Can't reduce DVD burn speed on MacBook Pro

[Paul-]

When burning a DVD using a Mac Book Pro, I've noticed that when I select 2X burn speed, the DVD is still burned at max speed (8x - ridata).

 

Is there anyway to slow down the durn?

 

Burns above 4X typically (at least with ridata disks) give an uneven appearence in the dye color. Disks w/this uneven coloring ("rings") can give error messages when read in other DVD drives or can give pixilation artifacts on certain DVD players (likely read errors) - although disk verified in Toast.

 

I have noticed that when 2x burn is selected (recorder->setting->basic) - and "OK" is clicked, if you bring the setting back up, "Best" is selected.

 

Is this a communication issue between toast & the Matshita DVD-R UJ-857E ? ( orig. drive shipped in MacBook Pro) - Or is this a firmware setting on the DVD-drive (can only use max speed)?

I've also seen this w/Toast 5 - older Pioneer drives (ie A03) can burn at 2x (2X option shows-up), but an A06 only gives 4X & 8x options (using the same batch of media).

 

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[tsantee]

Most current DVD media does not support burn speeds less than 4X. You can see the supported speeds by inserting the disc and choosing the Recorder Settings window. Once the media is recognized only the speeds that the drive reports are supported will be shown.

[Paul-]

Most current DVD media does not support burn speeds less than 4X. You can see the supported speeds by inserting the disc and choosing the Recorder Settings window. Once the media is recognized only the speeds that the drive reports are supported will be shown.

 

 

tsantee,

 

Thanks for the reply;;;, however, I'm not sure I follow your logic.

 

My Powerbook burned the disk in ~approx. 5-6min, suggesting an 8x burn (max for the media I used). This is also seen when looking at the disk - dye color changes. An *8x burn yields -> =2x-4x-6x-8x (start to end, incremental speed) and average of 5x - the disk shows 4 discrete color changes, one for each speed change. I believe that 4X is the only speed which gives a constant burn rate -> 4x across the entire disk. Faster burn speeds can result in shallow pits (lighter color burned dye) - shallow pits can give read errors, depending on the DVD-drive the disk is read in.

 

My observations suggest that I'm not able to slow the burn to below 8X (max for the ridata media).

As I indicated in the initial post, I can burn the same media in an external FW A03 at 2X using Toast 5.

 

Does anyone know if this is due the firmware apple used on this DVD drive, or a communication issue between the drive and toast?

I would like to burn at 2 or 4X.

 

Hope someone can help.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[tsantee]

tsantee,

 

Thanks for the reply;;;, however, I'm not sure I follow your logic.

 

My Powerbook burned the disk in ~approx. 5-6min, suggesting an 8x burn (max for the media I used). This is also seen when looking at the disk - dye color changes. An *8x burn yields -> =2x-4x-6x-8x (start to end, incremental speed) and average of 5x - the disk shows 4 discrete color changes, one for each speed change. I believe that 4X is the only speed which gives a constant burn rate -> 4x across the entire disk. Faster burn speeds can result in shallow pits (lighter color burned dye) - shallow pits can give read errors, depending on the DVD-drive the disk is read in.

 

My observations suggest that I'm not able to slow the burn to below 8X (max for the ridata media).

As I indicated in the initial post, I can burn the same media in an external FW A03 at 2X using Toast 5.

 

Does anyone know if this is due the firmware apple used on this DVD drive, or a communication issue between the drive and toast?

I would like to burn at 2 or 4X.

 

Hope someone can help.

 

Thanks,

Paul

What speeds does Toast report are available after the media is loaded? Those speeds are what the drive's firmware decides are supported after the drive checks the media. I just tested with ab 8X Maxell disc. My MacBook Pro's HL-DT-ST superdrive reports 4X or 8X speed in Toast 8.0.3. The same disc reports 2X, 4X, 6X, 8X, 12X and 16X on my LaCie d2/NEC Firewire drive connected to a G5 iMac. And the same disc reports 1X, 2X, 4X and 8X on the iMac's Matshita superdrive.

 

I assumed these drive always burned at variable speeds regardless of the speed selected, but have never looked into that assumption.

 

What seems strange to me is you can't even slow it down to 4X average. You are selecting a speed and not using "Best", right? "Best" according to Toast means fastest supported speed.