recordnow/dru500a users please help

[axlish]

Last night, I encountered a strange problem. For some reason, every disc that I try to burn a data disc onto is not readable and it brings up the warning that the disc is dirty (I tried several different types of discs and all the same result, and I have used all these media types as recently as this weekend but now they dont work).

I then assumed that maybe my drive was dead, not true. I burned a CD no problem. Then I tried to do a dvd to dvd recording and it worked, with the same media that it said was dirty. So then, I tried a data disc burn again and no dice. Still says the discs are dirty.

Anyone have any suggestions? Please help.

[rkr1958]

Stange one ... if it were me (out of desperation) I'd uninstall and reinstall it and / or download the free upgrade from the Sony Site and install that one. I've successfully used RecordNow with my DRU-500a to burn 60 or DVD-Rs with 1 verification failure and 10 or so DVD+Rs with 4 (media) related failures. In fact, I've had SIGNIFICANTLY better success using RecordNow that Nero. As of now, RecordNow is my burning software of choice. The only time that RecordNow has no burned a DVD was when I was trying to burn a authored movie and the VIDEO_TS folder didn't contain all the necessary files. RecordNow refused to burn, but didn't tell me why. When I added the missing files it burned the movies which play on my standalone player.

[axlish]

Yeah it is my burning software of choice too, I love it, till now.

[suAve]

Question... the SONY drive comes with RecordNow DX. Don't you need the MAX version (ie paid upgrade) to burn an authored DVD (ie VIDEO_TS folder) ?

Or does the drive has a free upgrade option to MAX ? Or is DX simply enough for this ?

TIA.

[jarvis1781]

DX works fine by itself

[alenhard]

I had this same problem myself and never figured it out. I finally had to just take it back. In my case, I think it had to do with setting the region. There was something in the manual about playing a specific region disc before a DVD-R/RW was played (this way the region would be properly set). I don't think I did that.

Another reason for this is that a disc you played may have been reallyscratched, and something happened to the laser. Don't know if this could be it, but just a thought anyways.

This was with one of the first ones that hit the stores, but the newer one has worked flawlessly. Good luck!

[suAve]

The region setting would have nothing to do...

If it's not set, the moment you play a region encoded disk, it will set it for you, but you'll have 4 more times to switch it. Once it's switched, THAT'S IT...

Of course, you can use DVD Genie to switch regions, or get firmware that removes the region enforcement.

In fact, if you ripped a DVD, most likely you made it ALL regions the moment it was ripped.

The suggestion is always to use a DVD-ROM to rip/play, and use the burning just for that... I'd say, if you can afford it, go with the external. Then your IDE devices would be a DVD-ROM and a CDRW.

My .02...