discwrite/ PMX CDs unplayable....

[Mark Lemaire]

....on some CD players (like my 2000 Toyota 4Runner).

It has not always been this way, but now my car player reports "error 1" and will not play CDRs I burn on PMX/ Discwrite.

My question: Is there an option in PMX or Discwrite that I may have inadvertantly checked that could be causing this issue?

Thanks!

[fl]

It probably has more to do with the burner or the CD blanks you're using than the software - did something in that department change for you recently?

Since I upgraded my disk burner to a Plextor recently, I can now run PlexTools, and it's quite revealing - quite often the brand name of the disk is not the same as the manufacturer, and often they will change as the market shifts. So a Memorex disk bought in February may be a different brand than one bought the following May. Furthermore, I had a bad lot of Memorex DVD+R DL disks that would never work well with any of my burners, and then I bought some Fujis that worked very well. According to PlexTools, they are both made by Ritek.

So the point is, your trusty ol' favourite disks may not be the same as they once were, and different formulations are offered by the main manufacturers, probably to allow for different price points to their rebranding distributors. You may have just got some disks from a run that is a bad match for your burner, your car player and/or both.

[Graemme]

Taiyo Yuden for CD-Rs...

If you buy Memorex discs, I have some swampland in Florida you might like...

Mark: Your burner may be dying...

If it plays elsewhere but not everywhere, it's likely the burner or the player in your truck.

Graemme

[Mark Lemaire]

I was away for the weekend-

So:

I only use T-Y CDRs.

The player in my car still plays CDs from before this happened.

My (new) burner may be causing the issue, (replaced it last September). Not sure whether the discs were 'difficult' since then or some other time in the last year or so. Graemme- it's one you recommended: LITE ON DH-20A4P-04 20x all-write DVDrw drive- though even a recommended, new burner may still may be failing.

I use /run PlexTools
and the CDs are fine in terms of C1 and C2 errors. Any other tests I can run in PlexTools to suss this out?

[Graemme]

I certainly did recommend that burner and I now no longer do. Both of mine failed early in their lives and then two more after that. Pioneer, Plextor (NOS 755) and Samsung units have been flawless for over a year.

I'm sorry about the Lite-On. They were great drives for about 15 minutes...

Graemme

[Mark Lemaire]

....but MINE seems to be putting out very clean CDs- at least in terms of error rates. Is there any way to prove that it is the cause of my problem? Any test, say, in PlexTools?

[diverse]

I had a similar problem with a lot of Datawrite discs I was using for approval.

Go TY and you'll not regret it.

[Mark Lemaire]

Diverse-

as I noted before, I only use TY discs, and my error rates are excellent.


Graemme-

Any PlexTools tests I can run on discs I make to figure out my issue? I guess burners are cheap enough to simply buy (another) one that you recommend like:

Pioneer, Plextor (NOS 755) and Samsung

but I may have the same issue afterwards, unless I understand the problem in the first place.

sincerely

[Graemme]

The main problem is that neither of us know what a 'Type 1 Error' is in your truck's CD player. That'd be good info to know.

Something to try:

Plextools testing both a 'known to be good' and a 'known to be bad' disc. What are the differences? You may need to test the discs on a Clover or StageTec CD tester - Plextools costs $10,000 less for a few reasons.

I occasionally have so-so batches of TY discs. Not out of the question that you just have a bad batch of media...

Best,

Graemme

[tim]

Hi Graemme,

Thanks for the good advice, as always.

My Lite On burner is still working (although it seems to need to "nudge" every now & then)....would you let us know specifically which Pioneer & Samsung burners you are currently happy with?

Best wishes,

Tim Martyn

[Mark Lemaire]

Graemme-

Thanks for your reply.

Not out of the question that you just have a bad batch of media...

Possible, but unlikely. I usually get TYs a few hundred at a time, and I have been through a few different shipments in the last year. All bad?

The main problem is that neither of us know what a 'Type 1 Error' is in your truck's CD player.

I will check with Toyota, but do not expect much of use about this 9 year old CD player....

Plextools testing both a 'known to be good' and a 'known to be bad' disc. What are the differences?

I have done this. In terms of C1 and C2 errors, it's what you'd expect- lotsa errors on the bad disc, few on the good one. I wonder, though, if there are other things to look for/ test for than C1/ C2 errors? I see several tabs on the Plextools window- must investigate. Any thoughts on this?

