Sony DRU-500A & 4x burning - can't do it - firmware &

[jurynel]

I do not think the 512 Mb is as bad as the 1GHz CPU might be - there is room for improvement. Upgrading should however be a nightmare. Check if any new CPU is going to be compatable with your motherboard. Don't get offended, but 1Ghz is quite old. Our local suppliers has the smallest CPU at 2.1 Ghz! It is a mad race - new today, old tomorrow, fossilized next week. You might have the same problem with RAM...and end up with replacing you CPU, RAM and motherboard. Then it might be more cost effective to get a new system.

But weather you upgrade or buy a new system, I find the heart is in the combination of CPU/RAM/Motherboard. Do not be scared to spend money on the motherboard as well, the cheapest will be just that! I use an Intel 2.8Ghz / 1Gb Ram / GA-8S655 motherboard to master a DVD's out of Adobe Encore from Canopus DV AVI's in almost real time! (2 hour 45 min movie takes 3h15min to produce the first DVD) I do not know how it compares to other users, but I used a 1.4Ghz CPU before that, and a 800Hz before that. I still have those machines around, they do other pensioners work now, like printing covers and labels. I do not know how I ever worked with them!!!

New systems boast things like 800mhz front bus sped. Now I know it is NOT as simple as 800 divide by 66 Mhz = 12 x faster, but there is a significant increase in speed. Same with RAM. Sdram is 133Hz? DDR is around 466 or 500 nowadays.

It is a sad fact. I face it every day. Once computers were hardware. Nowadays computers are consumables. And if you are working for a client, he/she expect you to produce the goods like the Hollywood movies. Hit the keyboard for a while, and the goods falls into the slot in the side.

If you are working on your own time on your own movies, no problem. But something like a Sony DRU500A might not want to be stoked with coal. It might reply with some soot.

[goober22]

I don't "think" my problem is related to system. I have 2 HDs, 65gb & 28gb free, Athlon-XP 2100, 1gb ram WinXP.

I have rarely, gotten it to burn at 4x but 99% it burns at 2x.

I don't have aspi installed (other than the aspi file that comes with Nero). Any thoughts on installing and aspi layer (adaptec or forceaspi)?

[jurynel]

I "think" you are right! With that system you should be boiling at 4x! However, there is also the "Bill" factor. Using windows is another sure way of broadning vocabulary...

[CT2]

I have changed firmware more than once and when I use Drive Check from Sonys site, it says the max DVD burn speed is 3.1X!!

This thing is supposed to be a 4x burner. Is there any way I can fix this?