I am currently using maxell DVD-R discs (media code:MXL RG04). Although they are burnable at 16x, I have gotten the impression from this forum that it is better to burn at slower speeds. So, I chose to burn at 6x, the lowest speed possible, however, I still get some minor playback issues such as hiccups and some pixelation. I am using a LITE-ON DVDRW SHW-160P6S drive with the latest firmware. Is it just that the media is low quality?
That media is listed as First Class media on the page below. So the media should be fine. What program are you using when burrning it? Try using IMGBurn and make sure you are not multi-tasking while burrning the DVD. Plus it would be good to make sure you have any programs that run in the background turned off. If you look at the link below your media code is listed under first class. So the media should be fine. http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm
I am using Nero to burn the iso to the DVD-R. I have Avast antivirus, Azureus bit torrent client, and msn messenger open in the background while I am burning.
It wouldn't hurt to turn those off while burrning the DVD. I would suggest you go to the link below and burn the ISO with IMGBurn. It is a very good burning program and it is free. It took me a while to follow others advice about getting it and I am glad I did. So I hope you take mine and try it out. Plus turn off those programs while burrning (you should defently turn off Azureus) and dont surf the net. Let it just burn. Also I would burn the disc at 8x instead of 6x. It is uasly best to burn at half the speed of the DVD's. http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
How are you viewing those backups when they show those issues? Stand alone player/s? Or viewing on your PC? Make sure your burner plays it's own backups,and they should look near original in quality. You've got some quality media there,keep the burn at 8x. Lite-on drives are great drives. I'd imagine those playback issues are on a stand alone player. Comfirm one of those backups using the Lite-on burner,other players,or game consoles.Take note of the area those issues pop up,and see how other drives play them in that same area. After ruling out burner and media quality-which yours should be ok,I'd give a 90% chance that it's a stand alone player's fault.
It makes no difference how "good" the media is if your burner doesn't like it. If you don't get good results burning at the media's rated speed you are using the wrong media. Have you tried to burn them at their rated speed? CDFreaks always tests burners with media at their rated speeds and many times the results are very good to excellant with the correct media. That said there does appear to be some problem with your drive and possibly the firmware updates. http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=159954
as of September 14th the firmware update is PSOB. check to see if you have that firmware on your drive... if not download it here: http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_search.php just insert your model # in the search Firmware for your burner as that sets new write strategies for new media thats out.. Firmware is programming that is inserted into a programmable memory area of your drive, thus becoming a permanent part of a drive. This 'software' is called firmware and can be updated with a firmware flasher. Every company has its own methods to allow you to do a firmware upgrade. A firmware upgrade can add new functionality to your drive. Also bug fixes and improvements are done by firmware upgrades. To find you firmware go to your burner homepage and find the firmware for you make and model.
also remember this: there are plenty of reasons why certain dvds won't play in other players: 1. burning speeds: burn at 4x so there will be less writing errors (rule of thumb is to burn at half the rated speed of the disk--8X disk burn at 4x). 2. read manual for your stand alone player and use the disks that will play in your player. If your player is less than 2 yrs old then it should play the + or - R disks! I said SHOULD that's why you read the manual. 3. try booktyping your drive to DVd-ROM so it will make your +R disks more compatible to players. Read this: http://k-probe.com/bitsetting-booktype-faq.php 4. make sure that there are no finger prints or scratches on your disk that make it hard for the player to read the disk! 5. use good quality media (rule of thumb....buy the ones that are Made in Japan.) Verbatim is a top notch disk and is the only exception to this rule....some Verbatims are made in Taiwan and they are top notch! 6. and don't burn too close to the outer edge of the disk ..... which will make the disk unreadable! but using good media you will be able to burn close to the edge better than lesser quality media. Just in case I only burn no closer than 4400MB, so if you can set your programs to that, all the better! follow these little tips of the trade and you'll have better success! good luck. also read this: http://www.cdfreaks.com/print/article/113 why the +R media is better than the -R media
I just burned another dvd-r of a dvd movie with imgburn, with a good maxell 16x dvd-r at 8x. This time I had no background programs running and the firmware for my drive is up to date. The dvd copy still manages to skip every 60-90 seconds or so, however it does seem to get better as the movie progresses. Is it that my drive is bad? Is it that although this media is high quality, my burner doesnt work well with it? What factors are left?
Did you bother to even read the link I provided or try any of the suggestions that were posted? Did you note the firmware, IDE and settings (CS vs Master etc.) discussions. Oh well. Good luck.
I did look at the link but I did not find it all that helpful. My drive can read the dvd's I burn just fine with no skips/pixelation. Also when I play the dvd in either of my standalone dvd players, they skip at random spots every time, ie. when it skips I rewind to the spot where it just skipped and the second time it runs through there is no problem. Could this mean anything?
Did you test that last backup on some other drives? We need to know which drive/s show those issues. Usually those are signs of dirty laser lens in a stand alone player,if it's only 1 player that shows those issues. A lens cleaning may be needed,but it's a last resort. If more than 1 player gives the same issue,then something else is wrong.
I have two stand alone dvd players, a Norcent dp311 and a samsung dvd-m201. The norcent plays the dvd with minor hiccups and pixelation, while the samsung has no real hiccups or pixelation but major chunks of the movie are skipped. (I played the dvd twice in the samsung and the beginning scene is always skipped.)
Are they backups of original dvd movies or were they files like Mpeg/Jpeg/WMV/etc that you transferred and compiled to put onto dvd? What other burn programs you have on your pc,like Roxio? Are they highly compressed?
They are just .iso files of dvd-5 dvd movies I backed up. I used nero and imgburn. I just tested these backups in my sisters dvd player and they play flawlessly (hers is the one bought most recently) so it must be that the dvd players I have been trying them on are older.
