AqLumen

Guess I'll have to wait until my next burn to utilize the option. Newegg currently has free shipping on Verbatim DL discs so I bought another 10 pack. BTW, what do think of the Pioneer DV-588A player? see: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/sho...ch&articles=122 Seems like a decent player for about $100. I really want to part with my Philips DVP642 because for some reason it just doesn't like burned DL discs, especially Verbatims. Not to mention it's rather noisy on seeks and even playback.

When using ImgBurn to burn DVD+R DL discs (in this case Verbatim), is it normal for the device buffer to dip all the way down to zero then quickly return to 100%? The other buffer always remains at 98-100%. This happens about 3-4 times during a burn, whether I burn a disc at 4x or 2.4x. And please note that I don't use my pc at all while it's burning a DL disc, and it has nothing running in the background (other than resident AV & driver software). I'm using PcgEdit/ImgTool Classic/ImgBurn to burn a DVD backup, with 32k gaps enabled in PcgEdit. My 3520 is burned with Liggy & Dee's latest 3520A firmware, 2.U3 RPC1. All booktypes are set to DVD-ROM via the firmware. http://liggydee.cdfreaks.com/page/3520/ Sorry I don't have a log, but I've attached a CD-DVD Speed (v4.11) printscreen of a DL disc I recently burned.

and you didnt read my post very well and missed a few points ( in bold below) anyway , who actually said to throw the memorex away ?? My post wasn't directed at you. I had to get up early (like I am now) to get some things done but totally screwed the pooch when I posted.

Most PS2 discs have some sort of copy protection and the only way to make a working backup copy is to use software like Alcohol 120% or CloneCD. I've found the following sites helpful: http://www.makeabackup.com/modules.php?nam...ctions_Database http://www.gameburnworld.com/

I afraid I'm going to have to call SHENANIGANS! All three sites you mention have as many problem threads for your favorite burners as they do praise. I have nothing against either LG or BenQ, but don't portray them as being perfect, they like ALL other burners have their pro's and con's, not the least of which is the rest of the computer it's in. On another note, Maxell has had it's share of problems recently, not the least of which is using CMC as one of it's manufactors. I totally agree with you here, Grain. Liggy & Dee continue to develop firmware upgrades for NEC model burners. If they thought NEC was junk I really don't think they would waste their time in such an endeavor. When someone appears to claim to be the final authority on a subject so wide open as optical drives & media, it gives me pause and makes me wonder as to their objectivity and credibility. As the saying goes, "There's wisdom among a multitude of counselors."

but telling someone to throw out a set of $30 DL discs when in fact they can be utilized is very poor advice imho. at this point i just thought id mention that LIGHTNING_UK is the author of this program somehow i have a feeling he knows what he's on about from testing ourselves, and feedback in here ,only verbatim have been consistent as reliable DL media so far ( same overall opinion in a previous forum we all frequented that had over 2 hundred k members ) , Nothing else was capable of giving decent burns time after time like the verbs . if the maxell work for you, then great but in general they have proven to be pretty low down in the quality levels for dual layer discs You totally missed my point. I would never tell anyone to just throw out a set of $30 DL discs until at least trying to utilize them. Maybe $30 isn't much to you or Lightning, but it is to me and others like the original poster, Baphomet. While I respect Lightning's opinion that doesn't mean you can't make usable backups with Memorex DL media. Don't get me wrong--I will probably never purchase Memorex DL media again because they are not as good as the Verbatims, but that doesn't mean I will throw out an entire spool of them. Bluntly telling someone else to throw them out is something I will never do. It's easy to spend someone else's money when actually all they have to do is experiment some more with other software and/or firmware.

but telling someone to throw out a set of $30 DL discs when in fact they can be utilized is very poor advice imho. at this point i just thought id mention that LIGHTNING_UK is the author of this program somehow i have a feeling he knows what he's on about from testing ourselves, and feedback in here ,only verbatim have been consistent as reliable DL media so far ( same overall opinion in a previous forum we all frequented that had over 2 hundred k members ) , Nothing else was capable of giving decent burns time after time like the verbs . if the maxell work for you, then great but in general they have proven to be pretty low down in the quality levels for dual layer discs You totally missed my point. I would never tell anyone to just throw out a set of $30 DL discs until at least trying to utilize them. Maybe $30 isn't much to you or Lightning, but it is to me and others like the original poster. While I respect Lightning's opinion that doesn't mean you can't make usable backups with Memorex DL media. Don't get me wrong--I will probably never purchase Memorex DL media again because they are not as good as the Verbatims, but that doesn't mean I will throw out an entire spool of them. Bluntly telling someone else to throw them out is something I will never do. It's easy to spend someone else's money when actually all they have to do is experiment some more with other software and/or firmware.

Then you must have received an exceptional batch, because my typical scores range from 75-90, and I've purchased two 10-pack cake boxes (from Newegg).

I call successful what plays on a typical home DVD player, and so far I've played this disc on three different home players with absolutely no problems. PI Errors are only one facet of quality. Look at the overall quality score of this Verbatim DL disc--it scores only 3 points higher than the Memorex. These discs were burned at the same speed on the same burner (3520A) with the same firmware. I'm not knocking Verbatim (let's not get religious about this like some people do about Linux vs. Windows), but telling someone to throw out a set of $30 DL discs when in fact they can be utilized is very poor advice imho.

Sigh. $30 for the DVD's down the drain, I guess (at least it's only Canadian dollars!). Any specific suggestions on what media I should pick up (and should I still set the Book Type to DVD-ROM)? Thank you so much. While I would easily recommend any Verbatim blank media over Memorex, I've had a fair amount of success with Memorex DL discs using Nero 6 on my NEC N-3520A burner. So don't throw away those expensive Memorex DL discs just yet. Try Nero or another burning software and see what your results are. Also, make sure your DVD drive's firmware is up to date. If you need help with this don't hesitate to ask. This may be my first post here in this forum, but like many others here I've been doing this stuff for a while. I've attached a file showing a successful backup copy of the movie "Downfall" on a Memorex DL disc. BTW, I'm 10 miles from the NB border here in Maine. Some of my best friends are Canadiens.