mhakman

I checked with IBM/Lenovo - no new firmware update is available. DSO method is working ok so I can do without SPTI.

If I remember right from last night's experiments, ImgBurn does full format when starting with new, blank DVD+RW

I'm using DVD+RW because I experiment and try to find a way to store DVB-T recordings outside my DVB-T PVR which disk will become full sooner or later. I'm simply trying to do the same thing as I did using VCR and analog technology but now using digital technology and perhaps a little better. It's perfectly legal in my country. Are +RW disks more difficult to write to than +R? I selected +RW because I read that the + is more compatible than - with old plain DVD players. When I workout the whole procedure (DVB-T -> DVD) then I will use +R and perhaps in the long range DivX for recordings that I know I will keep forever. I'll check with IBM or rather Lenovo for new firmware. I?m impressed that you could deduce IBM from drive type/number. Yes, I think it?s LG originally. Thanks/Mikael

I didn't look all the time at status display but when I looked I didn't see any strange things. Buffer is high, almost full all the time for both. Burning time and speeds are about the same, no errors in log during burn. When verifying using SPTI, read speed goes up at first, it works for a while, then at quite high sector numbers the speed is going down to 0.1 or 0.0 and then I get I/O error. If I choose to continue, it works again for a while, the speed goes up then down again, then I/O error at higher sector number. It continues like this until it comes to a sector which it cannot pass - I get I/O error at this sector no matter how many times I choose to continue. The image file to burn is on a network drive (100 Mbps Ethernet) but maybe this is irrelevant. Thanks/Mikael

Here is copy of ImgBurn info HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4080N 0X21 (ATA) Current Profile: DVD+RW Disc Information: Status: Complete Erasable: Yes Formatted: No (Started) Sessions: 1 Sectors: 2 295 104 Size: 4 700 372 992 bytes Time: 510:03:29 (MM:SS:FF) Supported Write Speeds: 2,4x; 4x Physical Format Information (Last Recorded): Disc ID: INFODISC-A10-01 Book Type: DVD+RW Part Version: 2 Disc Size: 120mm Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified Number of Layers: 1 Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP) Linear Density: 0.267 um/bit Track Density: 0.74 um/track First Physical Sector of Data Area: 196 608 Last Physical Sector of Data Area: 2 491 711 Last Physical Sector in Layer 0: 0 Current Format Capacity: Sectors: 2 295 104 Size: 4 700 372 992 bytes Time: 510:03:29 (MM:SS:FF) Maximum Format Capacity: Sectors: 2 295 104 Size: 4 700 372 992 bytes Time: 510:03:29 (MM:SS:FF) Thanks/Mikael

When I burn a DVD using SPTI the result is jumpy, freezing, and disturbed video, especially on old standalone DVD player. When I try to verify recording I get I/O error during verify. When I change to VSO interface then everything works ok. How come? BTW, what are the differences between various I/O interfaces as seen by the user? Is any interface preferred in terms of speed, robustness, compatibility etc.? Thanks/Mikael