Ian@cdrlabs.com has posted some images that show the leadin gap problem here.

Thanks ala42, that was what I was looking for, something 'catchable'.

I burned a movie this morning @ 18x on a Sony DVD-R MID TYG03 with SB04. Samsung had no problem seeing it after burn, but a scan with the Samsung was horrible. TRT looked Ok though.

worker suggested to me (http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21928 ) that I try flashing backwards to SB01.

I did, and it resolved the problem.
SB01 is available from www.samsung-odd.com in the firmware section as a .bin file. Also download the sfdnwin.exe installer. Ignore the warning you'll get about the firmware being older than your current version.

My lead-in is back to normal with -R discs.

Thanks worker!

Pictures are the best evidence. I would add that what you are seeing is the result of no data actually being written to the lead-in area. The start of the actual data (ie video or other data) is correct but the lack of lead-in data makes people think the writing to the disc is starting in the wrong place. SB00 and SB01 for the 182D are the only firmwares that do not have this problem. All other's, including all of the firmwares for the 182M and DRU-830A, have this problem. I have tried all of these firmwares. The good news is Samsung is now aware of the problem and hopefully we'll get a fix soon.

My drive doesn't seem to have this problem. I copied Startrek 1 to a FugiFilm brand burned at 8x. Plays on the Samsung in my PC and on my standalone Liteon DVR 1105GHC+ with no problems. Scan of the disk is below.

Wonderful!!

worker - Thanks for keeping up with Samsung! You obviously have more patience than I and I salute you. Now lets all cross our fingers and hope they take the extra time to make sure the firmware is just right.

chef - since I didn't make the post you referenced, nuff said.

Yeah, sorry. Mixed that up.


It was pointed to "mike18xx".

about the GAP, far from the ''center'' is not good? it is interesting these problems you guys have been reporting because mine with SB03 seems to be fine, should I update to SB04 just to be updated

thanks

I can confirm this worked for me also.

oh I forgot to say that my philips DVP642 (divx player) recognizes and plays the medias quite well, I've just measured one DVD-R Led In and was 2 melimeters (with SB03), when I bought the Samsung it came with SB01 and I burned a DVD+R the distance it got was 1 milimeter, Now I got confused, which one is the right?

Bloody awful drive - same problems as above ,tried all versions of firmware from 00 to 04.dont even bother trying--have retuned it after wating 24 test discs - only to be told --u guessed NO FAULT FOUND
INCIDENTALLY DONT GET THE SONY AWG170A either it has the same problems -see my post

Just for comparison. My SH-182M does not show this problem with SB02.

Neither does mine. For proof, here is a TYG02 burned on the 182M with SB02 firmware, and quality scanned on my Liteon 165H6S.

The problem is not with quality scans or recognition in all drives. It is simply that lead-in is not being created properly. You have to look at the disc using your eye's and see/understand that the lead-in area is not correct. There is no data being burned there with the newer firmwares. Only SB00 and SB01 for the 182D are correct. All other versions including the 182M and DRU-830A have a problem. 182M SB02 and 182D SB03 are very closely related. They both share this issue.

Visual inspection is easier if you compare burns from the Samsung to burns from another drive. Mine was pretty noticeable. I only had one player that actually had problems with the burns (a Sony). The only burner that had issues reading them was my Benq 1650. Everything else handled them fine.

Maybe there is a bad batch of drives. My drives are MadDog versions from Circuit City. I have no problems with either of these drives. Burns are good and play good on my Liteon 1105GHC+.

SB01 solved the problem , but I wanna see it fixed in SB05.

I have been in contact with Samsung, and asked them to make a "CDFreaks edition" of the firmware SB04, which should have the Lead-In “problem” fixed. Please notice that this firmware is NOT an official firmware.

The firmware flasher can be obtained here.

The Firmware SB04 “CDFreaks edition” (dated 9th of November) can be downloaded here.

Thanks Jan70. They have told me this would be fixed but could not give me a date. This will work until they release the next version.

edit: Just did a quick burn and it looks like they have it fixed.

Thanks Jan70 , however I can't try this one now.

but Will they release an official one? Will they admit they made a mistake?

@Jan70 - thanks so much!

I have the "regular" SB04 sitting on my desktop (my SH-S182D came with SB02), and was talking about flashing it, when DrageMester kindly sent me here.

Jan70,

Is there a "CDFreaks Edition" of the SH-182M firmware?

Jan70 - I hope that the new firmware fixes the problem for other people...
I still, even with the new firmware, can't make a working disc.
It might work for making Video DVDs, but after adding another coaster to my stack after trying to produce yet another failed Data DVD-R I don't care to bother trying.

Since my main use for the drive is making Data DVDs and it will not, I'm giving up on samsung entirely. This is my second SH-S182D and there won't be a 3rd... If there isn't a new working firmware before my return window closes its going back... the return window closes this weekend. I don't have much hope in samsung fixing it and I refuse to be out cash for a drive that may or may not work at some point in the future. I've wasted a quarter of a spindle on trying to get this drive to work. Thankfully I only buy media on sale so I'm not out a ton of cash, but thats over 6 hours of just burning time and not 1 disc thats right.

I've tried going back to SB00, SB01, SB02, SB03, SB04, SB04 CFE... and I can't get a disc the drive will even read. The lead in for my discs is still to large, and while they might be fixing it producing Video DVD they seem to be ignoring people who might actually just write just data to discs. Its possible that I just have a bum drive, other people rolled back firmware and got good results, I'm not that lucky it seems. But since both of the drives I've had behaved the same way the odds on it being just a bum drive seem to be lower, and if I was given to conspiracys I'd think maybe I was buying factory second drives that someone got a deal on.

I thank everyone for their hard work and wish them luck getting their drives working, but my patience is at an end, I would rather use an "inferior" drive that works rather than this drive that "might" work at some point in the future. Hopefully my local stores will get some new drives in to choose from soon.

Good Luck