Hardware:

Bytecc USB2.0 Enclosure
NEC 3500a / BenQ 1620a 16x DVDWriters
Sony Vaio S150 Notebook / Custom Desktop

Discs:

Maxell high grade +R and -R (2/2.4/4/6/8x)
Verbatim 2.4x DVD+RW
Sony 4x DVD+RW
Cheapie +R and -R (4x)

My Spiel:

BenQ hated pretty much everything OTHER than the Maxell +R. Everything else would be a crapshot... stop part way not start at all. Sometimes it finishes. Loved both RW. Using Nero, it will hang during the Lead-In for -R.

NEC loved my RWs. Absolutely hated the -R. Nero would burp with a RESET OCCURED error on start. RecordNow would just say something's wrong. This happened with ALL the -R at ALL speeds. With the +R, it would take it like a pornstar... all the way in, any way you want it, as fast as you can.

This was tried with a myriad of different software versions, firmware revisions, and the like. These are my conclusions, so like it or not :lol:

So why +R/W and barf all over the -R? Beats me.

NB: This is with an EXTERNAL ENCLOSURE. Both drives will burn -R installed (IDE). Tomorrow I'm going to buy another enclosure to try out (maybe Vantec NexStar2).

Could it be that the Bytecc enclosure (ALI Chipset) hates -Rs?

SIDENOTE: I had an NEC 2500a installed before and other than the occasional hang, it would burn both types just fine.

What is it with people putting DVD-R's in external enclosures? Everyone I talk to wants them in an enclosure - are people hard up on 5.25" bays or are you seriously trying to burn DVD's from laptops with crumby 4200rpm ATA100 HDDs?!

1. USB 2.0 is crap, don't sulk about it not burning at 16x when the interface can theoretically only cope with about 6x

2. Firewire is better, you should manage 8-12x maybe

3. IDE is better still, your motherboard can easily cope with 16x

One of the guys at work asked me if he could have the external enclosure for my 3500A as I wasn't using it. It took me about 30mins to get it into his head that they don't actually come with enclosures by default! I didn't even try to explain how pointless it is to have it in the USB1.1 enclosure he had been looking at....

Offtopic: The name of the thread sound a little bit erotic
sej7278: Maybe people love their Nec so much that they want to take it everywhere they go

Thanks for your threadcrap, sej7278.

I don't give a flying shit whether it can burn 16x. I'm showing results from a test done. A test thus far that is showing that -R (that's MINUS R for you that can't read) burning from this specific Bytecc (ALI) chipset enclosure is having issues with these two specific burners. The + (PLUS) type media work just fine, regardless of quality of disc.

Apparently you don't have even the reading skills of a 10 year old.

qube, will the enclosed drive READ all types equally well?

I couldn't get the drive to read -r in an external enclosure either.

Some people buy externals because they dont want to open the computer. I dont have the knowledge or experience. So I bought an external 2500 from Maddog.

It has never been able to burn to -dvd or -dvdrw and crashes the computer trying. Maddog sent a replacement and still the same. (I suspect they sent back the original one)

It does fine with +dvd. Too bad my dvd player doesnt play +dvdrw.

So maybe it is all external usb's have the -dvd problem?

Quite interesting theory you put forward here qube...

I have two NEC 3500 drives in my possession. One internal and one in USB2/FW enclosure. Note, my enclosure is also equiped with Ali USB2 chip (M5621 A1).
But still, I never encountered any of the problems you are talking about. Strange, don´t you think so.

I also tested different firmwares, media and burning aplications on my external drive. No issues what so ever. And from what I have read on this and other forums, NEC 3500 likes dash (-) media better then plus.

Until you can convince me with better arguments then above, I still believe there must be something wrong with your media or madia "handling".
Your HW and subsystem could also be a source for enclosure/drive malfunction. But details about all this is unknown to us.

BTW, I think you should refrain from comments like you did to sej7278, in future.

@qube

If you disagree with someone's post, you may do so, but please do it nicely. Consider this a warning.

@pinto2

This is either very late at night for you or very early in the morning. What are you doing online at this hour?

@myself

Third external enclosures thread that I've come across today. Maybe it's time for some thread merging... hmm.

off topic

Hi there...

Back from pub, one to many beer...

Thread closed in an attempt to consolidate and organize all the external enclosure threads. Please make any new posts in this new thread, where you can also read more about this consolidation. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns about this closure/consolidation. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.