LG GSA-4120B reviewed, 5x DVD-RAM, 12x DVD+R

[alexnoe]

Read curve with Verbatim DVD+R DL, Recorded with Fw A102 in Toshiba 1502:


Recording With N0AD: Read error in ALL reading devices somewhere on the 2nd layer

Too bad that all other drives I have tested (Daytek 707, Panasonic RV32, Pioneer 115, Matsushita 8133, Toshiba 1712) can only detect the disc (or the 2nd layer) properly with DVD-ROM booktype, but that the write quality of the only firmware supporting that is shit

Seriously, there is stuff for which i'm willing to pay 14 Euro for a Verbatim DVD+R DL disc, but only if the discs work afterwards, meaning proper write quality (like in firmware A102) + Bitsetting

EDIT for clarification, I'm only talking about Dual Layer Media!

[Kennyshin]

Hm. What was your impression about N0AD write quality? I've used only N0AD so I can't compare it with anything else out of my own experiences.

[alexnoe]

Mh... 'read error somewhere on the 2nd layer on all drives' should give you a pretty clear idea of my impression about write quality with N0AD

The environment was different, so MAYBE it was too hot in the room when using N0AD...but a room being too hot should not cost 14 Euro
I guess I have to get one more of those discs and try N0AD under 'normal' conditions, i.e. less than 30°C in the room ...

[Kennyshin]

Mh... 'read error somewhere on the 2nd layer on all drives' should give you a pretty clear idea of my impression about write quality with N0AD

The environment was different, so MAYBE it was too hot in the room when using N0AD...but a room being too hot should not cost 14 Euro

Strange. Hm. I read your post a few times since I couldn't understand it completely.

I tested disks burned with GSA-4120B N0AD only with Lite-On DVD writers such as SOHW-1213S and SOHW-851S among the drives and a Pioneer and a Toshiba among DVD players. All readings were satisfactory. But then I tested mostly with TY and Mitsubishi media.

One of the DL tests though I burned only one or two DL with 4120B.



I was just doing a scan on a TY T02 media I wrote with GSA-4120B N0AD at 12x. The lead-in time was about 100 seconds but the recording seems succcessful, under 8 minutes at least.

[alexnoe]

Well, I only have Mitsubishi Dual Layer media. Others are even less available here (not that it were *easy* to get Mitsubishi Dual Layer media...).

So I'll try to get one more and see if burning with Firmware N0AD works this time...one local store hopes to have them available till tuesday

[Kennyshin]

Honestly, testing DVD+R DL disks on your own money is too much. You can buy probably 10 TY 4x media with the same money.

I know people who can use a few DL media virtually everyday or every week depending on the needs of tests. Since each drive sold means some profits, it's reasonable.

One way to look at it is that I can buy 30 ramyon packs for the price of one DL disk. Enough to last two weeks for me. I once lived with a monthly income of less than that. Do you know when South Korea first made contact with Germany, South Korean annual income per capita was something like US$80? Just a few years before I was born, that was. I looked into the Encarta 2005 statistics and Norway and Luxemburg have records of 500 times more than that for year 2002.

Anyway, the important thing is that I have more DL files to back up than SL files. I need more DL media than SL media. As soon as I can buy TY DVD+R DL 4x for US$2 to US$3, I'll buy at least 100. Could be up to 10K if my daughter keeps growing up successfully by then. And then that's likely to be my last time with anything to do with DVD.

[alexnoe]

Lord of the Rings - extended does not fit on a SL disc if you want to include 2 audio streams...

You can buy probably 10 TY 4x media with the same money.

Almost 7 TY 8x discs, which I can write @12x

[alexnoe]

Obviously, i'm not the only one whose drive writes b0rked discs with firmware N0AD:
Google found http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=101894

[Kennyshin]

Obviously, i'm not the only one whose drive writes b0rked discs with firmware N0AD:
Google found http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=101894

Also here:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=102265

In that thread, Jack and I have burned only scuccessful DVD+R DL with N0AD. Not every MKM001 DL's equal maybe.

