For Those Who Ordered/Bought DVR-104's From ESBuy*MUST READ*

[IremainAMisterE]

I have just received an e-mail from ESBuy, saying that the Pioneer DVR-104 drives, that they have been selling for the past few months... Are NOT "true" Pioneer drives like they claim on their website. They are infact OEM models.
They said that Pioneer had shipped them someone else's inventory, and ESBuy claims that they couldn't do anything about the orders that have already been shipped out. They did say that i could send my drive back and they will put the correct firmware in which Pioneer sent them recently. Or download the firmware that they will be releasing on their website on October 10.

I decided to call ESBuy.I spoke to a woman and i told her that i have already put a universal firmware in my drive which makes my drive a "true" Pioneer DVR-104. And then went to Pioneer's site and upgraded to their firmware v1.32. She said to me that if i sent my drive back, that this is the exact same thing they would do to my drive, so there's no need to send my drive back now.

P.S. I also just called Pioneer and asked them about their new firmware release and if it down-grades our drives to write at just 1x. The guy told me that it's not supposed to do this, but that he has had a few calls today with people claiming that it has done this to their drives. He then said that he has spoken with the technical dept. and they so far, do not have the answer for what is going on. He said that people should not worry too much, that in the end, the answer could just be a newer firmware release to fix the problem.
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Hope i have shed some light for some people. Later -M

[BJ_M]

that might explain why i have been unable to do the firmware thing as that is where i got ours .

thanks for the info -- (no email from them yet) ...

since they sold it to me AS A pioneer -- its a bit of a pissoff ... though i got the firewire option anyway ...

[Feuerwehr]

I guess I'm confused. About 2 weeks ago I ordered and received a "bare" 104 from ESbuy. My original firmware was 1.31. I did upgrade to 1.32 from the Pioneer website without a hitch.
I still seem to be able to record at 2X without any problem.
Jim

[IremainAMisterE]

I guess you're one of the "lucky ones" Feuerwehr.
I probably should've mentioned that this problem stems back from when the drives came with the v1.20 firmware. If you ordered or received a supposed retail Pioneer from ESBuy with this version firmware, then this info pertains to you.

[MikeV]

IremainAMisterE
I also received an OEM Pioneer DVR-104 and the company that sold it to me sold out and wants me to send my drive back so they can figure out who the OEM is. I don't want to send it back. Where can I find the universal firmware to turn the drive into a "true" Pioneer, so I can then update it myself?

[BJ_M]

http://kickme.to/dvd105s

[MikeV]

Thank you. Ran the a04x120.exe and made the drive a true Pioneer and then updated to 1.32

[Eug]

Huh?

The DVR-104 is an OEM model to begin with. What does your ESbuy 104 get seen as in Windows?

Furthermore, the firmware upgrade does NOT remove 2X burning. It will still work with 2X media. What it does is force 1X burning specifically on 4X media.

[MikeV]

My drive came back as a Pioneer DVR-104 Ver. 1.00 01/11/29. The Pioneer upgrade said it was made for another company and could not upgrade it. Mine wasn't bought from ESbuy. I got mine from Computer Geeks for $236.00 for the bare drive.

[lynnsabcs]

I bought a Pioneer 104 from ESbuy and the 1st unit would not run without locking up my PC and they sent a 2nd drive after a long wait. It will run and do a disk to disk copy, but it will not burn a ripped DVD.

Is this a function of the firmware flashing issue?

thanks

LynnsABCs

[andydd]

You certainly should be able to burn a ripped DVD. Ive made lots and id guess thats what the majority of people here with DVR 104s use it for !

[lynnsabcs]

Let me restate my problem. I can follow the tutorials on ripping software and get a completed, decrypted single layer movie that will play on my PC but when I try to burn it on the low-cost Pringo dvd- disks, I get a disk error in my stand-alone dvd player which is dvd- compatible and it will not play in my PC or laptop.

If I do a disk to disk copy of an unencrypted movie, it burns fine.

Ripping with DVD Decrypter. Fixing with Infoedit and burning with Veritas Record Now DX. I bought the Pioneer burner from ESbuy and had trouble with the 1st burner and 1st set of software. They 1st send Prassi Primo DVD 2.0. 2nd software was the RecordNow DX.

I understand that burning a ripped DVD is what the majority of people here with 104s use it for!! That's what I'm trying to do too and it hasn't worked in 4 or 5 weeks of trying every night!!

Can anybody help or shed light?

thanks

LynnsABCs

[tumbar]

If I do a disk to disk copy of an unencrypted movie, it burns fine.

With the same cheap Prongo disks?

The burner is working, your process is flawed. Don't take it personal, most of us have been where you are.

