PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8631

I have the same problem on a brand new Dell computer bought last week shipped with this Philips DVD8631 (with latest BD10 firmware installed) and could not burn any DVD-R media at all. The drive would just make the computer freeze whatever the burning software I would use. I tried Nero, Nti, Roxio, CloneDvd2, Sonic, all with the same result.

When burning on a DVD+R media, it would seem to burn fine (much faster as expected with DVD+ media) but when watching the burned DVD in a home DVD player, weird shit happen. Jerky image, jump to other scene or to beginning, would not start at all, or freeze. I called Dell support service and had to argue till I mentioned that if they do not change my drive for another make, I will simply return back the whole computer. I did mentioned what I had read here before.

Therefore, I am supposed to receive a new NEC drive later this week. I will post my conclusion later.

 

Wow, after spending the past 3 days trying to figure out why my drive stopped working, I stumbled across this site. Good to know I'm not the only one. I'm running Mandrake linux on a Dell optiplex GX280, with the Philips 8631, have it about 6 months. Could never burn DVDs, but that turned out to be a software issue. Finally upgraded to Mandrake 10.1 last week, burned a few DVDs, and now I can't even read a CD.

When I got the machine initially and couldn't burn DVDs, I phoned Dell and they refused to deal with me because I was running linux. In fact, the guy wanted me to uninstall linux and install windows, so I gave up after that. As it happened, it was my software that was at fault, but I wonder if I go looking for a new drive now will they tell me to install windows and it'll work.

Well, I tried a windows boot floppy which has CD support, and it can't see the 8631, so hopefully that'll be good enough for them, and they might replace it with a NEC. Dell customer support must be trained to be as unhelpful as possible, it's a nightmare having to deal with them.

After my 3 days of changing every setting I could think of in my linux installation, I need some rest...I'll call Dell tomorrow.

 

Hi there,

When I phoned Dell Tech Support, I told them straight.

Do not make me install and uninstall 1000 things.
I know it's the drive because it was removed from my Dell 8400 and was placed in my old Dell, freshly installed and I had the same problems, so I just eliminated 100% my Dell 8400 and software etc...

I did argue for like 2-3 hours, making try shit (STILL) but finally for them to replace it.

I now own the NEC-3450A and I'm very happy with it !

 

This is just to post my conclusion over my previous post regarding the Philips drive. I have just installed the new NEC drive received from Dell and everythings if fine now. I have burn a DVD on a DVD-R media without any problem. Very happy !

Big thanks to you, I would probably still be searching otherwise.

P.S. if you want to have your drive changed from DELL, you have to tell them that your computer freezes and have no other choice then to reboot when trying to burn a DVD.

 

hey i just found this forum. thank goodness im not the only one. what's my better option? calling Dell and trying to get them to send me the NEC or just taking my burner from my old computer and putting that into the new one? my old one was working fine in my old computer.

 

I believe there is enough information in here for you to decide what is best. Of course, you deserve the right of having a drive that is fully working and the NEC drive performances worth calling Dell if you got the Philips DVD8631 burner, and found that is not working correctly.

The only way to prevent large computer manufacturer, such Dell, of selling crappy stuff is to not accept it.

 

I do a lot of DVD burning......... I have your beloved Philips DVD8631!! I love it! I bought a Dell Gen 4 XPS with Dual Drives which included your Philips 8631 and I have absolutely NO PROBELMS!Got my computer on April 29th and it was 3 days ahead of schedule and I've been burning DVDs ever since (About 2-3 a day!). Either you guys don't know how to copy or you're doing something wrong! I copy,transfer, or make Data and video disks with ease! I recorded 4 DVD in one hour and that's a full 8.5Gig! Double Layer! I must admit that Memorex doesn't work as well as Sony disk and Verbatim! I just bought Philips disks to try them out. But Sony disks are the best! On my old computer (an Amd Athalon) I used Memorex just fine. But Sony and Verbatim are the best for this Philips DVD+-RW DVD8631.

For all you people having problems with this drive: is this the only DVD drive you have on your computer or is it part of a Dual Drive that came with your DELL? All I know is that I am SUPER HAPPY recording like a freak and still doing it!!!!!! NO PROBLEMS HERE! BUT THEN AGAIN i'VE BEEN COMPUTING SINCE 1970 WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE OLD IBMs!!!!! do you remember fortran and cobalt? hahahahaha Keep the faith....... and compute onnnnnnnnn!

