A "New" Pioneer DVR-117

Spoffo · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:20 pm

Enigmatic -

Don't count on it. I downloaded it and tried to run it on my 117, and it reported it as "not needed". So, it looks like it checks for a very specific firmware configuration - - which probably doesn't include 108 firmware that never shipped in an Apple box - - and flashes the drive only if it finds it.

Meanwhile, a progress report on my idea of swapping the Apple 117 drive in my G5 with the OEM 108 in my wife's G4. In a word, it worked like a champ. I just burned my first DL disk in the G5, and I didn't notice any more fan or drive noise than I had with the 117.

qw123456 · **Joined:** Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:15 pm **Posts:** 6

Looks like Tiger officially supports the 108 according to this post at http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/:

Quote:

" Hi Mike,
I was able to extract the vendor and product names of all CDRW/DVD+- RW drives from the DiscRecording Framework XLMs of 10.4. So all devices in this two lists should be supported by Tiger. The drive specific features seem to be embedded in a binary format, I had no luck decoding them.
As there is no list from Apple itself so far, this could be some nice information for your readers.
My own NEC3500AG in an Macpower Prefect II Firewire400/USB2 case works perfectly with tiger and all iApps. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Ralf "

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/OSX/tiger/Ve ... rofile.htm
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/OSX/tiger/De ... rofile.htm

The vendor list contains two entries for the PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108.

I am hoping this means that you can flash your 117 to a 108 under Tiger and have proper support (eg burning from the Finder etc). It remains to be seen which parts of the OS and which apps will support dual-layer burning.

Of course, where I live dual-layer media costs about 10

qw123456 · **Joined:** Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:15 pm **Posts:** 6

I've just flashed the DVR-117 in my G5 and am pleased to report that it went without a hitch. I am running Mac OS X 10.4 and after rebooting the drive is correctly recognised as a PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108. The drive is recognized by the Finder and the other apps. I just burnt a 4.13GB test disc from the Finder and the settings dialog allowed me to choose 16x from the speed pop-up. I only have 8x single-layer DVD-R media to test with, so I am not sure if the drive actually burnt at 16x or only at 8x (in any case the burn took about 8 minutes). I will test with dual-layer and/or 16x media when I can get my hands on some. I've also got Toast so I might do some testing with that as well.

Output of running "drutil info" in the Terminal:

Quote:

Vendor Product Rev
PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.18

Interconnect: ATAPI
SupportLevel: Vendor Supported
Profile Path: VendorSupport.drprofile
Cache: 2000k
CD-Write: -R, -RW, BUFE, CDText, Test, IndexPts, ISRC
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW, BUFE, Test
Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO

For the record, here's how I did it:

1. Downloaded DVRFlash from here:

http://homepage.mac.com/asaxton/DVRFlash_2.0.zip

I found the link on this thread:

http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?t=30233

2. Download v1.18 firmware for the DVR-108 from here:

http://pioneerdvd.rpc1.org/DVR-108%20v1 ... nx4all.zip

I found the link for that here:

http://pioneerdvd.rpc1.org/

3. Unzip the DVRFlash archive.

5. Unzip the firmware archive. Copy the two firmware files "R8100108.118" and "R8100008.118" into the DVRFlash folder.

6. In the Terminal go to the directory that contains the DVRFlash utility and the two firmware files and execute the following command:

Quote:

sudo ./DVRFlash -v -f "PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-117D" R8100108.118 R8100008.118

Here is a transcript of the flash session (unabridged but I have edited out the drive serial number):

Quote:

DVRFlash v2.0 : Pioneer DVR firmware flasher
by Agent Smith et al., July 2004

DISCLAIMER

THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE ABILITY OF THIS PROGRAM TO FLASH A
PIONEER OR COMPATIBLE DVR DRIVE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE
PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY
SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

THIS PROGRAM IS NOT ENDORSED BY PIONEER CORPORATION OR ANY
COMPANY RESELLING PIONEER EQUIPMENT AS THEIR OWN BRAND

IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM AND
DISCHARGE BOTH THE AUTHOR AND PIONEER CORPORATION FROM ANY
DAMAGE OCCURING AS THE RESULT OF ITS USE, PLEASE INDICATE SO
BY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

