How Can One Tell If A DVD Burner Is Dying?

[ulTRAX]

Something is up with my Sony DVD burner... or perhaps it's with the firmware or the burning software.

Back in June I was getting burns that tested (1X PIE/PIF) so bad I could not believe it. So I posted http://forum.digital-digest.com/show...253#post428253 and it was blamed on bad media. So I got some new DVDs and they seemed to be OK. But then they started testing poorly too. But what made me suspicious is one disk was testing OK when my PC crashed. When I retested it, the same disk was testing as terrible as the one's last June. I thought maybe I should never test after a burn… maybe there was a heat problem. But I retested one disk 3 times in a row and it gave pretty much the same results.

I've also been having problems trying to burn CDs. The XP wizard keeps saying that my CD-RWs are no good and blank CR-Rs are full. I was able to burn some files with Nero but the verification process failed. The log said there were some differences between the new and original files. I could read that disk but it was not recognized by a friend’s PC.

So is this DVD burner dying? How long can drives be expected to last? Has the firmware been corrupted? Any ideas how to test various theories?

Thanks!!

[Chewy]

I have made some 700 burns and never hit a batch like this

sounds like time for a new drive

[photo_angel2004]

How long can drives be expected to last? Has the firmware been corrupted? Any ideas how to test various theories?

Thanks!!

I guess that is a good question I had one last for about 2 years and another one that never made it past 3 full months. Never know. Even the best burner could be defective and not last. Its hard to say how long one will last. But with a lot of burning I would imagine the more you use it the faster it will go out.

If it is an older burner the new ones are a lot better anyways may as well replace it. They dont cost much any more.

[ulTRAX]

I found a Sony Test Utility. It successfully wrote to and read a DVD-RW.

If did not recognize some CD-RWs.

It recognized a CD-R and it successfully wrote to iy, but failed to read the CD-R.

Otherwise it will burn DVDs and play them. But at times testing those DVDs gives erronous results.

Dust?????

[photo_angel2004]

its proabably going,

Its not uncommon for a drive like that that is going to be able to read one and not another, eventually it wont read anything.

When my last 2 burners went out they stopped reading or writing to dvd's but still read and write to cd's for how long I will never know.

For now they are cd drives and burners. I am thinking probably due to the fact I do a lot more dvd burning then cd burning but I could be wrong in that.

[toomanycats]

700 DVD's is a lot of burns. If you saw what was in there you'd be surprisized they even last that long. The erraric nature suggests it is going.

[RFBurns]

Indeed, 700 burns is alot.

An optical drive, no matter if its CD, DVD, DATA, has the optical block run in two power ranges. One for burning and one for reading, obviously the reading uses less beam power and more beam power to write.

The newer multi-format burners ie: CD/DVD/R/RW/+/- can handle more burns than the older drives that can only handle CD or DVD.

But even the multi-format drives cannot last forever. Depending on how many times one burns discs, that can run a drive to go out before its time.

Well, it wont be long before the memory stick, those used in current still digital "cybershot" cameras, will exceed memory capacity of 1Gb where they are now, and once they reach 20 or so Gb per stick, say goodbye to the optical disc!!!

No more mechanical parts to wear out, no more optic blocks to burn up, no more scratched discs!!!

It will be the early version of ST's "isolinear optical chips".

[toomanycats]

@RFBurns: You are so "In the Know". I can't wait for big memory sticks, I just love big memories!!

[RFBurns]

@RFBurns: You are so "In the Know". I can't wait for big memory sticks, I just love big memories!!

Give it about 3 years, maybe less, and we will see the introduction of the large capacity memory stick that will most likely be used in camcorders to replace the optical drive and mini-DV tape. Then shortly after that, here comes the stand-alone units that record to the memory stick along with built in recording units on the LCD and Plasma tv's, similar to the "combo" tv's that have a DVD player.

Since there is no more high voltage like a CRT set has, the chances of static buildup are eliminated, thus using the memory stick to replace the already obsolete optical disc is fiesable and more economical since there are no moving parts, just a connector slot.

The current LCD and Plasma units that have the memory stick slot....well that will become a recorder too. So the stage is already set for its introduction.

[katzdvd]

Give it about 3 years, maybe less, and we will see the introduction of the large capacity memory stick that will most likely be used in camcorders to replace the optical drive and mini-DV tape. Then shortly after that, here comes the stand-alone units that record to the memory stick along with built in recording units on the LCD and Plasma tv's, similar to the "combo" tv's that have a DVD player.

Since there is no more high voltage like a CRT set has, the chances of static buildup are eliminated, thus using the memory stick to replace the already obsolete optical disc is fiesable and more economical since there are no moving parts, just a connector slot.

The current LCD and Plasma units that have the memory stick slot....well that will become a recorder too. So the stage is already set for its introduction.

Don't ya just love "progress"?!? No matter how "new" you buy, it's always "old", i.e. obsolete as soon as you get it out of the package... I have a $150 cell phone that is "only" 2 yrs. old that I am forced to upgrade because my Cell co. says it is obsolete because it loses signal sometimes. I like to keep using things 'till they fall apart! Upgrading all the time costs $$$! RANT OFF!