Toast will not burn at 16x

[stuppy]

Hi Guys,

 

I have been using Toast 7 since it was released for burning CD's. I used it to burn the odd DVD using my Macbook Pro's 4x Superdrive. I recently required a faster burner as I was burning more and more DVD's and it was taking an age on the 4x - so I went and bought myself a USB2 16x External Drive, the exact drive is :-

 

LG GSA-E10L External USB2.0 16xDVD±RW/RAM

 

Now - when I try and burn a DVD @ 16x , it pretty much doesnt work. In Toast 7, it would spin up fast and using Activity Monitor to watch Disk Activity - it would cop out at about 12mb/sec and drop down to about 8x. The disc would take around 10mins to write (full disc - disabled verify). At first I thought it might be the brand of DVDR I was using even though they are a very good brand - so I went and bought another excellent brand (Verbatim) and these too suffer the same problem.

 

So then I thought maybe it was Toast itself - so I got hold of a copy of Disco - and I burnt the same files that took 10mins in toast, in about 5 minutes - proper 16x time. I had similar results burning through MacOSX's Finder. So it did indeed seem like Toast was the culprit. I tried disabling Buffer Underrun Protection - no change.

 

I was hoping that Toast 8 would solve my problem but I have just upgrade through work - and still the problem persists. I am really upset as I think Toast is a great application. I have upgraded the firmware of the DVDRW drive to the latest - and it is the only thing that is using the USB bus besides Keyboard and mouse.

 

I am hoping that someone has some ideas as to why Toast is not burning at full speed.

 

Regards,

Stuart

[freshburn]

It's a firmware bug. Samsung finally fixed their bug, but I don't know about LG and Matsushita.

[stuppy]

Try better media. I just burned a 16x Verbatim on an LG drive at 16x. Total burn time in Toast was 4 minutes 36 seconds.

 

If you aren't getting a full speed burn, it's because the drive and media don't like each other. Toast polls the drive for a speed, but the drive sets the speed a burn time and there is nothing Toast can do to change that.

 

 

Did you even read the thread? In my first post it clearly says I have used Verbatim disks. And it clearly says that using both types of the 16x media I have, Disco burns at 16x no problems. So its not a hardware issue. Its software, specifically - toast.

[bely]

bely : You got your Freecom yet? How you getting on with it?

 

freshburn : I've got the Lacie D2 drive coming tomorrow (Firewire and USB2) - its not the Porsche one. Hope it bloody works

 

No, I didn't get Freecom yet. They shipped device on Saturday from UK but I live in Ukraine and need more time for delivery.

[terjack]

Please guys? Anyone?

 

 

What happens if you use a FW drive versus the USB2?

Being on a mac and all, FW should have been your first choice...

 

if you have access to it, pop the drive out and put it into a FW 5.25" case.

IF not, borrow one and test your speeds.

[stuppy]

What happens if you use a FW drive versus the USB2?

Being on a mac and all, FW should have been your first choice...

 

if you have access to it, pop the drive out and put it into a FW 5.25" case.

IF not, borrow one and test your speeds.

 

It shouldn't matter whatfype of connection I use. I bought a USB2 DVD Writer manufactured by a reputable company, that states it writes at 16x which it does. I said already using Disco it writes at full speed no problems. So its not a case of whether the drive can handle it or not. Its something to do with Toast.

 

Just to add - it works at full speed using Nero on my Windows box. And I cannot get into the drive as its a closed unit, and i do not have a firewire enclosure.

[stuppy]

I'm bumping this from ages ago as the problem still persists.

 

I have just installed the latest firmware for my drive hoping that might have sorted it. But no, Toast will still only burn at 8x max!

 

Any fresh ideas?

[freshburn]

Try deleting the Toast preferences and setting the burn speed to Best. Toast works fine at 16x. I don't care how Disco works. Apple's frameworks are buggy and if a 16x burn gets forced by not detecting the media correctly, you could have problems.

 

If you still can't get 16x in Toast it's a firmware bug.

[freshburn]

Try better media. I just burned a 16x Verbatim on an LG drive at 16x. Total burn time in Toast was 4 minutes 36 seconds.

 

If you aren't getting a full speed burn, it's because the drive and media don't like each other. Toast polls the drive for a speed, but the drive sets the speed a burn time and there is nothing Toast can do to change that.

