Slow burning with BD-R discs

Burning Software ImgBurn
#1

I’ve got an odd problem going on with ImgBurn. I’ve been burning my FTI SmartBlu disks (TDKBLD-RBB-000 mid cod) at 4x for some time now, but lately I’ve been specifying 4x and getting 2x only.

I burned two this morning at 4x, but the third reverted to 2x for no apparent reason. I’m using an older burner, an LG GGW-H20L with the last available firmware, YL07. Yesterday I even tried specifying 6x, which is a supported speed with these discs, and still got 2x out of the drive.

There are no error messages in ImgBurn.

Anyone have a clue? I haven’t installed anything odd, no driver updates, and the drive works at 4x some of the time, but not always.

Here is the log file of the last burn that worked at 4x:

; //****************************************\\
;   ImgBurn Version 2.5.7.0 - Log
;   Monday, 03 December 2012, 10:16:33
; \\****************************************//
;
;
I 09:52:40 ImgBurn Version 2.5.7.0 started!
I 09:52:40 Microsoft Windows 8 Unknown x64 Edition (0x00000067) (6.2, Build 9200)
I 09:52:40 Total Physical Memory: 8,273,108 KB  -  Available: 6,983,448 KB
I 09:52:40 Initialising SPTI...
I 09:52:40 Searching for SCSI / ATAPI devices...
I 09:52:40 -> Drive 1 - Info: TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-S203B SB04 (H:) (SATA)
I 09:52:40 -> Drive 2 - Info: HL-DT-ST BD-RE  GGW-H20L YL07 (G:) (SATA)
I 09:52:40 Found 1 DVD±RW/RAM and 1 HD DVD-ROM/BD-RE!
I 09:53:07 Operation Started!
I 09:53:07 Building Image Tree...
I 09:53:08 Calculating Totals...
I 09:53:08 Preparing Image...
I 09:53:08 Contents: 9 Files, 15 Folders
I 09:53:08 Content Type: BD Video
I 09:53:08 Data Type: MODE1/2048
I 09:53:08 File System(s): UDF (2.50)
I 09:53:08 Volume Label: The Fifth Element
I 09:53:08 Size: 22,560,273,844 bytes
I 09:53:08 Sectors: 11,015,764
I 09:53:08 Image Size: 22,561,292,288 bytes
I 09:53:08 Image Sectors: 11,016,256
I 09:53:08 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:00
I 09:53:11 Operation Started!
I 09:53:11 Building Image Tree...
I 09:53:11 Calculating Totals...
I 09:53:11 Preparing Image...
I 09:53:11 Contents: 9 Files, 15 Folders
I 09:53:11 Content Type: BD Video
I 09:53:11 Data Type: MODE1/2048
I 09:53:11 File System(s): UDF (2.50)
I 09:53:11 Volume Label: The Fifth Element
I 09:53:11 Size: 22,560,273,844 bytes
I 09:53:11 Sectors: 11,015,764
I 09:53:11 Image Size: 22,561,292,288 bytes
I 09:53:11 Image Sectors: 11,016,256
I 09:53:14 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:02
I 09:53:14 Operation Started!
I 09:53:14 Source File: -==/\/[BUILD IMAGE]\/\==-
I 09:53:14 Source File Sectors: 11,016,256 (MODE1/2048)
I 09:53:14 Source File Size: 22,561,292,288 bytes
I 09:53:14 Source File Volume Identifier: The Fifth Element
I 09:53:14 Source File Volume Set Identifier: 41834EA500A817D4
I 09:53:14 Source File Application Identifier: ImgBurn v2.5.7.0
I 09:53:14 Source File Implementation Identifier: ImgBurn
I 09:53:14 Source File File System(s): UDF (2.50)
I 09:53:14 Destination Device: [0:0:0] HL-DT-ST BD-RE  GGW-H20L YL07 (G:) (SATA)
I 09:53:14 Destination Media Type: BD-R (Disc ID: TDKBLD-RBB-000)
I 09:53:14 Destination Media Supported Write Speeds: 2x, 4x, 6x
I 09:53:14 Destination Media Sectors: 12,219,392
I 09:53:14 Write Mode: BD
I 09:53:14 Write Type: DAO
I 09:53:14 Write Speed: 4x
I 09:53:14 Hardware Defect Management Active: No
I 09:53:14 BD-R Verify Not Required: Yes
I 09:53:14 Link Size: Auto
I 09:53:14 Lock Volume: Yes
I 09:53:14 Test Mode: No
I 09:53:14 OPC: No
I 09:53:14 BURN-Proof: Enabled
I 09:53:14 Write Speed Successfully Set! - Effective: 17,982 KB/s (4x)
I 09:53:29 Filling Buffer... (40 MB)
I 09:53:30 Writing LeadIn...
I 09:53:30 Writing Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 11016255)
I 09:53:30 Writing Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 11016255)
I 10:14:10 Synchronising Cache...
I 10:14:13 Closing Track...
I 10:14:14 Finalising Disc...
I 10:14:24 Exporting Graph Data...
I 10:14:24 Graph Data File: C:\Users\Kerry\AppData\Roaming\ImgBurn\Graph Data Files\HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_GGW-H20L_YL07_MONDAY-DECEMBER-3-2012_9-53_AM_TDKBLD-RBB-000_4x.ibg
I 10:14:24 Export Successfully Completed!
I 10:14:24 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:21:09
I 10:14:24 Average Write Rate: 17,768 KB/s (4.0x) - Maximum Write Rate: 18,317 KB/s (4.1x)
I 10:16:33 Close Request Acknowledged
I 10:16:33 Closing Down...
I 10:16:33 Shutting down SPTI...
I 10:16:33 ImgBurn closed!
;

