Sony D18A Problems

[ehill]

I have just installed the Sony D18A (ability to write to the new +DL discs). It will not burn my DVD-R discs correctly. I am trying to burn existing DVD Folders that the burner I removed burned correctly at 2X. I am using RITEK DVD-R's that worked flawlessly with the previous burning. Is there a firmware update anywhere that might alleviate this problem or an updated driver? I have searched high and low for both on the internet and cannot find anything for this specific burner. I am going to have to put my old burner back in to continue my burning.

Thanks in advance for any help...

[code65536]

It may be in your best interest to convert your drive to a Sony DRU-700A, as the firmware for that is newer and better.

If your current firmware begins with "VY", then simply download the VY06 firmware and flash it (no special steps are necessary).

If your current firmware begins with "VF", then you're out of luck.

[ehill]

It has been a long time. How do I check my firmware? Is it in the Device Manager? Getting old....

Thanks for your prompt reply...

[DVDDave]

can a sony drive be converted to lite on firmware???

[code65536]

It has been a long time. How do I check my firmware? Is it in the Device Manager? Getting old....

Thanks for your prompt reply...

There are multiple ways. The method that I use is Nero InfoTool. Comes with Nero. Or if you don't have it, download it for free from www.cdspeed2000.com

[code65536]

can a sony drive be converted to lite on firmware???

If the Sony drive in question was based on LiteOn hardware, yes. Many are. But not all are. For the DW- series, 18 and higher seem to all be based on LiteOn hardware (U18A, D18A, D22A, etc.). For the DRU- series, only the 700A and 710A are.

[DVDDave]

i know how to tell a lite on drive from another manuafacturer. but, can the 710 be modded to 1633 or 1653 firmware???
code65536--thanks again for all the work you and codeking do!!!!

[ehill]

code65536,

I ran the Nero Info tool and my firmware is VYS2. I then downloaded the VY06 firmware from your website. Now...How do I flash it? Haven't done that in a million forevers. I also downloaded WinRAR.

Thanks for all your help!!!

[code65536]

Unpack the RAR file and run the .exe file. Make sure that you select the correct drive, and flash. Should be a very simple and painless process.

[ehill]

Now I'm getting buffer underrun errors no matter what speed I use (only choices 8x. 6x, and 4x). Below is the log:

===============================================
NTI CD & DVD Maker 6.0 6.7.0.28 (SKU-22510238888)
Start Time: Thursday, November 04, 2004, 06:59:12PM

Processor Architecture: INTEL
Processor Type: INTEL PENTIUM
Processor Level: 15
Microsoft Windows XP version 5.1 Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)
Memory in use: 29%
Total physical memory: 1047 MB
Total free physical memory: 737 MB
Total paging file: 2521 MB
Total free paging file: 2324 MB
Total virtual memory: 2097 MB
Total free virtual memory: 2012 MB

CD Layout: Data DVD
Disc Format: DVD-ROM
File System: Joliet
Bootable CD: No
Total Data Blocks: 2094524

CD-Recorder: SONY DVD RW DRU-700A (E
Firmware Version: VY06
Disc Media: DVD-R
Free Disc Blocks: 2297888
Test: No
Write Speed: 4x
Write Method: Track-At-Once
Close Disc: No
Leave Session Open: No
===============================================

Any ideas???

thanks for the help!!!!

[code65536]

Did your drive somehow get kicked into PIO mode? This can happen after firmware flashes. Make sure that your drive is in DMA mode.

Best thing to do to make sure that your drive is indeed in DMA mode is to download KProbe2 (kprobe.cdfreaks.com) and under the menus, go to the Drive Info tool. Query the drive and look at the burst rate. If it is in excess of 20 MB/s, then you're okay.

[ehill]

It was set for DMA and the burst rate seems ok. Still will not burn. I took it out and put my old one back in. Burns 2X, but reliable..

Thanks again for all your help....

[code65536]

Hmm. Is your hard drive able to keep up with 8x? My old 5400 RPM Maxtor HDD could not do 8x no matter what. My newer 7200 RPM drive could do 8x (and even 16x, if it is properly defragmented).

[ehill]

Should be no problem with the hard drive. 7400rpm. Don't know what it is...

Thanks for the help...

[code65536]

I don't know either. Perhaps someone else in the forum can help. Maybe a post in the LiteOn forum over at CD Freaks.

[ehill]

Ok, this just keeps getting better. I decided to try another avenue. I purchased a Pioneer A08 DVD burner in an enclosed firewire/USB 2.0 case. It will not burn when connected to my XP Professional system where I do all my capturing, editing, and authoring. Every burn program I try (RecordNow, NTI...) will not work. My internal A05 works great (at 2X). I then take it and hook the external A08 up to my old Compaq Presario 1700 running ME via firewire and it will burn with no problems. What kind of setting am I missing on my XP machine that would cause this? I just keep getting an error saying it cannot burn (after making a coaster of the DVD-R).