Plextor PX-708A DVDR AND Nero 5.5.10.xx

[matibaer]

I´m very angry about Ahead and Nero.

In version 5.5.10.50 the ahead-called "end-of-session-error" (invalid field in command) occurs very often.

I tried to burn 8x to a verbatim DVD+R (4x).
It is the 8x-burning-reference of some magazines and Plextor self.
THE RESULT - "invalid field in command" at the end of the burn-process
(LEAD-OUT)

So, the first thing I had to do was to uninstall this version, completly, additionally with the nero-clean-pack.

The I have installed the latest Version 5.5.10.54
I tried DVD-R and DVD+R @4x-speed and DVD+R@8x.
Both worked fine.
Then I tried to burn classical 2x on a 2x-cert-Verbatim DVD-R (minus).
No error occured, but the DVD wasn´t playable - to much errors was on the DVD-R. The PI-SUM must become to high after the middle of the DVD (about 2 GB).

Ok, I thought, I don´t need 8x, clean my system again, install the original 5.5.10.45 !
I have done this - 2x-recordings on 2x-minus-media was ok again.
4x-recordings on DVD+R - media, too !

Yesterday I patched my PX708A from firmware 1.02 to 1.03.
I have burned a video on a MEMOREX DVD+R (4x).
At the end : INVALID FIELD IN COMMAND - i was so angry.

I patched the Plextor back to 1.02 - burned a memorex again - OK !!!

So Nero has no usable 5.5.10.xx-version.

For every deleted/soluted error Nero puts a new in.


WHICH PROGRAMM SHOULD I USE ???????

You can reproduce my problems if you do the following :

I. USE PX-FIRMWARE 1.02

1.) DEINSTALL ALL BURNING-PROGRAMMS, INCL. NERO
2.) USE NERO CLEAN PACKS
3.) INSTALL NERO 5.5.10.45
DO STEPS ABC (look to the end of this thread)
4.) DEINSTALL 5.5.10.45
5.) NERO CLEAN PACK
6.) INSTALL NERO 5.5.10.54
DO STEPS ABC (look to the end of this thread)

II. USE PX-FIRMWARE 1.03 and repeat the steps above.

STEPS IN A VERSION
a.) Burn 2x on a Verbatim DVD-R (2x certified, not 4x)
b.) Burn 4x on a Memorex DVD+R (4x certified)
c.) Burn 8x on a Verbatim DVD+R (4x certified)

Look, if the burning-process breaks at the beginning or at the end
for step a.) Burning-process should be successfully and complete, but use a DVD-Video for burning and watch this DVD in a Player with a less good error-correction.

I could swear, the 1x and 2x-mode works totally wrong in Nero 5.5.10.54 !
The wondering thing is, that you can see in that version an speed-option "2.4x" for 2x-DVD-R (unnormal, this should be only available for DVD+R).
I think, Nero takes some "+"-routines for that "-"-recording !

[bobmitchell]

I have found that the only real version that works with the drive is
5.5.10.42. I have been using this version since the day I purchased the drive and NO problems at all. I have tried version 6.xx and if it wasn't one thing it was another. 5.5.10.50 has had issues not only with the Plextor drive but most drives...they released a patch (big deal) and then 5.5.10.54, which I figure I don't need. Ahead Software is not what they once were. Funny...get the market to turn to you and then turn on the market....they've gotten sloppy. Case in point...InCD 4.xx has a bug where you can't save from Word or Excel directly to CD-RW...they have acknowledged that they isolated the bug over a month ago...and still haven't replaced 4.0.5.6, which was released on September 8. Almost two months have transpired and the buggy software is still the only version. Let's not even visit the Nero 6.xx debacle. Most users find that only 6.0.1.1 is the only good version. I gave up on 6.xx and am sticking with what works...

Bob

Here is a link to 5.5.10.42

ftp://ftp6.nero.com/nero551042.exe

[matibaer]

Hallo Bob,

do you use the latest PX-Firmware "1.03" ??
If you do so please try a recording on a MEMOREX-DVD+R 4x.
With the latest firmware and Nero 5.5.10.45 it fails.

I don´t know any difference between 5.5.10.42 and 5.5.10.45.
I believe, 5.5.10.45 isn´t an official release.
It must be the 5.5.10.42, adapted by or for Plextor.

Does anybody know some bugs/errors with the version 6.0.0.19 ?
That is the latest 6-version, so maybe it works nearly bug-free.

[bobmitchell]

Yes, I use firmware 1.03. Traditionally...I have Never had good luck with Memorex media and Plextor...from my old 121032a, 241040a and now the PX708a...Memorex has always failed nine out of ten times. I don't even consider Memorex when purchasing media.

Bob

[matibaer]

Hallo Bob,

I burned a MEMOREX DVD+R @4x with the PX-firmware 1.02
IT WAS -> OK

Then I made the firmware-update to 1.03
Burning MEMOREX -> NOT OK, INVALID FIELD IN COMMAND

After that I downgraded the firmware back to 1.02
Burning MEMOREX -> OK AGAIN

Our german computer-magazin "CHIP" made a great DVDR-4x-TEST.
The MEMOREX DVD+R made the first place !

MEMOREX DVD-R came on one of the last places.

It is not compareable with your old MEMOREX CD-R media.
MEMOREX DVD+R are made by RICOH.

I´ve got the INVALID FIELD IN COMMAND - error always while burning 8x to any DVD+R(4x) using NERO 5.5.10.50 !

So I´m sure that my MEMOREX-problem is not only a thing of the plextor-firmware.
The new firmware let the drive appear like a new drive.
Nero says "thank you" with offering a new or existing bug to you.

