need some help with my TDK 840G (rebadged Plextor) burner...

[ozziegn]

okay, I'm still pulling my hair out with trying to get this TDK 840G to work properly. I have read that this drive is the same as the Plextor 708A and that the firmware could be updated to the newest Plextor version of 1.4 editing the .inf file and so on.

okay, the FW update went w/o a hitch but I then ran into the infamous problem of the burner running into errors when finalizing a DVD with Nero 6. I was then told to update my version of Nero 6 to the latest vesrion which I did.

now, I can burn DVDs w/o any problems but I'm having a couple other issues now:

1. I just tried to burn a DVD movie to a DVD+RW disc and it ran into an error right at the very end.

2. when I tried to fully erase the DVD+RW, it almost completes the task but then it runs into another error.

3. when I try to run Nero CD speed to test the drive's speeds, I get the following message: "read of scrambled sector without authentification (056f03)"

-can someone give me any life lines as to what the heck I'm doing wrong? I'm trying my hardest not to give up on this drive because people say that Plextors are the best so I'm willing to try to make it work all the way but I havent been 100% successfull yet.

[aviationwiz]

Is the DVD in question in problem 3 a stamped retail DVD? If so, you will need to play the DVD in a software DVD Player and then run Nero CD Speed to test the speeds.

[ozziegn]

ahhh, that could shed some light on issue #3. yes, the DVD I was trying to use is a retail DVD movie.

I wonder if one of my "back-up" DVD movies would work?

[ozziegn]

okay aviationwiz, you solved issue #3. I tried a back-upped DVD and I ran the test from start to finish w/o one problem.

now if I can only figure out issues 1 and 2.

[CDRecorder]

Have you had problems 1 and 2 occur on more than 1 disc, or on only 1? Have you tried more than one brand if you've used more than one disc?

[ozziegn]

Have you had problems 1 and 2 occur on more than 1 disc, or on only 1? Have you tried more than one brand if you've used more than one disc?

no, I havent tried another brand of media yet.

I'm using Memorex DVD+Rs which are made by Ricoh which is supposed to be compatiable with my burner.

[aviationwiz]

It MAY be the media. Memorex has been known to have pretty bad media quality. Try some TDK or Verbatim media if you can.

[ozziegn]

It MAY be the media. Memorex has been known to have pretty bad media quality. Try some TDK or Verbatim media if you can.

it cant be because I have successfully burned two DVD movies with my Memorex 4X DVD+R discs. heck, the drive even burns them @ 8X w/o a hitch.

its just that I cant burn or even erase a DVD+RW disc w/o getting errors.

but then again, the DVD+RW disc I have is not Memorex. its so "no name" brand.

hmmmm........

[CDRecorder]

I'd recommend that you try another brand of DVD+RW discs; your disc may be defective or poor quality.

[aviationwiz]

It MAY be the media. Memorex has been known to have pretty bad media quality. Try some TDK or Verbatim media if you can.

it cant be because I have successfully burned two DVD movies with my Memorex 4X DVD+R discs. heck, the drive even burns them @ 8X w/o a hitch.

Memorex Media often has very different quality, even disks packaged in the same spindle or pack.