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Is my BenQ drive defective?

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:25 pm
by vio_man
I bought a 1620 drive manufactured at Malasya (December 2004). I've been using it for 2 weeks with no problems at all. Now suddenly it refuses to burn or stops burning my Prodisc S03 media with the following error (the LBA address is not always the same):

18:16:24 (G BENQ DVD DD DW1620(1:1) - [Write ERROR] LBA: 391984, Length: 16
S:KEY - 03/0C/00 - "Write Error"

I thought it could be a defective disc, and tried another disc from the same cakebox and it takes much more time to detect discs and sometimes doesn't even start to burn or stops while burning. Should I RMA my drive?

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:34 pm
by vio_man
I already tried a new cakebox and the problem remains. Sometimes it doesn't even recognizes the blank media.

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:44 pm
by Graham35
Must be them prodisc you been using (lol)

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:47 pm
by vio_man
Don't think so, I've burned at lest 15 Prodisc with this burner with no problems at with low error levels. The problem appeared suddenly.

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 4:29 pm
by RJW
Prodisc spindles sometimes have terrible variations in quality.
Hmm I would suggest first try something else.
(TY,MCC(only branded as verbatim or SOny since the small cheap-ass brand stuff quality is really fluctuating that much !),Maxell)

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 8:09 pm
by dolphinius_rex
Most Prodisc media fail in my BenQ DW1620. Only PRODISCR03 media burns properly at all. From some other drives I've worked with, I mostly put the blame on Prodisc for this one. Yes even PRODISCS03 media doesn't work right. Don't even try Prodisc 8x DVD-Rs.

Pretty much anything will work better. Optodisc, Ritek, maybe even Princo! For best results, use Acro Circle 8x DVD-Rs at 4x, or use Taiyo Yuden 8x DVD+Rs (at 8x) :wink:

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 8:32 pm
by DVD_ADDICT
FujiFilm media doesn't work well with the 1620 drive. It's sold under MEMOREX DVD-R. That's the only media that makes coasters. I don't know why but they burn flawlessly in my pioneer 107 and plextor 708a drive.

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:17 am
by dolphinius_rex
DVD_ADDICT wrote:FujiFilm media doesn't work well with the 1620 drive. It's sold under MEMOREX DVD-R. That's the only media that makes coasters. I don't know why but they burn flawlessly in my pioneer 107 and plextor 708a drive.


A lot of Fujifilm media is made by Prodisc... and as I said, Prodisc and BenQ do not get along... although FUJIFILM03 code discs made by MBIL don't work in the BenQ DW1620 either.

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:55 am
by vio_man
I've burned as much as 15 Prodisc S03 discs with the 1620 drive with no problems, I even posted a scan here. Also a friend of mine with a 1620 drive can write Prodisc S03 discs with low level errors.

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:14 am
by dolphinius_rex
vio_man wrote:I've burned as much as 15 Prodisc S03 discs with the 1620 drive with no problems, I even posted a scan here. Also a friend of mine with a 1620 drive can write Prodisc S03 discs with low level errors.


I posted a scan too :wink:

http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic. ... 715#134715

I've had better results with almost every other manufacturer of media then I have with any Prodisc DVD-Rs. Some exception include Princo and Infomedia (Hyundai brand).

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:34 pm
by vio_man
Here are the news. I went to Staples and they swapped the drive immediately. Just flashed B7T9 and burned a ProdiscS03 disc. It burned until the end, with no errors :D QScan also works great :D

The other drive was defective as I thought. But this new 1620 doesn't burn ProdiscS03 media like the previous. It produces much higher error levels, but the discs are readable.
It seems that the Prodisc burn quality is related with the drive's optics, maybe the PHU.

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 4:12 pm
by dolphinius_rex
I still don't think the other drive was defective neccessarily, but it DOES sound like it was a quality variation issue.

remember, BenQ can only scan for certain types of errors, and I've had (and even posted) scans of media that looked great, but were completely unplayable in my PX-712a (which isn't a BAD reader).

Of course, the way drives are being made these days, if you keep returning and replacing them, eventually I'm sure you'll find one that works :P That was true with the PX-712a and PX-716a, and also the NEC 2500a :o

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:56 pm
by vio_man
Look at this excellent scan with ProdiscS03 media

Image

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 3:08 pm
by dolphinius_rex
vio_man wrote:Look at this excellent scan with ProdiscS03 media

Image


If you scanned it at 8x, it would probably look even closer to MY scan:

Image

Which I already posted in the BenQ DW1620 review thread discussion...

This disc however, despite looking pretty is also completely useless in my PX-712a.

I don't quite understand why it is so hard to prove to you that Prodisc has quality variation problems :-?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 4:03 pm
by vio_man
Because I have burned more than 50 ProdiscS03 discs with my old NEC 2500 and my new BenQ, and the only problem occurred with a faulty BenQ drive. That's why it's not easy to convince me.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 4:14 pm
by dolphinius_rex
vio_man wrote:Because I have burned more than 50 ProdiscS03 discs with my old NEC 2500 and my new BenQ, and the only problem occurred with a faulty BenQ drive. That's why it's not easy to convince me.


So all the problems other people have, not to mention the OEM brands that Prodisc stuffs with crap mean nothing?

To say ABSOLUTELY nothing of Prodisc's current media :roll:

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 4:24 pm
by vio_man
All my Prodisc's are eProformance, maybe other brands may have lower quality Prodisc discs. I also used Prodisc R03 and they worked just fine with my previous NEC 2500.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 5:00 pm
by dolphinius_rex
Hrm... just noticed you live in Portugal. Maybe you get the good batches?

We'll see how much you like Prodisc at the end of February when they run out of 4x :wink:

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:10 pm
by vio_man
My 4x stock is getting really low (about 12 pcs). I've just ordered Platinum DVD+R 8x (RICOHJPN02) media

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:29 pm
by dolphinius_rex
vio_man wrote:My 4x stock is getting really low (about 12 pcs). I've just ordered Platinum DVD+R 8x (RICOHJPN02) media


THe RICOHJPN02 media I've used has been good... but much better at 8x then the usually supported 12x.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:22 am
by vio_man
The one I'm buying is supported at 16x with the official B7T9 firmware.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 11:38 am
by dolphinius_rex
I said *usually* supported 12x :wink: Yes, the BenQ supports it at 16x.