Hi Y'all,

My 5006 (US/Canada, purchased from Radio Shack) has been a real pleasure.

But now, just a few months after my 1-yr warranty expired, I have this.

1) dvd-r (taiyo) records fine SOMETIMES. But half the time or more, it "write fails" along the way. Can't trust the machine to complete a timed recording without failing.

2) dvd+rw (ritek) will read and record if brand new disc. After first recording, I can remove it and copy it to my computer hard drive. But my lite-on will not erase it. It shows that erase is working up to 84% or sometimes 87%. Then it fails and spits out the disc, which it then reads as "invalid disc."

+RW is also subject to "write failure" during a recording.

I have tried erasing a +RW on my computer with Roxio. It indicates success and then reads +RW disc as a blank, but Lite-On still won't read or erase that disc and reads it as "invalid disc." So after one recording, dvd+rw becomes unusable in Lite-On.

My firmware is up-to-date (0101). I tried going back to 098 F/W, but no improvement. No hacks - factory f/w only.

Original serial # was:
0104-1840-0092-B208* (101-010D)
*not completely certain of 8, may have misread a G. But I recorded an 8.

Current serial # is:
0104-1840-0101-B20G (100-010D)

I have used these same +RW discs all along, and never had problems erasing and re-using.

The taiyo dvd-r are the value line, so I thought about buying premium discs instead, but have not tried them yet. But I have not had problems with the value line discs before, so why now?

My 5006 still records and plays beautifully when it works - no problem with picture or sound. But it is totally undependable, and that is not acceptable.

I have tried re-setting, with no change.

From searching posts here, I'm thinking I may be another of the many victims of a faulty (dirty?) lens or just a bad drive. But after only about 1 year of normal use?

Or could it be the discs I am using, even though they have performed well for me prior to now?


Here are my main questions.

Can someone recommend the very best DVD+RW and DVD-R discs for this recorder?

And, if this reading problem is so common, will Lite-on repair free of charge, even though warranty has expired?

And last, what is the most dependable machine for the money today, if I just ditch this thing and invest in a new recorder? I am not very interested in having to fight inherent problems on an annual basis, if that can be avoided with another machine.

Thanks for any help you folks can provide.

I'm unfamiliar with Roxio, but doing a full erase on PC using Nero erases -RW that won't erase in my 5005. Nero has quick erase, but that doesn't work where the full erase does. Try full erase if Roxio has that option.

I have a Liteon 5005x that is doing the same thing after one year of use. I am going to install a new Liteon DVD burner from my PC in the 5005x tomarrow. I have already done this with my other unit (5005x) and it works great. Hope this helps some.

If you take the cover off we you let us know what the dvd burner no. is? Its easy to replace if you know what ones will work.

Thanks for the good advice guys.

I am curious though, will the replacement burner last longer than the original one that came inside the Lite-on recorder.

Anybody had an installed replacement burner last at least a few years without problems?

How long?

According to http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=125214, 5005 drive replacement only began around a year ago, but I see no reason replacement burners shouldn't last just as long in the 5005 as they do in PCs. I've had a Pioneer 107D in the PC about 6 to 7 years which still performs flawlessly. The original burners in the 5005 look very cheap, and short 5005 burner life seems to support their being cheap. A good PC burner replacement should last much longer than the original 5005 burner and should last several years IMO.