Pioneer to make DVD+/-RW/R combo drive?

[Fred H]

I've just installed my new NEC ND-1300A, DVD +/- R/RW burner.
I am a very beginner in burning DVD and I have had problems (because my low knowledge level) to start up.
Now, I tested to burn a short DVD video to a DVD–RW media than the same video to a DVD+RW and finally to a DVD-R.
All plays fine with SW player (WinDVD) but only the DVD-R video is recognized by my older Hoyo stand alone DVD player. I will test them on a newer stand alone player.
On some burners a compatibility bit can be set to DVD+RW, but just the NEC burners don’t allow it.
(http://www.dvdplusrw.org/resources/bitsettings.html )

Based on my poor knowledge, I can not see, yet, any practical difference between my DVD+RW and DVD–RWs.
What is the practical advantage of the one against the other? Any explanations are welcome.

I quick compared the spin up time of my NEC ND-1300A against a Pioneer A05.
The NEC is slower. Why? Is it because it seeks the media type, and it takes longer time on a dual burner to choose between 4 different media types?

***
Now I solved the "+" char display.
The Unicod(UTF8-) in my IE6 was selected but, in the same time the “Auto Select” was also checked.
Unmarking the Code-AutoSelect solved both the "+" character and the logging problems.
It was a new experience.

Fred H

[AndrewDV]

Hello,

For MPEG2 decoding, I use TheaterTek (http://www.theatertek.com). This is widely used in the HTPC realm. The filters are excellent.

[wkulecz]

Fred,

IMHO neither DVD+RW or DVD-RW are worth bothering with as compatability in standalone palyers is pretty poor with both -- maybe 1 in 3 in my tests.

DVD+R and DVD-R are about 2 in 3, but having both gets you better coverage as some players will do DVD+R but not DVD-R and vice-versa.

The DVD+RW compatability bit fixes playback on a few players and breaks it for others. Not very useful in general.

--wally.

[Fred H]

Thanks wally
I tested the DVD-RW and DVD+RW in my and my son-in-laws standalone. They won't play RWs. My son in low tries to explain that it should and maybe I do some error in burning, e.g. bad formating etc.
I burned the same video (test) with the same Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2, to a DVD-R. It is accepted by my standalone player, so I am glad for it. You are right about the +/-RWs.
BTW, I have poor experience with everything called RW. For a very long time ago I dropped the CD-RW. The DVD+-R media are cheaper and cheaper every day, so this is the way to go.
DVD+-RW could be ok for temporary Ghost backups, IMHO.

Fred H

[Indiana]

I have the exact same DVD burner (NEC ND1300A) and DVD-R and DVD+R both play fine on both my standalone players (an Onkyo and a cheap Cyberhome). The DVD-RW I burnt, however, did only work on the Onkyo, but not on the crappy Cyberhome.

[Fred H]

My Hoyo standalone plays DVD-R fine. But, I didn’t have time to test some DVD+R, but I will.
Neither DVD+RW nor the –RW are recognized by two of two tested players. They (the RWs) work fine in software players in my PC, though.

Indiana,
The fact that one of your player works with –RW but not with +RW is confirmed by:

http://www.dvdplusrw.org/resources/bitsettings.html

The bit setting trick is valid only for +RW. Unfortunately our NEC machine doesn’t allow the compatibility bit setting.
I am still confused about the practical difference between the DVD-R or DVD+R.
If my stand alone recognizes both of them, disregarding the price, which one should I go for?

Fred H

[Indiana]

Originally posted by Fred H

Indiana,
The fact that one of your player works with –RW but not with +RW is confirmed by:

http://www.dvdplusrw.org/resources/bitsettings.html

The bit setting trick is valid only for +RW. Unfortunately our NEC machine doesn’t allow the compatibility bit setting.
I am still confused about the practical difference between the DVD-R or DVD+R.
If my stand alone recognizes both of them, disregarding the price, which one should I go for?

Fred H

I never tested DVD +RW (up to now, those discs are so expensive here, that I could care less if they work or not...)
It was the DVD -RW that I burnt from the original "Erazor" DVD that did work without any problems on the Onkyo player but not (not at all, the disc was simply not accepted) on the Cyberhome - oh, how I regret that I bought this crap, but at that time it was the only DVD player that also could playback mp3 CDs...
So in theory DVD -RW should play back fine also on Pioneer standalone DVD players as Pioneer delivers the DVD drives to Onkyo.

