Troubleshooting starter
- Overview of the problem
I don't believe my Sony NEC Optiarc DVD-RW drive is working properly. It is not burning at the speed I think it should. I am not sure whether it is a hardware, software, or media (DVD+R/-R) problem.
Note: this is an OEM drive, not retail.
Here is the drive in question
7190S-ATA
http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com...hid_dvdburn/index.html
- Full description of the problem and symptoms
Example: With verbatim DVD+R rated at 16X burn speed, the drive reports a maximum speed of 6X. With a 48X CD-R, It reports maximum 40X. With another crappy Comp-USA 16X DVD-R (yes, -R) it allowed 8X. I was using Ashampoo burning software, because it was one of the only softwares I could find that seemed to have the functions I wanted and still run under Vista without being majorly bloated (i.e. Nero).
THESE ARE NOT -RW or +RW discs. they are 16X rated +R and -R.
When I put a DVD+R full of some XviD media files, I tried to play the files, and the performance was very stuttery. As if it was not properly caching the files. The bitrate on these files is only like 2000kb/s, should be no problem for the drive to read at this speed.
- Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
Never worked properly
- Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
consistent
- I already tried these steps:
Tried updating using vista internet search for drivers, it said drivers are up to date.
Tried searching the internet for firmware updates exhaustively (none that I could find that matched up with my drive). None listed on Optiarc's website. HOWEVER, on newegg someone mentions a firmware update. Go figure.
Tried searching the internet for driver updates. could not find any drivers.
Tried using Nero 8 which is loaded on my virtual machine running winXP pro. It had the same burn speeds available to me. This also indicates that it is probably not a vista problem.
- My software:
- Operating System and service-pack level, e.g. Windows XP Professional Edition with SP2 (Start > Run > winver to find your Windows version)
Windows Vista X64 all updates installed, but have not gotten SP1 yet (it was not available to me, I will wait for it to be publicly released)
- Antivirus
AVG Free, no viruses
- Firewall
Windows Firewall
- Feel free to add more software details that you think might be relevant to the issue
I've tried burning using:
- Ashampoo in Vista64. Seems like good software and it's cheap, and not bloated like Nero.
- Nero8 in WindowsXP SP2 running in VMware
- Operating System and service-pack level, e.g. Windows XP Professional Edition with SP2 (Start > Run > winver to find your Windows version)
- My hardware
- System brand & model, if it?s a pre-built system such as a Dell, HP, Gateway, etc. If it?s not, fill in as much of the information below as you can.
Listed in signature, let me know if more info is needed but I doubt it.
- System brand & model, if it?s a pre-built system such as a Dell, HP, Gateway, etc. If it?s not, fill in as much of the information below as you can.
- Other information that might be relevant
Basically I'm just not sure if it is the fact that I'm using OLD discs and the drive is just too NEW. Or maybe it's just a piece of crap drive. In any case, it doesn't seem to have any updates, so if it doesn't work properly I guess I will just have to live with it burning slow and I won't be able to playback media files without copying them to the HD first.
Perhaps if smeone can recommend some software to tweak my drive similar to Nero driveTool: i.e. specify spin down time, cache size, that kind of thing, that would help
HOW TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE?? Buy retail drive??
These DVD-R/+R's are over 1 year old, maybe 2 years old by now. Can't remember. Should I just try buying newer ones?
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