
    0040 : 09 95 07 0e 0b 78 88 00 0a a0 00 20 00 20 10 00 .....x..... . ..
    0050 : 0b 06 1a 17 86 67 85 00 0c 99 ab 3a 83 20 32 00 .....g.....:. 2.
    0060 : 0d 00 00 d0 00 00 00 00 0e 0a 24 35 2f 29 1a 00 ..........$5/)..
    0070 : 0f 50 1b 29 17 97 b5 00 10 88 80 00 00 00 00 00 .P.)............
    0080 : 11 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 12 09 2e 37 2f 29 19 00 ...........7/)..
    0090 : 13 50 1b 29 17 97 b5 00 14 88 80 00 00 00 00 00 .P.)............
    00a0 : 15 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 16 09 3f 44 3d 24 29 00 ..........?D=$).
    00b0 : 17 60 1f 2f 1d 97 b5 00 18 88 84 00 04 00 04 00 .`./............
    00c0 : 19 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1a 08 57 46 42 27 24 00 ..........WFB'$.
    00d0 : 1b 70 1f 2b 0f aa b5 00 1c 88 84 00 04 00 04 00 .p.+............
    00e0 : 1d 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........

    ** INFO : Hex Dump Of 'Control Data Zone'-Block Listed Below
    ** INFO : 4-Byte Header Preceding 'CDZ'-Block Discarded
    ** INFO : Format 10h - Physical Format Information Of Control Data Zone
    0000 : 25 0f 02 00 00 03 00 00 00 26 12 7f 00 00 00 00 %........&......

    and here is what it means:

    Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO
    Media code/Manufacturer ID MJC M005
    Format Capacity Blank Disc
    Free Blocks 412352512
    Free Capacity 4.38GB/4.71GB
    Book Type DVD-R
    Media Type DVD-R
    Manufacturer Rated Speed Unknown
    Available Write Descriptor CLV 8.0x 11080KBps
    Available Write Descriptor CLV 6.0x 8310KBps
    Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps
    Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.0x 2770KBps
    Write Strategy Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
    2x Speed OPC beta 09
    2x Speed OPC power 0B
    2x Write Strategy field 1 14 87 78 90
    2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00
    4x Speed OPC beta 08
    4x Speed OPC power 13
    4x Write Strategy field 1 0D 11 0C 08
    4x Write Strategy field 2 95 07 0E 0B
    4x Write Strategy field 3 A0 00 20 00
    4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 06
    4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 1A
    4x Write Strategy field 4 17 86 67 85
    4x Write Strategy field 5 99 AB 3A 83 20 32
    4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 D0 00 00
    Data area starting sector 30000h
    Linear Density 0.267um/bit
    Track Density 0.74um/track
    Number of Layers 1


    As you can see, thats a lot more than just the name of the media and burn speed. The only reason I mentioned choosing a media to replace with the same speed, was because the program wouldnt allow me to change the speeds that were allowed for that media. So I'd like to hear why you think this wouldnt produce a quality burn, considering the write strategies are being added to the firmware as well. Why waste money on a new drive, or let a spindle of off brand media go to waste when there is an easy fix such as this?
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  5. Member Krispy Kritter's Avatar
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    Write stratagies contain the information needed to properly burn a given media. An example would be the laser power, which can vary from brand to brand based on the acrylic and die.

    It may work fine in some instances (as it is currently for you with your current media). Just don't expect it to work properly for all media that you have to hack.
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  6. Member
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    I thought I just pointed out that the necessary write strategies(look above, there's even power settings) are in the media code, embedded in the disc? Google ADIP and the information stored there. So why wouldnt this work fine in all instances? Sure it probably wouldnt work if the drive wasnt compatible with the type of media(trying to burn a dual layer on a single layer only drive or a dvd-ram on a drive that doesnt support etc etc) or if the drive isnt supported by the software(check the websites I listed for supported drives), but this isnt about hacking a drive to do something its not designed to do, this is about getting off brand media that SHOULD be compatible to work in a drive that doesnt have it listed in the firmware.(why wait? update on demand!) People are always so quick to criticize
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  7. Member Krispy Kritter's Avatar
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    I know what you pointed out, but if I follow your process correctly, you are copying an existing write strategy and changing the media code to support the media that doesn't work. So you are basically using a write strategy for a different media on the new media. In which case, the laser power settings won't always be correct.

