The Firmware Page

I just worked on Beta 9a of the booktype firmware. This version is based on HP 420i 1.24 firmware I implemented the +R writing strategies from the 1.06 NEC 2500A firmware.

Problem with Beta 9 causing "Power Calibration Error" on all DVD-R media at all speeds should be solved now

The problems with most DVD-R's which should work @ 8x only working @ 6x should be fixed now! Most common 4x DVD+R's and 4x DVD-R's should work @ 8x now!

For DVD-R the FUJIFILM03 strategy is used, for DVD+R the PHILIPS 081 strategy!

Added support for the following discs:
OPTODISCOR8 8x DVD+R @ 8x
OPTODISCOP4 4x DVD+RW @ 4x
OPTODISCK001 4x DVD-R @ 8x
OPTODISCR04 4x DVD-R @ 8x

I also added a version identifier after several requests


Have fun testing!

Get it here (links are now dead):
Windows: herrie.rpc1.org/downloads/2k5107b9a.rar
DOS: herrie.rpc1.org/downloads/2k5107b9a-dos.rar

Please post your results! Set the booktype with DVDInfoPro and burn with RecordNow Max!

Donations using Paypal are always welcome of course

Oops, the downloads that were available in the 1st 10 minutes after posting were not correct! In case you downloaded it, please download it again! The correct files are uploaded now!

thanks alot herrie, going to test it out now

What a shame i have a load of Ritek R01, if only they were Ricoh R01

What about RICOHJPN R00 ? Are they still being burned on 6 speed ?
Any differences compared to Beta6 besides better media support?

RipSpeed ? RCE ? Booktype Bitsetting ?

You wrote Set Bitsetting in DVDInfo Pro and burn with Nero 6.3.1.6
But can bitsetting be set in Nero after that ? If so, should we tag it or untag it to get DVD-ROM?

Thanx so far already.

Hooray for Herrie!

I'll run my usual tests, and will post the results here with K's Probe graphs, if that's OK with everyone.

.: colin

The RITEKS's G04 work at 6x now.
Awaiting to see the recording quality.

I think 8x. OC-Freak had posted a KProbe scan from RICOHJPNR00 media (Fujifilm as I recall) at 8x write and he was really excited at how good it looked.

And it was pretty darn impressive.

So Ritek G04's still not at full 8x or only certain G04's (A Grade for instance)?

wesociety posted that beta 7 allows writing at 8x on G04 media using the FUJIFILM03 8x strategy.

He also posted that if its crappy Ritek G04 media, it probably won't work so good.

I was looking at jimakos post about G04 writing at 6x thinking this was it's limit.

No it's grade A Ridisc G04

00000000 00 6A 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 96 0E 14 .j...@....R.....
00000010 88 9A 80 00 03 52 49 54 45 4B 47 00 04 30 34 00 .....RITEKG..04.
00000020 00 00 00 00 05 88 80 00 00 00 02 00 06 08 12 11 ................

I inserted an Arita (light green label, could be Grade B) RITEG04 into the NEC, and DVD Decrypter announced that the disc's maximum writing speed is 6x. I think DVD Decrypter gets this info from the burner's firmware... or does it?

.: colin

I just recorded a disc with DVDDecrypter.
The Supported Write Speeds were : 2x, 4x, 6x but it burned it only in 4x!!!

Note that when you burn an ISO with DVD Decrypter, if you specify 6x, it will give you an error that the actual burn is at 4x then start to burn. That's because it actually starts at 4x, not 6x

If you watch the actual burn speed, after it hits the 900MB mark, it will shoot up to 6x and continue from there.

At least, that's what I see when I burn my RICOHJPNR01 media at 6x on DVD Decrypter.

If the actual write speed stays at 4x the entire time, then there is a problem.

Yup, just burned my first disc using Herrie's beta 7, and sure enough, first 900+ megabytes burn at 4x, then the speed jumps to 6x. I used DVD Decrypter and set the speed to MAX.

What's this talk about burning RITEKG04 at 8x using FUJIFILM03 8x strategy?

.: colin

Not sure. Maybe wesociety was incorrect?

Or maybe since there are different Ritek G04 media codes that differ slightly (by like one character), herrie limited to one to 6x and others at 8x?

I guess it'd be up to herrie to say.

That was rdgrimes, actually.

Ooops, my bad.

I could have sworn it was OC-Freak. Me culpa.

Yes i know that it starts at 4x and continues at 6x.
I had set the write speed to MAX and the actual recording speed always was 4x.

colinhunt : what kind of disk did you burn at 6x ?

I remember Herrie commenting somewhere that the one character difference is due to a different burner being used, and both medias are the same. But now I think of it, that sounds a tad implausible, since the media code is read from the pre-recorded area, and (afaik) the burner shouldn't be able to mess with that ever.

.: colin

It's an Arita, i.e. RITEKG04. I'll paste more information of the burn in just a few moments.

.: colin

OK, here we go: my first burn with Herrie's beta 7.

00000000 00 6C 00 00 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 76 0E 14 .l...@....R..v..
00000010 88 9A 80 00 03 52 49 54 45 4B 47 00 04 30 34 00 .....RITEKG..04.
00000020 00 00 00 00 05 88 80 00 00 00 01 00 06 08 12 11 ................

Tested media: ARITA -R 4X (light green label)
Media code: "RITEKG04"
Source data: 4.36GB image file
Software used: latest DVD Decrypter at "MAX" speed setting
Total writing time: 10 min 43 sec
Speed switches: from 4x to 6x at ~900MB.
Drive used for measuring: Lite-On LDW-851S with firmware GS0F



Well, I think that's pretty impressive. PI peaks at 34, with DVD specs' limit being 240 (280? Can't remember atm) so that leaves plenty of room. There's obviously something funky on that one area of disc, as PO peaks at 10 at the same spot. Perhaps this Arita really is Grade B, as someone speculated elsewhere.

Now then: how about stretching RITEKG04 to 8x, eh?

.: colin

Yeah, that is an impressive burn. Very cool. Can't wait to go home and install the firmware.

I dunno about you guys overseas and all but here I know Arita to be a very low quality data, sure it reads Ritek but not all Riteks are worth paying for...

RITEKG04 @ 8x using FUJIFILM03 8x strategy is implemented in the Pioneer 107D's firmware >NIL: patched, actually every disc writes @ 8x with the same strategy, but it works on that unit, pretty sure in time it will work on the ND2500A with A graded Ritek G04 media, also dont look at the coding and think because they are the same that they are A graded Ritek G04 media.

Thats what Princo does with their every grade but A medias so people assume they are the same as their A graded Princos because they share the same media code... Although A grade Princo is F graded media IMO still.