[VEFF]

I know it might not help you now, but if you get Nero 6 one day:
I have used Nero 6.0.0.11 and my two 708A drives without a single coaster or the error you describe.
I have used Verbatim, Memorex, TDK 4X +R.
I have also used Fuji 2.4X +R.
No problems.

Stomp RecordNow Max 4.5 (Sonic engine 408) has also worked extremely well for me with the 708A. No coasters at all.

I had the occasional slowdown with some of the prior firmwares, but it is
to be expected considering the media is not certified for 8X, and some variations in maufacturing occur...

[matibaer]

If I use Nero 5.5.10.54 I also get no error writing 4x to DVD+/-R/RW or 8x to DVD+R.
But then I get a not complete readable DVD-R, if the DVD-R is a 2x certified Verbatim and burning @2x.
After about 2 GB the errors become more and more and at any point even the plextor does not play it anymore.

This effect is coherently with the phanomenon
that 2.4x is shown as a speed-option for DVD-R

Can you tell me, if you get also a speed option "2.4x"
if you lay in a DVD-R 2x cert. ???

Another question: You think, Nero 6.0.0.11 is ok ? Then, did you try Nero 6.0.0.19 - is this version "perfect" ?

[oldfartjc]

Here is my experience so far with my Plextor 708a and Nero.

Using the original firmware 1.00 and Nero 5.5.10.50 I burned 12 DVD-R's, (10 Optorite & 2 Princo CompUsa branded Discs) with no problems. They were 1X and all burned at 2X. I also burned 10 DVD+R discs which were also Optorite 2.4X CompUsa branded discs with no problems except for the very first which did not close but I finally closed it OK with DVDDecryter. All DVD+&- RW's, again CompUsa branded all worked fine. I then loaded Nero 5.5.10.42 and all remaining DVD+R out of that batch closed OK.

And now the fun begins. I bought a couple of spindles (25 PACK) of Memorex 4X DVD+R (Ricoh JPNR01) that were on sale. I burned the first with Firmware 1.00 and Nero 5.5.10.42 at 8X but it really only burned at 4X and it was a successful burn. I then decided to upgrade to Firmware 1.02 last week and the first Memorex 4X failed to close with Nero 5.5.10.42 and I couldn't get it to work even after DVDDecryter tried to close it. I then did a good burn using Roxio 6 that came with my burner. I tried turning PowerRec off and burning at 8X with Roxio but the Plextor just sat there and finally made a coaster. I then turned PowerRec back on and thought I had a good burn with Roxio but couldn't read the disc. I now had another coaster. I then loaded Nero 6.0.0.19 and it burned the Memorex OK at 4X but didn't close correctly and closed it with a program called BatchDisc.

I then went to Firmware 1.03 a couple of day's ago and the first disk with Nero 6.0.0.19 failed to close Disc at once again but this time it had a Session fixation error in Nero and even though BatchDisc said it closed it, it ended up being a coaster. I then loaded Nero 5.5.10.54 and had the same session fixation problem and disc closing problem and another coaster. I then went back to Firmware 1.02 and using Nero 5.5.10.54 the last 3 Memorex 4X have worked fine but burned at 4X. So I don't plan to go back to 1.03 till I use up these crappy Memorex media. I also think Plextor has a problem since they work OK with 1.02 firmware. So far 5 coasters and 7 good burns with the Memorex media. All CD-R/RW burning is fine. Sorry for the long post.

[lptpf]

I have a strange problem burning DVD+R 4X Memorex with the plextor using Nero 5.5.10.42. While burning at 8X works fine, burning at 4x i got this message error :

Could not perform end of Disc-at-once

Anyone has this problem ?

[matibaer]

No - this kind of error-message i´ve never got.
But I never tried ...10.42 for this drive.

Plextor told me to use at least 5.5.10.45, because it´s a plextor-adapted 5.5.10.42.

[dodecahedron]

where did you get 5.5.10.45 ?

[matibaer]

It was in my plextor-retail-box.

Plextor Europe delivers its burner with Nero 5.5.10.45.

[Nosmo King]

Hi,

Just thought my experience might be of interest to someone.

When I received my Plextor 708a, I was using Nero 6.0.0.9, so did not bother installing the version 5.5.10.45 on the CD in the box.

I then suffered all the problems so articulately recounted on this thread, including after updates to 6.x.x.11, .15, and .19.

I complained to Plextor.be, who advised me to use only the version of Nero on their CD, and not to update/upgrade.

I did so (after using the Nero Cleaning Tool, to clean out the Registry), and have not had any problems since, even on the cheapest -R and +R dvds available on the web. Firmware updates to 1.02, 1.03, did not make any difference to the reliability.

Nosmo.

[matibaer]

...the only difference between firmware 1.02 & 1.03 that I could seen was the error burning to memorex dvd+r 4x.

Plextor must have put some optimations in the firmware
which are responsable for the error burning on that DVD+R.

Did anybody testing the "difficult media" with Nero-version 6.0.0.23 ????

[aviationwiz]

Memorex media is very flakey (quality varies a lot from disk to disk), and that would be the problem with 1.03

[matibaer]

Memorex DVD+R isn´t produced by Memorex.
With firmware 1.02 no one media wasn´t perfect !

The german computer-magazine "CHIP" said, Memorex DVD+R would be the best media you can get at the moment.
Much better than Verbatim, Sony, TDK...

[aviationwiz]

Gotta disagree there, Verbatim would be much better, and TDK, at least here in the States, is better. Memorex over here is labeled as RICOHJPNR01, not sure who it's actually manuf. by, I think Ritek since it said it was Made in Taiwan.

[matibaer]

Here is a screenshot from the chip-test.
The whole test can be seen in the "CHIP" from november 2003 !


http://home.wtal.de/dvd/roh.jpg