Plextor PX-708A 1.02 Firmware **10-6-03**

[MadBurner]

Here's a direct link to the new firmware. No changelog was available at the time of this posting.

Code: Select all

http://www.plextor.co.jp/support/firmware/PX708A_102.exe

[Ian]

Japanese translation:

The firmware for PX-708A, modification point of version 1.02.
DVD record efficiency improvement of media. New CD-R media correspondence. When the light/write it does CDDA in US-RW, with drive of part キャプチャ - correction of the trouble which it is not possible. Using Nero, when it superscribes the new data in the disk of the data entry being completed, correction of the trouble which is times when it fails in entry. (DVD-R/RW) CD-RW re-フォ with of Drag to Disc - correction of the trouble which fails in the mat. Correction of the trouble where 1st session is not played back with the multiple session record of Nero. Correction of the trouble which is times when you cannot read DVD+RW which was written with PX-708A with drive of part.

[technics]

Here's a direct link to the new firmware. No changelog was available at the time of this posting.

Code: Select all

http://www.plextor.co.jp/support/firmware/PX708A_102.exe

nice, thx for the link, not on plextor.be yet hopfully it fixes some slowdown issues gonna try this one asap.

[VEFF]

Thanks!
Perfect timing: my 2nd 708A is arriving today.

As mentioned above, I hope it solves some of the Memorex slowdown
issues.
Then again, maybe it is the media, since some Memorex discs burn at 8X till 97%, whereas others from the same batch switch back down to 4X midway through the burn, after reaching 8X after about 20%.
Plus they are only rated for 4X to begin with, so we can't really complain
anyway...

[tazdevl]

I'm sticking with Verbatim, regular and DLP. Haven't had any problems for a couple 15 packs.

[OC-Freak]

A complete post will come tomorrow with my experiences.

But so far:

All ricohjpnr01: No slowdowns - no slowdowns in v1.01 either.
All TY: Slows down, but closer to the end than before with v1.01.
All MCC: No slowdowns - was slowdowns with v1.01

Write quality is about the same as before.

[r4v3n]

I was hoping to get more media support with this 1.02. 1 out of my 2 medias not supported are now supported. I bought Fortis 4x dvd-r and MMore 1x dvd-r. The MMore are now supported but not my 10-pack of Fortis

[VEFF]

Yes, I already had my Memorex (as well as TDK and Verbatim) +R media when I bought the drive.
I haven't bought any media in over a month; I have quite a few from all the sales.

Hopefully 8X media will be out by the time I run out of (4X) media; if not I'll get more TDK or Verbatim 4X +R media and burn that at 8X.

[bobmitchell]

Did my first test with 1.02. Seems that using TDK 4X media used to take 8:20 or longer. Now the burn finishes at 7:29 and writing the lead out takes another :30 so total is 7:59. It burned 6X for the first 18% of the burn...then never lower than 8X the remainder...where in the past...used to slow down to 4X around 97%. Better. One minor quandry...every time I flash the drive...the first disk I write only writes at 4X. I have to finish...reboot and never does it again...funky!

Bob

[VEFF]

That is great news Bob!!!

I have to go to the stores in a little while, but when I return I will install 1.02 on one of my Plextors and try some Memorex 4X +R media.

[VEFF]

Burned two Memorex discs at 8X with 1.02
The first had no slowdown at all; at least not till the very end, if it did.
I forgot to keep an eye on the second burn, because I was setting up my other 708A (the new one was mfd in Sept and shipped with 1.01).
It burned 4,255 MB in 8:24 using Stomp 4.5 with the latest Sonic engine (408), so it looks like there was little, if any, slowdown.

I will keep the newer 708A at 1.01, until I have burned a few more discs with 1.02 on the older one, just to be sure.
If 1.02 works fine, I'll upgrade the other one too, otherwise I'll keep that one at 1.01


UPDATE:
Just burned my first disc in other 708A (fw 1.01) 3,838 MB in 7:24 including finalizing on a Verbatim 4X +R.

[aviationwiz]

Next few burns, can you watch it carefully, I want to see exactly how this thing works, so far so good, but I want a few more burn tests before I upgrade.

[RoydRage]

Did my first test with 1.02. Seems that using TDK 4X media used to take 8:20 or longer. Now the burn finishes at 7:29 and writing the lead out takes another :30 so total is 7:59. It burned 6X for the first 18% of the burn...then never lower than 8X the remainder...where in the past...used to slow down to 4X around 97%. Better. One minor quandry...every time I flash the drive...the first disk I write only writes at 4X. I have to finish...reboot and never does it again...funky!