I guess by your statement you are using the ifo edit process?

Prassi Primo and Record Now Max are what Veritas has become. It's the same software, they just changed name.

Which guide are you using?

When you burn with Primo or Record Now do you.....

Start Prassi and go to "File/New Job/Data Disk" set the Speed & Volume label &, then right click in bottom right window and click on Add Folder and browse to the AUDIO_TS folder.
Repeat this and add the VIDEO_TS folder, then click on the red circle, thats it.

Is the speed set to 1?

[lynnsabcs]

tumbar:

Thanks for responding.

Yes the disk copy works with the Pringo disks fine. I read about using the speed 1 so the drive doesn't burn up. I've read everything I can get my hands on to resolve making this work.

On the volume label I'm using the movie name. Is that wrong? Should I use the numbers the software inserts? I'm adding the VIDEO_TS folder and the Audio_TS folder but the audio folder is usually empty?

I'm using the latest dated version of the Primo burning tutorial.

thanks

LynnsABCs

[lynnsabcs]

Sorry, I didn't answer all your question. I'm using Enemy Within's tutorial using DVD Decoder and InfoEdit but I'm open to anybody that has an easier method that works. That process seems to work since it will play in the final edited version on my PC--it just won't burn for me.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

LynnsABCs

[tumbar]

I've sent you a private message to help and address some of your recording problems. Unfortunately the title of this thread keeps showing up on the fron t of the site and folks keep coming to it, even though it really dosen't have anything to do with an urgent "must read: for all 104 users.

Anyway we can start a new thread somewhere else or just "pm", your choice.

[eatin sammiches for lunch]

Huh?

The DVR-104 is an OEM model to begin with. What does your ESbuy 104 get seen as in Windows?

Furthermore, the firmware upgrade does NOT remove 2X burning. It will still work with 2X media. What it does is force 1X burning specifically on 4X media.

right the dvr-104 is a OEM model....... the dvr-A04 is the retail version

[IremainAMisterE]

I guess i have to explain a lil bit further?

Ya see on ESBuy's website, they claim that their DVR-104's are NOT re-manufactured OEM drives. They claim that their drives they sell, come directly from Pioneer and are completely comptatible with A04 upgrades and firmware.

This is the reason i started this thread. To let people know who purchased these drives from ESBuy.

[SonKun]

ok what.... Im kindof new at this dvd-r stuff and I was thinkin about buying the pioneer (from esbuy.com bare drive) but does mean I shoulden I mean what is a OEM whats the difference so if the 104 is just the "OEM" of the A04 is there any difference in the real drive? can sombodey please straitin me out.

[IremainAMisterE]

I don't think you have to worry about what im talking about SonKun.
As Feuerwehr stated above that he got his 104 about 2 weeks ago from ESBuy, and it had firmware v1.31. Then he just installed the new v1.32 firmware from Pioneers site.
This is most likely the case because this is what the lady told me on the phone when i called. She said that Pioneer did send them the correct drives recently.

A Pioneer A04 is the retail model that comes with a manual and retail box. The DVR-104 is bare drive with no "extras". The drives themselves are the exact same though. So it's really up to you if you want to pay in the area of $30-40 extra for a manual and retail box.

The situation with ESBuy, was for people that got theres before Pioneer corrected the ordering situation with them. The DVR-104 is considered an OEM model. But ESBuy was claiming that even their bare OEM drives were manufactured by Pioneer and NOT re-manufactured from another company.

Hope i've helped ....Later -M

[SonKun]

So if it says OEM it just means that its the bare drive?

[SonKun]

O ya and if its just the bare drive does it come with the drivers or do you have to download them. And if you have to DL them where do you?

[BJ_M]

O ya and if its just the bare drive does it come with the drivers or do you have to download them. And if you have to DL them where do you?

what drivers ?

you don't need no stinking badgers (drivers either)

[SonKun]

lol I just ment will the computer just be able two self install the drive or you have to do it manualy

[SonKun]

also is the A04 XP compatible (its probably a stupid question but I just want to make shure)

[Thwiipp]

Has ESbuy fixed the problem, i am going to be buying one soon and am gonna order from either them or AVlogic.com, i want to know if im safe to or not. Thanks abuch, oh does anyone the actual release date of the A05/105, i hear October but what beginning, middle , end?

[BJ_M]

also is the A04 XP compatible (its probably a stupid question but I just want to make shure).........................lol I just ment will the computer just be able two self install the drive or you have to do it manualy

XP compatable yes (though i dont use/like xp) and if the drive is seen by the bios - windows will reconize it ..

though there are some posts around here on which mode PIO or whatever you set it to .. i use it in a firewire external which really is the way to go ..