This weekend I picked up a SONY DRX-500UL external DVD±RW. My 3 systems already had USB2.0 for my Plextor 4824TW CDRW drive.
After plugging the new Sony in a USB2.0 port and firing up Nero (current version v5.5.10.7), Nero recognises the drive correctly. So far everything went smooth. When I try to burn a DVD-R (Princo-TDK 2x and Ritek G05 4x), Nero starts but stays at 1% and doesn´t get further. Even after 5 hours still at 1 %. I got no error message.
Strange I thought, because my 2 months old Sony DRU-500A burns these media without a hitch, never had a coaster with the DRU-500A since I use these media.
After flashng the DRX-500UL to 1.0g, still the same problem.
What is even stranger is that the DRX-500UL DOES burn my memorex DVD+RW, so the drive isn´t dead and the laser is operational.
I had this same problem with Nero, DVDDecrypter and Alcohol 120 (all latest versions). The only software that appears to work is the software that comes with the drive : RecordNow by Veritas (orlogix).
This is really driving me nuts because I have a lot experience with my Sony DRU-500 and know what media and firmware combinations should be OK.
At first I thought it could be the USB2.0 interface, but Veritas RecordNow is able to write both DVD+RW and DVD-R, while Nero and other can write only DVD+RW. My conclusion was: it´s not the USB 2.0 interface.
To be 100% sure about the USB, it connected the SONY DRX-500UL to a firewire port (1 system has Firewire)...... Guess what !!!
Using Firewire instead of USB seems to solve a lot of problems : now Nero, DVDDecrypter and Alcohol CAN write to DVD-R too !!!
The difference I noticed between the external DRX-500UL and the DRU-500A (internal) is that a lot of my Princo´s do OK when simulating using Nero on the 500A, but gave a write error at random positions on the DRX-500UL. It seems that the external version is more picky about media.
Using the drive with Firewire is not an option for me because only 1 system has Firewire. Also using only RecordNow is not an option either because this software is too limited for my use.
Has anyone any clue what´s going on here ???
Is my drive bad ?
Any ideas to make the external work with Nero using USB2.0 for my Princo 2x and Ritek G05 4x where I paid a ton for ?
Bringing the drive bach to the store is not really a great solution because they have non in stock, but if the drive is really broken, I´m affraid there is no other option.