1 reply to this topic

[Flyerd1]

Hi,
I've been trying to burn a backup data DVD disc (everything from Word Docs to internet shortcuts and pictures, etc.) but the "burn" keeps timing out. I got the program to finish a "test" run (in test & write)but it doesn't finish the write process.  One of the errors says X(like a check in a box) then: TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-L632D("power calibration area error-Medium error."[03/73/03]).  I don't remember the other error but it didn't refer to the drive.  I've been able to successfully burn an image file of the project to my computer but when I try to burn a DVD from that image file it doesn't work. I get more timeout errors.  I also tried using the slowest burn speed settings to hopefully make it "easier" on the software & hardware but I'm really not sure if that even makes a difference..  This is the first time I've tried to burn any DVD on this drive but I've burned a few CD's on it.

Oh yea, the first time I tried to burn I had a DVD+ in the drive but was asked to insert a DVD- instead.  I don't really understand that because my drive is good for + "&" - DVD's which is confirmed when I select "Disc and Device Utility" from the "Tools" dropdown box in Creator Classic.

I'm using a 4.7GB DVD and my project is about 4.1GB. I realize that some space is lost when burning a blank DVD but the CC program says I have 4.3GB available (I assume .4GB must be lost from a 4.7GB disk?).  

Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Dave

[Brendon]

Hello Dave,

The error [03/73/03] or SK:3, ASC:73,ASCQ:03 is a Power Calibration Area [PCA] error. It is returned from your burner, and reported by the program.

Basically, what it means is that your burner is having trouble burning to that type of disc. Change to another good quality brand of blank discs, and try again. The trick in this hobby is finding a type of disc which your burner likes, and sticking to that type. JVC / Taiyo Yuden [TY] and Verbatim are considered to be excellent.

Generally most drives are designed to give their best burn about the center of their speed range, but again it's a combination of disc type and your burner that counts. When I get a new type of disc I usually run some tests to see what speed they burn best at in my burners, and stick to that.

As far as DVD types go, DVD- and DVD+ both hold about the same amount of data. DVD+ are considered technically better, but that only works if your drive produces a good result from them [likes them ]  Often people will write DVD-R when they really mean DVDR or DVD write-once, and that causes confusion. It would be a happy thing if there was only one type of disc, but I think there will be DVD+ and DVD- on the market until nobody wants DVDs any more.

One useful thing about DVD+ is that with the right burner, you can change the "booktype" from DVD+R to DVD-ROM if you want, because there are still old DVD players which are only interested in playing DVD-ROMs - the silver pressed commercial DVDs. The old players don't play burned [rather than pressed] DVDs, but they're quite happy with DVD+ discs which have been "booktyped" to say they're DVD-ROMs.

Finally, that business about the size of a DVD.
Standard single layer DVDs hold between 4482 and 4488 megabytes. That's around 4,707,300,000 bytes, or 4.3 Gigabytes. [remember a Meg is 1024 x 1024 bytes]
People who make discs call that a 4.7 GB disc, but if a GB is 1024 x 1024 x 1024 bytes then it's really 4.3 GB - that's the cause for the confusion, and again it's competition between "standards" that we could really do without but are unlikely to get rid of.

Hope this helps,

Brendon