Power Calibration Error ... again ? I've tried everything...

Does the new one work? (Rhetorical question, since you would have mentioned something if it did not work.)
_X_X_X_X_X_[small]Bruce Wallace
Vietnam Vet - 1970 - 1971

3.06 Ghz Intel P4 CPU
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe Motherboard
1Gig Corsair 3200 LLPro DDR Ram
Plextor PX 708A DVD Burner
Sony CRX320E DVD 16x + CD-RW 52x24x52 Combo
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro Video Card
Audigy2 Platinum[/small]

 

hi again. Yes it did! Very well, I may say. Though, sometimes I get "Internal Error" when using some Discs. Then I try a new one and it's ok. I realized this time is really a media problem.

See ya dudes.

 

Hi,

I have the same power calibration error, but my question is ... If i have been using the same dvd media (infiniti) for a good 60-70 times, is it really likely to be a media problem?

I, too, have tried pretty much everything to fix this and so i think a call to Dell will have to be the next stage as im within my warranty period

Thanks in advance,
Anthony

 

Yay, I have the same problem...with a Pioneer DVR-A05. I've used both Nero and DVD Decrypter. It seems that if I open my drive and blow into it pretty hard it fixes it for a burn or two just like a nintendo cartridge from way back. I think I'll probably open my drive and give the little lens a little q-tip/rubbing alcohol combo hoping that'll fix it permanently.

 

My a05 also does this!!!

ive also tried everything, although im gonna try the region change and see if this works and as for blowing in it...eh???

I thought it was down to overheating but I purchased a new cooling systenm(cpu fan, heatsink and exhaust fans) and it still does it - it was the turning it off for 5 mins that made me think that but at 49c i dont think thats too hot.

has ANYONE got any ideas on how to fix it yet? and secondly has anyone got any suggestions on what to replace it with if not?

Not that i can afford to replace a DVDR when its not an actualy DVDR hardware fault.

It used to work fine and then only worked fine if I used it at 2x with ritek branded disks and now works when it feels like it - more often that not i get a power failure or a target failure.

Thanx in Advance
DooM

 

I hate to say that it sounds like your drive is about to bite the big one. we all had that happen to us at one time or an other. As far as replacements I have had success with Pioneer 8X DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model DVR-107D,OEM $84.00 and NEC 8X DVD+RW/-RW Drive, Model ND-2500A, OEM Bulk $66.00 (both can be found at Newegg.com)both are good units and should work well for you.

 

I hate this burner and can't believe this happened. I'm very upset, it cost $275 when I bought it. Wish I had some kind of warranty or legal action I could take advantage of. :Sigh:

 

Unfortunatly RedAnt was correct.
I put my A05 into a mates PC and it didnt work in there either - same prob occured.

More fortunatly the same mate has stacks of spare kit knocking about and he very kindy gave me another A05 for free.
I put it into my PC and guess what............ it work 100% no probs.

So chaps RedAnt was correct - the manufacture date was Dec02 and it stopped working correctley some 4 months ago which means that my Pioneer A05 lasted little more than 12 months.
Thats abserloutley appauling if you ask me, I dont burn THAT many disks before anyone starts thinking I hammer it.

Ah well all is well for me now but makes you wonder if people should stear clear of these drives though....

Thanks All
DooM

 

Yeah, mine lasted just about a year and a half. Should I steer clear of all Pioneer DVD Burners now? Any advice anyone?

 

bought a new one, here we go again.

 

Phew.... After 2hours on the phone to Dell... I have a new DVD writer. Yay!!!

 

I have a Pioneed AO7. I am now getting the same error with no sign it is going to get better.
I was burning a dvd today and suddenly I get a burn error. I then check the DVD and there is a major scratch on the Dvd right at the point where you see it stopped burning. Now i get power calibration errors everytime I burn.

 

yea, i won't buy another pioneer dvd burner... they suck ass cause of that error, bought an nec 8x dual layer and loving life with it.

