PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8631

Thank you all for the information. I have a Dell XPS Gen 4 and at first had no issues with the DVD burner. Now I am experiencing the issues addressed earlier in this thread and ready to contact Dell. I am wondering if there is a lightscribe DVD burner Dell will replace the POS DVD burner I currently have.

 

Wow - interesting thread!

I have a Dell Dimension 4700, 14 months old with a Philips DVD8631.

Burning DVDs, I got my share of coasters, but this was mainly down to the media (CMC) I was using to start with.

Occasionally (whilst burning) the drive would crash completely, to the extent that it wouldn’t let me shutdown the PC. The only way out was to pull the plug out, stick it back in and start to reboot the machine - getting the disc out ASAP while it was rebooting.

I kept updating the firmware - and by the time I reach GD30 it settled down and behaved itself. The only issue I have today is that it will not recognise anything I burn on a DVD-RW with my Panasonic recorder (it sees a blank disc)

Goodluck everyone!

 

In addition to hanging of my machine at times while burning I am noticing that to burn a DVD takes an hour and a half. Not sure if this is a setting or recent "change" that has happened however it is a bit time consuming. Has anyone had the same issue and is it hardware related or maybe a DMA setting.

Thanks.

 

In addition to hanging of my machine at times while burning I am noticing that to burn a DVD takes an hour and a half. Not sure if this is a setting or recent "change" that has happened however it is a bit time consuming. Has anyone had the same issue and is it hardware related or maybe a DMA setting.

Thanks.

Have you switched media lately? In whatever software you use, does it show the media as only being able to be burned at 2x or something, or does it say a high speed and then not deliver? If it's the former / if you've recently switched media, you may just need a firmware update to tell your burner about newer media.

 

I have updated my firmware and it is still showing as the writing as being maximum in Nero 7.

 

Seems like a lot here are luckier than me! I insisted on an NEC drive after a second faulty Philips drive was sent only to be absolutly refused anything but another philips drive. After over 2 hours of arguing, I gave up, but I'll never buy another Dell again

 

Just had a phone call from Dell in response to my two letters. Unfortunately they caught me at work rather than at home but the gist was they are still maintaining that the upgrades on the Dell website would sort out this problem. I've told them that I've downloaded every conceivable critical update for driver software from their advisory pop-ups but they are saying that the patch is on the website. As I can't do much about it at work. Has anyone tried this and succeeded. They are ringing me back at home on Wednesday so want ammunition. It is very difficult for a non techie not to be blinded by science!

 

At the end of the day suttonsue, it's the philips drive that is duff. I would say just go along with what they've recommended and tell them it still doesn't work.I'm cringing while writing this, but like me, as a last resort, tell em you want a replacement philips drive with a years warranty. That's if you can't persuade them to give you an NEC drive. I'm gonna write to trading standards and the BBC's watchdog about this for sure

 

Hello Vambo,

I had the same attitude, to never buy a Dell again, but I've been a Dell customer for the past 10 years.

Will I buy a Dell again, probably.

Anyone could have issues with some equipment they sell.

The only bad side is how Dell deals with the issue.

They will loose future customer, for a damn burner that probably costs them $5.00 ?

That's their problem.

I know people who bought PC's at several different places, and it's not all Green Grass at other places either.

I was lucky, I did get a NEC, I guess I was part of all the users at the beginning of the problem.

But I was ready to trash the drive, and please *ME* and buy an other drive myself.

My 2 cents...

 

vambo, when you get the new Philips drive, don't even bother with trying to burn anything with it. Just call Dell back up and tell them you tried to use this one too and it did the same thing your last one did. Demand to speak to a hardware support supervisor or floor manager. Tell the floor manager that you are "frustrated and extremely disatisfied with your customer support experiance." Those are like the magic words. Also mention that this experiance makes you never want to buy a Dell again. The floor managers do have the authority to send you an NEC drive, you just have to be enough of a pain in their asses so they give in. If they tell you they can't do that, tell them very calmly that they are lying. If you have to be a parrot and repeat over and over again "I will not be satisfied with any less than the NEC drive" then do so. They will either give in to your demands or hang up on you, and if someone hangs up on you, call back and tell someone else what happened, that's like a free ticket to anything you want.

 

Hey guys, just a quick note on the problem Markf505 had in August (Page 5). I've got exactly the same problem. Started today. Grrrrr... oh well. To make matters worse my internet dropped out on that computer as well, and so I had to reformat and reinstall XP on a dinosaur I had gathering dust. More Grrrr... Anyways, just thought I would make note that his incident wasn't isolated.

