Step-by-step guide to 8x burning of 2.4x Verbatim +R DL media on DW1650/1655

Many of you are getting your new DW1655s and DW1650s and wondering why 2.4x Verbatim +R DL media that says "up to 6x" or "up to 8x" on packaging is burning at super-slow 2.4x, taking 45 minutes to complete where DW1640 completed a full disc in 16 minutes.

This is a firmware problem that BenQ is taking a long time to fix. You could say they don't give a damn about it. How do i know? Well, as you will see below, there is a neat little entry in the firmware table that controls writing speeds that says, yes, it can burn MKM 001 (that's 2.4x Verbatim +R DL media) at 8x. Except the entry is never applied.

Well, we can fix that with MCSE. We are going to replace two MKM 001 entries with their corresponding MKM 003 entries.

Here's how.

Download BenQ firmware:
http://support.benq.com/files/storag...W1650/BCDC.zip for DW1650
http://support.benq.com/files/storag...W1655/BCDB.zip for DW1655

Download MCSE:
http://ala42.cdfreaks.com/MCSE/MediaCodeSpeedEdit.zip

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Unpack the archives. You will need two files: (BCDB.EXE or BCDC.EXE) and MediaCodeSpeedEdit.exe.

Run MediaCodeSpeedEdit.exe.

Press the Load button. In the file selection dialog, locate BCDB.EXE ro BCDC.EXE and open it.

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Find two MKM 001 entries in the list, highlight the first one that begins with 2.4x.

Double-click the highlighted entry.

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In the dialog that pops up, locate and highlight the first MKM 003 entry that begins with 2.4x.

Click OK.

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Click Yes in the next dialog. [You really want to, trust me.]

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Now, back in the main MCSE window, highlight the second MKM 001 entry that begins with 8x. [Yes, it's there, but if you are tempted to give up and try burning another disc, no, it's not working. It will be once we update it. Keep going.]

Double-click the highlighted entry.

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In the dialog that pops up, locate and highlight the only remaining MKM 003 entry that begins with 8x.

Click OK.

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Click Yes in the next dialog, again.

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Back in the main MCSE window, click Save. Click Yes in the next dialog.

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Accept the BCDB_speedpatched.EXE or BCDC_speedpatched.EXE name and click Save in the file selection dialog. Note the folder where this file is saved, this is the patched firmware.

Close MCSE.

Run BCDB_speedpatched.EXE or BCDC_speedpatched.EXE to update DW1655/1650 firmware.

Click OK in the first dialog.

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Click Upgrade. Wait for the process to complete, and don't forget to reboot when it asks you to do so at the end.

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Enjoy 8x burns of MKM 001.

[the end]

Thanks agent009. Great guide.

Also a big thank you to ala42 providing MCSE.
BTW, ala42 already mentioned this tweak some time ago in his MCSE thread.

Now just let's hope this can be part of an updated BenQ/Philips FAQ. zevia...

awesome guide. thank you!

i've yet to give burning dl discs at higher than 2.4x a try (too afraid to make a $2 coaster!)

but this certainly resolves a LOT of threads that are currently open right now

this is the first time i've done any of this MCSE stuff (normally just use it for reference)

i just have one quickl question: now that MKM 003 is no longer listed in the table, does that mean that if i'm using MKM003 discs I should flash to the original firmware that supports that media code or will it burn with it's normal strategy with the speedpatched firmware?

i don't have any MKM003 at the moment, but just wondering for the future...

RnR,
You are correct. After the swap the MKM003 is not supported as its strategy is now being used for the MKM001. All you have to do is flash back to the original firmware and you will have the support again. Nota bene: reflashing your drive will delete the SolidBurn database entries.

to return the firmware back to its original state do you just run the BCDB.exe firmware from the website? or is it more complicated than that?

Here's a scan of an MKM001 burned at 6x on the 1655 with BCDB firmware using the MKM003 strategy for the first time. QS=85. It's not a coaster, it worked just fine in every DVD player I tried.

For comparison is this scan of the same media burned at 2.4x using the MKM001 strategy. QS-96, but that is probably not reliable as the scan was done with the GCAB firmware. I can rescan that burn with BCDB and post it if you're interested.

I haven't tried that, it may choke on the fact that you already have BCDB firmware in the drive. Alternatively, just use BQFlasher and the BCDB.exe.

link please? Never done any of this, obviously if something goes wrong with the drive I would want to put the old firmware back in case they started asking me if I;d changed the firmware.

thanks Icy. I already backed up everything I needed to back up this week. guess i'll have to wait until tuesday when i make my regular video store run to decide which lucky movie gets a DL backup haha

that 6x scan wasn't bad, but not what i've come to expect from my benQ drives with quality media. I might try at 4x.

it's on the benQ site and also in the first post of this thread.

and you don't have to use BQflasher to to go back. just run the .exe file.

i was asking for link of bqflasher. np, im ordering a 5pack of 8x DL's on monday to see how the 1650 does with them on my computer. I think I will stick to the current firmware just because I'd rather have a 2.4x write speed with 93% quality than 8x with 84, obsurd, maybe. But I use my laptop normally and I can always use this while the 1650 burns next door

hmm, could you try some more 8x burns with the mkm 001 icy?? I'd be interested to see if that 84 was a one off and if you could get a better write.

bqflasher can be found in the very first sticky thread in the benq forum entitled "bqflasher"

can another person comfirm this for me?? I don't want to edit my firmware and not be able to wipe it clean to restore the original firmware.

As long as you're not crossflashing, like between OEM and Retail or between different drives, stock BenQ flashers will work to flash from newer to older and back with no problem.
Of course the usual warnings apply - be sure there's no interruption of power, reboot afterwards etc.