[mteesdale@comcast.net]

I have installed the retail version of EMC8 and then installed the update on top of the installation. This was a clean install without any other dvd burning software on the machine. When I try to burn a DVD, the only burn speed available to me is 4x. The disks are only rated at 2.4x. How do I get 2.4x speed to be available in the drop down?

System Specs:

Dell Dimension 5150
Win XP Home - SP2 (All updates available applied)
1 Gig RAM
HL-DT-ST DVD+-RW GWA4164B DVD Drive - Firmware D108 (Dell has not issued new firmware for this drive yet...)

I tried Memorex DVD +R DL 2.4x and now I am trying FujiFilm DVD +R DL 2.4x. All of the memorex disks are now coasters.

Here is information I get out of DVDInfo on the disk. I am confused by the Available Write Desc. These disks are clearly labeled as 2.4x disks.

Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO
Media code/Manufacturer ID RITEK D01
Media Product Revision Number 01h
Format Capacity Blank Disc
Free Blocks 4253024256
Free Capacity 7.96GB(8.55GB)
Book Type DVD+R DL
Media Type DVD+R DL
Manufacturer Rated Speed 2.4x 3324KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps
Data area starting sector 30000h
Layer 0 end sector 22D7FFh
Linear Density 0.293um/bit
Track Density 0.74um/track
Number of Layers 2
Layer Track Path direction (OTP) Opposite track path

Thanks,
Mike

[sknis]

Burn speed may not be the problem. Memorex DVDs are not the best and have caused other people problems. Memorex buys from the lowest bidder. I use Fulifilm and had very good luck.

V8 does not have any drivers so it picks up information from your drive. If your drive provide the information to EMC 8 that it can burn those discs at that speed, it probably can. If you really want to change the write speed, on the lower right of the Home page is an options link. Click on it and then general and then advanced. You can change both the cd and the DVD burn speeds from there. I don't know if it holds those settings or if you have to reset them whenever you open EMC 8

Search this board for the method to create a DVD; first by creating and image file and then copying that image file to your disc. That seems to be the most foolproof method of creating a DVD since it separates the rendering from the burning steps. You computer isn't trying to do several things at once.

mteesdale@comcast.net, on Jan 8 2006, 09:14 AM, said:

I have installed the retail version of EMC8 and then installed the update on top of the installation. This was a clean install without any other dvd burning software on the machine. When I try to burn a DVD, the only burn speed available to me is 4x. The disks are only rated at 2.4x. How do I get 2.4x speed to be available in the drop down?

I tried Memorex DVD +R DL 2.4x and now I am trying FujiFilm DVD +R DL 2.4x. All of the memorex disks are now coasters.


Thanks,
Mike

[mteesdale@comcast.net]

Thanks for the reply. I agree that the memorex disks were a long shot. I have been using FujiFilm SL disks for a long time and always have success, so I assumed that I would be safe on the DL disks.

After looking at many different types of disks, both SL and DL, I have determined that EMC8 uses the Available Write Descriptors from the disk to populate the speed drop downs. As you can see in the DVDInfo Pro report for some reason (I have no idea why) both Memorex and Fuji disks have different data between the Manu Suggested Speed and the Available Write Descriptor.

Manufacturer Rated Speed 2.4x 3324KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps

Since EMC8 is using the Available Write Descriptor to determine speed, I imagine that I will always have a problem when there is a difference. I can't imagine that trying to write a 2.4x disk at 4x is a good thing.

Is the answer to find a disk that has Available Write Descriptors for 2.4x, 4.0x, etc??

If I were writting EMC8, I would allow the speed from the max Available Write Descriptor and then allow any lower speed. All disks should be 2.4x capable...it is just higher speeds that need to be restricted.

My DVD disk search will now continue...frustrating.

Mike

[sknis]

Did you try changing the default write speeds per my message?

[joethezombie]

Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Select Drive Speed -> DVD:

[mteesdale@comcast.net]

Yes, but the only options I have are Max and 4.0. I do not have an option to set it to 2x or 2.4x as I would expect I should (per my previous posts). What I am trying to explain is that since the disk is not "labeled" with a 2.4x Available Write Descriptor, EMC8 is not displaying that an an option in any of the drop downs. I have tested this now with TDK, HP, FUJI, Verbatim and cheap Staples brand. The drop down always matches what is listed in the Available Write Descriptor section and not what the disk states as the available burn speeds.

I need someway to make additional values available in the Options - Drive Speed drop down.

Are you experiencing the same thing? What DL media are you using with EMC8??

This post has been edited by mteesdale@comcast.net: 08 January 2006 - 11:06 AM

[joethezombie]

Sorry. I don't think I'll be of much help, as I have flashed my drive with a hacked firmware that allows burning at any speed by reporting all drive capable speeds back to the software, regardless of media.

[james_hardin]

joethezombie, on Jan 8 2006, 02:16 PM, said:

Sorry. I don't think I'll be of much help, as I have flashed my drive with a hacked firmware that allows burning at any speed by reporting all drive capable speeds back to the software, regardless of media.

Use XP Explorer.

Right click the drive, Properties.

Set the speed in the Recording tab.

[Kevin Brown]

james_hardin, on Jan 8 2006, 05:46 PM, said:

Use XP Explorer.

Right click the drive, Properties.

Set the speed in the Recording tab.

James- That only sort of worked for me. (I got a new Dell PC this week, and I've spent 3 days trying to find out how to change this!) I don't understand why this is different with my old (2.5 year old!) Dell PC. It gave me a bunch of choices in that dropdown (Roxio Sonic RecordNow).

