@Goldrush3 - Power Calibration errors will be at the start of the burn - Here's a v good start re Power Calibration errors - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/93406 and an official Nero webpage - quote from "http://www.nero.com/en/FAQs_Error_Messages.html#9" - "9. I get a 'Power calibration error' or 'Calibration area (almost) full' error message. Why? Power Calibration is controlled by the recorder. Before any write operation, all recorders must do a 15 step power test to determine the optimum power for writing to the CD; this is called "Optimum Power Calibration"(OPC). During the write, it continues to do this test to get the best write throughout the whole CD; this is called "Running Optimum Power Calibration" (ROPC). This whole process is controlled by the recorder, though initiated by programs such as Nero. There is an area on the inner part of the CD for the test and test data info to be stored. You can use this area up to 999 times. If you receive the "Power calibration error" or "Power calibration area is (amost) full" error message, the cause will be either poor media, poor power, or a defective recorder. Please try the following solutions: Update the firmware of your recorder. Please check the manufacturer's website for the latest version. Try another brand of CD-R or CD-RW media. Try different power connectors, and for recorders, do not share power with other devices. It needs its own power connector. If the error occurs with an external recorder, the power source in the chassis could be the cause. As a test, try to take the recorder out of the external chassis and connect it internal. Try different configurations, such as taking the CD-ROM to the primary IDE bus as slave and have only the recorder connected to the secondary IDE bus as master. Send the recorder in for service." As Mort81 pointed out, those TDK 'might' be CMC Mag discs, ie Utter Rubbish (see my 2nd link in my sig if you like), as this error is most commonly/most likely due to inferior quality discs. However you are using a drive whose knowledge of discs is virtually 2yrs out of date so any newer discs will be hit oand miss, or miss and miss
OK, here's my take: A writer has a CD laser and DVD laser. Its possible that the DVD laser in your writer has deteriorated. This would explain why you could only write at 2.4x before it 'died' and could not erase RWs (RWs need more laser power).
@Goldrush3 Whether you want to force the 1A3 flash is your decision, since your burner is still working with certain media you can continue using it for awhile, and continue to experiment with different media. You can also try Verbatim disks because NEC drives like particular brand. You can also contact NEC and ask them if using this firmware would make a difference. :~) https://www.nec.com/cgi-bin/contact/select_qc.cgi
cheers Arniebear, i deliberately didn't go near the 1A3 firmware part of the question as i knew you'd have the right answer.
Thanks, creaky, not sure if it right answer, but in the end the poster has to make the decision, we can only give the what they need to make an informed decision. You covered all the bases in your post now he can make up his mind. It is just sad that there really is no support for this OEM drive, 2 year old firmware is just not going to work well with the higher speed media :~)
'i knew you'd have the right answer' - i misquoted exactly what i meant but you know what i mean, you were better placed to comment on that one. And is sad when drives get left behind, especially in this case as there'd been 2 upgrades to go 1100A thru 1300A. But the way to look at it i guess is that you can get some mighty cheap drives now. I can get the NEC 3540 for £35 inc VAT in UK, for what you get that's throwaway money really. (No doubt there's more newer drives bursting to get out of the NEC door as i type)!
I agree burner drives are really at a low, you can get bargains everywhere. My NEC is almost two years old and is only writes at 4x, I still like it very much, but got a replacement for it because I know it is getting up there. You can't expect them to last especially if you use them regularly. My two cents :~)
It's a good thing we can carry a thread out amongst ourselves since it seems the original poster seldom replies back.
I do not think the original poster liked what any of us had to say, and if I had not posted the info from Cynthia_ over at Digital Digest he probably would still be arguing. :~)
I've got a litey LDW-451S 4x dvd burner that I got replaced from lite-on under warranty. Cost me $18 for shipping to and from lite-on. I have replaced it with a SOHW-1653S and have tried to sell it at garage sales for $30 with no luck. It's almost brand new and works fine but don't think I can even give it away with the low prices of 16x drives. Mort
just received my 2x 50tubs of sexy pastel coloured Verbatim CD-R's. They're TY coded, yum. I was gonna buy some nasty no-name CD's but it was actually cheaper to order some Verb's even with £4.49 postage it was still about £20. bargain.
Oh...I don't scare off that easily, today is just a very busy day with it being the last day of classes and all. (I work at a high school) I am actually on the phone right now wit hDell trying to get them to replace it. I went back and looked and remembered that I bought 3 computers at the same time, and they all happened to have the same model burner in them, so I tested the same media in the other 2 and it burned without any problems. So I'm thinking there is a problem with the laser on the original one. Now if I can just convince Dell of that, I'll be all set (I'm on the phone with them now). Thanks all for your responses, and I'll still look into those TDK discs, maybe the reason they were so cheap (7.95 for a spindle of 25) is that they are crap.
