Blu-Ray drive "burning" blank discs?

[astaticwinter]

Hello everyone, first post here...mostly out of desperation. I'm a computer tech for a living and it kills me that I can't figure this out on my own. I have searched high and low, and I can not come up with an answer.

I've been making backups of DVDs for a long while. I made the switch to Blu-Ray around the end of last year, and have started making backups of those as well. A few hiccups along the way; a few coasters thanks to Cinivia, but I got the hang of it, and I've backed up probably 8 or 9 successfully, all from one batch of 25, and I use Verbatim's.

Recently, using the same methods I normally do, I've been putting in a blank Blu-Ray, and after all is said an done, after burning is complete, I get back a blank disc. I'm baffled. Here's my method;

1) Rip the disc to my hard drive using DVDFab's HD Decrypter, since it's free. Using v. 9.1.3.1 since the latest update seems to not allow free use any longer. Selecting only the Main movie, the HD audio track, and subtitles, I rip it uncompressed to my drive.

2) I compress the file to fit a BD-25 using BDRebuilder, latest version. The only think I check in options, is to keep HD Audio for BD25. I have the latest versions of ffdshow, Haali Media Splitter, and AviSynth, which are all needed for the program to function. Takes about two hours, and it produces a folder that's generally around 23GB, contains 7-12 folders, and has the giant 23 GB .mts file under Stream,

3) Next, I use the "Write files/folders to disc" option in ImageBurn. Options changed include the File System to UDF, and UDF Revision to 2.5.

This used to produce a perfect copy of the movie of a Blu Ray. I've checked and re-checked the guides I've used in the past, and it still seems I'm doing everything correct. Yet every time I been trying to burn the Blu-Ray, it goes through it's entire burning process, and if I leave Verify on, I get an instant error, "Sections do not match" or something to that effect. If I turn Verify off, it burns through, even shows the finalizing and closing of the disc. Yet there is nothing written to it. Re-inserting it gives me the Windows prompt for a blank disc, and even looking at it, normally you can see the halo of burned data on the disc itself...not a thing. DVDs work absolutely fine. And I burn at 4x...the lowest my disc allows.

One thing I have noticed on the Blu-Rays, is that when the burning begins, it shows "Writing Lead-In", which fails, retrys once, and then starts writing the "data".

Any help at all would be appreciated. I can provide screenshots of program settings, ImgBurn logs, BD-Rebuilder logs; whatever you guys might need to help me figure out what I'm doing wrong. And again, all from the same batch of Blu-Rays, including the working ones.

Thanks for any help in advance,

-TJ

[astaticwinter]

Hmm...it didn't show my PC specs. Here they are;

AMD FX-8530 @ 4.4 GHz
Asus Sabertooth 990 FX R.2
16GB DDR3-1866 @ 933 MHz
Radeon HD 7880
LG WH14NS40 BD-RE

[aedipuss]

possibly it's as simple as the burner died. it happens.

[astaticwinter]

Well it still rips Blu-Rays, and rips and burns DVDs. I would assume if it had died, it would cease doing some of these other functions.

[johns0]

Best to buy a new blu-ray burner,they are cheap and saves you wasted time to burn or if you can try the burner in another computer.

[aedipuss]

it is strange that it can read but not write bluray. dvd is a separate laser. have you tried a different brand of bluray discs?

[Cornucopia]

The laser(s) on an optical drive can quit outputting the kind of power they are supposed to. This usually only happens when the burner is worn out after much use and age, but can happen earlier for some other reason. When this happens, it may not always go down to ZERO output. If it lowers power enough it will quit burning correctly first, then if it lowers power even more, it will quit reading. This is because the output of a laser necessary to burn (aka change the nature of the substrate) a disc is many times greater than that needed just to shine upon and be reflected and recognized by the electronic eye.
So, no surprise there, if that is truly what is happening. You could have it checked out or you could just get a replacement. What model are you currently using?

Scott

[astaticwinter]

The laser(s) on an optical drive can quit outputting the kind of power they are supposed to. This usually only happens when the burner is worn out after much use and age, but can happen earlier for some other reason. When this happens, it may not always go down to ZERO output. If it lowers power enough it will quit burning correctly first, then if it lowers power even more, it will quit reading. This is because the output of a laser necessary to burn (aka change the nature of the substrate) a disc is many times greater than that needed just to shine upon and be reflected and recognized by the electronic eye.
So, no surprise there, if that is truly what is happening. You could have it checked out or you could just get a replacement. What model are you currently using?

Scott

Well explained...thank you for the insight. I went ahead and ordered a new one, since no one seemed to comment on my burning method...so that seems correct.

I went with the LG WH16NS40 BD-RE...I previously had the WH14NS40. I've always had good experiences with LG, so I've going with a newer version of the current. Basing it on reviews, it seems to be a little more reliable. Worst that can happen is I return it if I'm still burning blanks.

I'll give them a call, and see if it's still covered under warranty...it's been less than a year. Perhaps they'll send me a new one or a refurb, which I can sell on my own.

Thanks for the advice...I'll keep you posted on how it works out.

- TJ