    I wasn't trying to be critical, just pointing out that it won't always work. This process is only needed when trying to use old hardware that is no longer updated or when trying to use cheap media.
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  8. Member
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    No, I am putting a NEW media code and write strategy from the disc into the firmware, replacing another firmwares spot in the flash memory. I am using the manufacturers write strategies that have been embedded onto the blank disc. I am only replacing an existing write strategy with the new one. (although there are some drive specific strategies that arent included on the disc, everything the drive NEEDS to burn is included in the ADIP/Media code pressed into the disc.) Are you aware that some drives, when faced with unregonized media, will read the ADIP write strategies on the disc, and basically do this automatically? This WILL work all the time.

    And of course this is only needed in situations where the firmware doesnt include the media you are trying to burn, but this might not always be due to lack of recent updates.
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  9. Member
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    lucaschrist,

    I'm afraid I have to agree with the others that there are some problems with the technique you describe.

    Since it hasn't been mentioned, using this technique will absolutely void the warranty on the drive. Whether it matters or not to a potential user of the technique, it's something to be aware of.

    The media code doesn't contain the write strategy, just a means to locate the strategy in the write strategy table. If the drive's firmware doesn't already include a suitable write strategy for that media, you're not going to get an optimal burn, no matter what. Assuming (optimistically) the firmware does have a suitable strategy, and the unknown MID just isn't linked to it, the odds that you would guess the right entry aren't very good. You might have to try several times to get it right, with no way of checking the choice except for basic "That appears to work".

    You mention ADIP, but I don't see how this technique makes use of ADIP data. Even if you could figure out a way to modify the technique to make use of ADIP, it only exists on +R media, and it's not required even then. Even worse, ADIP doesn't exist with -R media. Logically, if you're having problems with +R media, the drive either isn't ADIP aware, or isn't equipped with write strategy optimization intelligence. Either way (or if you're using -R media) ADIP isn't going to help.

    Burners generally have a "gamble" write strategy for unknown media. It isn't likely to produce optimal burns, but it might get the job done. It seems to me that this technique is sort of like a "gamble" write strategy (for a drive that doesn't have one), except instead of using a generic strategy, it's using a strategy for a specific disk that is not what is currently in the burner. It may work, but there are many ways it can go wrong.

    If a drive has trouble with any given media, I think the best advice is to upgrade the drive's firmware (if available), upgrade the drive, or switch media. None of these methods are expensive, and are much more likely to produce reliably good results.
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  10. Member
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    As I said before, this should only be used as a last resort if someone is stuck with a lot of incompatible media.(like I was) If you have the newest firmware and the discs still dont burn, this is something you could try.

    I'd still like to know what these lines from the media code are...

    2x Speed OPC beta 09
    2x Speed OPC power 0B
    2x Write Strategy field 1 14 87 78 90
    2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00
    4x Speed OPC beta 08
    4x Speed OPC power 13
    4x Write Strategy field 1 0D 11 0C 08
    4x Write Strategy field 2 95 07 0E 0B
    4x Write Strategy field 3 A0 00 20 00
    4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 06
    4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 1A
    4x Write Strategy field 4 17 86 67 85
    4x Write Strategy field 5 99 AB 3A 83 20 32
    4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 D0 00 00
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  11. Member
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    lucaschrist,

    I can point you in the right direction, but you'll have to do the research yourself. The publicly available dvd specifications won't help with what you want to know, but patent documents are likely to provide the information.

    The best way I've found to explore patent information is by using the search function at freepatentsonline.com. In order to get the diagrams (which you probably want), you'll need the pdfs, so you have to sign up for a free account, but it's painless.

    To get you started, here are two patents you can look at that propose ways to more efficiently update the write strategy list (table) in a drive's firmware:
    US7161881
    US6915374
    The "Description of the Related Art" sections explain the general mechanism used to obtain the write strategy. Look for keywords that look promising, and then search on those words (or phrases). Continue the cycle until you find what you're looking for. It may also help to use google for any new keywords or key phrases you run across.
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