[Graemme]

Hi Tim,

Current Samsung model approved by Merging: SAMSUNG SH-S202N

Samsung Model that I use: SH-S203B (no real reason that I chose this over the official one - just availability)

There are no Merging recommended Pioneer optical drives. The one that I use is a DVR-116D

The Samsung units are the equal of the older Plextors in terms of reliability and quality of burned disc. I think the Samsung S203B was $35 or less in Canada.

Best Regards,

Graemme

Hi Graemme,

Thanks for the good advice, as always.

My Lite On burner is still working (although it seems to need to "nudge" every now & then)....would you let us know specifically which Pioneer & Samsung burners you are currently happy with?

Best wishes,

Tim Martyn

[Graemme]

Hi Mark,

If you have Plextools then why haven't you used the required Plextor drive to create some discs and compare to the Lite-On??

Not out of the question that you just have a bad batch of media...

Possible, but unlikely. I usually get TYs a few hundred at a time, and I have been through a few different shipments in the last year. All bad?

Don't rule it out. I have 4 spindles of TY's here. All of the discs on one of those spindles creates discs with 10x the errors of the others...still within spec though (which is 220 errors/second, average)

The main problem is that neither of us know what a 'Type 1 Error' is in your truck's CD player.

I will check with Toyota, but do not expect much of use about this 9 year old CD player....

Well, I know even less than they do...and if it is 9 years old then it isn't exactly new anymore.

Plextools testing both a 'known to be good' and a 'known to be bad' disc. What are the differences?

I have done this. In terms of C1 and C2 errors, it's what you'd expect- lotsa errors on the bad disc, few on the good one. I wonder, though, if there are other things to look for/ test for than C1/ C2 errors? I see several tabs on the Plextools window- must investigate. Any thoughts on this?

If there are such big differences in errors, do you actually need to look any further?

But, how many are 'lotsa' and 'few' ? C'mon Mark...if you want the forum to help you, lets have some details!

If you read the PlexTools professional manual, you will find that the FE/TE test and the 'Beta/Jitter' tests may be useful.

However, the point of this exercise is to eliminate DiscWrite as a source of bad discs. In my experience, DiscWrite is *RARELY* the cause of such problems. Bad Media, bad burners and corrupted drivers will be way more likely a culprit.

There is no magic test in Plextools that will give you the exact answer you are looking for. For a measly $35 you can find out if the Samsung will cure what ails ye'


Graemme

[Mark Lemaire]

Graemme-

Thanks for your response. I think we are getting to the nub of the issue here. BUT FIRST, let me clear up one thing regarding error rates:

Something to try: Plextools testing both a 'known to be good' and a 'known to be bad' disc.
In terms of C1 and C2 errors, it's what you'd expect- lotsa errors on the bad disc, few on the good one.
C'mon Mark...if you want the forum to help you, lets have some details! If there are such big differences in errors, do you actually need to look any further?

Greamme/ All- REPEAT: No problems with errors! I have No Problems with errors. I have never burned a disc with this burner that has more than about 30 errors a second, usually far less. With 220 errors a second as 'within spec', let me say that that is how many errors a typical complete CD has for me. "Bad Discs" that I have tested have always been always made elsewhere- guess I misunderstood your good/bad test.

If you have Plextools then why haven't you used the required Plextor drive to create some discs and compare to the Lite-On??

G- At the time I bought the Lite-on, you yourself told me to avoid Plextor like the plague! No mention of it being 'required'- rather, you told me to avoid it! I believe the term you used was 'junkware' or something.

I would not waste this forums's time with silly questions if I was creating bad discs loaded with errors! My question from my original post was a simple one:

Is there an option in PMX or Discwrite that I may have inadvertantly checked that could be causing this issue?

To repeat:I have been wondering if some SETTING in PMX or Discwrite might cause the CD to be 'not universal'. A simple question. I gather such a question does not compute, there is no such option in Discwrite OR IN PMX?

... the point of this exercise is to eliminate DiscWrite

and PMX, actually. see my original question

as a source of bad discs. In my experience, DiscWrite is *RARELY* the cause of such problems. Bad Media, bad burners and corrupted drivers will be way more likely a culprit.

There is no magic test in Plextools that will give you the exact answer you are looking for...
and:

If you read the PlexTools professional manual, you will find that the FE/TE test and the 'Beta/Jitter' tests may be useful.

That info DOES pertain to my question! I will try to find this manual online and see if this suggestion helps out. Or I will buy a new burner. Thanks!