For the choice regarding DVD -R or +R, this is clear here for me / in germany: the compatibility seems to be about equally good for both and the -R media is so much cheaper than +R discs (even for better brand discs like Verbatim), so I will only / mostly use -R.


P.S.: While we're at it: could you please send an email or a request via the NEC web-page for an updated firmware as the current one is EXTREMELY picky about the used media (i.e. the firmware only accepts vendors that it specifically knows, ALL other discs are refused!!).
There are various threads about this shortcoming of the otherwise fine ND-1300A at various fori (i.e. here). While at the beginnign totally refused by NEC, now they are claiming that a new firmware is "planned" in response to a few users (I got one of those "at the moment, please use only recommended media, a new firmware is planned" answers to on my request), but I think every additional request can only speed up this process...

P.P.S.: Look at this thread for an unofficial modified firmware for the NEC that apparently allows the use of much more media. I discovered this only by now, so I couldn't test it myself - so better be careful!

[Fred H]

Indiana
I am a little bit disappointed about the NEC 1300. My son in law owns a Pioneer A05 and he is very satisfied with it and I am a bit sorry not to buy the same burner.
As I said before I’ve had problems to start up my NEC. I made some error with my first DVD+RW and Nero caused Win XP to not recognize the device, the DVD burner HW. It reported that the drivers are OK but no hardware is installed, (Error code 41) In DOS everything went ok, but not in XP.
I received a RMA no. to return the NEC but I realized that the error lied in Win XP not in HW and now it is too late to change the NEC to e.g. a Pioneer.
In fact I did not have any problems with DVD-R by “SW Technology” (an unknown brand for me). It plays video on my stand alone. I could burn with 2x (auto setting) but the seller says that the max is 1x (!)
The HP DVD+RW is fine for data e.g. Ghost backup and the DVD-RW neither refused burning data. It is also okay for SW DVD players in my PC (WinDVD).
Of course, I should send a request to the local NEC for new firmware but, I have no serious argue to do so, maybe later.
On the other side, I never did a firmware update and I am not quite experienced. If something goes silly the warranty is also violated by this. What’s your opinion, please?

Regards,
Fred H

[Indiana]

Hmm, I don't have any problems at all operating the NEC burner in WinXP.

Everything works, when you ignore the firmwares pickyness about the used media - luckily the nearly cheapest DVD-R discs here ("sunstar" at €1.80) do work very well and play back fine on both my players.

I've still not yet tried the hacked firmware, but according to the linked thread it works very well - and since I got a 25 DVD spindle with non-working media as well as 10 Princo 4x DVD-r discs that don't work (generally anything that only has the slightest affiliation with Princo does not work at all on the NEC with the original firmware), I will install it and report back.

If you don't have unsupported media, then you don't need the firmware-hack - and yes, warranty is lost if anything goes wrong while updating the firmware (ifit goes wrong that much that you can't flash it back to original state...). So since you're having strange problems with your burner I would suggest you to NOT do the update, unless those issues are resolved - might be a hardware-defect and then you'll need the warranty.

[Fred H]

Now, it happened again.
During the loading sequence of an already tested DVD-R, I made a wrong command and the device was gone.
Even after a computer restart the Device Manager reported that the drivers are loaded but the hardware is not connected (Code 41) and a yellow "!" was marked.
Only a Win XP System Restore did help.
I’ve just sent an e-mail to the Swedish NEC with my problem, and I hope to get an answer soon.

Fred H

[Indiana]

Originally posted by Indiana

I've still not yet tried the hacked firmware, but according to the linked thread it works very well - and since I got a 25 DVD spindle with non-working media as well as 10 Princo 4x DVD-r discs that don't work (generally anything that only has the slightest affiliation with Princo does not work at all on the NEC with the original firmware), I will install it and report back.

O.K. I've finally flashed the hacked firmware to the drive. Everything is fine now, both the Princo and even the super-cheap SKC discs work now (gave an "illegal medium" error before).

[Fred H]

I received an e-mail, today, from the Scandinavian NEC.
A new firmware for the NEC ND-1300A comes this week, they said.
It would be nice if true :-)
Fred H