Do you understand and agree to the statement above (y/n)?
y

Commandline:
./DVRFlash -v -f PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-117D R8100108.118 R8100008.118

Reading firmware 'R8100108.118'...
firmware is of Normal type (PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.18 )
Reading firmware 'R8100008.118'...
firmware is of Kernel type (PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.18 )

Drive Information:
Description - PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-117D
Firmware Rev. - B705
Firmware Date - 04/09/03
Manufacturer - PIONEER
Drive is in normal mode.

Additional Drive Information:
Serial number - xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Interface type - ATA
DVR generation - 0008
Kernel type - APPLE
Normal type - APPLE
Kernel version - 0001

Firmwares and Drive type mismatch
Continue because force option was specified
Are you sure you want to flash this drive (y/n)?
y

Switching drive to Kernel mode:
Description - PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108
Firmware Rev. - 0000
Firmware Date - 00/00/00
Manufacturer - PIONEER
Drive is now in Kernel mode

Now sending the Kernel part...
Now internal Kernel reflashing. Please wait... OK.

Now sending the Normal part:
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
|============|============|============|============|
Please hold your breath for about 30 seconds...

Now internal reflashing. Please wait... OK.

Updated Information:
Description - PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108
Firmware Rev. - 1.18
Firmware Date - 04/11/25
Manufacturer - PIONEER
Flashing operation successful

And there you have it; I am now a happy member of the dual-layer, 16x, region-free club. :-)

swisspeople · **Joined:** Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:08 am **Posts:** 4

qw123456

I have a bad message, if I do it exactly like you wrote:

Could not open device PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-117D

Do you know, what's about this message?

I'm on Tiger Build 8A428 with a G5 2 x 2,5 GHZ

qw123456 · **Joined:** Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:15 pm **Posts:** 6

You should run DVRFlash first without any arguments to see how the drive identifies itself. It may not be a PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-117D...

swisspeople · **Joined:** Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:08 am **Posts:** 4

that's what it is:

Device : A:
Vendor : PIONEER
Model : DVD-RW DVR-117D
Revision : B705

Now run DVRFlash again, from the command prompt, using
one of the device(s) listed above as first parameter

Press the Return key to exit

Is there another possibility for my problem?

swisspeople · **Joined:** Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:08 am **Posts:** 4

qw123456

I changed the command and then it worked!

sudo ./DVRFlash -f PIONEER "R8100108.118" "R8100008.118"

I burned a DVD with 16x! from the Tiger-Finder without any PatchBurn!

My 117 DVD is now a 108 v.1.18

That's cool. Now I have to test a DL Disc. But I have to buy some.

8-)

bopsi · **Joined:** Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:30 pm **Posts:** 3

Last login: Sat Apr 30 16:29:35 on ttyp1
Welcome to Darwin!
userG5:~ userG5$ /Users/userG5/Desktop/DVRFlash_2.0/DVRFlash A:

DVRFlash v2.0 : Pioneer DVR firmware flasher
by Agent Smith et al., July 2004

DISCLAIMER

THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE ABILITY OF THIS PROGRAM TO FLASH A
PIONEER OR COMPATIBLE DVR DRIVE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE
PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY
SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

THIS PROGRAM IS NOT ENDORSED BY PIONEER CORPORATION OR ANY
COMPANY RESELLING PIONEER EQUIPMENT AS THEIR OWN BRAND

IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM AND
DISCHARGE BOTH THE AUTHOR AND PIONEER CORPORATION FROM ANY
DAMAGE OCCURING AS THE RESULT OF ITS USE, PLEASE INDICATE SO
BY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:

Do you understand and agree to the statement above (y/n)?
y

Commandline:
/Users/userG5/Desktop/DVRFlash_2.0/DVRFlash A:

Could not open device \\.\A:
userG5:~ userG5$

that is what I got!!! Why cant I open device A:????

please help!!

