Problems with LG GSA-4082B Writer

[asprinwizard]

Hi there,

I've just got hold of the LG GSA-4082B which has been highly recommended. It's a dual format writer (in fact it does DVD-RAM as well) which can burn DVD-R/+R at 8x.

It seems stable and reliable and works pretty well but I'm having two problems:

1) The drive will not read the Packard Bell DVD+RW discs I use with my Philips DVDR75 recorder. Normally I like to record to these discs, make some edits (using the Philips), make the edits compatible and then copy them using my Burner onto DVD-R/+R so I can re-use the Packard Bell discs.

The Packard Bell discs can be read by my DVD recorder, my DVD player and my ancient DVD-ROM drive which doesn't even read CDs anymore, yet the brand new LG drive (which is supposed to be able to write to these discs!) cannot even read them. When I try to access the disc from the drive it says 'Incorrect Function'. Anyone know what this means?

2) The second problem is that I cannot get it to write at full speed. I have bought some 8x DVD-Rs but in Nero it says it can only write at 4x. Do I need some special driver software or anything? I have Nero version 6. Any help appreciated.

I don't know if this drive is faulty or whether it needs a firmware upgrade. I have looked on the LG site and found manuals. drivers etc but no firmware. Anyone?

I have a horrible feeling I'm going to have to return this drive, but I'd rather not have to as its mail order so if anyone can help I'd be most grateful.

Cheers

[dhnj]

I have just bought some Datawrite DVD-R 8x from www.bigpockets.co.uk
and burnt at 8x on a GSA-4082B with firmware 201. The dye used on the Datawrite media is from FUJIFILM with a lead-in info Fujifilm03. IMHO
these are the best media I have used so far.

Cheers

[asprinwizard]

Those are the discs I bought. Still can't get Nero 6 to write at 8x though. It just doesn't give me the option.

How do I check the firmware on the drive?

[asprinwizard]

Hello again,

In the end I sent the drive back, and its replacement was sent to me immediately (good service eBuyer). Plugged it all in and crossed fingers. Guess what? Bloody thing still didn't read those discs.

I don't know if I mentioned this before but these discs have been edited after each recording using the functions of the Philips DVD recorder and then the 'edits made compatible' (a facility similar to finalising for DVD+RW discs). I guess this makes the discs multisession discs. Interestingly, when I recorded a disc on the Philips recorder and did not apply any edits afterwards my DVD Writer drive had no problems reading it.

I have read elsewhere on this forum about multisession discs and how people get this same error message when trying to access them. There was mention of UDF versions, but I'm unclear as to what this means exactly. Would this apply to my problem? Remember my DVD-ROM drive reads the discs fine. The problem is just with the writer. I did not install the DVD-RAM driver, I don't know if this would help, but they did not send me the disc when they returned the drive, anyone know where I can download it. It doesn't seem to be on the LG site.

My system is Windows 2000 and Nero is the only CD Recording software I have.

Any help appreciated.

[Sam Ontario]

Philips DVDR75 will make an incompatible .ifo navigation file if you record and then edited on the DVR75, even with the latest firmware A206. Do not trust what DVDPlusRW.org website says about "COMPATIBLE", especially interchangeability for editing and burning among recorders and PC burners.

However, if your entire disc is recorded once to the end, then your editing sequentially, i.e. do not jump forward and backward on the disc while editing, it will be PC DVD burner compatible.

[Sam Ontario]

.

How do I check the firmware on the drive?

Download DVDinfo Pro, install it and then run it. Your PC may also display the information at the beginning of booting up if you watch carefully.

[asprinwizard]

Many thanks for your help Sam, but I'm even more puzzled now.

Firstly I thought the 'make edits compatible' function was to sort out things like IFO files so that DVD players and ROM drives could read them. Also, is it usual that an edited DVD+RW will play on a DVD ROM drive and not on a writer, because that is what seems to be happening? Also if I copy the disc (DVD-ROM drive to Writer) using Nero the resulting DVD+r plays fine on all players and drives.

My editing process typically consists of the following:
1) Record the whole thing in one go with auto chapters at every 5 mins
2) Scan through the recording, adding chapter marks at beginning and end of all commercial breaks, and then hiding these cahpters.
3) Renaming the recording in the menu, maybe also finding a more suitable menu picture.
4) Then when I'm happy with how it looks I do the 'make edits compatible' thing. Result DVD won't play in Writer but will in ROM.

