Replacement drive for LVW 5045

Can anyone suggest a replacement burner for the above machine - I've tried many different discs and now it wont recognise any of 'em!! I've tried using a lens cleaner but that hasn't solved the problem. Upgraded the firmware as well. I've got one rewritable DVD that works all the time but the rest whether RW or R always fail. Can the drive be replaced? Is it a hard procedure? Has anyone done it? My apolgies if this has been asked before - I'm new to the forum thing - Thanks in advance - Caroleus

try a Liteon SHW-160P6S, it should work as the 5045 is much like a 5005 except for the HD. At least you can test it before installing into the case. Look up posts on replacing the drive in a 5005.

Has anyone tried this drive. Just curios. My recorder is US LVW-5045, need to replace a ddw-813s

I just ordered a LITEON SHM-165H6S from New Egg. I will let you know how it goes. I too just burned my last DVD-R on the my 5045. You can in the mean time probably use DVD-RW and copy yo DVD-R on a PC. The laser on mine is strong enough to burn an RW but not the -R. You can try that until the results are in. Wish me luck!

Good Luck, be sure to put it into your PC first; to set a region and update firmware; then set the jumper to master and try it with your Liteon Recorder.

The Liteon SHW-160P6S works great, even though you can't fast forward but who needs to. And the only other problem is that it has no more door on the front of player. I did drill some holes in bottom of case and used zip ties to hold it in place. Very tight and works like a charm. Just make sure you have the latest firmware for drive not the player. If you flash it after new drive is in with player firmware you will frie drive. The firmware is here:

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Firm...x?DriveId=1238

My jumper is in Cable select and that is the only way it worked on mine.

if you trim a bit with a knife you can get the door to fit, i can send photo I think.

I also tried this but with a 1693s. It worked and I was able to get the door front to fit but the tray won't close with the door front attached. How did you get the drive to fit so that the tray will close all the way?

I have successfully replaced the DVD drive in my LiteOn LVW-5045 DVR. I wasn't sure I could use something other than a LiteOn drive, but it turns out to work just fine.

I used an LG Electronics GSA-H42N-BK DVD. The drive works wonderfully, and is quieter than the LiteON drives. I was able to get it for under $30 (plus shipping). LG drives seem to have a good reputation (reading user reviews on newegg.com).

As people have mentioned above, make sure you hook the new drive up to a PC and set the region code before trying to use it in your DVR. If you don't set the region code ahead of time, your video will be so scrambled & distorted as to be unusable.

There were some physical issues getting the drive to fit
1. The rectangular hole in the metal plate in the front of the DVR (behind the faceplate) was a bit small for this to fit--but only by a millimeter or two
2. The standoffs in the base of the unit are female...and so are the screw holes on the bottom of the LG DVD writer. I ended up using zip-ties to hold the drive in place securely, (one around the back, and one over the top) and it works well enough.
3. The faceplate on the DVD writer drawer ends up being a hair too high, so after much modifying & trying, I finally decided to leave it off. Minus 1 point for appearance.

But the part I was relieved to learn was that this non-LiteOn drive works just fine in my 5045. I've heard comments from others that some of the LiteOn replacements they've used wouldn't fast-forward in DVD playback mode. No worries here. Mine fast-forwards; however, the video during fast-forward doesn't look as smooth as the factory drive was--it's a but "jumpier"--but it's certainly usable. In fact, I haven't found anything that doesn't work with this replacement drive.

Bottom line: I think it's safe to say that the LVW-5045 can accept replacements other than LiteOn brand. (FYI, the factory DVD drive that was in my 5045 was built by Sony)

I only hope that if I end up needing a hard drive replacement that it'll go as smoothly.

Have you tried recording with the new drive? I tried connecting an extra Benq dw1650 before I got the liteon 1693 and everything worked with that until I tried to record, then nothing happened or it gave an invalid disc message or something, dont remember exactly.

Yep. It records. (re: LG Electronics GSA-H42N-BK DVD as a replacement drive)

Now, granted, I've only tested recording with DVD+R's, but they work great. (haven't tried DVD-R's yet)

In fact, part of what finally pushed me to get this fixed is that the hard drive was getting full. We had 11 pages (in the browser) of stuff recorded off TV, and we've dumped enough stuff to DVD+R with the replaced drive that we're down to just 6 pages.

I made sure to get a drive that was at LEAST as capable as the internal one. Of course, it could be I just got lucky and LG drives behave similarly enough to the LiteOn ones that it works.

[Through a very long series of events that I'd really not rather go into...unless someone REALLY wants to read a long story] I've actually tried two different LG drives (same model number), and they both played & recorded well.

The drive I bought is this one (just to be VERY specific):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136108

One other thing I should mention: If it's possible to update DVD drive firmware through the LVW-5045, don't do it once you've replaced the drive. It'll likely render it "dead" (for all practical purposes)

Does anyone know if the new 18x lite-on drives will work with the 5045? as I tried getting a SHM-165P6S from a local pc store but the model was replaced with the new drives.