[freshburn]

Freecom is a bad choice. Their firewire bridges don't work well. I suggest Lacie over Freecom.

[stuppy]

Please guys? Anyone?

[freshburn]

When you get info on the blank media in Toast, what does it say? Can you post a screenshot?

[stuppy]

Right this problem is really starting to do my tits in.

 

 

I got the Lacie drive today. Still causing me problems. I plugged it in and straight away got an error using Toast. So I tried burning in Disco, and connected via firewire, it just doesnt work. It starts "preparing" the disc, then it flashes up writing then straight away says finishing the disc. It hangs there and I have to unplug the drive to unfreeze it. Using the Lacie in Toast seems to give the same results as the LG. It appears to write at 16x. I am doing the testing as I type so I'll update as I go along then post.

 

Just done a burn in Toast via USB on the Lacie - 8mins. Thats 8x burning - exactly the same results as using the LG.

 

 

Ok the error when burning in Toast with the Lacie via Firewire is :-

The drive reported an error :

Sense Key = ABORTED COMMAND

Sense Code = 0x04

LOGICAL UNIT NOT READY, CAUSE NOT REPORTABLE

 

 

So to summarise.

 

Toast :

USB2 - 8mins to burn (same as LG)

Firewire : errors/doesnt burn

 

Disco :

USB2 : writes in about 5minutes

Firewire : doesn't write at all - errors.

 

So ideas?

[stuppy]

bely : You got your Freecom yet? How you getting on with it?

 

freshburn : I've got the Lacie D2 drive coming tomorrow (Firewire and USB2) - its not the Porsche one. Hope it bloody works

[freshburn]

What drive shows in Toast? Is it a Samsung? Make sure the firmware is updated.

[stuppy]

Toast says the drive is a

 

Tsstcorp CD/DVFW SH-S162L - so yeah its a Samsung drive.

 

I have downloaded the latest firmware thing from Lacie's website. Made no difference.

[bely]

Freecom is a bad choice. Their firewire bridges don't work well. I suggest Lacie over Freecom.

 

I have troubles not only with speed but with DVD DL burning.

 

My new iMac 2.33 Intel don't want to burn DVD DL. I tried with Verbatim and Samsung and reached result only two times. Single layer TDK DVD is OK. Burner is Matshita DVD-R UJ-85J.

 

Then I've tried to burn with external drive Samsung SE-S184 Writemaster as you reccomend. And what I've got? Using Toast 8 I've got the same error. But when I tried to use little program called Disco with this external drive it was OK. I decided to continue my tests and tried with internal iMac Matshita UJ-85J using Disco (v.1.0.2) and Apple Disc Utility and it was OK as well!!! Very strange is that I burned one disc after using it with Toast 8 and receiving error message "sense key error, sense code" (this "using" and failed disc was in normal conditions as new one). It signifies that Toast 8 even didn't try to burn DVD DL and simply fails or declines this function .

 

So it seems to me that this bug is connected to Toast 8 and Intel Macs (most probably).

 

Anyway as stuppy I've ordered last external Freecom LS Pro with Lightsribedrive and wait for tests. And I've ordered another internal drive Pioneer DVR-K05PD as a better choice than Matshita DVD-R UJ-85J on my opinion. When I receive these devices and test I'll send message with test results to this thread.

 

I read carefully all that thread. Although stuppy problem is another but it looks very similar to my thoughts about Toast 8. I read too many messages in Internet from people who use different internal and external drives, different media and the problem still exist (I mean that Toast 8 don't want to burn DVD Dual Layers media at all). It seems to me that Roxio people have to pay more attention to existing problem.

 

Any ideas?

 

bely

 

bely

[stuppy]

bely/freshburn : well it seems freshburn was right. Freecom's are crap! I bought the LS Pro, connected it up to firewire, couldn't get it to burn. Would just hang and not actually burn anything. USB2 worked but it gave me the same problem as the LG. Overall, crap drive. Avoid.

 

Luckily I can send it back for a refund. Am going to spend a little extra and get the Lacie Porsche thingie with Firewire.

