Please help solve Blu-ray burner problem

[Muse]

3+ YO external, slot-loading Pioneer BDR-XS07S Blu-ray burner (16X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X BD-ROM 4MB Cache Serial ATA Revision 3.0), used with Windows laptop.

Been using it to read and write CDs, read and write DVDs. AFAIK, the issue is just with producing copies of audio CDs. Problem has come up in the last year or so.

I have several Pioneer PD-F1007 301 disk carousel audio CD players. I always make CD-R copies of audio CDs because these players support CD-Text and I can write CD-Text of my own onto CD-R copies using Imgburn. One of these 301 disk players in particular with some recently made CD-R copies (on Verbatim blanks) has been freezing during playback, always at some spot, e.g. track 4 at 2:47. Some of the problem copies freeze in other of these 301 disk players as well at the same place that the other machine(s) freeze at.

I figure there's something wrong with the burner. Obviously there's something wrong with a disk that causes multiple machines to freeze at the same place (although usually it just happens with the "worst," most used, machine). I have tried slowing down the burning speed and the write speed. Slowed reading to 16x and this week tried burning at 4x, but that hasn't stopped this from happening.

I tried lens cleaning disks in the 301 disk changers, hasn't stopped the problem. I don't remember if I tried that in the burner. I saw info recently online to use a blu-ray specific lens cleaning disk in a blu-ray burner, was thinking of buying one, just today seeing info about Digital Innovations CleanDr for Blu-Ray Laser Lens Cleaner for Blu-Ray / DVD / PS3 / PS4 / XBOX / XBOX 360 / XBOX ONE (4190300).

The fact that one of the 301 disk players is having a harder time than the others on some disks has me thinking that part of the problem is with that player, but several machines having the problem with a certain disk suggests to me that the burner is a major issue here.

What do you think?

 

[tcsenter]

You have no other CD-R/RW burner to test? Just pick up a cheap CD-R/RW and non-BD DVD burner and see if it burns your CD-Rs that work well on the carousel units.

No need to buy some commercial 'cleaner' product. You can open the case/chassis and use a soft Q-tip slightly dampened with rubbing/isopropyl alcohol to swirl around clean the optical pickup/lenses they are usually reachable and easy to spot. Do it a few times (using a new q-tip each time). Then let air dry. Maybe give it a targeted blast of air to blow away any dust or fibers.

Also try a different batch/manufacture of blank media?

 

[Muse]

I do have another burner, it's an LG GE24NU40BK 24x DL USB 2.0 External Drive w/Software REFURBISHED I picked up off eBay in 2016. I did burn a few CDs on it and tested in the "problem" player. One time one of those burns DID freeze. Now, I believe that rip was done with the Pioneer external, or at least I'm not sure, so I figure I should now rip AND burn with the LG and see if there's still a problem.

I'll try cleaning lens like you say? Is there just one lens to clean or are there multiple lenses in blu-ray burners? They have to rip/burn BR/DVD/CD.

Just searched:

AI Overview



Yes, most Blu-ray burners and players have multiple lasers, not just one lens, to read different types of discs like Blu-ray, DVD, and CD. A single-laser system would not work because each disc format requires a different wavelength of light to read its data.

• Blu-ray laser: A shorter-wavelength blue laser is used to read the tiny pits on Blu-ray discs.
• DVD/CD laser: A longer-wavelength red laser is used to read the larger pits on DVDs and CDs.
• Dual-optics systems: Some drives use "dual-optics" which have separate lenses for different wavelengths, allowing them to read multiple types of media.
• Backward compatibility: Blu-ray burners include multiple lasers to ensure they can read older media, so you don't have to switch between different drives to play DVDs or CDs

 

[tcsenter]

clean the optical pickup/lenses they are usually reachable and easy to spot.

Yes the 'super writer' i.e. multi-format/media DVD burners will probably have two, the BD writers might have three. The carousels probably could use the same cleaning.

 

[Muse]

Yes the 'super writer' i.e. multi-format/media DVD burners will probably have two, the BD writers might have three. The carousels probably could use the same cleaning.

I have downloaded a service manual for the carousels. Haven't looked at that yet. They are pretty loaded with disks. Hope I don't have to take them all out! I was thinking of swapping the most problematic with another that works better, but yeah, a lot of work swapping all those disks and being careful while doing it. If cleaning the lens of carousel player fixes it, in particular if I can do it without removing the disks, that would be ideal.

 

[Muse]

I have a system for my carousels. I keep data being what disk is in what slot of what player and I print reports. Need to keep disks where they belong, of course. Not super challenging, but necessary, of course, to not put disks where they don't belong.

 

[Muse]

Service manual appears to not address cleaning the lens. Searching the PDF I get no hits for "lens" or "clean."

I suppose I can remove the enclosure and look for the lens. Could operate it and see where a disk loads and go from there if it's not apparent.