But, when I change the properties speed to anything other than "max", it only ever will give me "max" and "48x" in the burning software dropdown. ?? I want to burn at 4x or 8x.

OK, one more question: I've always burned at 1/4 max speed before. (Good readibility.) How do I find out the max CD burning speed?

This post has been edited by Kevin Brown: 04 September 2006 - 12:19 AM

[cdanteek]

Quote

HL-DT-ST DVD+-RW GWA4164B DVD Drive - Firmware D108 (Dell has not issued new firmware for this drive yet...)

I tried Memorex DVD +R DL 2.4x and now I am trying FujiFilm DVD +R DL 2.4x. All of the memorex disks are now coasters.

Media code/Manufacturer ID RITEK D01

It is a combination of drive firmware and the disc!
Dell will never have good firmware. They buy OEM drives for 2 cents less and provide the trash firmware. Buy a drive made by someone who makes drives and provides good firmware. NEC, Pioneer, Lite-On, Benq, Plextor.

Ritek disc's haven't been any good since the GO4's. The last single layer Fuji I scanned were Pro Disc another not so good media.
For Dual Layer most use Verbatim +R. Then have the drive bit set it to DVD Rom if your drive supports it.

Below a Verbatim +R DL Disc in a Plextor 716A

Roxio DVDInfoPro MediaInformation
Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO
Media code/Manufacturer ID MKM 001
Media Product Revision Number 00h
Format Capacity Blank Disc
Free Blocks 4253024256
Free Capacity 7.96GB(8.55GB)
Book Type DVD+R DL
Media Type DVD+R DL
Manufacturer Rated Speed 2.4x 3324KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 6.0x 8310KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.4x 3324KBps
Data area starting sector 30000h
Layer 0 end sector 22D7FFh
Linear Density 0.293um/bit
Track Density 0.74um/track
Number of Layers 2
Layer Track Path direction (OTP) Opposite track path

Complete Media Code
00000000 01 02 00 00 E1 0F 32 10 00 03 00 00 00 FC FF FF ......2.........
00000010 00 22 D7 FF 00 00 00 4D 4B 4D 00 00 00 00 00 30 .".....MKM.....0
00000020 30 31 00 40 25 25 37 0C 02 2F 63 02 2F 63 21 23 01.@%%7../c./c!#
00000030 0D 0E 14 14 02 01 01 10 00 21 23 0D 0E 14 14 02 .........!#.....



Nero CD-DVD Speed: Disc Info
Basic Information
Disc type: : DVD+R DL
Book Type : DVD+R DL
Manufacturer: : Verbatim
MID : MKM 001 (000)
Write speeds: : 2.4 X - 4 X - 6 X
Blank Capacity : 7.96 GB
: 8152 MB
: 8547993600 bytes
Extended Information
Layers : 2
Layer break : 3.98 GB
Write strategies : n/a
Disc Status : Empty
Raw Data
Physical Format Information (00h)
0000 - E1 0F 32 10 00 03 00 00 00 FC FF FF 00 22 D7 FF - ..2.........."..
0010 - 00 00 00 4D 4B 4D 00 00 00 00 00 30 30 31 00 40 - ...MKM.....001.@
0020 - 25 25 37 0C 02 2F 63 02 2F 63 21 23 0D 0E 14 14 - %%7../c./c!#....
0030 - 02 01 01 10 00 21 23 0D 0E 14 14 02 01 01 10 00 - .....!#.........

cdanteek

This post has been edited by cdanteek: 04 September 2006 - 05:25 AM

[sknis]

Kevin Brown, on Sep 4 2006, 03:12 AM, said:

James- That only sort of worked for me. (I got a new Dell PC this week, and I've spent 3 days trying to find out how to change this!) I don't understand why this is different with my old (2.5 year old!) Dell PC. It gave me a bunch of choices in that dropdown (Roxio Sonic RecordNow).

But, when I change the properties speed to anything other than "max", it only ever will give me "max" and "48x" in the burning software dropdown. ?? I want to burn at 4x or 8x.

OK, one more question: I've always burned at 1/4 max speed before. (Good readibility.) How do I find out the max CD burning speed?

Kevin, You are adding to a post that is several months old and not everyone has their boards to pick up new messages to old posts. It is much better to start a new thread. I have two burners on my computer, one is a CD burner and that speed is always set to max and I can't change it. The other burner is a CD/DVD and I do have the option to burn both CDs and DVDs at other speeds. Have you looked at the options that you reach from the Home menu? The image shows options for burn speeds. For DVD with an 8x DVD in the drive, I get 4x and 8x and "max". That does change with the blank disc in the drive.

[Kevin Brown]

sknis, on Sep 4 2006, 06:21 AM, said:

Kevin, You are adding to a post that is several months old and not everyone has their boards to pick up new messages to old posts. It is much better to start a new thread. I have two burners on my computer, one is a CD burner and that speed is always set to max and I can't change it. The other burner is a CD/DVD and I do have the option to burn both CDs and DVDs at other speeds. Have you looked at the options that you reach from the Home menu? The image shows options for burn speeds. For DVD with an 8x DVD in the drive, I get 4x and 8x and "max". That does change with the blank disc in the drive.

Steve- Oops, I did a Google search on my drive, and picked up this thread, but I missed when the last post was!

I have found a new firmware rev that I need to try, and bingo, maybe like you say, the options change when I have a disc in the drive. I will try those two things and then do a new thread if I still have problems. Thanks.