DR. PAUL had success with 18x LiteOn in the 5005, and it'll likely work in the 5045 too. See http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=209152 for more info.

(for what it's worth, the LG drive I used is an 18x drive...)

One other thing I should mention: If it's possible to update DVD drive firmware through the LVW-5045, don't do it once you've replaced the drive. It'll likely render it "dead" (for all practical purposes)

Just ordered an LG to replace into my 'dead' 5045. Not sure how to set the region or install the firmware via my PC. I can get the LG connected & seen by Windows, but then what pls?

You should be able to find that "how to" on the LG forum if it can be set for LG drives.

The region code is set via a request from the computer (or whatever device is attached). You get a finite number of changes (5?), so it's a manual process--the computer won't just "do it for you." (well, some software will [Nero, etc] if it notices it isn't set yet, but it will ask you first)

To set the region code: (this will be basic instructions, but should apply to other DVD writer drives...not just the LG drive)

With your PC turned off, temporarily replace your CD or DVD drive with this LG drive. Boot Windows (other OS's will have different steps, so this post isn't for non-Windows).

Go to "My Computer" and right-click on the "DVD_RAM" drive (that's what the LG will show up as) and click "Properties" on the pop-up menu.
Click on the "Hardware" tab.
Highlight the DVD drive (it shows up as "HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-H42N" on my system). Click the "Properties" button.
Click the "DVD Region" tab.. (it should start looking self-explanatory here)
The text on this screen is good to read. Then scroll down on the box, select "United States" (if that's where you are) then Click "OK."
You can then shut your machine down, un-hook the DVD writer, and install it in your 5045.

That should do the job.

DVD firmware: to my knowledge, there are no firmware updates for the LG drive. It works great as-is.

There is a tool for LiteOn drives to make them region free which is useful if you ever want to play or record disks from any region. There may or may not be such tool for LG drives as I'm unfamiliar with them, but you could check the LG forum to see if you are interested in region free drive.

Just for cross-reference, here's another thread that talks about replacements for LVW-5xxx:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?p=1724513

Thanks for the help guys. As soon as my LG turns up I'll let you know how, what, when, including the if's & but's to geting my 5045 back up & running from a first timers point of view.

I'd forgotten that the drive in the 5045 had been set region free. So the first problem is I now can't play all my DVD's. Although they are UK purchased (& I'm in the UK) setting the region to UK (2 I think) it doesn't play them all. So if anyone can point me in the direction to get an LG Electronics GSA-H42N region free then my kids will be very pleased to watch Bob the Builder & Pepper Pig again......! The next problem is the pile of blank Datawrite DVD+R's don't appear to work in the LG. So unless I'm doing something wrong what disks have been found by others to work best please?

Another successful replacement...

Having read many posts here and elsewhere I opted for the LG Electronics GSA-H42N. I think this drive was first mentioned by niftybass above.

I only have -R disks, but everything I have tried appears to work just fine, FF2,4,8, FRW2,4,8, writes to -R, plays audio, plays commercial, plays burned disks, it even plays some disks that NEVER worked in the original unit!!

Firstly, you really DO need to stick the drive in your PC and set the region, it will only play region free disks unless you do this, I tried. As yet, even the brothers have not released any RPC1 firmware for this drive so I opted for my local region 2 and will live with it. If anyone really has issue with this, there are of course now several 'methods' to make your DVD's themselves region-free !!

To physically fit the drive I needed to remove two large and two small folded metal lugs that are used to hold the original drive in place, after removing the front bezel (necessary to remove the hdd first) it was easy to bend these through 180°, then fatigue them until they fell off, this left a slightly jagged edge that holds the new drive securely.
As per niftybass, I ended up securing the drive with zipties and leaving the front bezel off, although I intend to refit it using some double sided tape and a sponge spacer. It is both a bit too high and a bit too short to be able to refit by chopping about with a modelling knife as seen for other drives that have been used.

My 5045 has atually had its drive replaced by liteon once, but they kept the unit for 6 weeks and now, only 4 months later, it failed again, . A shame really, as it seems a very capeable box, if only the transport was better it would be perfect, but hopefully that is now the case...

In short, if you can live with no bezel or are prepared to remount it yourself, the LG Electronics GSA-H42N seems to be an excellent choice replacement drive for a LVW5045b.

Hope this helps someone else.

An amendment to my above post, the drive writes to several types of +R disks, but rejected a datawrite -R disk, it very briefly showed "blank Disk" then invalid disk and ejected.

The -R disk it worked with was a no-name from a stick-pack bought in the local computer shop, so I cannot recommend a brand, but as I've used the datawrite disks without issues before, it might be the case that this drive is fussy about -R disks, perhaps flashing the firmware might help this - if I get around to it I'll post.

(drive shipped with RL00 firmware, I see that RL01 is available now...)

Hi can somone help me.
I am trying to replace my 5045 dvd drive.I bought and installed a new Liteon 18x super allwrite burner, First i put it in my pc set the region code played a commercial dvd , but when i put it in the 5045 it won't load up at all??
What can i try?? Firmware??
thanks in advance.