Problems With Sony DVD DRU500AX

[Richard_Cau74]

Hello

i need help with a little problem
i got a sony dru500ax dvd writer from my uncle a week ago it wouldnt work cause of a power issue so i got a 400w power supply, then i re-installed xp cause it ran like a dog, it actualy boots up fine now it dtects whatever dvd-r i put in it but it still brings up power calibiration error i am buffled and i dont wanna send all this money down the drain

cheers
Richard

PIII 1.0b ghz
gigabyte 6rx
512mb ddr 2100
sony dru500ax
sony16x dvd rom
asus 52x 24 52x
seagate 30gb drive

[hoxlund]

wow its been a long time since ive seen anyone with a 1Ghz processor

make sure the firmware on the drive is updated, for latest firmware go here:

http://forum.rpc1.org/portal.php

[Dartman]

Also get the drive test utility Sony makes and test the drive. If it really has a problem it will find it then you can RMA it for a new drive.
try here http://sony.storagesupport.com/dvdrw/dru500adwn.htm the utility should be there and see what it comes up with. They have updated the firmware quite a few times since the drive was released so depending on when yours was made it very well might be helped with the latest version if it doesn't have it now.

[CDRecorder]

wow its been a long time since ive seen anyone with a 1Ghz processor

I still own machines running at 66MHz, 100MHz, and two machines running at 366MHz. However, I use my 1.2GHz Athlon desktop and my 1.2GHz Celeron laptop for most computing tasks.

Anyhow, back on topic, updating the firmware sounds like a good idea.

[Richard_Cau74]

That helped a little i think its my software now i updated to 2.0f didnt work. Went to 1.0g it worked until it got to 13% and then just died what software you guys use? and what dvd-r's do you guys use?

thanks
Richard

[Dartman]

I use Nero and Verbatim dvd-r media. I also have some Memorex -rw media and it's all worked fine. Do you have DMA enabled on the drive? It can cuase some weird problems when it's not. You really need to run that check utility and see if the drive's OK or not, then you can figure it out from there.

[hoxlund]

you guys need to get the DRU510a its a god send

i love the power-burn buffer underun, its underun on steriods

[Richard_Cau74]

It brings up an error copying the second file in the test but its with a asus cd-rw and i think the sony dru500a has a lot of issues with discs other then the recomended ones. i tryed copying 2 dvds with some pioneer dvd-r's didnt work and i also tried copying a game which for some strange reason worked but it only burnt in blindwrite, must be the dvd-r's im using and cd-rw's im using if u have any ohter ideas please let me know

thanks
Richard

[tazdevl]

you guys need to get the DRU510a its a god send

i love the power-burn buffer underun, its underun on steriods

510A is pretty much the same drive as a 500AX with faster RW speeds and a couple hardware tweaks. Buffer Underrun is the same on both drives.

Richard, if you are trying to copy protected material, it could be something as simple as that. DVD burners aren't the best thing for that. Try copying some data files (MP3) and see if it works. Also depending on what software you're using, you might not be able to copy anything because the software you're using (like Nero) doesn't get along with copy protections. However, blindwrite does.

[hoxlund]

heres the differences yet again:

500a - 8x dvd read, 10x cd-rw, 2.4x dvd+rw
510a - 12x dvd read, 16x cd-rw, 4x dvd+rw

[tazdevl]

I don't think incremental upgrades i.e. going from 500AX to 510A make it to the "godsend" category.

8-12X DVD Read speed is meaningless because most DVD burners only read @ 8X anyway... as do most DVD drives. Some make it to 10X, but they are in the minority.

16X RW is nice, but most folks have a CDRW drive with a faster RW speed.

4X +RW is the only meaningful add-on to the 510A. Problem is, no 4X +RW media on the market. Be nice if they can get the writer to 4^4 in the near future. That's definitely a point of differentiation.

[dodecahedron]

Be nice if they can get the writer to 4^4 in the near future.

tazdevl, i saw you write this a few times in the last few weeks.
what do you mean by "4^4"?

[CDRecorder]

I thought he might mean 4*4, which obviously is 16.

[tazdevl]

Psst the carrot is an exponential function or 4 to the 4th power... for you geniuses that ride the short bus . Last time I checked it doesn't equal sixteen.

My point is that the 510 burns 4X for +R, -R and +RW. I'd imagine there's a FW upgrade coming when specs get hammered out to add 4X -RW.

I'm a marketing/product guy and think in marketing terms (many times when I don't want to)... if sony could get 4X -RW, they could position it as a 4^4 or a 4 by 4 drive.

[hoxlund]

yeah ill be one of the first in cdrlabs to get it

[CDRecorder]

Yes, I understood that 4^4 means 4 to the 4th power; I just wasn't sure if that was what you meant.

[dodecahedron]

well, i'm a mathematician...i didn't think you meant "4^4=256".
if it were a 256x drive, i would surely get one!

[tazdevl]

LOL dodec, you have to remember that a lot of what us marketing guys say makes no sense.

My point was that 4X4 or 4 to the 4th is a catchy way of highlighting a significant point of differentiation for the drive, assuming we see 4X -RW

[CDRecorder]

if it were a 256x drive, i would surely get one!

I want one too!

[Richard_Cau74]

Thanks i am going to try installing win 98 and see how that goes i might also put it on the raid see if it works i know my hdd is a lot faster on my raid

[Richard_Cau74]

Well just letting you know that the dvd-r drive now burns. which is kinda stupid but it was the media i was using i cant use the old pioneer dvd+r's i have to use the more expensive dvd-r's and they work fine thanks for all your help also that firmware update made it a hell of a lot easier thanks guys