Sony DRX500UL: Won't recognize Ritek 4X DVD-R Media

[ToeCutter]

Longtime CDRLabs.com reader, new to forums. This may have been discussed, but a quick review of the threads didn't mention my issue.

Just got my Sony DRX500UL a few weeks ago and haven't had a single problem, until now. I just received my 4X Sampler Pack from Supermedia.com. It includes 5 each 4X Ritek DVD-Rs and 5 each 4X Optodisc DVD-Rs. I popped in one of the Ritek discs and the drive refused to recognize the disc in both Nero and RecordMax. The Optodiscs work just fine, burned a DVD from Nero at 4X, very nice. Worked great in my set top player. I tried all five Riteks and none of them are recognized by the Sony drive.

I'm using firmware 1.0F. Has anyone else experienced this? The Riteks are supposed to be some of the most flexible media available. It concerns me that none of the 5 discs is usable.

Any suggestions would help.

[boblx2]

I am using the Sony DRU-500A with 1.0f firmware and it also will not burn the Ritek 4X media at 4X. It will however burn them at 2X. Not what I bought it for!
I have been told to down grade the firmware to 1.0d and it will burn the Ritek media at 4X. I have not been able to find 1.0d. One person said he would email me that version and when he does I will give it a try. Others have done it and it seemed to help.

I do have a Pioneer A05 that will burn the Ritek 4X media quite well. But it is very limited in what else it will burn. But as long as it burns them I guess it is doing I bought it to do. 4X is quite fast compared to 1X!

...

[egomaniacal1]

I just bought a Sony Dru-500a and was wondering about the firmware...

if 1.0f came after 1.0d why wouldn't it cover the Ritek 4x burning speed like the 1.0d version does?

Can both versions be used once it is saved to your hard drive or does one version automatically overwrite the other so that u would have to reload/redownload the version u needed for the media you are using?

[Solr_Flare]

Its probably something that needs to be tweaked in the firmware. I imagine when the "X" models come out there will be a firmware update for the regular models as well hopefully fixing the Ritek issue.

[ToeCutter]

Update: I spoke with Tech Support at Supermediastore.com. They advised against using *any* Ritek media in the Sony DRx500 drives. No reason was given, but they offered to exchange the media no questions asked, which was reassuring.

I fear these Sony drives are playing some tricks with firmware to offer multi-write capability. The Sony drive has so far seemed to be far more flexible with regards to media than my Pioneer DVR-104. The 4X DVD-On media from Supermediastore.com works great in the Sony. I burned a ~4GB DVD in around 14 mintutes with the Sony and it's cheaper than the Ritek media. I perused the web for more info on Ritek media and came across many folks that are having a hell of time with Ritek media using a vairety of different drives, including both the Sony and Pioneer models, even at 1X.

I am not affiliated in any way with Supermediastore.com, but I must say that I'm very impressed with how cool they've been with exchanging media. They sent the wrong test pack with my first order. When I explained the situation, they shipped my replacement order out the same day. After receiving the correct media, I returned the wrong media with the USPS sticker they provided. Very cool. They offered me an instant credit on the bad Ritek media as well.

Be careful when purchasing bulk media online. Computer123.com is advertising Princo 4X for a very attractive price on PriceWatch. I called Princo to check compatibility with the Sony drive and they informed me that they haven't even begun production on 4X DVD-R media! They even advised against buying the advertised media because it may not even be Princo brand. I'm sitting here now looking at a 100 disc spindle of 2X media I bought from the now defunct CDRecordable.com store. Neither my Sony nor my Pioneer has ever been able to burn them at anything other than 1X.

Exciting times to say the least.....

[eughor]

I too am having the same problem with you guys.
I have the DRX-500UL drive that came with the 1.0d firmware.
Trust me guys... it works fine with Ritek's 4X DVD-R media.
I've burned a total of 20 DVD-R 4X from Ritek.
I also burned some 22 DVD-R 1X from PrimeDisc.

However, when I updated my firmware from 1.0d to 1.0f.... argh!!!!!My world turned upside down.

The 1.0f firmware wouldn't even allow me to read my previously burned DVD-R that I burned using the 1.0d firmware. This sucks big time.

I've already written to sony support... but being a big company like sony, they will usually disregard such claims... as individual/ unique cases until a large number of ppl file in a report. Sony I urge you all that is having a problem with the 1.0f firmware to write to sony and report this case. In time thwy might offer another firmware update that can fix this mistake they made.

By the way anyone has the old 1.0d firmware? Pls do let me know.

[HyperYagami]

By the way anyone has the old 1.0d firmware? Pls do let me know.

For 500A -> www.sonydru500a.com
500UL -> Don't think there's any since the 1st batch of them came out as 1.0d...

[eughor]

true true... I checked it.
Its a dead link.
They only have the 1.0e firmware... but thats the pre-release for the 1.0f firmware. And I also heard so many CRUEL story about the 1.0e firmware.
So.. don't bother messing with it man... hehe

Anybody knows anyone who kept a copy of a downloaded 1.0d firmware.
Pls do post it here man. I know tonnes of ppl who would like to go back to the 1.0d firmware. Thanks anyway.

[eughor]

Good news everybody.
I found the 1.0d firmware at this site and the link is still active. Get it while its still there man.

The 1.0d firware is going to fix all the Ritek media compatibality problem you have with the 1.0f firmware.

One downside though... you can't burn DVD+R at 4X...only at 2.4X
YOu still can burn DVD-R at 4X using the cheap Ritek media.

http://www.ebisschop.nl/dru-500a/

[boblx2]

Thanks eughor, got it!...........

Now I hope that it works as advertised by some folks on this forum. It is hard to believe I have to downgrade in order to upgrade. But at this point I will try anything. Apparently Sony has not intention of fixing this any time soon.

Thanks again..........

[boblx2]

Okay I was able to down grade my firmware in my Sony to 1.0d and it seems to be still working normally burning +R at 2.4X. Now I need to bring some Ritek 4X media in and see if it will burn it at 4X. Since that is the reason for this excercise. But I feel better knowing I did not break it. Sony seems to be a lot more flexible with these firmware upgrades then Pioneer. I have heard real horror stories about people who upgraded their A04 Drives then found out they did not really want that upgrade and then wanted to go back. I guess they finally got someone to hack the firmware so they could go back but it sure wasn't as easy as this was. That was the reason I was reluctant to go backwards. But I guess whatever works!

Thanks for the help on this..............

[eughor]

Glad you like it.
I find the 1.0d more tolarable to cheap media like Ritek compare to the 1.0f.
Well anyway enjoy it...

I bought the Ritek DVD-R 4X media some time ago... and already burned about 20 pieces... 0% coaster. They all burn around 15-20 minutes, depending how fast is your HD and how fragmented it is.
I am using a laptop... so if you guys are using a desktop system with faster HD, you should be able to sustain burn speed at 4X.

Its a good media... it can also read in the stand alone DVD player from Sony.

[boblx2]

Well apparently the 1.0d firmware did not do any good. Actually I did not believe it would when I was doing it but since many seemed to think it was the fix I went ahead with it. It still burns the Ritek 4X media at 2X. I would think I had the wrong media but my A05 cheerfully burns it at 4X so it is not the media. Maybe the drive is bad or something. But in any case the 1.0d did not help. It didn't appear to hurt anything though. When I query the drive now it says it has 1.0d firmware on it so the up (down) grade worked okay.
Also I have never had any media compatability problems with this drive, other then it won't burn 4X media at 4X. But every piece of media I have used on it has worked. So I think I will just go back to 1.0f where it was supposed to be.

You know I bought this drive at a cut rate retail store called Fry's. I have long suspected that they sold inferior products or products that they got cheap because of one thing or another. I would not be too surprised to learn that these drives are not capable of 4X. But we did not pay "cut rate" prices for them. I think we paid about $349.00 for them. We bought two of them at once and neither of them will burn at 4x.

Thanks for the help though. Now I know what don't work...........

[ToeCutter]

Well apparently the 1.0d firmware did not do any good. Actually I did not believe it would when I was doing it but since many seemed to think it was the fix I went ahead with it. It still burns the Ritek 4X media at 2X. I would think I had the wrong media but my A05 cheerfully burns it at 4X so it is not the media. Maybe the drive is bad or something. But in any case the 1.0d did not help. It didn't appear to hurt anything though. When I query the drive now it says it has 1.0d firmware on it so the up (down) grade worked okay.
Also I have never had any media compatability problems with this drive, other then it won't burn 4X media at 4X. But every piece of media I have used on it has worked. So I think I will just go back to 1.0f where it was supposed to be.

You know I bought this drive at a cut rate retail store called Fry's. I have long suspected that they sold inferior products or products that they got cheap because of one thing or another. I would not be too surprised to learn that these drives are not capable of 4X. But we did not pay "cut rate" prices for them. I think we paid about $349.00 for them. We bought two of them at once and neither of them will burn at 4x.

Thanks for the help though. Now I know what don't work...........

Bob,

You might want to try the 4X DVD-On media available at Supermediastore.com. I too have had big problems with the Ritek media, but the DVD-On works flawlessly. Writes at 4X everytime and plays just fine in both of my set top DVD players. It's less than $2 a disc in quantities over 25.

Good luck...

[Matt]

Read over the forums and look for "Ritek*" in the search function, I think you will be surprised. Keep in mind usually firmware updates tweak media compatability. Sony may have botched the ritek media but improved write quality on others.

[boblx2]

Okay Matt I ordered 10 of them to see if they will burn at 4X on my sony. If they work I will order more but I am in danger of becoming a cynic.

Thanks for the information............

[boblx2]

Opps! I guess it was ToeCutter that recomended the Supermediastore discs. Anyway I will let the forum know how it works out. Going to 1.0d did nothing that I noticed. I guess I will just leave it there until another upgrade comes out. What I have noticed in firmware upgrades is that the new upgrade usually includes the information that was in the previous one so there is not need to upgrade one step at a time unless one of those steps helps with someting before the next one arrives.

Anyway, off we go.............

[ToeCutter]

Opps! I guess it was ToeCutter that recomended the Supermediastore discs. Anyway I will let the forum know how it works out. Going to 1.0d did nothing that I noticed. I guess I will just leave it there until another upgrade comes out. What I have noticed in firmware upgrades is that the new upgrade usually includes the information that was in the previous one so there is not need to upgrade one step at a time unless one of those steps helps with someting before the next one arrives.

Anyway, off we go.............

Forgot to mention: They offer a 4X Sampler Pack of 10 DVD-R discs (5 ea 4X DVD-On and 5 ea Ritek) for something like $17.00. I ordered it and the discs worked great. Probably not very useful info if you've already ordered

[boblx2]

The fact that my Sony DRU-500A refuses to burn at 4X is not a terrible distraction since it burns both + and - media but it would be nice to have it go at 4X. I would still rather have two Sony's then the A05 that I bought and it will burn at 4X. Of course I have only found one media that it will burn but it burns it at 4X. So all in all I guess I am ahead of the game but the game seems to have restrictions, like any other game I guess.

I will just keep trying media until I find one that works or until Sony puts out a release of firmware that allows it to work correctly. But burning at 2.4 X is not to be sneezed at.
So right now I burn +R's at 2.4X with the Sony and -R's at 4X with the Pioneer. Any way you cut it that is better then -R at 1X! Since I really don't burn that many discs this will work out okay. I burn more discs testing then I do for any other reason.

Hope those DVD-ON discs work that will improve my prospects.

Thanks for the info............

