The Firmware Page

Hi,
I have a Pioneer DVR-218L drive and would like to make it region free.
I have searched the RPC-1 Firmware database but none of the available patched firmware seems quite right for the DVR-218L.
The output from DISKInfo is:
DISCINFO VERSION : 1.6.1.6
VENDOR : PIONEER
MODEL : DVD-RW DVR-218L
REVISION : 1.02
VENDOR SPECIFIC : 2009/11/10PIONEER
LOADING MECHANISM : Tray
SERIAL NUMBER : IGQCXXXXXXXX
NUMBER VOL. LEVELS : 256
BUFFER SIZE : 2000KB
INTERFACE : ATAPI
RPC2 SCHEME : YES
STATUS : Not Set
USER CHANGES : 5
VENDOR CHANGES : 4
CURRENT REGION : Not set
ANALOG AUDIO PLAY : YES
COMPOSITE OUTPUT : NO
DIGITAL PORT-PORT1 : NO
DIGITAL PORT-PORT2 : NO
READ UPC CODE : YES
MULTISESSION READ : YES
MODE 2 FORM 1 : YES
MODE 2 FORM 2 : YES
READ ISRC CODE : YES
READ BAD CODE : NO
BUFFER UNDER-RUN : YES
MT. RAINIER : NO
CAN READ CDR : YES
CAN READ CDRW : YES
CAN READ CDRM2 : YES
CAN WRITE CDR : YES
CAN WRITE CDRW : YES
CAN TEST WRITE : YES
CAN READ DVD-ROM : YES
CAN READ DVD-R : YES
CAN READ DVD-RW : YES
CAN READ DVD-RAM : YES
CAN READ DVD+R : YES
CAN READ DVD+RW : YES
CAN WRITE DVD-R : YES
CAN WRITE DVD-RW : YES
CAN WRITE DVD-RAM : YES
CAN WRITE DVD+R : YES
CAN WRITE DVD+RW : YES
MAX CDR READ SPEED : 24
MAX CDR WRITE SPEED: 40

A link to a page from which the Pioneer original firmware can be downloaded is here:
http://www.pioneer-dvdasia.com/Download ... #DVDWriter

If I am mistaken and firmware is already available for the Pioneer DVR-218L, could you let me know?

Thanks in advance,

1freerapper.

You can use MCSE: http://ala42.cdfreaks.com/MCSE/

Thanks Chef.

I will give it a go this evening.

Cheers,
1freeerapper

Hi Chef,

I haven't succeeded in flashing my DVR-218L. The firmware available to upgrade all seem to be in the form of .exe files and I have read in the posts that it is not possible to extract a .bin firmware file from a Pioneer drive .exe installers. In addition I have not been able to work out how to back-up the present firmware in order to modify it with the MCSE tool. Am I missing something here? At present the drive is still using the 1.02 firmware. Do I have any other options?

Thanks,
1freerapper.

The 218 series the exe is loaded straight into MCSE and there you can apply the rpc1 patch. then you flash using the saved exe. The problem you may find is actually finding the correct firmware for your drive.

Please do as Puma suggested and post back what happens.

Hi Chef and Puma,

I had posted back but as I write this my last post has not yet appeared.

I think that I my have given the wrong page, where I had downloaded the firmware for updating.

The page actually was:

http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1831 ... 2.zip.html

Unzipping that file provides the file: SATA-DRV-218L 1.03.exe

For those who are looking, there are quite a lot of other firmware files on firmwarehq.com

Cheers,
1freerapper.

You did edit your first post, and therefore it had to be approved again.....
This happens unless you have more than 10 posts (all to avoid spamming and keep spammers away).

So, did you use it with MCSE??

Hi Chef and Puma,

Sorry that you didn't receive my post about what I had done.
It seems to have gone into the void.

Anyway, I used MCSE tool with the file: SATA-DRV-218L 1.03.exe. I ticked the rcp-1 box and then saved.

It saved as a speedchecked .exe file, which I renamed as "SATA-DVR-218L 1.03S.exe",
to distinguish it from the original "SATA-DVR-218L 1.03.exe" firmware file.

I then tried to use DVRFlash to load this file but no go.

Simply double clicking on the SATA-DRV-218L 1.03S file opened a window.
This asked me if I wanted to upgrade to the 1.03 firmware.
(The drive had firmware version 1.02).

I clicked "yes" or "OK" or whatever it was.

