The Firmware Page

Is here

Let's consider it's Release Candidate at this stage, since I'm still trying to keep the people who complained about 2x and 4x burning with previous patch happy.

Please test and report.

Thank you >NIL: ---->>> I'm going to burn now.

thanx for the firmware. i might skip it, as i've been buying 8x media for a time now, but 'ill keep it in my hd in case os a rpc problem in future

great job mate

Okay... I installed it and: No Go.

It wouldn't write to a DVD-R at any speed. When I tried to write, the software (Roxio Toast 6) would try writing the Lead-in. I would hear the drive spin up and down a few times and then report a Write Error. It would then try to write the Lead-out with the same error. This was at 8X, 6X, 4X and 2X on the same disc that reported as empty each time.

Flashing back to the official 1.18 firmware allowed me to write to that same disc.

For me everything's fine. I have burned a 2X Verbatim @4X and there are no problems. The read speed patch is also working great.

Unique Disc Identifier : [DVD-R:MCC 00RG200 ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disc Type : [DVD-R]
Manufacturer ID : [MCC 00RG200 ]
Manufacturer Name : [Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.]
Disc Application Code : [Unrestricted Use : Consumer Purpose]
Recording Speeds : [1x , (2x)]
Blank Disc Capacity : [2,298,496 Sectors = 4,489.3MB = 4.38GB (4.71GB)]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good work >NIL:

I have had this problem with 6x burning on the 1.13 hacked firmware. See this old post of mine: http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?p=109681&highlight=#109681. Your problem reminded me of this. It is not unexpected that something strange could happen with hacked firmware though. Oh well.

Thank you for this new one

After reading chappjc's post, I decided to try again. I flashed successfully again, but this time it worked!

I have no idea what the problem was before...

Thanks >NIL: for such a great job! Oh! And thanks for testing with the XL version first!

Wow, that's nice!

My floppydisk needs some file reorganisation now.

Nevermind, I flashed from the DOS-box this time, sucessfully.

First tests:

1.18 patched (release #1)
Nero 6.3.1.17
ASPI layer 4.60
Drive connected as Primary Master

Media: BulkPaq Generation4 DVD+R 4x



Offered speeds: 2.4x, 4x, 6x, 8x

content: 4317 mb, UDF/ISO, data

6x: 10:27
8x: 8:49
Speeds with 1.13 patched and @8x: approx. 7:30.

Next tests will be with DVD-R ...

Media: DVD-R RiDisc G04





Offered speeds: 1x, 2x, 4x, 6x, 8x

content: 4319 mb, UDF/ISO, data

8x: write error, spinned up & down for 1:19, then failed.

Speeds with 1.13 patched and @8x: approx. 7:30.

What the hell??

And why are you posting about release #3 (107XL) in the 107D thread???
There is only one release for the 107 at this stage! Is your problem with the 107 or the XL. If it's the XL, then you shouldn't use release #3 anyway, because there's a problem with speed detection in release #3.

If it's with the 107D, well if there's one thing that has been patched the exact same way as 1.16 and 1.13, it's 6x and 8x burning on -R media.
I only touched 2x and 4x with this 1.18.

This sounds like the kind of results you get when Pioneer's default writing strategy at high speed is being used (yes they do have a default strategy, but it's completely crap). However this shouldn't matter, as we force FUJIFILM03 for 6x and 8x (since neither the firmware nor the media provide a write strategy for these speeds).

Might be a [*Profanity*] up in the added vector tables, but I need to know if this report is with a 107D or a 107XL and if you ran your test on more than 1 medium (This problem occured to me once with patched 1.16 on a RITEKG04, but it was apparently due to bad media).

Be careful when reporting issues with patched firmwares. It's very tempting to accuse the patch when the issue lies somewhere else. I'm not saying that I didn't [*Profanity*] up (hell, those patches are complex and that 6x media burning at 8x speed and opposite true looks like a [*Profanity*] up), but I've seen enough people blaming a patch where the patch had nothing to do with their issue.

Damn, my fault! Of course it's (release #1) for the DVR-107.

My mistake, >NIL:!!

Tried that media with simulation @8x: no problems.
So the problem might lies to the Lead-In.
Tried also another one @8x simulation: also no problems.
This media is DATASAFE G04:

Maybe it will also crash which will make the media unusable.
MAybe I'll try that later, not now.

