Sony CRX220A1/E1 Questions

[zwanrock78]

My drive box says CRX220A1 but when booting it is identified CRX220E1! Is there a difference?

Also I heard since it was really a Lite-On I could flash to the newest Lite-On Firmware. I know that it will allow the 52x speed without having to "boost" it as the Sony software does. Are there any other reasons I should or shouldn't do this? Is it advisable to use the orig. Lite-On firmware or the modified one?

[CowboySlim]

I'm not sure what bundled S/W comes with those Sony's, but it may not work after flashing to LiteOn. I have a Memorex rebaged LiteOn and I'm told that the bundled Ahead S/W won't work if I flash it with LiteOn F/W.

Well, I think that dhc014 has some S/W that will extract your Current F/W before you flash the LiteOn. Then if you need to, you can flash back.

Slim

[CDRecorder]

Welcome to CDRLabs, Zwanrock78!

It is normal for the A1 drive to be recognized as E1.

As far as the firmware goes, some things which should be considered before flashing a non-Sony firmware are that it might invalidate your warranty and it might make your bundled software not work, as Cowboy Slim said. I have a Creative Labs drive that I flashed to a Lite-On firmware, and the software that comes with it no longer recognizes it. That said, the Lite-On firmware won't have that "Turbo-Boost" thing and may have better writing quality.

[dhc014]

If you haven't already seen the site, you should go here: http://www.sonycrx2xx.org

These firmwares are the latest Lite-ON firmwares modified to contain the Sony ID so that your Nero software will still work, yet you will gain the features.