Changing LG DVD±R write strategies (results thread)

The purpose of this thread

The purpose of this thread is for people to post results of their write strategy changes. The idea is that people can look at this thread and find out what write strategy replacements might be worth trying.

Posting guidelines for this thread

1/ Please, results only! Questions, comments, suggestions, etc., should be posted elsewhere where appropriate, in the media forum, in a thread of its own, etc.

2/ Please provide detailed information! This includes the media code (the media code block is not necessary, but please do include the media code revision, as provided by DVD Identifier, general information about the media (e.g., for Verbatim media, where it was manufactured is relevant, and for Ritek media, its media grade is relevant), the drive and firmware used to burn, the speed of the burn, and of course, the write strategy that you used (that's the whole point of this, eh? ).

3/ Feel free to post any result that you get! Even if it's a bad result, you can post it so that people will know not to try it. And please don't hesitate to post results that are similar to what other people have gotten! It's very nice to have multiple people post about a certain replacement so that the readers can get a confirmation that things really do work (or don't work).


The layout of this first posting was adapted from the Liteon/Omnipatcher thread Changing DVD±R write strategies (results thread)

Check the MediaCodeSpeedEdit support for LG drives thread to find out how to apply the neccessary changes to your firmware.

MID: YUDEN000-T02
Brand: unknown
Type: DVD+R 8x rated
Burned as: Create Data Disc (Nero image 4.38GB)
Burn strategy used: YUDEN000-T03
Burned at: 16xspeed
Burntime: 5:32
Firmware: LG 4163 A104

MID: RICOHJPN-R02
Brand: unknown
Type: DVD+R 8x rated
Burned as: Create Data Disc
Burn strategy used: RICOHJPN-R03
Burned at: 16x speed
Burntime: 5:53
Firmware: LG 4163 A104

MID: SONY08D1
Brand: unknown
Type: DVD-R 8x rated
Burned as: Create Data Disc
Burn strategy used: SONY16D1
Burned at: 16x speed
Burntime: 5:20
Firmware: LG 4163 A104

This is exciting! Thanks ala42.

MID: TYG02
Brand: OEM Yaiyo Yuden
Type: DVD-R 8x rated
Burned as: ISO image with DVD Decrypter
Burn strategy used: TYG03
Burned at: 16x speed
Burntime: 5:14
Firmware: LG 4163 A104

MID: TYG02
Brand: OEM Taiyo Yuden
Type: DVD-R 8x rated
Burned as: Image using Nero
Burn strategy used: TYG03
Burned at: 16x speed
Burntime: 5:29
Firmware: LG 4163 A104

MID: TYG02
Brand: OEM Taiyo Yuden
Type: DVD-R 8x rated
Burned as: DVD Video using Nero
Burn strategy used: TYG03
Burned at: 16x speed
Burntime: 5:23
Firmware: LG 4163 A104

As you can see, the results of overspeeding this particular media vary quite a bit. Thanks ala42 for making it possible.

Couple of scans
First is YUDEN000T02@TDK003 16x
Second is YUDEN000T02@BeallPG0 16x

MXLRG03 disc, MXLRG04 strategy (no other strategies have been edited), 16x speed.
Something goes horribly wrong at the first power adjustment point around 200 MB.

YUDEN000T02 disc, YUDEN000T03 strategy (again, this is the only strategy changed in the original A104 firmware in this round), 16x speed.
Another disaster. The drive is obviously fiddling with power, but is doing it all wrong. The disc comes out with very obvious bands on the recording side.

MCC003 disc, MCC004 strategy (a dozen plus strategies patched this time), 12x speed only (despite a 16x strategy applied for this media code).

Speed settings after patch:
MCC..... 003-000 16x,12x,8x,6x,4x,2.4x
MCC..... 0x3-000 12x,8x,6x,4x,2.4x

DVD Decrypter media report:
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B A104 (ATA)
Current Profile: DVD+R

Disc Information:
Status: Empty
Erasable: No
Free Sectors: 2,295,104
Free Space: 4,700,372,992 bytes
Free Time: 510:03:29 (MM:SS:FF)
Supported Write Speeds: 4x, 8x, 8x, 12x, 12x

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):
Disc ID: MCC-003-00
Book Type: DVD+R

This fares much better than previous media codes, but 12x maximum speed is puzzling.

This is getting interesting... With multiple strategies patched, now MXLRG03 is limited to 8x despite MXLRG04 strategy applied to it. 16x was definitely available for MXLRG03 when only this strategy was patched. I am beginning to wonder if this process is deterministic, or if something in the media/strategy table(s) is getting overwritten or incorrectly linked.

