Pioneer 111D and variable burn speed?

[Spies]

I've just done my first couple of burns in my new drive.

First time I've come across a disc changing burn speed during a burn, I was under the impression it was a constant burn speed. Is this normal behaviour for a 111D? On looking at the discs surfance the different speeds are seen as different 'shades'.

I use Mirror discs that have the manufacturer code: MCC 02RG20

I have upgraded to 1.19 firmware.

Does the drive learn the media somehow because the second burn only changed speed once whereas the first did it 3 times.

Thanks

Spies

[Spies]

Attached a Nero CD/DVD Speed scan, you can see where the speed changes the PIF failure jumped with the PIE.

[chef]

It's all about the used burnspeed and the write-method.

Which speed were used to burn them?

[Spies]

I used 8x as they are 8x rated discs, I used DVD Decrypter to burn the image.

[chef]

The drive will start to burn at 6x and then shift up to 8x, under normal cases.

[Spies]

But back down again?

I just attempted a burn at 6x knowing that it did drop to 6x before. It dropped to 4x towards the end of the disc.

Are Mirror discs just rubbish?

[chef]

YES, this is a sign of not-that-good media, the OPC kicks in to avoid an coaster.

[jazzjeff]

YES, this is a sign of not-that-good media, the OPC kicks in to avoid an coaster.

Whats an OPC?
Never heard of it.

[chef]

OPTIMUM POWER CALIBRATION

Just read the review and you'll know.

[Spies]

Burning a dual layer disc now and every so often its spinning right down to 0 again.

Is this drive knackard?

[Spies]

Can someone please help me? I'm not about to waste another disc if the burner is at fault here.

The quality check on the DL won't even complete.

[allright]

Its normal for the drive to spin down before it changes speed(most if not all drives does it). Which media is the DL? and what speed did you burn it at?

[Spies]

That one burnt at 8x which is admittadly over rated speed, but I cant get any disc to burn at it's rated speed without it spinning down to adjust itself. My 105 never spun down, it wrote at a constant speed.

I'm now having problem with disc quality checks with massive spikes of PIF errors

[Spies]

Another messed up disc near the end...

[Spies]

Same disc, different scan? I only scanned the area with errors.

[FordMan]

Burning a dual layer disc now and every so often its spinning right down to 0 again.

Is this drive knackard?

I also have a 111D flashed to 111L by the TDB 8.19 firmware. Both before flashing and afterward, I've consistenly seen it go to 0 speed right around the 1.2 GB mark on Verbatim MKM001 DL media, whether recorded at 4X or 6X. This is supposed to be CLV all the way at either speed. The strange thing is that according to ImgBurn 1.3.0.0 (which I'm burning with), the device buffer doesn't seem to empty when it does this, so it soesn't appear to be related to a recalibration/relinking!

What's more disturbing is that when I examine the surface under a bright light, I can see a thin shiny "ring" out about 30% of the way from the hub! I assume this is related to the spindown at 1.2GB as this would be about the right position on the disc on layer 0 of the media.

This has happened on 3 DL burns now (all on Verbatim MKM001 media), but the quality check comes out great regardless, with no quality issues evidenced anywhere near 1.2GB.

My Plextor PX-716A doesn't have these issues at all and I get a nice solid burn all the way, as evidenced by the DVDInfo Pro graphs produced by ImgBurn. I've gone back to my Plextor for DL burning, even if it is only because I don't like the aesthetics of seeing a ring on my Pioneer DL burns.

In addition, the Pioneer speed does jump around a little throughout the entiere burn, while the Plextor stays rock solid!

Ford Man

[Spies]

Mine seems to be showing random spikes of PIF errors in the hundreds, which is in a different place each scan.

[chef]

I use Mirror discs that have the manufacturer code: MCC 02RG20

Crap discs and also too fast burned!!

What do you expect?

[chef]

Fordman,

also the OPC kicks in (probably), thank God...

[Spies]

This is CMC MAG. AE1 but I don't have many of them, I have 2 cake boxes of Mirror discs though with 25 per spool