Partially readable DVD+R's after burning with an LDW-851SX

CD, DVD and (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Writers LiteOn / PLDS / Sony Writer
#1

Hello, I’ve had this problem for some time now. I can’t say if it’s gotten worse in the last two years since I bought the drive, but it’s rare that I see a good burn these days. Today I formatted and completely reinstalled Windows XP SP2 with all the updates in order to rule out software issues.

The problem:

When I burn a DVD, I generally burn them as data to be read by my computer solely. I typically burn DVDs with six 700 Mb video files, or twelve 350 Mb video files. For instance, the DVD I burned after the fresh installation contained six video files for a total of 4.2 Gb. I used Sonic RecordNow! 7.0 and didn’t get any error messages; ordinarily everything goes smoothly. When I play or access the first five video files off the DVD, everything is okay. However, when I try to play the sixth file, it doesn’t load. The DVD drive tries to access the sixth file infinitely, but just seems stuck. This is the case when trying to copy the file back to the hard drive, as well. This also happens in the scenerio of a DVD containing twelve video files, but the last one or two may not be readable. Occasionally, but rarely, I will burn a perfectly readable DVD in either situation.

Can anyone explain what’s going on here? If you require some additional information about the problem or my computer, please just ask!

#2

I should mention that I’m using Sonic RecordNow! Deluxe 7.3 and that CDs burn just fine using the drive…

#3

1/ You could try a reset learn using the EEPROM Utility. Backup your EEPROM first, so you can restore it if it doesn’t help.
2/ What media are you using. Try some better quality media. Sounds like high errors at the out edge of the disc, which is why the sixth file won’t play. Post some scans of the disc using Nero CD-DVD Speed’s quality test.
3/ Try a good quality CD lens cleaning disc. Over time, a cloudy film can build up on the OPU, which can affect the burn quality.

#4

Thanks for your reply!

  1. I’ve tried that before, actually. I’ve also experimented with other firmwares; I was using the standard GS0P firmware (the latest) up until four weeks ago, but since then I’ve flashed to the CG5J and now have a LDW-851SX@SOHW-832S. I thought this would help, but it didn’t.

  2. The best media for my drive has always been TDK [DVD+R:MBIPG101-R04-001] and Sony [DVD+R:SONY-D11-000]. If I use, say Philips media [DVD+R:INFOME-R20-000], the discs burn bad every single time and are completely unreadable. I will try and post some scans of the disc tomorrow, it’s already late.

  3. Sometimes the simplest solutions (aside from obvious “plugging in the drive” ones) are the easiest, but they often escape me. In other words, I haven’t tried this yet, but I sought to try and de-dust the inside of the drive about a week ago. It’s difficult to see in there because the drive is in the LiteOn proprietary enclosure, but I’ve noticed there isn’t any dust present at all. When the drive’s tray is close, this thing is air-tight. It makes me wonder if this is the solution I’ve been looking for, however, because lately I’ve been burning disc after disc with the same exact problem…

I read a thread somewhere here about people killing their drives by operating them on their sides using those stands that come in the box. I would have never thought this could have anything to do with a failing drive, but some people swear by it. I figured it was safe since all the pictures of my drive are of it on its side, albeit the right side. I’ve always operated mine on its left side. Perhaps this has no bearing at all on the life of a drive and instead plays into our paranoia?

Although I wanted to try and salvage the drive, I ended up going out today and spending 100 euros on a new drive, the LiteOn SOHW-1673SX. This thing is magic! I’ve had ten straight 8x burns with absolutely no problems. At the beginning when I first bought the 851SX I could burn 8x discs, but 8x media was scarce in this country. A few months later on, I could never go beyond 4x with the drive even when 8x media was becoming more popular. I’m quite happy with the new drive, but I still wonder what to do with the old one. I was hoping to try and fix it… In the meantime, I will operate the new 1673SX in a “normal” position until I hear differently. :slight_smile: