[zrmamc15017x]

I am using EMC 10 and get a buffer underrun 3% into writing to a DVD. This happens if I try to write a project or if I write the project to a disk file and then try to copy it to the DVD. Other software can write DVDs with no problems. My hardware:

Processor: Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe
Motherboard: Asus P5B SE
Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600)
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 0302 07/25/2007
Drives: 580.83 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space
DVD Writers: Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A SCSI Device * 2
Memory: 2 GB

I tried re-installing the software. I reduced the speed to 8x, (this was the slowest speed available on the dropdown). I have used Verbatim and Ritek DVD-Rs with the same results.

These are SCSI drives and so I don't think there are any DMA settings. I have not been able to locate a firmware update but the system is only 6 months old so I would hope the firmware is up to date.

Both Device manager and EMC 10 recognize my Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A SCSI drive.

Any further suggestions would be appreciated.

[Syrallas]

I am using EMC 10 and get a buffer underrun 3% into writing to a DVD. This happens if I try to write a project or if I write the project to a disk file and then try to copy it to the DVD. Other software can write DVDs with no problems. My hardware:

Processor: Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe
Motherboard: Asus P5B SE
Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600)
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 0302 07/25/2007
Drives: 580.83 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space
DVD Writers: Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A SCSI Device * 2
Memory: 2 GB

I tried re-installing the software. I reduced the speed to 8x, (this was the slowest speed available on the dropdown). I have used Verbatim and Ritek DVD-Rs with the same results.

These are SCSI drives and so I don't think there are any DMA settings. I have not been able to locate a firmware update but the system is only 6 months old so I would hope the firmware is up to date.

Both Device manager and EMC 10 recognize my Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A SCSI drive.

Any further suggestions would be appreciated.

Is there any option in the program you are using to burn your disc to turn off buffer underrun? This thread might be worth reading.

[Brendon]

I'm not sure that thread will help at all, Tom.

In that thread, John says that the DVD players he has don't like discs which have recovered from buffer underruns, so he turns off the recovery and loses any discs with errors.

In this thread the OP is getting an underrun error, so he probably needs to turn buffer underrun recovery ON rather than off.

Regards,
Brendon

[Syrallas]

I'm not sure that thread will help at all, Tom.

In that thread, John says that the DVD players he has don't like discs which have recovered from buffer underruns, so he turns off the recovery and loses any discs with errors.

In this thread the OP is getting an underrun error, so he probably needs to turn buffer underrun recovery ON rather than off.

Regards,
Brendon

Brendon,

Do you know where these buffer options are (which programs in the suite)?

I was trying to play around to replicate the problem, but ....

[gi7omy]

Best thing is to totally forget turning BURP on - make a .iso image first and then use that to burn the DVD.

[zrmamc15017x]

Interesting about turning buffer underrun protection off. I'll try that tomorrow and see if I end up with another coaster. I already tried burning to a disk image file and then using the copy feature, I'm not sure if this is the same as using an iso file but it was recommended in the help screens... I might try to create an iso image and then use some other software to burn the DVD.

Originally I was using DIVX DVD to create and burn my project, when that failed I used MYDVD to create and burn the disk image file.

On a related topic, anyone know how to select a slower burn speed than 8x?

[Brendon]

Best way I've found to both burn an ISO to disc and control the speed is with Creator Classic.

Run Creator Classic and select Burn From Disc Image File
Navigate to, and select the image file you want to burn
Click 'Open' and you get the 'Burn Setup' dialog box



The disc should be in your burner by now and have had time to spin up and be recognized.

The list of available speeds is in the pulldown box in the burn options section shown above. See, I'm getting everything from 2.4x to 16x from that particular combination of blank disc and burner.

Does this help you?

Regards,
Brendon

[zrmamc15017x]

I tried Creator Classic with a .c2d file. It let me reduce the speed to 4x but I had the same problem, Buffer under run - illegal request and my disc became a Single session DVD-R (Appendable). Same problem after turning off the buffer underrun protection. I tried with an .iso file and it got further, 2%, before failing.

This drive is connected to a JMicron JMB36x controller and so looks to XP as a SCSI drive but I suspect it's really a PATA drive. Is there a way to determine which kind of drive it is (without having to open up the computer, it's in a tight space), so I can attempt a firmware upgrade, (currently 1.01, would go to 1.05), to see if that helps. If a firmware upgrade does not work I'm thinking of getting an external USB drive just to work with Roxio.

[Brendon]

I suspect that it won't be the drive which is the problem. A buffer underrun happens when the drive uses its data faster than the computer/controller/operating system combination can get the data to it. Your drive is obviously faster than the data flow, so there is a bottleneck in the combination, somewhere.

The JMB36xseries of chips are supposed to be able to work in everything from W2K to Vista. Do you have the right drivers properly installed for it?

Is it in IDE compatability mode [or should it be?] The Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A is listed as an E-IDE / ATAPI device.

[zrmamc15017x]

I suspect that it won't be the drive which is the problem. A buffer underrun happens when the drive uses its data faster than the computer/controller/operating system combination can get the data to it. Your drive is obviously faster than the data flow, so there is a bottleneck in the combination, somewhere.

The JMB36xseries of chips are supposed to be able to work in everything from W2K to Vista. Do you have the right drivers properly installed for it?

Is it in IDE compatability mode [or should it be?] The Optiarc DVD RW AD-7190A is listed as an E-IDE / ATAPI device.

As far as I can tell I have the latest Jmicron driver, (according to Driver Scan). I don't know how to check the mode.

I did some testing and I agree there is a basic problem with the data flow and Roxio. I used CloneDVD2 to write the .iso file I had created earlier and it worked, (at 2x speed). I also borrowed an external USB drive, (MAD DOG MD-16X3DVD9-8X USB) and wrote to a DVD successfully from within Roxio's Divx DVDs program at 4x so it seems to be that Roxio + Jmicron + Optiarc have a problem. The Optiarc is supposed to have buffer under run protection capabilities, I wonder if Roxio is not recognizing or using this feature. Obviously the USB drive uses a different data path and that seems to make all the difference.

I'm not completely out of the woods however, while the DVD plays back perfectly on a DVD player or if I play it with PowerDVD. In Windows Media Player though the program crashes and wants to send an error report to Microsoft. I don't do this very often so I'm going to table the issue and make a note to just borrow an external drive, (or buy one if they're not too expensive), whenever I want to write from Roxio.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Brendon]

I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, but my experience with Jmicron chips is quite limited. I do think there's something wrong with the way the controller is running.

The writing software is meant to turn the buffer underrun protection scheme of your drive off and on as you direct, and it's very likely that EMC10 is doing that as it should, however buffer underrun prevention is only designed to work for short-term data starvation. If your drive is being really starved of data then the underrun prevention will fail and you'll get an underrun error declared.

That's what seems to be happening. You seem to have a bad data bottleneck to that drive, since your system has more than enough 'grunt' to write a 16x DVD with CloneDVD or EMC10. Just 2x with CloneDVD is not good.

Best of luck,
Brendon