The Firmware Page

Yes, it is out.

Gradius

Gradius,

it's not clear from your statements.

Does this patched PIODATA FW report as PIONEER and KEEP the bitsetting capability?


It's RPC1 and riplock removed. I understand that.

Why would it be necessary to report as PIONEER? It will work identically reporting as PIODATA

Gradius, could you please include a kernel file in that patched firmware.

Many pioneer owners will want to patch their drives to PIODATA now there is an RPC1 patch to take advantage of the automatic bitsetting of DVD+R disks to DVD-ROM.

Edit: Thanks for patching the firmware for the pioneer 108.

Maybe it's not a good idea to include it because people would tend to try force flashing the drive in any case, even without knowing what they are doing by that. That's really sad but it seems to be the reality. Just my 2 cents.

GRADIUS already pointed out that it could lead to complications to (just) replace the ID strings.

But anyway, I hope that the people who wanted that patched firmware so badly will give some repect to GRADIUS back for his work and donate now something...

Take care & enjoy!

GRADUIS!!!! THANK YOU!

I thought I would never see this but am damn happy that I did. Finally bitsetting on single layer +R media. I appreciate this despite your dislike for +r media.

Keep up the fantastic work!

EDIT... excuse my ignorance... wondering... do you need a kernal to flash from official pioneer branded drive to this piodata firmware or not? I am sure you do but just want to be clear as I never flashed another manufacturers firmware before.

EDIT again.. ok I now know you do need a kernal and have tracked down the kernal from 1.10 firmware relesaed by piodata. Just wondering now if anyone would mind giving the exact command line to get my pioneer branded drive to accept the piodata 1.18 firmware with 1.10 kernal via dvrflash. I already have what I think will work but want a verification before I go through with it. Short on cash to be buying another drive if I bugger this up. Thanks.

Is this the command line needed?

dvrflash -vf D: R8150008.110 R8150108.118

??

Should work. If not you can rename the kernelfile to *.118 and try again.

just few questions guys

1. Let me get this straight this (Pioneer DVR-A08DX/108DX v1.18 RPC-1 + 12x Ripping speed) firmware will do bittsetting for the SL & DL +R to -ROM and has rpc1 and has riplock removed?

if so this is great work!!

2. I have pioneer 108 i presume i need the piodata kernel to flash this firmware, or is the pioneer kernel ok?

3. if i do need piodata kernel where can i get it and what version, 1.10?

4. I use Win XP SP2 is there any problem using dvrflash with this platform? i heard some people complaining about sp2 and dvrflash

5. If i boot to dos via bootdisk will this solve the xp sp2 problem if there is one ?

Thanks guys

You will be able to burn RITEKG05 (8x) medias @ 12x with original firmware, and my patched version. Of course, 12x speed will be starting at 2GB point, if I recall well.

Don't ask me about kernel, I don't got that, after all I don't care about the kernel part.

Edit: Damn! I'm still unable to post attachment here, please check out the permission on me.



Gradius

And yes, 12x is faster than 16x. 16x in rare cases can be faster, but just for few couple seconds.

Gradius

1. Yes, and If you like it so much, then, donate.

2. Kernel from DX would be better, but I didn't tried that and I cannot. My only one A08/108 drive is DX by default.

3. Just search for all DX firmwares until find the file.

4. No. I'm also running WinXP SP2 + full patches + etc, and dvrflash works perfectly.

5. You don't need to do that, just flash under WinXP is fine.

Gradius

Gradius,

please confirm: This FW allows bitsetting with the 108??? I assume so but your post just mentioned the name change to Pioneer. If it has bitsetting your post was really too humble and you should have been more in a bragging mode. Just my 2 cents.

Vid

We posted at the same time.... Great job. I was thinking about this for a while. Why not patching the PIODATA instead of yhe PIONEER firmware. But sometimes people who have the skills also have the same thoughts .

Vid

Argh! This question, over and over again.

For the last time: bitsetting is only available for DX drives !

Gradius

Call me stupid: What is a DX drive?

The Pioneer drives are normal DVR-108 and DVR-108 XL. So what is a DX. AFAIK - you can flash the DVR-108 with the PIODATA FW. So you can convert it to a PIODATA (DX???). Gradius - please be more specific before users do anything stupid. You got to know that I don't have that drive and therefore I'm not even tempted to use it. People who are gotta know. OK?

Vid

thanks for the command line confirmation chef. I have just successfully flashed my drive without issue. I have not burned a disc yet but all else seems fine.

Gradius, if you guaranteed you would patch further updates from piodata like this one I would definately donate. This firmware is identical to the pioneer firmware plus added bitsetting which is a huge bonus. I would like to stick with the piodata firmware releases in the future. If you would patch those too to allow me to no longer have to go back to the pioneer firmwares a donation should surely come your way. This is exactly what I have been waiting for and have no problems paying you for your hard work as it is greatly appreciated. I hope others realize what they have here and do the same.

Thanks again.

Gradius,

see!!!!!

The Piodata firmware can be used to convert a regular Pioneer DVR-108 without bitsetting in a drive that supports bitsetting. Sounds like you never even thought about this. This is a HUGE improvement all the Pio-108 owners asked for. Hope donations are coming your way.

MXHNY

Vid

Be extremely careful with this! While the 108DX firmware/kernel may work with the Pioneer 108D/A08, it will NOT work and could damage the Pioneer 108XL/A08XL. Be sure to acquire a copy of the official firmware and kernel for your drive prior to flashing to the DX firmware. This is so you can flash back in case of problems.

LasVegas,

don't quote me. If you would have read the whole post thouroghly you would have seen that I'm Mrs. Kassandra. We're on the same page.

Vid

Honestly, that's the kind of things I really cannot understand. If you can get an advance from exactly that patched firmware then why not donating for that?!
Anyway, have a nice start into 2005!

hmmmm I didn't say I wasn't going to donate unless. I was just curious if further updates were going to be a priority from him or is this a one time thing. I can understand your getting out of what I wrote but remember text on a screen can be interpreted many ways.

Why do U write "may"?
Don't U remember I made exenstive tests and published in earlier thread?
These 2 drives are identical. There is NO DANGER flashing a Pio 108 into a Piodata although it must be said such an attempt MUST NOT be tried with the Pio XL drive
Gradius work is the answer to my desires: now I won't have any probs any longer with my DVD+RW slices from my Medion DVD recorder.
And as Chef writes: who cares about burning at higher speed ?
Slices are very cheap now and there is hardly a difference in price between Fuji and those horrible Princo.
This is the best New Year present I could get

I am confused. can a pioneer 108XL drive be flashed to support bitsetting using piodata firmware.

No, don't do it.

Rats! I like my pioneer 108XL, But I want bitsetting support for DVD+R. Is there any way to burn a DVD+R with a booktype of DVD-ROM with this drive or should I look a replacing one of my older DVD burners with a new one that supports bitseting.