[stuppy]

 

Inquiry Response Data Inquiry Response Data

Model: TSSTcorpCD/DVDW SH-S162L

Where: FireWire

Firmware: LC02 / MMC-3

Cache Size: 2 MB

CD/DVD Drive Capabilities and Status Page

DVD-RAM Read Yes

DVD-R Read Yes

DVD-ROM Read Yes

Method 2 Yes

CD-RW Read Yes

CD-R Read Yes

DVD-RAM Write Yes

DVD-R Write Yes

Test Write Yes

CD-R/RW Write Yes

CD-R Write Yes

BUF Yes

Multi Session Yes

Mode 2 Form 2 Yes

Mode 2 Form 1 Yes

Digital Port (2) No

Digital Port (1) No

Composite No

Audio Play Yes

Read Bar Code No

UPC Yes

ISRC Yes

C2 Pointers supported Yes

R-W De-interleaved & corrected No

R-W Supported Yes

CD-DA Stream is Accurate Yes

CD-DA Cmds Supported Yes

Eject (Individual or Magazine) Yes

Prevent Jumper No

Lock State Yes

Lock Yes

R-W in Lead-in Yes

Side Change Capable No

S/W Slot Selection (SSS) No

Changer Supports Disc Present No

Separate Channel Mute Yes

Separate volume levels Yes

LSBF No

RCK No

BCK No

Length 16

Loading Mechanism Type Tray

Number of Volume Levels Supported 256

Buffer Size Supported 2 MB

Features

Current Profile DVD-R Sequential Recording

Profile List

DVD-R Dual Layer Sequential Recording

DVD-R Dual Layer Jump Recording

DVD+R DL

DVD+R

DVD+RW

DVD-RW Sequential Recording

DVD-RW Restricted Overwrite

DVD-RAM

DVD-R Sequential Recording Current

DVD-ROM

CD-RW

CD-R

CD-ROM

Removable disk

Core Persistent

Morphing Persistent

Removable Medium Persistent

Write Protect Supported

Random Readable Supported

Multi-Read Supported

CD Read Supported

DVD Read Supported

Random Writable Supported

Incremental Streaming Write Current

Sector Erasable Supported

Formattable Supported

Defect Management Supported

Write Once Supported

Restricted Overwrite Supported

CD-RW CAV Write Supported

MRW Supported

DVD+RW Supported

Rigid Restricted Overwrite Supported

CD Track at Once Supported

CD Mastering Supported

DVD-R/RW Write Current

DDCD Read Supported

DDCD-R Write Supported

DDCD-RW Write Supported

BD Read Supported

BD Write Supported

Power Management Persistent

Embedded Changer Supported

CD Audio analog play Supported

Microcode Upgrade Persistent

Time-out Persistent

DVD-CSS Current

Real Time Streaming Current

Logical Unit serial number Persistent

Disc Control Blocks Supported

DVD CPRM Supported

 

I have just connected the drive via Firewire to my Core2Duo PC running Vista. Tried burning an image in Alcohol 120% and it failed.

 

Starting wonder if its a duff drive.

[stuppy]

Just tried burning at 8x in Toast and its failed on that. Wrote 4% then just stoppd and hung. Piece of crap.

 

Can you recommend an external enclosure that I can put an IDE drive in. From reading around it needs to have a good chipset that can sustain the 22mb/sec to write at 16x.

[Rickito]

I would not recommend burning at 16x anyways. A slower burn makes your data more reliable especially if you plan on duplicating. The faster it spins the bigger chance of loss or error of data.

[freshburn]

Strange it fails every place. Have you contacted Lacie about that? Have you tried different media?

[stuppy]

Strange it fails every place. Have you contacted Lacie about that? Have you tried different media?

 

 

No I have h ad it up to my eyes with it. Ive boxed it up. Am just going to send it back to the place I got it. I have tried my hardest to get it working - i would deem it defective.

 

Will get a refund and start doing some research into what a decent, fully mac compatible, 16x compatible enclosure is.

 

 

Other then that its 8x all the way for me :/

[freshburn]

Rickito is correct. Also, as the burn gets closer to the edge of the disc, more and more errors occur because the recording layer quality gets worse at the outer edge. I wouldn't burn over 4x if you want a disc to work OK. Especially for DVD Video

[stuppy]

Ok - that might be what you think, and do - but its really side stepping the issue. I *want* to burn at 16x.

 

Nonetheless - I have ordered a new external DVD burner. A Freecom drive that is both USB2 and Firewire. Hopefully that will work ok with Toast. I tried trashing the whole program and reloading it - but no difference.

[freshburn]

What firmware does the drive have?