Plextor PX-708A = Slow Burning???

[Brrrrap]

I recently purchased 2 PX-708A drives. One to replace a NEC CDRW/DVD-ROM drive (OEM) and the other to replace a Sony DRX-510UL external drive connected via Firewire.

The PX-708A drives appear to be burning DVD-Rs at only 1x. The external Sony will burn at 4x. It took a full hour and 25 minutes to burn a movie to DVD using either of the PX-708A's. I burned the same movie with the Sony only took approximately 15 minutes. The software that I am using is Nero v6.03. The media I am using is RITEK RIDATA 4x DVD-R. I had the same results using Memorex 4x DVD-R.

Both drives are connected to the 2nd IDE channel w/CSEL. The firmware in both drives has been upgraded to v1.06.

My system is a Dell Dimension 8100 P4/1.5GHz with 1GB RAM. I am running Windows 2000 SP4.

Any information or solution anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

[HAMP]

I had the same problem at first, you have to turn the DMA on that device.

[Brrrrap]

I sent an email to Plextor and this is their reply:

What you need to do is uninstall ALL the CD-R software on your system, and Media Player's CDR recording plugin if it is installed. Then delete all CDROM entries from Device Manager.

Reboot your system. Your drive will be autodetected when you restart.

There are several steps following. Please perform each in sequence, and if you have a problem, email us back with the details of the problem and the EXACT messages you see on your screen.

Make sure it can read discs properly.


If that works ok, then please use the built in XP features to record a disc. If you are not using XP, then you can skip this step.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q279/1/57.ASP gives info on how to record a disc in XP.

http://aumha.org/a/xpcd.htm also has good info on recording in XP.


If all is well, install Easy CD Creator. Reboot. Install the Easy CD Creator update from http://www.roxio.com/en/support/roxio_support/software_updates.jhtml

Reboot. Try creating a disc with Easy CD Creator. It should all work ok now.


Please be sure you update your motherboard bios and eide controller drivers from your motherboard mfgr, and enable DMA for your PlexWriter.


Plextor America Support Team - Jack

[budz]

Did you set your drives to DMA? Why would anyone want to use XP built in recording? I run windows 2000 pro w/sp4 and use NERO version 5.5.10.42 to burn with my Plextor 708A and have no problems with burning. I see you have your drives set up as cable select. Are you using a cable select IDE cable to connect to your motherboard? Perhaps that's why your drive isn't burning correctly. Roxio software sucks in my opinion and there have been reports that it causes problems with Plextor burners. Use NERO and try updating to the latest version.

Check out Plextor's forum site at cdfreaks.com
http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?s=ed0843767e459c8ffd3544f0293b894f&forumid=43

[Brrrrap]

Sorry if I seem ignorant but, people keep telling me to make sure I have UDMA enabled. I've checked in BIOS - no UDMA options, I've checked in Device Manager on both the IDE controller and the Plextor drives - no UDMA options available. On the physical drives themselves, the DMA jumper is off as shipped and recommended by Plextor.

I am using Windows 2000 SP4 on a 3 yr old Dell Dimension 1.5GHz machine.

I just visited the Dell site and see there is an updated driver for the IDE controller that "Ultra ATA Storage driver for Windows 2000 which adds additional performance to the Integrated ATA Controller."

I say updated - it's the latest driver available for my system on the Dell site released 10/20/2001, which is newer than what I have. I haven't updated the IDE controller drivers since I purchased the machine 3 years ago.

There is also a BIOS upgrade that is quite a bit newer than what I have.

I've downloaded both and will install ASAP and see if there is a difference.

[budz]

Naw I don't think your ignorant. This forum site is here to help others out when help is needed. I have the same operating system as you do. There is a webpage to show you how to see if your drive is DMA enabled and how to change it to DMA if it is in PIO mode.

1. Open the Device Manager. One way to do that is to right click on "My Computer", select the Hardware tab, and Select Device Manager.
2. Expand "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and double-click on "Primary IDE Channel"
3. Under the "Advanced Settings" tab, check the "Device 1" setting. More than likely, your current transfer mode is set to PIO.
4. Set it to "DMA if available".

Repeat the step for the "Secondary IDE Channel" if you have devices attached to it. Reboot

Hope this is helps you. Here's the where you can get the ASPI drivers:
http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/support/drivers_by_product.jsp?language=English+US&ca...dkey=ASPI-4.70

[Brrrrap]

2. Expand "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and double-click on "Primary IDE Channel"
3. Under the "Advanced Settings" tab, check the "Device 1" setting. More than likely, your current transfer mode is set to PIO.

That's the whole problem I seem to be having. There IS NO ADVANCED SETTINGS tab for the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller. Believe me I've checked several times. The only tabs that I have are General, Driver and Resources.

I'm hoping that once I update the driver and BIOS that I may have more options?

[bdgriff]

Just a thought, since I have it installed on my system. Check your installed programs/software and see if you have Intel Application Accelerator! IF you do, then that is the reason you don't have advanced options available to check. You should be able to see drivers for that ide channel and if you have IAA, then it will say Intel.

Hope this helps ya out.

[Brrrrap]

I just checked using instructions found on the Intel website, and I do not have the Intel Application Accellator installed.

Intel Instructions:
Microsoft* Windows* 2000

* Run 'Start', 'Settings', then 'Control Panel'
* Double-click 'System' Control Panel Applet
* Select the 'Hardware' tab
* Select 'Device Manager...' button
* Expand the 'IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers' entry
* Select the 'Intel 82801xx Ultra ATA Controller' listed, where xx in 82801xx
represents AA, AB, BA, or CAM, depending on your chipset
* Select the 'Properties' button
* Select the 'Driver' tab
* Select the 'Driver File Details' button
* 'IdeBusDr.sys' should be displayed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do not have 'IdeBusDr.sys' displayed in the driver details but there is:
'IdeBD.sys' displayed. Is this the same? I don't believe so since the Intel instructions were pretty specific.

Thanks for all the ongoing help!!

[bdgriff]

Well that's a bummer! I am a little perplexed now. The only other suggestion I have would be as simple as going into device manager again, either right clicking on your ide/ata and selecting uninstall, reboot and let windows find/reinstall again. Or doing the same with your plextor entry, right clk uninstall then reboot. see if it helps.

[HAMP]

Brrrrap Wrote:

One to replace a NEC CDRW/DVD-ROM drive (OEM) and the other to replace a Sony DRX-510UL external drive connected via Firewire.

Go into your Device Manager then double click on DVD/CD to expand, then right click on the Plextor DVDR and choose unistall, then restart your computer and will reinstall plextor 708.

Sometimes when you exchange a device like the DVD/CD ROM you will still have the driver for the old rom, even tho you have SP4 and that Service pack should take care of the problem for you, but who know, just try it