What's with Toast?! (Error: BUFFER UNDERRUN ???)

[jaeone]

Hiya,

Hey I keep coming across this problem in Toast, and I'm starting to run out of DVDs (hehe) ... Here's the error message:

The drive reported an error.
Sense Key = ILLEGAL REQUEST
Sense Code = 0x21, 0x02
BUFFER UNDERRUN

What's going on here? How much info does a 4.7gb CD hold for real? Can I safely try and burn 4.3gb? Hmmm... Anyone else come across this error?

Thanks,
- MW

[jtoolman2000]

It means that your BUFFER emptied because the burner is burning data faster than it is recieving it. The biuffer is sort of like RAM it is an area, space whatever you want to call it. It can hold just so much data. Your drive is sending this data to the buffer as your burner is writting data it accesses the buffer. It cannot write faster than it is being replenished or the buffer will empty and the burn fail unless you have "Buffer Underrum Proteection" in your burning program.

It's like a bucket of water acting as a reservour. If you remove water from it at a faster rate that it is being filled, it won't take long before it empties,

[jaeone]

Interesting! :]

I'm using Toast 6, and "Buffer Underrun Protection" is checkmarked, but does not appear to be working so well... :P I get the error 1 out of 2 times that I try and burn a DVD... hmmm... I don't know what to do!

Would dropping the write speed help? Kind of a hacky-solution if it does...

EDIT: I visited the Roxio website, in the forums someone said they were having this problem and the recommended solution was an update to 6.0.9 w/ a software update available @ the roxio website. I'm downloading the update now, and I'll letcha know if it works... :]

I'm still curious whether dropping the write speed would help?

Thanks,
- mw

[londor]

Read this Apple document. There are several things that can cause a "buffer underrun" error in OSX and bad or poor quality media is one of them.

[jtoolman2000]

I'm still curious whether dropping the write speed would help?

Sure it might work but the point is to be able to write at the rated speeds of the media otherwise what's the point of buying 8x-12x-16X media, right?

[jaeone]

Just thought I would offer an update... :] Having updated to Toast 6.0.9 from Toast 6, I find that I've been able to burn 5 DVD in a row without any buffer underrun problems... I'm still burning at "Best" setting in Toast, which I suppose is 8x for these 8x Verbatim DVD-R... :]

So erm... that's about it? I followed the link to apple's information, and went to the terminal to check if the SuperDrive in this powerbook has buffer underrun protection stuff, and it does... so now between the burner, Toast and the powers that be > problem should be solved.

thanks for the down-low on the info guys,
- martin w

"raise the roof"