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Still don't understand "insert" in memorex blank c

PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 3:22 pm
by Monkeyrod
I have searched this site and still don't know about the "insert" that comes with all the memorex blank cd's talking about the firmware upgrade thing...i don't know if this is why a lot of my burnt cd's won't play in my car...I have a HL-DT-ST DVD+RW GCA 4040 (that's what it says on DVD Info Pro) firmware 1.19...i've just always wondered about this, any info. would be greatly appreciated... :D

PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 4:26 pm
by Justin42
Without seeing the text of the insert I'm not quite sure what it is telling you, but a few things to consider:

1. Many car CD players have trouble with many brands of blank CD-Rs. You many not be able to find a brand that your CD player likes, especially if it's an older CD player or a lower-end unit. The newer/higher end the car CD player is, the less trouble it should have.

2. Memorex media, for the last 3-4 years or so, is usually garbage.

3. A firmware update for your drive can help with writing quality, sometimes, so if you can go to the manufacturer's page (either LG, or if it was included in your built system, i.e., a Dell/HP/etc, you can check their page too) you can get a firmware update that MIGHT help.

Personally, I'd ditch the Memorex discs and buy some Fuji (marked as "Made in Japan") or Verbatim media.

here is text

PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 6:03 pm
by Monkeyrod
seems not to be just that brand...but here's the text...it's been coming in the packs for a while....

ATTENTION: 2.4X OR 4X DVD + RW/+R DRIVE OWNERS:

FIRMWARE UPGRADE FOR 8X WRITE SPEED DVD + R Discs

If you currently own a 2.4 X or 4X DVD+RW/+R drive you must upgrade your firmware. 2.4X and 4X write speed DVD + RW/+R Drives sold by Memorex, Philips, H/P, Verbatim, Sony, TDK and QPS require a drive firmware upgrade.

opps, I typed all that off the insert, I found a URL that says basically the same thing....

PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 9:11 pm
by Justin42
This is because some older drives freaked out when newer DVD media came out. The new firmware helps the drive cope with these discs -- something similar happened when 4X DVD-R media came out (or was it 8X, I am thinking of the Pioneer A03 problems), older drives could actually be damaged trying to use them (Although I never heard a story of anyone really hurting their drive!) I don't know if the LGs were specifically affected but they could have been. I can't quickly find firmware for the "GCA-4040", I think from the GCA designation it is quite probably a drive that was pre-installed in a PC you bought (From Dell, HP, etc). You should check with the manufacturer for information. ["GSA-4040" would be the full, retail, store-bought drive, and firmware is available, but I don't think it would work on a GCA model)

The only firmware I could find-- and be careful if you choose to use it (i.e., it could cause the drive to malfunction), especially if you don't own a Dell-- is at:
http://support.dell.com/support/downloa ... eid=117870

That said, it kind of sounds like you've been using the discs with no problem (DVDs, not CDs). Firmware upgrades *can* cause more problems than they fix. If you're using the discs, you should be ok. A firmware upgrade may help your drive write CDs better, but it may make things worse. That model drive is quite old, I really don't remember much about LG's reputation back then.

thanks

PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 11:59 pm
by Monkeyrod
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TYPE ALL THAT OUT!!! Yes it is the burner that came with the HP laptop...and you're right I havn't really had any problems with DVD's (i mostly use them for data backup), but cd's sometimes act weird (but of course I buy them 100 at a time so I throw 'em around a lot), thanks though!!! =D>

Peace out!!!