Media Information
Region information N/A not a DVD-VIDEO
Media code/Manufacturer ID RITEKG04
Format Capacity Not Formatted
Free Blocks 412352512
Free Capacity 4.38GB(4.71GB)
Book Type DVD-R
Media Type DVD-R
Media Id Code Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 8.0x 11080KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 6.0x 8310KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 4.0x 5540KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 2.0x 2770KBps
Available Write Descriptor CLV 1.0x 1385KBps
Write Strategy Speed 4.0x 5540KBps
2x Speed OPC beta 08
2x Speed OPC power 12
2x Write Strategy field 1 11 86 67 80
2x Write Strategy field 2 88 80 00 00 00 00
4x Speed OPC beta 05
4x Speed OPC power 1B
4x Write Strategy field 1 0E 10 08 09
4x Write Strategy field 2 97 06 0D 0B
4x Write Strategy field 3 00 00 00 00
4x Speed OPC beta multi-pulse 04
4x Speed OPC power multi-pulse 1D
4x Write Strategy field 4 18 A8 88 85
4x Write Strategy field 5 89 AC 88 80 00 00
4x Write Strategy field 6 00 00 D0 00 00
Data area starting sector 30000h
Linear Density 0.267um/bit
Track Density 0.74um/track
Number of Layers 1


these are working fine, as chef said there maybe something in the lead in, i did notice that there was a longer total burn time with 1.18 than 1.16, only 35secs though, but one was done via simulation which was the quicker time, total disc burnt was 4472mb, so gave it a good go, i have some of the ridisc thAT Chef had a problem with, so i'm off to test.

Yup, I think the RiDisc media is/was the problem.

Actually burning a Datasafe G04 (for mediacode see earlier post) and it started faster than any other media I've tried... 25sec for Lead-In, then starting to burn data @8x (Z-CLV).

Update:
This time successfully, needed 8:29 with short lead-out.

Update 2:
Tried the RiDisc G04 media at 6x: write error.
Burns now at 4x without problems.

PS: Yes, a typo. Will correct it now.

Huh, does that mean I still meant to investigate? Or is everything as it should be and it appears that the problem was with the media?
Also, [_chef_] I'm still puzzled about your earlier report:unless it's a typo and should be read:
8x: 8:49
6x: 10:27

I'll try to have a quick check tonight anyway

nil, i tryed some of the ridisc media and they were ok 4x media, started at 5.8, 6.1 then upto 7.8 and 8x, the disc copied fine x 5, as i was copying movies, most full capacity, so maybe chef had a bad disc

Yes, it's a bit curious.
Burned that RiDisc at 4x successfully but verify wasn't completely successful. Never had that problems before with that media, argh.

OK, will try more brands later on.

Is the Fuji strategy still the best one? Didn't the 1.16 release introduce a bunch of new compatible medias with strategies? I know this is all done for free and is a very busy job but was only curious if newer/other strategies were tested.

Media: Q-Disc purple 4x DVD+R

Available speeds: 2.4x, 4x, 6x, 8x

8x: 8:25 for 4205 mb

Cantankerous

Whatever we pick, it will always be a trade off. Some users will be happy, other users will not. Hell, I could try to pick the best strategy for the medias I have home, but that would only ever satisfy me, for the media I currently have and for the the drives I currently have, if the idea of having to waste about 5x10 media (about 5 types of -R I own with about 10 8x strategies to try out) can be called satisfying...
We tried quite a few strategies at the time there were about 6 of them in the firmware, and we found Fuji to be the best.
I have my doubts that using a more recent strategy will improve things, and not that many strategies have been added since anyway. I personally think that using a newer 8x strategy will most likely break things on older media. When we did our testing, we found out that the RITEK 8x (which was fairly recent then) was a worse performer than FUJI (The intention was to go with RITEK originally).

I like to help you guys, but I will only go so far.
Besides, people seem to be quite happy about the Fuji strategy, so why bother. If you want to burn at 8x and have the best quality, your best option will always be to buy actual 8x media.

hi Nil, thanks for the answer. By all means I appreciate what you are doing and expected nothing more than what you are currently doing. I was just curious is all and you make perfect sense in what you stated. If out of the majority you tested, the Fuji was best then so be it. With 8X media coming onto the market more and more the burner will be using the write strategy found on those discs anyhow.

so is there issues with this firmware or no? It appeared there was a few though im unsure if they were user errors or actual errors of the firmware itself. After having a previous drive go on me im very cautious on what I flash to it from now on. I want to be sure this is 100% without issues with reliability and compatibility. Sorry for being a weiner but I have no coin to burn on another drive.

Any input, comments etc feel free to let me know regarding the status of this release.

thanks

What?


I'd like to hear that from Pioneer.

Anyway, I only couldn't burn that RiDisc 4x DVD-R media with higher than the certified speed. D2-08L19403230513D04 is printed on the inner ring, if that helps.