 

I upgraded the firmware on the drive and now it magically works again. WTF - that is just too wierd.

 

My experience with the power calibration error occurred somewhere after I tried my first erase over a CDRW. Coincidence? At any rate, my experience is the reverse of 'stress' higher up this thread. I presently manage to get only one CD burn in four to 'stick', yet have absolutely no problem with DVDs of which I've burnt well over a l00 in the year and a half I've had the recorder, a Pioneer DVR103. I'm convinced that the DVD burn speed (I use 1x) compared to that of the CD recording (4x) has something to do with the problem, even if indirectly. Similarly, dust must play a role as well. I've got an old Kenwood CD player which refused to play half of my CDs until I opened her up and Q-tipped the lens. It seems we're all just playing with half answers in the dark. It sure would be nice to know from those who claim the phenomenom is a sign of the burner's death throes, what it actually means for the machine to start to die. Does the lens wear down like the heel of shoe? Does the machine become unaligned? Or is this the work of Pioneer and/or God? Any answers would be appreciated and I apolgize for my overly burning curiousity. Er, pun intended.

 

I had this problem too. Try this, I know that it has worked for others as well: http://www.gidforums.com/t-1805.html

 

I have had these calibration problems for months on my new Sony DVD DRU 530A. I basically tried every combination of fixes(reinstall PC, reinstall software, other softare, other PC...). I was about to buy a newer DVD when a friend suggested to try "region free" firmware.
As I also had problems reading DVDs burned on other DVD drives I searched like a maniac and found this wonderful page that solved all my problems. I hope it can help you:
http://tdb.rpc1.org

PS. Sony support was of course useless!

 

Well, for my 2 cents worth...

I have a Pioneer DVD burner and I have only ever had problems with ONE brand of cheap media. That being Datatek "professional" data disks. I keep getting the "power calibration error" when using them. Like 25% of them work. I have had ZERO problems using TDK DVD-r disks. I have burned over 100 dvd's with TDK, not one coaster. I even used 2 other kind of cheap DVD-r media, not ONE single coaster of the lot. So in my experience STAY AWAY FROM DataTEK, they sorta REALLY REALLY suck.

 

i have found the answer!!!!! i buy comp usa dvd-r 4x 15 for like 6 bucks,these work great on my panasonic lf-d521 but not on my pioneer ao5.now i use memorex 8x on my pioneer and it works great.yesterday i made a mistake and tried to burn a comp usa dvd on my pioneer and i got the error again so i put in a memorex and there was the error again!!! comp usa dvd's do something to the drive that i can't explain but after a few memorex's the drive "found itself" again!!! memorex 8x only cost $19 for 25 so i would suggest paying the little bit of extra cash to make your burner happy...

 

I have used my PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-106D for 10 months, burning with Nero 6 many different types of DVD & CD media without any problem.

Then I couldn't burn DVDs at full speed ("Power calibration error"), so I changed it to 2x and it went ok.
Some days later I received a new error:
(quote from Nero log:
.......
Burn process completed successfully at 2x (2.760 KB/s)
.......
Data verification started
.......
Recorder needs eject between burn and verify. Auto reload.
(Medium in drive: Unknown. Medium required by compilation: DVD.)
Recorder does not support required medium type.
.......
unquote)

Points:
1. the recorder was not able to read the burnt DVD,
2. this DVD could be read in another DVD drive,
3. the recorder was not able to read NO ONE of all the DVDs previously recorded by it,
4. the recorder was still able to burn & read the CDs

But the Pioneer warranty was still valid !!
I brought the recorder for testing/ replacement at the vendor's shop, where they found a failure of the DVD laser system, impossible to be repaired.
And, since the old model was no more produced by Pioneer, my recorder was replaced by the new (better) model DVD-RW DVR-107D. )

So my suggestion is: don't wait until the warranty period is exhausted, test your recorder at vendor's laboratory!