Bob

Bob,

Are you still using 5.51.0.42, or did you go to the 6.0.0.15 ?

Royd

[VEFF]

Did my first test with 1.02. Seems that using TDK 4X media used to take 8:20 or longer. Now the burn finishes at 7:29 and writing the lead out takes another :30 so total is 7:59. It burned 6X for the first 18% of the burn...then never lower than 8X the remainder...where in the past...used to slow down to 4X around 97%. Better. One minor quandry...every time I flash the drive...the first disk I write only writes at 4X. I have to finish...reboot and never does it again...funky!

Bob

In that case, you might want to see what happens if you reboot twice after the flash next time.
Once would be the usual reboot so that Windows detects the "new" drive; the second time could be to restart after it has finished "installing the new drive".
It might do the trick?

I know if isn't a big deal to burn a disc at 4X every once in a while (i.e. when updating your firmware).

[bobmitchell]

Good to know...I'll try that. Also the answer to the Nero question...still using 5.5.10.42....the only version I can rely on. I tried 6.0.0.15 and found that joliet was not available on DVD Movie burns...

Bob

[VEFF]

Next few burns, can you watch it carefully, I want to see exactly how this thing works, so far so good, but I want a few more burn tests before I upgrade.

I guess we're being used as guinea pigs Bob

Sure, I'll watch it tonight; I'll do a few burns with different media and let you know aviationwiz.

[VEFF]

Good to know...I'll try that. Also the answer to the Nero question...still using 5.5.10.42....the only version I can rely on. I tried 6.0.0.15 and found that joliet was not available on DVD Movie burns...

Bob

I believe Joliet is not supposed to be used for DVD Video burns, which must be why they removed it.
I even remember someone who complained (in the CDRLabs Ahead software forum) that Joliet was enabled for DVD video, when it shouldn't be.
I appears that ahead noticed this or listened to the user(s) when making the changes for the current version.

[bobmitchell]

Don't know about that...but I do know that I've burned many a DVD Movie using Nero and all work fine. Maybe Joliet isn't supposed to be enabled...but even in the older versions where it is...things are fine. Playback on any of my home decks never fails...etc. Wish someone at Ahead would say something one way or the other.

Bob

[RoydRage]

Good to know...I'll try that. Also the answer to the Nero question...still using 5.5.10.42....the only version I can rely on. I tried 6.0.0.15 and found that joliet was not available on DVD Movie burns...

Bob

Thanks...

You sure get to the bottom of things fast!

Royd

[VEFF]

aviationwiz,

I just burned a 4X Memorex 4,465 MB at 8X in 8:29 with fw 1.02

[crazywhitie]

so is it safer to upgrade to the new firmware than to be on a lower version? Is there a reason why it didn't get posted on the U.S. site yet?

[bobmitchell]

The US Site is ALWAYS last to post it....never sure why!

Bob

[VEFF]

The US Site is ALWAYS last to post it....never sure why!

Bob

Same with TEAC and Sony!

I remember the firmware updates for my CD-W540E always showing up on the TEAC Japan site first.

I am pretty sure Sony was/is the same, with the DRU-500A e.g.

I know companies are based in Japan, but in this day and age of instant uploads, they should be cross-posting their firmware updates to their European and North American sites much quicker...

[RoyPh]

The update is also available right now on the European website. This is the changelog:

PX-708A/UF V1.02

* Fixed Bugs: Some drives cannot read DVD+RW media that was recorded on PX-708A.
* Some drives cannot capture audio from US CD-RW media that was recorded on PX-708A.
* Writing sometimes fails on DVD-R/RW media using Nero.
* Re-format CD-RW media with Roxio's Drag to Disc sometimes fails.
* The first session of a multisession disc that was recorded with Nero cannot be read.

* Added: Support for 3.9GB DVD-R media.

* Improvements: Write performance for 4x DVD+R at 8x writing.
* Write performance for DVD-R media.
* Write performance for DVD-RW media.
* Support for newer CD-R media.
* Improved Buffer Control routines.

Nothing so far on the American site.

[aviationwiz]

I upgraded mine to 1.02 today, downloaded from Plextor Europe, so far I have just burned a 2.4x DVD+RW, which worked fine. I don't have anything to burn at 8x yet, so I'll get back to everyone when I do.