On reboot the rpc-1 patched firmware was present, as confirmed by DISC-Info and by Nero Info Tool.

The relevant parts of the output from DISCINFO and from Nero Info Tool follow:

-----------------------------------
DISCINFO VERSION : 1.6.1.6
-----------------------------------
VENDOR : PIONEER
MODEL : DVD-RW DVR-218L
REVISION : 1.03
VENDOR SPECIFIC : 2011/03/02PIONEER
LOADING MECHANISM : Tray
SERIAL NUMBER : XXXXXXXXXXXX
NUMBER VOL. LEVELS : 256
BUFFER SIZE : 2000KB
INTERFACE : ATAPI
RPC2 SCHEME : NO
ANALOG AUDIO PLAY : YES
COMPOSITE OUTPUT : NO
DIGITAL PORT-PORT1 : NO
DIGITAL PORT-PORT2 : NO
READ UPC CODE : YES
MULTISESSION READ : YES
MODE 2 FORM 1 : YES
MODE 2 FORM 2 : YES
READ ISRC CODE : YES
READ BAD CODE : NO
BUFFER UNDER-RUN : YES
MT. RAINIER : NO
CAN READ CDR : YES
CAN READ CDRW : YES
CAN READ CDRM2 : YES
CAN WRITE CDR : YES
CAN WRITE CDRW : YES
CAN TEST WRITE : YES
CAN READ DVD-ROM : YES
CAN READ DVD-R : YES
CAN READ DVD-RW : YES
CAN READ DVD-RAM : YES
CAN READ DVD+R : YES
CAN READ DVD+RW : YES
CAN WRITE DVD-R : YES
CAN WRITE DVD-RW : YES
CAN WRITE DVD-RAM : YES
CAN WRITE DVD+R : YES
CAN WRITE DVD+RW : YES
MAX CDR WRITE SPEED: 126


_______________________
Nero InfoTool 8.0.1.100
_______________________

Drive Information
------------------
Drive : PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-218L
Type : DVD±R/RW DL Recorder
Firmware Version : 1.03
Buffer Size : 2000 KB
Date : 2011-03-02
Serial Number : XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Vendor Specific : 2011/03/02PIONEER
Drive Letter : D:\
Location : 1:1
Mechanism : Tray
Read Speed : 16.0 X
Write Speed : 16.0 , 12.0 , 8.0 , 6.0 X

Read CD Text : Yes
Return C2 Pointers : Yes
Read CD-R : Yes
Read CD-RW : Yes
Read DVD-ROM : Yes
Read DVD-RAM : Yes
Read DVD-R : Yes
Read DVD-RW : Yes
Read DVD-R DL : Yes
Read DVD+R : Yes
Read DVD+RW : Yes
Read DVD+R DL : Yes
Read BD-ROM : No
Read BD-R : No
Read BD-RE : No
Read HD DVD-ROM : No
Read HD DVD-R : No
Read HD DVD-R DL : No
Read HD DVD-RAM : No
Read HD DVD-RW : No
Read HD DVD-RW DL : No
Read HD-BURN : No
Read Digital Audio : Yes
Read CD+G : Yes
Read VideoCD : Yes

Write CD-R : Yes
Write CD-RW : Yes
Write DVD-R : Yes
Write DVD-RW : Yes
Write DVD-R DL : Yes
Write DVD+R : Yes
Write DVD+RW : Yes
Write DVD+R DL : Yes
Write DVD-RAM : No
Write DVD-RAM : Yes
Write BD-R : No
Write BD-RE : No
Write HD DVD-R : No
Write HD DVD-R DL : No
Write HD DVD-RAM : No
Write HD DVD-RW : No
Write HD DVD-RW DL : No
Write HD-BURN-R : No
Write HD-BURN-RW : No
Buffer Underrun Protection : Yes
Mount Rainier : No
SolidBurn : No
Labelflash : Yes
LightScribe : No
Modes : Pa, LTA, LDA, LSA, LRA, LRA, LRA, LRA, LRA, LRA

Region Protection Control : RPC I
Region : all
Changes User : n/a
Changes Vendor : n/a

CSS : Yes
CPRM : Yes
AACS : No
VCPS : No

Disc Information (D:\)
------------------
Type : Blank DVD-R
Capacity : -0.00 GB
Layers : 1
Version : 5
Disc size : 12 cm

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I hope this info will be helpful to others.

Many thanks again for your expert guidance and to those at MCSE.

Cheers,
1freerapper.

that file is already in the rpc1 database