MediaSpeedCodeEdit report:
MXL RG03 16x,12x,8x,6x,4x
MXL RG03 x 8x,6x,4x

DVD Decrypter media report:
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B A104 (ATA)
Current Profile: DVD-R

Disc Information:
Status: Empty
Erasable: No
Free Sectors: 2,298,496
Free Space: 4,707,319,808 bytes
Free Time: 510:48:46 (MM:SS:FF)
Supported Write Speeds: 4x, 8x

Pre-recorded Information:
Manufacturer ID: MXL RG03

A failed attempt to go from 4x to 8x on Unifino 4x -R by replacing UTJR001001 strategy with IMC JPN R01. Still shows up as 4x only.

MediaSpeedCodeEdit post-patch report:
UTJR001001 8x,6x
UTJR001001 x 4x,2x

DVD Decrypter media report:
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B A104 (ATA)
Current Profile: DVD-R

Disc Information:
Status: Empty
Erasable: No
Free Sectors: 2,298,496
Free Space: 4,707,319,808 bytes
Free Time: 510:48:46 (MM:SS:FF)
Supported Write Speeds: 2x, 4x

Pre-recorded Information:
Manufacturer ID: UTJR001001

INFOMER20 disc, INFOMER30 strategy, 16x speed. This media is quite capable of good-quality 16x burns in other drives. Strategy change in this case was done by renaming the entry (changing '3' to '2').

Things were going well until the first stop at about 200 MB, and in the final 16x CLV stretch, but not in between. In fact, all power adjustments except the last one appear to be wrong.

Patching a dozen strategies does not work, read the restriction section in the MCSE thread first post again.

The process is deterministic and follows to rules as documented.

Fujifilm YudenT02@T03 strategy, it's bad unfortunately.
Pardon the date, it's the date the .nrg file was done.

Fujifilm DVD+R 8x MID: "YUDEN000 T02"
Batch# TG001125", "1101" and "CG424M02488PG"
Drive's old FW was "A104auto.exe" from TDB.
Updated w. original-LG-FW "GSA-4163A104(EW).zip" and patched with MCSE 1.0.4.6 (only replaced T02 with T03)

Ridisc 8x MCC 02RG20 burnt as MCC 03G20 at 16x. Around 4200MB in 5:15 minutes... Awesome result for such cheap media .. I am absolutely stunned!

YUDEN000 T02
burned at 16x with A104 patched to T03
TY bulk mat +R 8x rated

One strategy patch, YUDEN000T02->T03.

Alternating good and bad areas, rings on the recording surface.

The quality scan is attached as two images, using different scales, to show that good rings are properly burned with normal PIE/PIF levels.

One strategy patch, MAXELL002->MAXELL003.

DVD Decrypter says:
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B A104 (ATA)
Current Profile: DVD+R

Disc Information:
Status: Empty
Erasable: No
Free Sectors: 2,295,104
Free Space: 4,700,372,992 bytes
Free Time: 510:03:29 (MM:SS:FF)
Supported Write Speeds: 4x, 8x, 8x, 12x, 12x, 16x, 16x

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):
Disc ID: MAXELL-002-00

CD Speed writing speed is set to max (see the screenshot), but the drive burns at 12x P-CAV, dropping to 8x at the outer edge.

The disc is a coaster with five very visible bands on the recording surface.
Quality scan stops around 300 MB with an error 0000 (and no additional sense information).

Using the alpha firmware that allows RICOHJPNR01 to be burnt as RICOHJPNR02 (up to 12x speed):

This is a disk burnt at 8x speed. It seems well burnt, however the liteon 166s quality scan is somewhat bit worse (2.5 times works) then my 4x LG burns of these disks. It plays fine in a playstation, and reads pefectly in all the drives I tested.

At this speed, RICOHJPNR01 is perfectly usable. The Pioneer 116 reports an error because it wasn't able to correctly determine the disk size. I was suprised I was able to get a relitively nice read at 16 speed on the liteon drive. Most normally burnt media, let alone oversped, don't do this well, so thats a bonus.

PS. I know that the 166s is a finiky drive and not great for scanning. But it is quite critical of anything my LG burns, and that is a good thing for comparing burn quality. I might do a few scans when I (if I ever) get my benq 1620 back from RMA.

More scans of the 8x burnt RICOHJPNR01 in DVD drives