 

thanks flip....... I thought I was all alone on this one!

 

Ok.... my bad...... I hope all who is having a problem gets it resolved. I'm just a recoding freak enjoying my new toy! LOL

 

Well Im glad atleast some people get a philips drive that works lol..
Im not saying that all the philips drives dont work but alot dont. I tried everything to get mine to work and nothing fixed it, I even tried burning a DVD in Linux and it still didnt work. Im guessin Dell just got alot of faulty drives.

 

Just to let you know.......... since reading all about how poorly this Philips drive is...... I put it to a test....... burned a CD in about 1:30 mins .......that's a full CD.....21 songs 80mins in a min and a half!!!! And........ the Philips 8631 running on my DELL Gen4 XPS at 3.73Mhz with 2Gigs of DDR2ram with 320Gigs Raid 0 and the Radeon X850 XT Plat 256 ddrram is just the greatest machine I ever had! This is the 7 computer I bought since 1987 and the best one yet! I'm thrilled and tickled pink with the results I'm getting! If you still have the Philips 8631 use Verbatim or Sony disks! It makes a big difference! I was using Memorex....... worked great on my old computer with an NEC drive but terrible results on the Philips...... sooooooooo I went out and tried 3 different disk brands........ all worked sooooooo much better than Memorex! Sooooooo after burning a total of 15DVD movies and about 4 CDs I'm more than please that I spent the money on this new computer!!! with the Philips 8631 drive!!! I hope everyone solves the problems with the drive ...... I figure I'm the lucky one that workS! And I only came upon this forum to find out what brand of disks run best on this drive. I am very shocked that there are soooooooo many having problems with theirs! I feel so bad that mine works sooooooo great! I'm sorry and wish everyone the best! Good Luck!

 

hehe well i got a NEC drive now and it works great.

 

I have A Dell 4700 computer.I also got with this computer the phillips DVD 8631 burner with it.I tried to copy some movies using TDK DVD-R and they only worked on my computer not my dvd players.I gave my friend one of my blank dvd's and he made A movie on it for me and it played fine on my dvd players and we use the same program which is DVD shrink.I decided to go out and buy Dynex DVD+R and they worked.Any suggestions on how I can get th TDK's to work.Its bugging me how my friend got it working and he dont know what the problem is.Also can you please tell me alittle bit about the NEC-3450A and all its capabilities like how fast it burns and all its options.Also when I decrypt A movie why does it take me so long to decrypt and burn.The whole process takes me about 1 hour to 1hour and a half.The DVD rom im using is HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8163B DVD/CD ROM drives.Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Flip218,

I've been a tech for so many years, I forgot how long.

I aint no expert but I think I know what I'm doing

Tryed everything I know, and finally removed the Philips DVD8631 from my main pc and installed it in a TEST pc with a fresh copy of XP.

Well well, all the same problems again, so I knew 99.9999% it was the drive.

As soon as I installed my old LG-4040B in my main PC, all my applications worked (0 problems) so again confirming it was the Philips Burner.

I know have the NEC-3450A and very pleased with it !
Specialy that it burns/supports burning at 2x on DVD-R.

The Philips DVD8631 seems to have 4x minimum for the DVD-R.

DVD-R is all I have so no idea on DVD+R !

 

Hi...just to say again to all who are having problems with that Dell 8631 DVD burner...IT is the burner...those of us who have had Dell replace that burner with the NEC have had the problems disappear.
I have burn many movies since my NEC was installed without any crashes or errors...I had nothing but touble with the Phillips.
I am up in Canada and the Dell representative here was wonderfull.
I got no argument when I ask Dell to replace the Phillips with the NEC..therfore I think Dell knows that the Phillips drive was just a bad choice...I have only tried +dvds...it was my understanding that Dell seemed to support them better.

 

hey guys,

i had been using RIDATA DVD-Rs when i was having my problems (which worked perfectly with my old dvd burner). I went out today and picked up some Verbatim DVD+Rs and everything has been working smoothly so far. I've only burned 3 dvds so far, but no coasters yet.