Is it time for a new DVD burner?

[RickB]

I have recently changed my disks to Verbatim DVD-R from Ritek.My Sony DVD drive is having trouble reading them and when it does 4 out of every 5 "burns" turn into a coaster. Also even when the burn is successful my standalone Toshiba DVD player can only read and play about 1 in 3 disks although they play okay on the PC through a Phillips DVD player. The Sony player reads and plays the original DVDs okay but just has problems with the blanks. I rip with Ripit4me or DVDFabHD Decyrpter and burn with Nero. I have tried ImgBurn with the same results. An occasional successful burn but lots of coasters. Cleaning the lens makes no difference.

[blutach]

I suspect that you're in for some new hardware, yes.

Try the blanks on another drive, if you or a friend has one.

Regards

[RickB]

Thanks blutach.
Any recommendations for a burner?

[setarip_old]

@RickB

1) Have you tried burning DVD+R media instead of DVD-R media?

2) What is the model number of your Toshiba standalone DVD player?

[blutach]

@RickB

I just got a Samsung 203B and it is terrific. If it turns out that your current burner is no good, you could consider this one.

Regards

[smok3]

i have two NEC drives (few years between them) and a new one is LG, they all still perform very well with verbatim dvd+r media.

[RickB]

Thanks everyone

Setarip_old. My player is a Toshiba SD330E and I have not used +DVD as I never until now had a problem

[burfadel]

If I were you I'd just get a new DVD burner, they're so cheap now. It would be cheaper buying a new DVD burner than burning all those coasters!

IDE and SATA burners cost the same (or at most a dollar or two difference), so if you have a couple of free SATA ports that would be a better option.

Burners come in 20x now, if you get anything less than that it would have to be an old model. At the local stores a 20x Liteon, LG, Aopen. or sony drive in both IDE and SATA all cost (all values in Australian dollars) $35, and the Pioneer 20x burner IDE & SATA are $34 and $37 respectively A retail Asus drive for IDE (only 18x) and 20x are both $37.

My main point is, they're cheap. I've heard good reports of the LG being a good reader for defective disks, but either way 20x speed all the way!

The drives to burn at 20x don't need 20x media (at least this is what I've seen). The drives recognise the media type and have a predefined speed for new media, or at least this is what I'm lead to believe. Therefore to get 20x you just need to use the correct 16x media otherwise it will burn at 18x...

[setarip_old]

@RickBMy player is a Toshiba SD330EThat model was produced in 2003 and is probably "showing its age" - so the problem you're having may be related to playback rather than burning.

You might try running a DVD/CD cleaning disc on the Toshiba player. Maxell makes one that sells for approximately $10US...

[fibbingbear]

Just to chime in --- I've used Plextor (for CD burning) and NEC (for DVD burning) in the past, quite happy with both of them.

[RickB]

Setarip_old

I don't think its the player as it plays everything else.
I have cleaned the lens with coincidently a Maxell cleaner which was new 2 days ago.

Thanks again

[RickB]

Just an update
Bought the Samsung with Lightscribe
Everything is now working fine

Cheers
RickB

[blutach]

Thanks for lettig us know. Good to hear!

Regards