[raygay27]

Obviously, i'm not the only one whose drive writes b0rked discs with firmware N0AD:
Google found http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=101894

so which media did u use? so far any success?

[alexnoe]

I was using Verbatim DVD+R DL Media:
08 02 00 00 01 0F 32 10 00 03 00 00 00 FC FF EF ......2.........
00 22 C7 FF 00 00 00 4D 4B 4D 00 00 00 00 00 30 .".....MKM.....0
30 31 00 40 25 25 37 0C 02 2F 63 02 2F 63 21 23 01.@%%7../C./C!#
0D 0E 14 14 02 01 01 10 00 21 23 0D 0E 14 14 02 .........!#.....
01 01 10 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 ................
00 FC FF EF 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

My progress is to wait for the next LG firmware and hope that it will support bitsetting... till then, i'll avoid recording dvd+r dl media.

[raygay27]

so u used NOAD and failed on Verbatim media? or A102 also failed?

[alexnoe]

Just look at my initial message Aug 01, 9:02

[raygay27]

thanks alex.
at least i know i m not ALONE having bad burning with NOAD, though many ppl have reported successful burnings. A102 obviously gives better results overall but no bitsetting

[alexnoe]

Now I've written one more disc (FW A102), only 1,5 MB smaller than the disc capacity:



Reading in the LG drive:


I don't have that Toshiba 1502 here atm, so I can't try that.

At least it seems like Fw A102 produces reliable results

[Ian]

I wouldn't use N0AD. LG didn't work out all of the DVD+R DL issues until the 1.02 firmware. I have discs here that I recorded with 1.01 and N0AD that aren't readable in some drives.

[alexnoe]

Of course are they not readable in some drives. The compatibility is slightly below 100% ... and I would of course not use N0AD either. Today I just bought 3 new dvd+r dl discs for €41,97 . No need for coasters

[Ian]

Of course are they not readable in some drives. The compatibility is slightly below 100% ...

No kidding. However, there as a known issue with the 4120 where the DL discs it burned were not readable in some drives, even though they might read DL discs burned by other drives.

[Kennyshin]

14 Euro per each. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[alexnoe]

http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~noe/CDF ... a_1502.gif
<= here the read curve of that last dvd+r dl.

The write quality seems a bit suboptimal in the very outer edge here, but well, spindowns are common there for single layer media as well.

[Kennyshin]

Get new firmware for GSA-4120B, version number A104, the newest released recently.

http://www.storageinfo.co.kr/EzMODse/viewtopic.php?t=21180

Or,

http://kenny.storageinfo.co.kr/firmware/lg/GSA4120B/gsa-4120a104_kw_.zip

It's Korean-language version but shouldn't be a problem to German or North American users.

There are also new firmware for LG GCC-4521B and Lite-On SOHW-1213S there.

File names are:

gcc-4521b103_kw_
gsa-4120a104_kw_
dr12ts0c

[alexnoe]

The updater has talked english to me

IF it supports bitsetting, how would i activate it? I've recorded a simple dvd+r using dvd decrypter, and well, bitsetting is not activated by default :|

[Kennyshin]

The updater has talked english to me

Hm. Same English to me.



The Korean-language text file.

http://www.storageinfo.co.kr/EzMODse/do ... hp?id=3268

[MadBurner]

Can we get an English version of the changelog

Thanks Kenny for the update!!

MB

[Kennyshin]

Can we get an English version of the changelog

Thanks Kenny for the update!!

MB

Here's what Mr. Innundo quoted from LG South Korean site for firmware release.

http://www.storageinfo.co.kr/EzMODse/vi ... hp?t=21180



This is the only thing about differences from previous releases.

◆ 모델:GSA-4120B
◆ 개선 점:DVD+R DL 및 DVD+R 미디어 기록 품질 향상
◆ 버전:A104

Improved write quality for DVD+R DL and DVD+R media, is what it says and the English changelog will be about the same.