And here is a log of one that I specified 6x and only got 2x:


I 21:53:54 Operation Started!
I 21:53:54 Source File: D:\The Lives of Others.iso
I 21:53:54 Source File Sectors: 11,446,016 (MODE1/2048)
I 21:53:54 Source File Size: 23,441,440,768 bytes
I 21:53:54 Source File Volume Identifier: The Lives of Others
I 21:53:54 Source File Volume Set Identifier: 3B96AB4700AEA69B
I 21:53:54 Source File Application Identifier: ImgBurn v2.5.0.0
I 21:53:54 Source File Implementation Identifier: ImgBurn
I 21:53:54 Source File File System(s): UDF (2.50)
I 21:53:54 Destination Device: [0:0:0] HL-DT-ST BD-RE  GGW-H20L YL07 (G:) (SATA)
I 21:53:54 Destination Media Type: BD-R (Disc ID: TDKBLD-RBB-000)
I 21:53:54 Destination Media Supported Write Speeds: 2x, 4x, 6x
I 21:53:54 Destination Media Sectors: 12,219,392
I 21:53:54 Write Mode: BD
I 21:53:54 Write Type: DAO
I 21:53:54 Write Speed: 6x
I 21:53:54 Hardware Defect Management Active: No
I 21:53:54 BD-R Verify Not Required: Yes
I 21:53:54 Link Size: Auto
I 21:53:54 Lock Volume: Yes
I 21:53:54 Test Mode: No
I 21:53:54 OPC: No
I 21:53:54 BURN-Proof: Enabled
I 21:53:54 Write Speed Successfully Set! - Effective: 26,972 KB/s (6x)
I 21:54:24 Filling Buffer... (40 MB)
I 21:54:24 Writing LeadIn...
I 21:54:25 Writing Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 11446015)
I 21:54:25 Writing Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 11446015)
I 22:37:09 Synchronising Cache...
I 22:37:11 Closing Track...
I 22:37:12 Finalising Disc...
I 22:37:22 Exporting Graph Data...
I 22:37:22 Graph Data File: C:\Users\Kerry\AppData\Roaming\ImgBurn\Graph Data Files\HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_GGW-H20L_YL07_SUNDAY-DECEMBER-2-2012_9-53_PM_TDKBLD-RBB-000_6x.ibg
I 22:37:22 Export Successfully Completed!
I 22:37:22 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:43:28
I 22:37:22 Average Write Rate: 8,928 KB/s (2.0x) - Maximum Write Rate: 9,219 KB/s (2.1x)
I 22:38:58 Close Request Acknowledged
I 22:38:58 Closing Down...
I 22:38:58 Shutting down SPTI...
I 22:38:58 ImgBurn closed!
;
#2

