I am using the registered 4.0.5.5 DVDFab Platinum edition and have been experiencing consistent problems with attempted DL clones.

Drive: TSST SH-S182M (DMA ON)

Specifically:

- 4.0.5.5 successfully extracts the source material
- Very occasional write failures (around 51% or so) on cheaper DL media
- Always writes OK to Verbatim DL media
- Seemingly ALL attempts to perform a verify on written DL media fail immediately with a 102 error
- As a test, the written DL media:
+ WILL play successfully in a standalone DVD-Recorder (Panasonic)
+ Will not play in a standalone DVD player (Toshiba) - DISC ERROR
+ Will not play or be recognized on an XP PC (using same drive that it was written on)

Any suggestions will certainly be appreciated and a sample log follows...

1/27/2008 12:35:05 AM info ******************** Report session closed *********************
1/27/2008 12:33:30 AM info Media removed. Burning layer not ready to write
1/27/2008 12:32:24 AM info New media inserted. Burning layer is ready to write
1/27/2008 12:14:36 AM info Media removed. Burning layer not ready to write
1/27/2008 12:14:33 AM info New media inserted. Burning layer is ready to write
1/27/2008 12:13:59 AM info Finalization Time 00:00:44 - Total completion time 00:18:26
1/27/2008 12:13:59 AM info WRITE SUCCESS
1/27/2008 12:13:15 AM info Write finished in 00:17:41 - Finalization start here. Avg. burn rate 6.21
1/26/2008 11:55:36 PM info Lead-in burning time (mS) 0
1/26/2008 11:55:33 PM info Write started 4055456 sectors to write
1/26/2008 11:55:33 PM info Layer change set to LBA 2036448 (3.88 Gb.)
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Writing speed requested x8.0, effective x8.0
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Layer break set by user at sector 2036448
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Available write speed: 8x, 6x, 4x
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Media ID: RICOHJPN-D01-43
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Media type: Dual Layer DVD+R
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Ultra DMA mode 2 (ATA33)
1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Write started
1/26/2008 11:54:47 PM info New media inserted. Burning layer is ready to write
1/26/2008 11:31:27 PM info Compatible media types : DVD-R, DVD-RW Seq., DVD-RW RO, DVDRAM, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R, CD-RW, DL DVD+R, DL DVD-R
1/26/2008 11:31:27 PM info New Drive selected : 1:1:0 - TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-S182M SB05 [E] (Ide)
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info Current Drive selected : 0:0:0 - PLEXTOR CD-R PREMIUM 1.04 [D] (Ide)
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info Using Patin-Couffin driver Version 1.37, Internal revision 37 - Async. Access mode
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info User default language : 1033 (0x0409h) - English (United States)
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info System default language : 1033 (0x0409h) - English (United States)
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info DLL Version 2.1.5.335
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info DLL C:\Program Files\DVDFab Platinum 4\vso_hwe.dll
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info Version 4, 0, 5, 5
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info ExeName : "C:\Program Files\DVDFab Platinum 4\DVDFabPlatinum.exe"
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info OS : Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 (Build 2600)
1/26/2008 11:30:41 PM info ******************** Report session started ********************

Hi Josey and welcome to cdfreaks,

I won't browbeat you about the "crappy" D01 media...you already know about 'em...
A few other thoughts...
Lower your burn speed to 4X for both the Verbs and the crappy Riteks.
I know your burner specs say it'll write DLs at 8X, but it's too fast unless you're using the MKM 003 media and even then I'm not sure.

Are you using MKM 001 or MKM 003?
Are you bitsetting to DVD-ROM?

I don't know anything about the specifics of this drive.
Have you had any luck with DL burns with the SB05 fw?
SB06 is availble as an official firmware...I haven't looked into any modified firmware. You might want to search around on the cdf samsung subforum.

[Edit]
I struck paydirt for my SH-S203B and the MKM 003 with SB01 fw. I was having trouble with my LiteOn LH-20A1S with transitioning from MKM 001 (I can't seem to find MKM 001 MIS) to MKM 003.
The Litey was outstanding with the 001's but was bombing on the 003's

Anyway, if slowing down and bitsetting doesn't improve the compatibilty, I'd look at the firmware.

I've slowed it down to 4x Max and did the bit-setting thing to no avail. So I guess I'll give the SB06 Firmware a shot and see if that helps in any way.

The thing that really bugs me is why the standalone DVR unit has no problem at all with the cloned disc... reads and plays it just dandy. But take that same burn and toss it in the player - DISC ERROR - or back into the original PC drive and it is simply not recognized.

Might be something about the layer change/location(?) as the verify seems to fail right at the start whenever I specify it to occur. This is with both excellent and iffy media.

But pretty much the same deal when trying DVD Decrypter / ImgBurn on the same and many other DVD originals.

Pretty confusing to this fellow.

Yeah, no wonder it's confusing. On the one hand, it makes sense that these clones will play in the panny (recorder) and not the player (toshiba), but damned peculiar they won't play in the burner that created them.

When you said you get similar failures with dvdd and Img...are these rips, fab clone rips? and then burned with dvdd or Img...
or are they ripped with dvdd...or Img with an outside ripper and burned as full discs?

Clone mode will preserve the original LB, regardless of any setting changes, ie., Remove Layer Break is not functional with clone mode.
I'm not sure why the burn log entries are as follows:

"...1/26/2008 11:55:33 PM info Layer change set to LBA 2036448 (3.88 Gb.)
...1/26/2008 11:54:49 PM info Layer break set by user at sector 2036448"

I see the same thing in my "clone" logs and I have no problems.

I still think the firmware may provide the sloution.
I looked around and couldn't find any +R DL scans with your burner with any firmwares later than SB03, back in Jan '07. It doesn't look "too bad" and apparently played ok for the user.

Maybe it's worth a shot to try the SB03 firmware

It's probably worthwhile to post your problem and a scan or 2 on the samsung subforum. If you haven't done so, you'll have to edit your registry to get your burner to scan with nero cd-dvd speed. I think you may be able to use k-probe without the edit...not sure on that one.

Anyway, here's a guide courtesy of mciahel explaining it.
I also read (? by Dragemaster) just remove "SAMSUNG,TSST" and not the entire string indicating the block.

Here's the guide

and here's a screenshot of that DL scan I mentioned,
and the referenced thread (post #77 2nd screenshot):
Post Your Samsung SH-S182M Disc Quality Tests Here

Try one with ImgBurn. See if that works, that way you can narrow down what the problems may be.

Guess you missed this BoSox...