Have upgraded firmware to A204, A206 is out now, will try this tonight but not expecting much in the way of results.

Many thanks in advance.

[stevebritney]

I have exactly the same problem, but mine also won't read the Memorex DVD+RWs. I have stopped editing the chapters, and just let the DVDR75 do it on it's on, but it still won't read in my LG drive. My brother has a Packard Bell PC pre-purchased with it's own DVD rewriter, and that reads the disk and lets me take the VOB files and burn them onto a Memorex DVD+RW in data format, and then it reads on my LG drive. Weird or what? I have upgraded to the latest 207 firmware for the drive, just did it last night, first to 204, then 206 and then 207, but it still won't read them when recorded on the DVDR75! Did you have any luck with yours?

[Scottie]

I have a LG drive and have trouble using DVD-RW's I just don't buy them any more.

[Sam Ontario]

I have a LG drive and have trouble using DVD-RW's I just don't buy them any more.

Yes. I don't buy any DVD-RW at all. They are slow, unreliable and incompatible. I buy DVD+RW, DVD+R for compatibility and sometimes buy cheap DVD-R when compatibility is not an issue for burning.

[Sam Ontario]

I have exactly the same problem, but mine also won't read the Memorex DVD+RWs.

I use Memorex 4x DVD+RW extensively (about 50), no problem at all

I have upgraded to the latest 207 firmware for the drive, just did it last night, first to 204, then 206 and then 207, but it still won't read them when recorded on the DVDR75! Did you have any luck with yours?

Not sure what happen to you. All my 4x DVD+RWs are RICOHJPNW11 branded as Sony, Maxell and Memorex (total about 100 of then). I have also some 2.4x DVD+RW (about 50 of them can't remember the manufacturer and media code all functional well in all of my DVD writers and DVD players, recorders (used to have 2).[/quote]

[stevebritney]

Well I bought 5 Memorex DVD+RW disks, as I too don't use DVD-RW. I recorded a show onto one of the discs, using my Philips DVDR75. I was going to extract the show from the disc and re-record it, with menus and stuff, onto a DVD+R.

However, my LG drive would not read the Memorex DVD+RW with the show on it. Instead, it changed to from a DVDRAM drive to a plain CD Drive, and I got an error message about "formatting" or "not in a format Windows can understand" message. I tried recording on the other blank DVD+RW disks using the LG drive, and as soon as the disc was put into the drive, the same error spat up at me.

So I took it to my brother's Packard Bell PC, with it's own DVD Rewriter drive, and it read all of the discs, and enabled me to extract the show, and burn data onto them.

I still can't make my LG drive read the disc I recorded from the TV onto, so I had to extract the show onto my brother's PC. I then burnt the VOB files that the show comprised of, as data, onto another of the blank Memorex DVD+RWs, and the LG drive read them. I was able to take the show off and re-encode it, etc.

In short, my LG drive read some other discs that I bought, TDK DVD+RW discs, but would not read the Memorex ones, and still won't. It will only read the data DVD I recorded using another DVD re-writer!

[Sam Ontario]

Well I bought 5 Memorex DVD+RW disks, as I too don't use DVD-RW. I recorded a show onto one of the discs, using my Philips DVDR75. I was going to extract the show from the disc and re-record it, with menus and stuff, onto a DVD+R.

However, my LG drive would not read the Memorex DVD+RW with the show on it. Instead, it changed to from a DVDRAM drive to a plain CD Drive, and I got an error message about "formatting" or "not in a format Windows can understand" message. I tried recording on the other blank DVD+RW disks using the LG drive, and as soon as the disc was put into the drive, the same error spat up at me.

So I took it to my brother's Packard Bell PC, with it's own DVD Rewriter drive, and it read all of the discs, and enabled me to extract the show, and burn data onto them.

I still can't make my LG drive read the disc I recorded from the TV onto, so I had to extract the show onto my brother's PC. I then burnt the VOB files that the show comprised of, as data, onto another of the blank Memorex DVD+RWs, and the LG drive read them. I was able to take the show off and re-encode it, etc.

In short, my LG drive read some other discs that I bought, TDK DVD+RW discs, but would not read the Memorex ones, and still won't. It will only read the data DVD I recorded using another DVD re-writer!

What is the media code?

[stevebritney]

As far as I can see, the only codes that are to be found on either the discs or the cases are 864614 and M4D+RW47B.0903.