There’s just nothing to find in those ImgBurn log files, so the problem has to be somewhere else. I’m just not sure what it is. I’ve been burning from the same, 1tb hard drive to the optical drive each time.

#3

Have you tried burning with a different software for testing ?

My thought is it’s the drive maybe the laser is getting worn .

If you get the 4X speed with a different software maybe uninstall ImgBurn & reinstall it.

#4

As you’re getting the…

I 21:53:54 Write Speed Successfully Set! - Effective: 26,972 KB/s (6x)

type line in the log, it means the program asked the drive to use 6x and it accepted the command. The program then asked the drive what the current write speed was set to and it reported 6x - a perfect match.

After that point, it’s pretty much just drive internals that would make it burn at a different speed - i.e. out of my control.

If you’re seeing this problem more frequently now, it might be a sign of an underlying problem with the drive - dust/dirt or whatever.

#5

Ok, thanks guys. I can try disassembling the drive and cleaning the laser, but it looks like I may be in the market for a Pioneer 207 soon.

#6

Whats the full MID?

I think its up to the discs.

#7

MID is in the log files chef. TDKBLD-RBB-000

I think LUK is correct on this. If you set the speed in the program and it is accepted by the drive, that’s all you can do. Any slowdowns after that point is beyond user control.

I disassembled the drive and cleaned the lenses. They didn’t appear to be dirty, but since I had gone to enormous trouble to get into the darn thing, I went ahead and cleaned them with a swab and some alcohol.

The next burn went well, at the 4x speed I asked for, but that doesn’t prove anything.

#8

Kerry, I meant the full MID.

There were blanks in the past with the same main MID, but differences in the rest. :wink:

#9

Kerry, have you had a look at the Imgburn burn graphs to ensure that you don’t have a buffer under-run issue? It certainly may be the drive wearing out, but worth a look. I’ve also had success at times with reflashing an LG when it suddenly seems to struggle with a disc that should not be a challenge.

#10

Here’s one I selected 4x and got 2x. Darned if I can tell anything from this graph though:

HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_GGW-H20L_YL07_MONDAY-DECEMBER-3-2012_10-18_AM_TDKBLD-RBB-000_4x.png711×642 20.3 KB

#11

[QUOTE=Kerry56;2667880]Here’s one I selected 4x and got 2x. Darned if I can tell anything from this graph though:

[/QUOTE]

That’s a case of “you gets what you pays for it”;). Burnplot was a valiant effort by the author to offer a free graph plotter, but you should go into Imgburn’s settings and change the default viewer to ODC. That will display the buffer properly. And ODC can save a png of the graph.

#12

Ok. Still gobbledygook to me:

This is the same burn, with a selected speed of 4x and resulting 2x.


#13

The buffer line looks the same in both to me, it’s just a solid 100% all the time and therefore a line right at the top of the graph. White in one screenshot/program and pink in the other.

#14

I checked all the graphs I have saved, and none of them show any big dips in the buffer, regardless of whether the drive burned at the selected speed or not.

#15

You’re right, no indication of buffer trouble. But another strange thing is the fact that the burner did not even attempt to burn at 4x. I was half expecting to see the burn speed drop after the drive attempted 4x. It appears that it wasn’t even considering 4x that time :confused: