Big problems with Samsung SM-348B!

by **hijacker** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 1:27 pm

I've recently bought a Samsung SM-348B drive since I read all good reviews...

Well. All I had with him was problems... First thing I noticed was that the bastard only has 2MB of buffer when on the Samsung page it states that it has 8MB. I said OK. As long as it works...

But... The bastard doesn't work as it should. The problem with it that it doesn't burn as it should.

Here is the situation. I use latest Nero version under Windows XP. It starts to burn fine at around 20x speed. The it writes till like 60% but then something happens. The speed falls down to 24x or 32x and until the writing is finished it writes at this speed. So basicly this means that one full 80 minut CD is written in around 3 minutes and 40 seconds. This sucks!

I use latest T505 firmware and I also use my patched region free firmware (http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?t=11231). No good. I've tried T504 and even older firmware. Same happens to each and every one of them...

Anyone has any idea what could the problem be?

by **Ian** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 3:11 pm

Try different media and read over the rules please:

http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=8914

by **hijacker** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 3:22 pm

I've tried 5 types of media. Same problem on each of them...

I am not exactly sure what line I broke. I know about 15. and 16. and I am sorry about it. phpBB uses it's own search indexing and the first searching I did returned no replies. That is why I posted new topic. Then I found out that there are allready some topics and I asked also there...

I am sorry for it... I never do that but I am desperade. First non Toshiba drive I buy and it totaly sucks!

by **Ian** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 3:34 pm

What media have you tried?

by **hijacker** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 3:44 pm

o Proformance 48x
o Imation 40x
o Princo 40x
o Maxel 40x
o some no name 48x (could be Smart Buy)

All this media worked perfectly for my old LiteOn 40x writer. It writes till like 36x then it drops down to 24 and till the end it writes with this speed.

I've flashed it with firmwares from T500 till latest T505. Original and patched (by me to make the drive region free). It's a model with stupid 2MB buffer. How can they say in the leflets and in the magazines that this drive have 8MB of buffer when it actualy has 2MB... I'll never buy a Samsung again... But the drive specifications allways persuade me to keep trying to fix this problem...

by **Han** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 4:07 pm

Well, my apologies for recommending it. I've checked the store's advertisement and it does say that this drive has an 8 MB buffer. Therefore, I suggest you send it back for a refund...

Last week I almost bought the drive in Tech Trade, but I got suspicious of the strange OEM packing with no Samsung brand inscription on the tray. It also felt very light, like it's mostly made of plastic. Hmm...

by **hijacker** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 4:12 pm

I'll go for a money refund...

Now I'll stick only with Toshibas and their firmware patching...

by **dhc014** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 5:33 pm

Yep, when you get crappy hardware, give it back... You should definately stick with your Toshibas Hijacker

by **bobmitchell** on Mon Feb 17, 2003 6:03 pm

That's odd...I have the 8MB version of the drive. I can burn FujiFilm 24X at 48X with no issues at all. I burn Mitsui All Speed (bought them a year ago) at 40X. Verbatim and Imations burned at 40X even though they were rated at 48X and don't even ask about Memorex..I won't burn em.

Sony 32X burn at 32X.

I will admit...bought my Samsung at Best Buy. The first one wouldn't even recognize CD-R disks. I would try to burn and Nero told me that there was no disk in the drive. Called Samsung...they told me it sounded like a bad drive (let's face it...Best Buy stockers throw the stock around...)...anyway...took the defective one back...and carefully chose an undented box...all is fine now! Very pleased...the drive burns fast and is exceptionally quiet. Made my old Plextor 24X burner sound like an old airplane with props.

Bob

by **Wayne** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 12:26 am

Complete off-the-wall question here but....

Is there any chance the built-in burning software in XP could be interfering with his Nero?

by **TheOverClocker** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 12:50 am

The 2meg buffer is because you bought an OEM version as oppoed to a retail version that can be found at best buy and other retai outlets. Have you tried looking at you DMA settings in device manager. Also have you read through any of the logs to see what the drive and nero sees about the properties of your system

by **bobmitchell** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 1:44 am

Also make sure that you have Nero 5.5.10.7b. It is the only version where I believe the drive is properly recognized. If that's the case, then burning speed might be limited by what Nero thinks it's dealing with.

Bob

by **hijacker** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 2:02 am

Ive tried resintalling ASPI, latest Nero, Via 4in1, Pio mode, diffrent IDE channels, latest drivers for IDE RAID that I have onboard, latest BIOS for MOBO all the BIOS I could find for SM-348B.

The funny thing is that I am not the only one with this problems...

Looks like all I can do is return the damned thing... Realy shame... I like it's specs.

Wayne: Hmmm... I've put my old LiteOn 40x inside the computer and it works perfectly for the same media. So I am blaming Samsung not Windows.

by **bobmitchell** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 2:03 am

Perhaps something to do with 4 in 1. I am running Intel 850 Chipset with Pentium IV...no issues at all. Hmmm!

Bob

by **hijacker** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 2:12 am

I've also tried with no 4in1 drivers... Same effect. The windows were freshly installed one day before I bought it...

by **bobmitchell** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 10:05 am

As in my case, do you think that trying a second unit may be the resolution?

Bob

by **hijacker** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 10:53 am

All packed and ready to be sent back... I'll demand a 8MB buffer version. If I don't get it I'll sue them!

When I bought it from their webpage it said that they have 8MB. After I called them they changed it to 2MB... Bastards!

by **bobmitchell** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 1:09 pm

Good Luck! The drive is worth a second chance...glad I did! I hope they come through...otherwise..you purchased under false pretenses and should get a full refund...Get the 8MB buffer version and let's hope it's as good as my second one...you'll really like it. The drive really is one of the fastest 48X I've seen

Bob

by **Nogib** on Tue Feb 18, 2003 5:45 pm

hijacker, You are not alone!!!!

I had the *EXACT* same problems with this drive a few weeks ago. I even exchanged the drive TWICE and still had these major problems with recording quality and speed on all three of them regardless of the firmware version I used. I eventually dumped the p.o.s. and got myself the much better (albeit slower) PlexCombo drive. I'm never buying another Samsung drive again!

FYI hijacker, you were not lied to about the specs of the drive. Only the retail boxed Samsung kits have the 8MB buffer. Bare and OEM drives that don't come in a retial box indeed only have a 2MB buffer and Samsung's own literature for the drive clearly states this:
http://www.samsungodd.com/eng/Informati ... .%20en.pdf

It sounds like you bought an OEM version of the drive which is why you only have a 2MB buffer. Most retailers automatically assume that the OEM drive is the same as the retail drive. Unfortunately this is one of those instances where that is not the case. Even big online retailers like NewEgg only recently corrected their listings for the drive when this was brought to their attention a few weeks ago.

by **hijacker** on Wed Feb 19, 2003 2:17 am

That a lot Nogib for you answer. It's good to know I am not alone...

Today I send the drive back and I'll demand a 8MB buffer version since when I bought this drive it cleary stated that this drive has 8MB buffer inside.

by **TheOverClocker** on Wed Feb 19, 2003 1:16 pm

Same thing happened to me I just settled for the 2 meg version and a 15.00 credit and the drive is fine. Retailers jsut made a little mistake and i am pretty sire if you bought it to their attention they will correct it.

Big problems with Samsung SM-348B!

Big problems with Samsung SM-348B!

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