LG GGW-H20L works, but.....not with high-def??? HELP!

I just purchased and installed the exact same drive (GGW-H20L) that I purchased from Newegg and I cannot get it to play BD for anything. It works for music and traditional (e.g. common DVDs) but when I insert a Blu Ray disc it keeps telling me there isn't a disc in the drive (i.e. "please insert a disc in drive E").

I've tried it with both (trial versions) Cyberlink PowerDVD 9 Ultra and Corel WinDVD9, both with the same result. I'm truly at a loss here! What am I not doing in order to get my PC to play HD-DVD/BR discs?

For what it's worth, here are my key PC specs, all up to date on both firmware and drivers:

OS: XP Pro Service Pack 3
CPU: X6800 Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 2 GB Corsair
GPU: ATI 3870 output thru DVI
Monitor: Dell 2407WFP
HDD: Too many to bother typing, just lots
MoBo: EVGA NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI SPP Revision A2

Not sure what else I would need to supply in regards to info about my PC, but if I'm missing something let me know.

If I've not omitted anything crucial, can anyone tell me why my new LG drive will not play BDs or HD-DVD discs?

 

Did you install the driver for UDF 2.5? I'm not sure if powerdvd / windvd require this. I know if you use ANYDVD-HD its not required.

I used a toshiba driver for mine (i have the same drive).

 

Sorry, I should have gone in to more detail.

XP doesnt have the right driver for UDF 2.5 where as Vista does. Try installing the UDF 2.5 driver from here :

http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=15597

Instructions and download from that page

 

I must say I don't believe the problem is with the drive. I own a (GGW-H20L) Multi blu and it reads and writes to Blu-ray just fine. While I not sure, it could be you need a firmware upgrade.

 

I'm not sure if this was directed at me or not, but if it was I updated (via firmwarehq.com) to the latest YL05 firmware before posting about the issue.

Still no resolution...can't get it to play blu-ray DVDs at all. I insert a commercial blu-ray movie into the drive but it apparently cannot see it, as it keeps telling me to insert a disc into the drive. Very frustrating!!!

Any and all advice is welcomed and appreciated.

 

Sorry for the double-post, but I thought maybe a bit more info could prove useful. When I got the LG drive we're talking about I removed a Lite-On DVD-RW drive and installed the LG in its place. Beyond that, nothing was different, outside of the fact that the directory/drive letters changed. And, like I said, the LG drive plays music CDs and traditional DVDs just fine, the problems only appear when I insert a BR disc.

Also, I've been a long time user of Slysoft's AnyDVD and CloneDVD software. I've used it for years with the aforementioned drive with perfect success. Since installing this LG drive I've had no success.....so, hope this extra information is helpful in guiding your recommendations.

P.S. - How do I check to see if I have the UDF format thingy installed, as it was mentioned previously and I haven't been able to see if I already have it in place.
joseywales is online now Report Post

 

I recommend that you contanct the vendor to address this issue. As I previously stated I have GGW-H20L referred to as a Super Multi Blue and it works great with Blu Ray discs, both reading and rewiriting. It is possible that you got a lemon. I'm also using PowerDVD9 Ultra which also works Super in Playing Blu-Ray movies. I'm sorry but nothing jumped out at me while reading the instruction manual. It appears that NewEgg owes you a new LG Reader/Reqriter. I wish I had something else to offer.

 

Please don't apologize mtouset, I appreciate any & all feedback, really, I do! Without knowing for sure if this makes sense I'll just ask it and expose my soft underbelly: could the drive, if it is in fact defective, play CDs and traditional DVDs (just not HD-DVD and Blu-Ray such as I'm experiencing)? Seems weird that it would work for one format but not another, so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks again for your reply!!!

 

Your question is too logical and one that I would be asking also. If I were you, I would be incontact with NewEgg, LG, and/or CyberLink. While I believe you know what piece of equipment you have on your hands, you should not be experiencing format issues. My drive specifically says on the front " Super Muti Blu" I trust that yours does too. If, per chance, it doesn't, that would be the answer to your compatibility issues...You may simply have a CD/DVD reader/maybe writer, but not a BD reader/writer. It may be worth a call to LG technical support even if the equipment is out of warranty. It's mind boggling, especially since my supposedly identical dirive, plays my BD just fine.

