Making Coasters With Verbatim 16x on Plextor PX-880SA

[Tunetyme]

Since I upgraded Image burn I have been making coasters. Image Burn recognizes the Plextor Drive (PX-880SA). I am using Verbatim 16x DVD-R. When I go into the advanced settings to set auto strategy or PowerRec I get the following error message for both. "Unknown (Failed) Reason: Invalid Command Operation Code" I have backed off the speed to 8X and it still gives me discs with a high PIE rate and a lot of PIF errors. Out of a box of 100 discs I have made 50-60 coasters. The current 8x configuration gives me a passable disc to watch(about 10)but I miss the high quality I used to get. I just tested all the other drive manufacturers and it appears to be a Lite-On drive. I've set it to smartburn. I am running a test burn now and then I will look at it with Plex Utilities. Generally it has been my experience that PIE errors less than 40 is acceptable with zero PIF errors. Here is the chart. Couldn't insert picture. The PIE errors are max 456 average 23.6 and the PIF errors are max 16 average .04.

 

Any ideas?

 

I will be happy to send you my log and the picture.

 

Tunetyme

[Rincewind]

Log is all we need please.

[Tunetyme]

I have attached the log. I think this has everything back to when I upgraded. Just curious, why didn't the verify process pick up the errors?

 

Tunetyme

ImgBurn.log

[LIGHTNING UK!]

The program has no effect on burn quality, that comes from the drive/firmware/media combo.

 

Verify picks up on physical read errors - i.e. where the drive is unable to perform enough error correction and a 'Read' command then fails.

 

Obviously there's a relationship between high PIE/PIF and a physical read error (POF ?) but it's not as direct as that.

 

Do another scan in DVDInfoPro / Opti Drive Control / CD Speed / Plex Utils or whatever (at 4x if possible) and post the graph.

 

Whilst 0 PIF would be nice, don't by any means expect it! lol

[Tunetyme]

I certainly agree that zero PIF is not attainable. When I write CD's with this same burner & Verbatim 52x CD-R I rarely see C1 errors over 10. This may be a problem with the media and not Image Burn or the burner. If it is then this will be the first batch of bad Verbatim I have ever purchased. My upgrading Image Burn and opening this new pack of 100 DVD was about the same time. Back to the Tests.

 

I burned two DVD's at 4x the log file is attached. The first (second one in the log) gave me the following in Plex Utilities. PIE max 72 average 10.59 PIF max 24 average .06. Interestingly the PIF are spike at approximately 1.2 GB apart. I wish there was a means to attache these graphs. If it would be helpful I will gladly email them to you. The second DVD at 4x produced PIE max 120 average 14.75 and PIF max 24 average .13. In this one based on the PIF I can be relatively certain that when I play it it will lock up as 95% of the errors occur between 3.2 GB and 3.6 GB. On this DVD I slowed the read speed down to 4x and scanned it again. The PIE max 72 average 10.59 and PIF max 5 and average is .03. This shows some improvement on PIF.

 

I hope this helps identify the problem.

 

Thanks!

 

Tunetyme

ImgBurn.log

[Cynthia]

Have you tried with SmartBurn disabled?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Can't you save the graphs as a png and upload that? You can in CD Speed / Opti Drive Control and the Plextor app was made by the same person.

[Tunetyme]

Cynthia:

 

I have tried 4 or 5 of the most recent using smart burn.

 

Here are the graphs from Plex Utilities.

 

Tunetyme

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Change the scan speed to 4x or 8x and try again. (As mentioned in Post #4)

 

If you can't do that in Plex Utils, download Opti Drive Control and use that.

[Tunetyme]

These 2 graphs are at 4x.

Edited April 5, 2011 by Tunetyme

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Maybe it's just how plex Utils works, but what's up with the 'Speed & Position' bit listing 16.3 and 15.7 for 'Current Speed' ?! I was expecting to see it say a value nearer 4x or 8x there - depending on which speed you'd selected.

 

The PIF spikes are almost in the same place on both discs - making me think it's an issue with the entire batch. If you're worried by the figures you're getting, ditch the rest of that spindle and buy another one.

[Tunetyme]

Ahhh! The write speed to the disk was at 4x. I didn't adjust the read speed in the Plex utilities I left that at auto.

 

I think you are right. I am dumping the rest of the spindle.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Tunetyme