fahrenheit · **Joined:** Sat Feb 12, 2005 3:30 pm **Posts:** 248

could i get a confirmation from a more informed person.

i had already found and used a 1.14 regionfree flasher from XVI's site about 9 months ago. after reading all the good posts about upgrading to firmware 1.1.8 and having DL capability i decided to try it.

i flashed my 108 drive with RPC-1 regionfree firmware 1.14 to start but not exactly as in previous posts above and now i have this:

Vendor Product Rev
PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.18

Interconnect: ATAPI
SupportLevel: Vendor Supported
Cache: 2000k
CD-Write: -R, -RW, BUFE, CDText, Test, IndexPts, ISRC
DVD-Write: -R, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW, BUFE, Test
Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
_______

does this now mean i have dual layer burning capability? I am pretty sure the answer is yes, but just need confirmation. so all i need do now is go buy some dual layer media and toast will burn it at what speed? will there be an option in Toast that recognizes dual layer media if inserted? for i see nothing in toast about DL burning. sorry if these are foolish questions.

[_chef_] · **Posted:** Sun May 01, 2005 7:38 am

The DVR-108 comes with DL+ burning support right from the start.
Toast should also support this. If not, maybe Patchburn could be helpful in some way.

That's just a thought from my side - I have no real Mac to prove or test that.

swisspeople · **Joined:** Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:08 am **Posts:** 4

@ qw123456

Are you shure that your Drive is now codefree? I did the same and it isn't! The DVD-Player still will change codes. Or ist that only beacause of the Software from Apple?

I bought a DVD +R DL Disc.
My Tiger with the 117-drive flashed to a 108 sees a Disc with 7.98 GB!
That's cool. Everithing without Patchburn.

I think my Drive is now louder if I watch a DVD on it. Maybe the disk turns faster now. It seems like that. And it's still not Codefree!??!

Does someone now, if its possible to do my Ex-117 codefree??

uniquorn · **Joined:** Tue Nov 23, 2004 5:46 pm **Posts:** 9

swisspeople,
your burner will still have some region code attached to it, even after a successful flash. But no problem, you can change the drive's region code upon inserting a dvd with a different region code.
This would be allowed for four of five times before the drive gets 'locked' to a certain code. So what you need now (for OS X) is an app like 'Region X' that can re-set the number of remaining changes of the drive's region code anytime - and not just 4 times but countless times.
That is how 'region-free' takes effect... and i'm sure you can find a link to the app somewhere inside this excellent forum ;-)

)

enigmatic · **Joined:** Mon Dec 27, 2004 1:15 am **Posts:** 10

I followed the steps above on my G5 and I got a successful patch.

Down side is that since the update I've not had a good burn. Keep getting errors and burning toasters :cry:

Any suggestions?

enigmatic · **Joined:** Mon Dec 27, 2004 1:15 am **Posts:** 10

I thought perhaps it was Toast causing the burns to fail but it's also Finder (Burn Folder).

Disk gets about 50% through then fails.

Error using Burn Folder is:

Sorry, the operation could not be completed because an unexpected error occurred
(Error code 0x8002006D).

Help :oops:

Whipshock · **Joined:** Fri May 06, 2005 6:06 pm **Posts:** 2

I have just flashed my DVR-117D on my G5 with swisspeople's flash command using DVRFlash for Mac. Running 10.4 Tiger and everything seems to be working great. OS X is detecting the drive and DL support and higher speeds are now visible! Thanks all!

enigmatic · **Joined:** Mon Dec 27, 2004 1:15 am **Posts:** 10

enigmatic wrote:

I followed the steps above on my G5 and I got a successful patch.

Down side is that since the update I've not had a good burn. Keep getting errors and burning toasters :cry:

Any suggestions?

Now getting good burns having switched from 4x Princo to 8x Ritek.

slayaz · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:46 am **Posts:** 1

Just like to say HI! and thanks for the great advice / instructions.

I have successfully patched my 117-d adn it works great.

the question is:

Is there a newer version of firmware than 118? Does it make any difference? Should i install it?

Thanks in advance

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