Hi there. Got a DVD slot load drive that I love. However, got a DVD+RW drive at work. Burned onto a DVD+RW disc and brought it home today. My DVD drive will not read it. Time to buy a new DVD drive. I'd like to stay with a slot load if possible as I love these things. What is the best slot load DVD player out there that will read both DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs? The only slot loading DVD drives I've been able to dig up on the net read only DVD-RW DVDs. Thanks in advance!!
Any standard DVD-ROM should read both +R/RW and -R/RW. The only slot-load ROM I'm aware of is made by Pioneer and I have one - it reads +RW fine.
Thanks for the reply Nephilim! Can you tell me the exact model number of the Pioneer you have? The only Pioneer slot loading DVD drive I can find says it can only read - dics and not +. Here is the current Pioneer slot loading model: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_17573129_2000823,00.html Look under Specifications and read support, there is no listing of the drive being able to read DVD+R or DVD+RW discs...
They are just using "DVD-R" as a general term which is why you can't find any that lists +/- ROMs are made to read anything and everything so go with the Pioneer in your link. The slot loaders are cool aren't they?
I sure hope you are right Nephilim. I've got 2 DVD-Rom drives here and neither will read the DVD+RW. One is a AOpen 1640-Pro and the other is a Toshiba SDM-1402. Both are over 3 years old however. Maybe that has something to do with it. My Samsung DVD drive at work reads the DVD+RW just fine. Oh also Nephilim can you tell me the exact model number of the Pioneer drive you have? Thanks!
Forgot that lol! It's a 106. What burner and media are you using to create the disc? Something is definitely amiss if two seperate ROMs can't read the disc.
Hi Nephilim, Thanks for the model number! Ok the DVD+RW media I am using is Sony DPW47L2 DVD+RW media, 1x-4x speeds, 120MIN, 4.7GB. Both drives that won't read this disc will read DVD+R dics just fine. This Sony disc is the first DVD+RW disc that I have ever owned since I just got my DVD Burner. Maybe its the brand? I picked the Sony brand thinking it was good. Newer DVD drives however read the Sony DVD+RW disc just fine though so I'm suspect its something to do with my DVD drives at home being so old. My 2 drives at home ready everything else perfectly. Strange...
That is strange. Sony is a decent make. Have you investigated whether either of the problem drives have updatable firmwares? Here's AOpen's site: http://english.aopen.com.tw/ I noticed there were firmwares for a 1640-Pro and a 1640-Pro [bold]A[/bold]. Double check which model you have. _X_X_X_X_X_[small]Gigabyte 8INXP, Intel P4HT 3.06 Mushkin 1024 MB PC2100 Sapphire 9800 Pro/M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Plextor PX-708A/Plextor Premium/LTD-166S "And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13:33[/small]
Burnist, The Sony drives are junk. They contract the cheapest mfg to make their stuff. Pioneer is the best. They will write to cheap media and expensive stuff and reliably... however, any 'A' grade media should be fine. The issue is probably the Sony drive. Burn the same thing on a DVR-107 and see what happens. My DVD-120S slot load reader can read almost anything, as will my Toshiba SD-M1802 . Toshiba also made a slot load DVD-ROM drive and it is just as compatible. Pioneer was against +R/RW in the early DVD±RW format battle against Sony so they try to give the + format as little credibility as possible (probably why their spec sheet doesn't list that format). On another note, all DVD-ROM drives will NOT read all formats. Yes, most current models will, but older models had an issue with ±R and not ±RW. Some wouldn't read anything not pressed. Still some models won't read DVD-RAM. Just stay with Pioneer and you'll be fine. Which Sony burner do you have? Have you tried some Taiyo media or TDK? If you are stuck with the Sony, I would do what Nephilim said and look for any firmware updates available. Not for the Toshiba (AOpen is junk), but the burner. phethean.
Hi phethean and thank you for your reply. I think you must have misread my post because I wrote I had Sony media, not a Sony DVD burner. The DVD burner I'm using is the NEC DVD+RW ND-2100AD. Are those any good?
Hiya Burnist, Did upgrading the firmware help? Speaking of firmwares, are the NEC burner's up to date as well? I've heard NEC is a decent make. Here's a link if you want to read more user comments on the 2100AD: http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdwriters.php?DVDnameid=218&Search=Search&list=#comments You might also try some Verbatim discs just for kicks
Can't you just burn a copy on a dvd-r disc at work and then it will work at home. But if you are truely going to buy a new dvd drive, here is one site off the top of my head... http://www.tigerdirect.com
Burnist, I recommend the Pioneer DVR-107. The Nec is slightly better than the Lite-On made Sony stuff. Instead of TigerDirect try http://www.ultradrives.com ... Pioneer is still the best, Plextor's good. Next would be Teac and then your lesser models from there. This is based on reliability and compatibility.