 

Dell person coming today to install, sorry, another Phillips. They told me they hadn't got any others now in stock! Don't know what to believe other than calling them liars. But I have had it from them that if this doesn't work they will refund the cost as I was concerned about my guarantee running out by the time this drive starts to malfunction again. They said that the problem will be dated from when I originally complained and not when this driver goes Kaput, even if it does. Well we will see.

 

Dell have been and gone and now the Sonic software isn't working, which it wasn't before. Has anyone had this problem? The Dell Dimension came with Sonic Recordnow and Mydvd etc., preinstalled. Whilst I was tooing and froing trying to get the Philips drive to work with either Nero or Sonic, the Sonic software gave up and everything I tried to open it I just got a small dialogue box with a red cross and nothing else. I was told that I couldn't have two burning software installed so I got rid of Nero [through Control Panel add remove programmes] and reinstalled Sonic about 4 times. The last couple of times the wizard finished and locked the whole machine and in rebooting, still didn't work. Then the drive got locked completely with the Sonic software in it. The software came under the Dell badge for any reinstallation.

Dell technician has reinstalled Sonic as well and it still doesn't work so we can't check whether the new drive is working for burning or not. Any ideas of what to do?

 

Hi there,

Here's something I said before about this drive:

When I received my Dell Dimension 8400 in January 2004, I removed all this Sonic Crap (Personal Opinion)

I have 2 NEC Burners now, and use all VSO Software & Nero Burning Rom once in a while...

Personally, I can't wait to see this thread stop.
But it's still growing, so it just tells me this drive is CRAP (Personal Opinion again)...

 

@suttonsue: Your problem with the Sonic software that came on the Dell, and your Nero software no doubt stems from two packet writing pieces of software being installed on the computer at the same time. That is a no go with computers. Both programs will be dysfunctional.

The two packet writing softwares are Sonic DLA and Nero InCD. If you just uninstall either one of these, or both of them, all other Sonic and Nero software will get along just fine.

 

Success!!! After over 2 hours and a few times being hung up on my replacement DVD+-RW is on its way from Dell.

The issue also that I am still having and I hope that the new drive will remedy this...when I burn a DVD despite the media it takes almost 2 hours. Before the burning process would complete in 15 minutes or less. Wondering if this is a DMA or other setting that is causing this. I have checked and reinstalled Nero 7 and the issue still remains.

Any thoughts folks?

 

Oh I'm happy, well for a moment anyway. Thanks Cougar and Grandpa for your advice. It's an 8701 that they installed and on your advice I ditched all the Sonic software and downloaded a trial VSO CopytoDVD as you seemed to have success with that Cougar. It works!! I've got through three disks just playing and seeing if the thing conks out on me again but I've transferred files and piccies to them and they open up with no problem. Cougar is this VSO software good in your opinion then? As I say I've just trialled it for 21 days. What I want to do with my disks is to put my digital photos, via Pinnacle Studio, on them and also back up my general Microsoft Office work files. Will the CopytoDVD be sufficient for this? I don't know why there are so many VSO mediatype software to choose from.

 

Hi there,

Nero Burning Rom is very popular and very good.

VSO CopyToDVD is as good, it's a matter of preference and personal choice.

I use to be a Nero Person, but now use VSO CopyToDVD 99% of the time, since I am now a VSO Software ßeta Tester.

 

BEWARE.Just had my third philips drive sent to me. This has a 90 day warrenty because it's refubished! It's not even bloody new! The terms and condition contract state 'Dell manufactures and repairs using components, which are new or equivalent to new'.

 

Hey all,

I just convinced Dell to replace my Philips DVD+-RW DVD8631 with a new one before my warranty runs out. The final straw was that it would not "take" the firmware upgrade with Dell tech support on the phone. The firmware from the DVD device still reads: Microsoft, 7/1/2001 5.1.2535 When I ran the firmware upgrade exe from Dell it told me that it was already upgraded. I'm running MediaCenter XP, if that matters.

I've had intermittent problems with the Philips, mostly copying to dual layer media, but a LOT of single sided DVD and CD coasters along the way. My 8400 was purchased in early March 2005, the tail end of the "bad batch of drives" from reading the customer complaints.

The Verbatim DVD+R DL ( part 95014 ) were not robust media. I've had better luck with the Memorex Double Layer DVD+R media- so if you're having troubles I'd try that first.

I had the choice to replace it with the NEC, but chose another Philips. I'll let you know how the new drive compares to the old. It was manufactured in Malaysia in Dec 2005.