[HardwareHarry]

Hi Guys,
I found out here that a lot of buyers have problems with the "f" firmware....
Not with my 500A, manufactured in Singapore, noone else wrote about their's build version, or a Japanese production...

I bought my 500 at the end of december, and had a "d" firmware already, but I had earlier in december downloaded the "f" version and I was happy that I did, because later I couldn't get at the download page at Sony.

I bought a 5 pack Imation DVD+R with it, (no speed sign) but burned at 4x
speed all the way....
I read about the new Verbatim DVD+R 4x media, wich are also advised to use with new/latest models Dual Format DVD writers.

I think everybody knows that Imation is the new name for 3M, and Verbatim
is the trademark of Mitsubishi Chemical.

Maybe Sony was too soon to release the 500 series, with the media running behind.......

In the Netherlands this Sony model is sold out!

Some computer warehouses has waiting lists over 1000 buyers.
For Audio and Data CD-R I use That's Write80/700 on the 50x pack,
(no speed sign) also I can see that at my Lite-On 40x CD-writer with latest Nero it burns at 40x, and on the Sony with Record Now I counted the time
wich it needed to burn, the Sony 500 does what the review here at CDRLabs tested, so maybe there are different assembled units, Singapore and Japan with some other components ?
I just want to know where are your Sony's assembled?
Succes, Harry

[HardwareHarry]

I want to give you complete information of my experiences with overburning facts on the Sony 500 A with "f" Firmware.

It won't accept MMORE 800Mb/90min CDR's (with Bayer Makrolon Plastic) and DataTrack 870Mb/99min(also with Bayer Makrolon plastic) and Platinum 800Mb/90min.
This overburn I was able way back on my first 2xHP CD-R writer (with FirmwareUpd.3.0) and Feurio Software.
Now I do this on the Lite-On 40x24x48 Burner with latest Firmware "OP" and latest Nero 55.5.10.0 burning software who was delivered with the Lite-On (as version 55.5.72 and updated...) and just 98SE.

This item maybe belongs on the CD-R subject in this Forum, but here it gives more attention to warn the future SONY 500A and AX buyers....

Oh, I forgot to ask if anybody can confirm if Sony is indeed using the Oak Technology Inc. chipset for this DVD Dual Format series, because the word goes in Holland, and I read it in a review at
http://www.hardware.info/reviews.php?id=347


Harry

[boblx2]

Toecutter, I got the DVD-ON media today, no help. My Sony still burns them at 2X. It turns out DVD Decrypter says that they are Ritek G04 media, which is the Ritek 4X media that the others are selling. I guess Supermedia store just calls them DVD-ON. So save yourself some money if they work at 4X for you buy them from Hyper Micro and pay about $1.98 a piece instead of $2.60 a piece for them.

Thought you might like to know...........

[ToeCutter]

Toecutter, I got the DVD-ON media today, no help. My Sony still burns them at 2X. It turns out DVD Decrypter says that they are Ritek G04 media, which is the Ritek 4X media that the others are selling. I guess Supermedia store just calls them DVD-ON. So save yourself some money if they work at 4X for you buy them from Hyper Micro and pay about $1.98 a piece instead of $2.60 a piece for them.

Thought you might like to know...........

Wow, that's surprising. I'm still wondering if this is media or drive related. I can't get ADVDInfo to work with my external drive, so I never was able to check the Pre-Record ID. I just bought 50 at around $2.15 a piece, I'll check out Hyper Micro for my next order, though. Thanks for the tip!

[boblx2]

Well if it is a bad drive we have two of him at this location. We bought both of them at the same time and they act identical. Again this is no dire emergency. The media works fine on my A05 and the Sony does burn both + and - media so I don't feel too bad about it. It would be nice to get the Sony to burn at 4X like other people are telling me that their's do but it does burn every media I put into it. That is refreshing. Most of it burns at 2X or 2.4 X depending on the format.

.........