 

All participants within, or joining this thread can correct me if I'm way off, but in my experience the UDF format of 2.50 is consistent with my IMAGEBURN software and not drive itself. I'm really starting to wonder whether you have a simple CD/DVD read/writer, and not a BD/HD read/writer for reasons explained in my last reply.

 

On the face of the drive it says Super Multi Blue on the left edge, LG in the center, the blu-ray logo and HD-DVD logo on the right edge. The device manager is telling me it's an HL-DT-ST BD-RE GGW-H20L drive, so I think we can be sure it's not a matter of bait-and-switch. The drive is legit, I just can't get it to work.

Knowing that, do you/anyone have any other ideas?

 

Please try Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 Ultra to see if it work...good luck!

 

I think Ogilvie is correct; You either do not have the toshiba udf 2.50 driver installed or not installed correctly.

 

Okay guys, I sincerely appreciate the replies but I still have some questions.

First, are you saying that I need to check and see if I have UDF 2.5 installed (and if not, install it and hope that resolves the issue)? Secondly, I know it's a legit LG blu-ray drive, the exact model I mentioned earlier in this thread.

My second question is that recently (I think from doom9 or some other forum I'm using to work towards resolution of this frustrating issue) that there if a new, or at least new since Blu-ray was adopted as THE hi-def format versus HD-DVD, that there is a "2.0" version of Blu-ray, and that perhaps my LG drive isn't compatible with this newly released version. Does anybody know if this is true?

Please keep the input coming...even if you're not sure if what you're offering is accurate (I can do the legwork to legitimize it)...it is appreciated and I thank you all in advance.

 

There are some things I know, and some I don't;

1) I run BD+ (2.0) discs in my GGW-H20L regularly with no problems.
Now, that may be because I have AnydvdHD in the background...I don't know.
It may be because I have the latest firmware (YL05)...I don't know.
It may be because I have the Toshiba UDF 2.50 driver...I don't know.

I do know that none of the discs I have would play with PDVD 7.3.4116 until I did all of the above.
I have kept the older version of PDVD because the newer versions will not play BD reliably. Cyberlink screwed up something in the newer versions.

 

I also have AnyDVD running in the background. And, I'm up to date on the firmware, same as you (YL05). Today, finally, I recieved the free software disc from Newegg that was supposed to come with my OEM drive. Since installing I get nothing but error messages every time I try to play a BR DVD.

I'm really at a loss here guys. Can anyone help me out....PLEASE!?!?!

My latest question is has there been a change in the BR format (I mention this because you stated BR 2.0, so perhaps the 5 BR DVDs that I do have aren't compatible....just a theory)? Maybe my LG drive, GGW-H20L, isn't compatible with the DR discs I have (The Devils Rejects, The Presige, The Patriot, Flight of the Phoenix and Swordfish, all of which I got thru a promo deal when I bought my PS3).

So, with that info in hand, any suggestions (all of which are appreciated!!!)?

joseywales

 

Is there anything else I can add to get a response from someone....I still cannot get any of the commercial BR movies to play in this drive (although it seems to work fine playing, ripping and burning standard def content for music and movies). Please let me know, I'm counting on the wizards here at afterdawn to help as I've hit a brick wall!

 

I want to know something:

Click Start
Click Run type in regedit, click OK
click the plus sign for each of these folders:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SYSTEM
Controlset001
Enum
Root
LEGACY THDUDF
Now, click on folder 0000 (not the plus sign here)
under device desc on the right, does it say Toshiba UDF2.5 Reader File System Driver?

 

Thank you for the reply Blessedon, sincerely! I followed your instructions, however I don't see that particular registry entry currently on my PC (perhaps that a good thing in that it may be the reason I cannot play BR discs...hopefully). Anyway, I've attached a screenshot of my registry as evidence, so any and all advice based on what you can glean from this is appreciated!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v...view&current=MagicalSnap-200905182128-002.jpg

Please let me know if my image doesn't appear...it's my first attempt at doing so.

Regards!

 

Your screen shot is definitely not of the THDUDF folder.
Anyway, if the "LEGACY THDUDF" folder does not exist, or if it does and does not contain the "0000" folder, or if the "0000" folder, when highlighted, does not contain a line for "device desc" that says "Toshiba UDF2.5 Reader File System Driver"...
THEN...
you do not have the UDF2.5 driver installed, and you need to do so.