Can’t get DVD writer to work

[Maximundo]

I recently tried out two different DVD writers in two different computers and nether one worked.
The two writers I tried were a Verbatim producer DVD+R/RW and a Bus-link DVD+R/RW.
The two computers I tried them in were a Compaq Pesario 5070 and a VA-503+. Both were clocked at 500mhtz with about 200mb of memory, OS: both have W98 and Me. Software: DVD-it, My DVD, Roxio and Nero.
The Verbatim’s minimum requirements are 400mhtz 128mb memory, the Bus-link’s are 700mhtz 128mb memory.
Both writers appeared in device manager with their appropriate model ID and were able to read. The ahead Nero InfoTool recognized the drive’s properties and the disks in them
I was able to write using Nero Express in the CD-RW mode but never went beyond formatting DVD-RW disk in the DVD-RW mode (not responding). Sonic and Roxio got hung up when accessing the drive’s too.

After searching this forum, I found a topic in which someone mentioned VIA Hyperion
4in1 drivers. The Va503+ board works well with games, video capturing (Dazzle DVC2) and mpeg 2 (BR 10m) playback, and I’m quite satisfied with it. I already returned both drives but would like to find one that works with the Va-503+ MB

Are DVD writers very finicky about which computers they work in?
Should I try other drives or is my computers just to slow?
Anyone have a computer with a 500Mhtz CPU or less with a working DVD writer?
Would installing the 4 in 1 drivers help?

Comments please.
Mahalo.

[SLICK RICK]

Well, if I read your post correctly, then your problem has a very easy solution. You are trying to use DVD-RW on a DVD+R/RW Drive. They are not compatible, you must use DVD+R or RW to burn a DVD on those drives. So nothing is wrong with the drives, it is the media you are using.

SLICK RICK

[Maximundo]

No, I was using the disks that came with the drives. It was DVD+RW, sorry for the typo.
Good observation on the + and -.
I also tried other DVD+RW disks

[SLICK RICK]

What were you trying to burn, and what programs were you using to try and achieve this.

SLICK RICK

[Maximundo]

I tried to burn small mpeg 2 files numerous times with Nero, DVD-it, My DVD and Roxio. I tried a vob file and I also tried burning a disk as a data disk (hang or not responding). When trying to burn DVD disk, Nero and MyDVD went through encoding , menu set up and other brief progress messages appearing in the small status bar but only got as far as formatting disk. The LED on the drive lit up for about 10 seconds, from then on it just hung up, nothing. http://forums.sonic.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000244.
DVD it though up a (no build file found (error) ) Roxio Through up error messages right from the start. I had the verbatim drive about a week. Trying fresh OS images W98 and Me, removing software and reinstalling software
. IM not sure if the problem was compatibility, hardware or software.
I have a CD-RW drive and never had a signal problem with it so IM just wondering among other things if DVD-RW are prone to more problems.

[RAAGAAman]

Maybe you should try dropping the drive down to PIO mode. I know that there was issues with the Pioneer 104 and the Via chipset maybe the same issue exists with the DVD+R/RW drive.

RG

[HyperYagami]

There's DMA/PIO even with USB/1394 enclosure?

[Maximundo]

If you mean uncheking DMA in device manager properties, yea I tried that, and any other changes I could make via device manager.