Help! 200i will not write to a DVD+RW, hangs Nero & MyDV

[jeepman]

I am trying to create my first DVD Video disc and the Memorex DVD+RW is refusing to burn. Basically, I get a hung application, or with HP's RecordNow program, it at least said a hardware error.

The other strange thing is the firmware update program hangs too, under W98SE and W2K SP2. I hope I don't have a bum drive, but maybe I should cut my losses and exchage it pronto.

I was able to burn an 80min CD-RW without issue.

Has anyone else had so much trouble with one of these drives?

[jeepman]

I didn't want to open it because of possible return issues, but the supplied HP DVD+RW did not work either. Nero reports a read error that will possibly cause a write error during the formatting process while trying to burn a pre-mastered .mpg file (VOB, IFO, etc).

I think I got a bad drive. Darn! It was the last one at CC.

[tmcmvd]

Just happend to have a similar problem...

Got a 200i last week and tried to burn using nero .90 and hp software.

Both seem to get stuck on formatiing the CDRW. The red light blinks one time and then nothing.

Changing compat mode won't help, i tried a formware upgrade from 1.06 to 1.27 with the same problem.

I read a post about someone who had to turn of DMA in XP to do a compat change. So I tried it.

The firmware upgrade worked well. (not sure I needed it at all.)

And writing a first DVD-+RW worked also (on pio mode !) I now put on DMA again, but haven't tried it yet.

First RW didn't get recoginised in DVD player, compat mode was on mode 2, turned back on mode one and selected compatible writing in hp software. After 2 load and eject tries it played well in my Lenco DVD-02A

Let me know if you solved the problem.

Greetz,

Michael.

[jeepman]

OK, update. I put together a 1.26GHz PIII Coppermine-T system together on the kitchen table and loaded a "Ghost" image of W98SE. I was able to do a test burn just fine, and I was also able to update the firmware. I will try the DMA trick. I did it in BIOS Setup, but I forgot that W2K will ignore the BIOS settings at that point, so I will do it in Device Manager.

I will post my results back for archival purposes.

[tmcmvd]

ok..
only bios disable doen't work indeed...(had to find out the hard way

If it doesn;t work...

HP has a 30 day DOA agreement with your dealer...so...

other way...let HP exchange it for you...there service is quite good.

[jeepman]

SUCCESS! The DMA to PIO Only trick did it. It is a shame they don't test for this at HP, or if they do, they don't publish it in the literature or on their website in the troubleshooting section I found.

Next question, do I need to be concerned with the lower transfer rate PIO Mode 4 provides? It is definitely less than DMA access.

[tmcmvd]

hmmm...

PIO 4 has a max transfer of 16,7 MB per second.
Ultra DMA somewhere between 16,7 MB and 100 MB/sec theoretical speed.

In both cases it should be fast enough.

1x DVD = 1533 Kb/sec...

DMA is preferable I think...since XP/2000 enables/disables DMA for the complete channel (I believe...) your second device attached, like a extra hdd or cdrom drive is also reduced in speed. PIO mode makes the CPU handle data transfer, so the overhead is much higher. DMA makes it possible for the drive to communicate directly with memory...hence Direct Memory Access without CPU intervention.

So while burning a DVD your overhead is higher and the second device on the same channel may be effected also...

Besides...it should work in DMA mode...but that's a HP problem.

If you find a way to make it work in DMA mode, please let me know.

Goodluck with the thing.

[tmcmvd]

I was wrong about the second device...XP (2000 also ?!) lets you disable master/slave independent from each other, so teh slave can still be udma. This means the problem of one influencing the other is only there when using both devices at virtually the same time.

I updated to firmware 1.27.. it doesn't state the bug fixes and I cannot tell the difference. Turning on DMA afterwards makes my complete system hang when initiating a burning session. Media recognision is fine but after that is all crap.

Turned back to PIO and made a +RW with nero...I have a AMD dual MP-1800+ but nero only uses one CPU. The CPU load is somewhere between 90 and 100% while decoding MPEG at 30 fps from uncompressed avi only loads around 60% cpu time.

The recorder buffer status frequently drops below 12% and then rises again...this is in a pulsating matter. I cannot test what is does on DMA, since the drive won't work on DMA, but the load seems pretty heavy.

So getting HP to make it work in DMA mode does seem to be worth the effort.

Goodluck.

Michael

[jeepman]

My rig is a dual XP 1700+ Tyan Tiger S2460, what are you using? I wonder if it is a Tyan issue if we have the same rig, but again since you read about the PIO trick elsewhere, it is still probably an HP issue. Just throwing things out there.

I wish I would have checked to see what mode I was running in on the spare system I put together. If it was running in DMA mode there, things get a little more interesting.

I am putting some Europe clips together today and hopefully I will have something to show the wife, PIO mode or not!!!

[tmcmvd]

I am using a MSI board type ?? not sure, would have to check. It has the new 760 chipset from AMD. We might have a different board, but mayeb the same chipset and hence the same ide controller.

The PIO trick I read about was just from someone trying to change the compatibility setting in the HP software, the guy had no problems burning or updating firmware...as he did to avoid a olderversion NERO DVD+R size problem.

So it was just a lucky try I guess, but may be related to the 760 AMD dual athlon chipset.

Let me know what you have.

[tmcmvd]

You seem to have the same 760 MP(X) chipset as I have..maybe it's related...I'll search for it.

[tmcmvd]

Problem is unknown at MSI's...have mailed them, let's hope they reakt.

[tmcmvd]

Read some forums on dvd +R/+RW...trouble seems to be with more dual systems...the 100I (HP) had the same problem. On slower CPU's you'll have to wait an hour for burning, or ad an extra IDE controller to solve the problem.

Newest drivers as well as standars MS driver have the same problem..

I guess we're running out of luck.

[jeepman]

I have a spare Promise ATA33 controller that I will try. I'll post back if it works.

[jeepman]

Haven't tried the spare controller yet, but I did get a Maxtor 80GB drive today from Costco. It also came with an ATA133 Controller card, so I may just put that in instead, and see how it runs there.

BUT... One side effect of PIO mode I do NOT like is ripping a DVD at only 2.5x is maddening. I set the system back to DMA for the 200i to see if I could still rip and it appears to be working, and it will take only 11 minutes instead of the estimated 27 minutes! Now THAT is more like it.

[tmcmvd]

that's the point..everything works but burning.

I'll hear from you.

[jeepman]

Tried my spare Promise UDMA33 controller, but it will not recognize non HDD devices apparently. I did buy an 80GB Maxtor, and it came with a Maxtor remarked Promise ATA133 TX2 controller, and it did recognize the drive, but with a Promise FastTrak66 and an Adaptec 2940U2B, only two of the three OPROM's would load, so in this case, I could not see my RAID. Well, that is where most of my work is located. I gave up.

[tmcmvd]

Hmm.. iv'e ordered a spare controller..I'll try it when it arrives..and let you know.

greetz.