Hello,

I have a plextor 740a - I've burned a lot of DVDs/CDs with it. I'm tempted to get another CD/DVD burner if there is anything coming out by the end of December that is worth getting. I haven't looked in 6 months. I got some great advice about getting the plextor since I didn't know much at the time. I know more about burners at this point but not much about what new hardware is out/coming out. Weren't there supposed to be some super fast SATA ones coming out with better media detection?

Thanks

Your Plextor 740 is a rebadged BenQ 1640 which is one of the better burners available today. You can crossflash it to a 1640 See here, by flashing it to BenQ you will have all sorts of options including overspeed and scanning ability with Nero CD-DVD Speed. Just have a look in the BenQ forum for some info about the 1640. Hope this helps.

Thanks - I was considering the cross flash but some people are still having cd detection issues with it. I'd love to get a new model for tax purposes by the end of the year and give this one to a lucky family member or friend. While it is a very good drive, lets face it a year from now it will be comparable to what comes in a Dell. I'm hoping that something new is coming out VERY soon

Thanks again for the response.

760sa?

Thanks - Can you post a link to it or the benq model? I don't see it on their website.

If you are lucky there will be an NEC 4550 before the end of the year. BTW, SATA is not faster and a total bust with certain chipsets. I would avoid at all costs.

It will be hard to find anything that will really burn better than a working 1640, or have more features. Other drives will just be different.

Hi
Link for Plextor.
Link for BenQ Plus & finally.

Thanks!!!

I was all excited about the lightscribe technology till I got an inkjet printer for color pictures on my CDs/DVDs. The media is almost the same price and I get great color lables/pictures in just a few seconds. It is like getting HighSpeed internet - you can never ever go back!

I'm actually even more anxious about replacing my burner - not sure if it has gone bad or if there is a problem with Nero 7.012. Just updated it last week. Now I've burned nearly 10 pucks in the past week. (I had none before two weeks ago). I had the latest plextor firmware but gave the benq a try after so many pucks - still no improvement.


Windows XP 5.1
IA32
WinAspi: -
ahead WinASPI: File 'C:\Program Files\Nero\Nero 7\Core\Wnaspi32.dll': Ver=2.0.1.74, size=164112 bytes, created 11/2/2004 12:54:32 PM

NT-SPTI used
Nero Version: 7.0.1.2
Internal Version: 7, 0, 1, 2

Recorder: <PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A> Version: 1.01 - HA 1 TA 1 - 7.0.1.2
Adapter driver: <IDE> HA 1
Drive buffer : 2048kB
Bus Type : default (0) -> ATAPI, detected: ?
CD-ROM: <SONY DVD-ROM DDU1612 >Version: DYS3 - HA 1 TA 0 - 7.0.1.2
Adapter driver: <IDE> HA 1

=== Scsi-Device-Map ===
CdRomPeripheral : SONY DVD-ROM DDU1612 atapi Port 0 ID 0 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A atapi Port 0 ID 1 DMA: On
DiskPeripheral : WDC WD2500JD-98HBB0 atapi Port 1 ID 0 DMA: On
DiskPeripheral : WDC WD2500JD-00GBB0 atapi Port 2 ID 0 DMA: On
CdRomPeripheral : SCSIVAX DVD/CD-ROM 2.7a vax347s Port 5 ID 0 DMA: Off

=== CDRom-Device-Map ===
SCSIVAX DVD/CD-ROM E: CDRom2
PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A R: CDRom1
SONY DVD-ROM DDU1612 V: CDRom0
=======================

AutoRun : 1
Excluded drive IDs:
WriteBufferSize: 83886080 (0) Byte
ShowDrvBufStat : 0
BUFE : 0
Physical memory : 1023MB (1048044kB)
Free physical memory: 497MB (509020kB)
Memory in use : 51 %
Uncached PFiles: 0x0
Use Inquiry : 1
Global Bus Type: default (0)
Check supported media : Disabled (0)

12.11.2005
CD Image
10:37:37 AM #1 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 3008
PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A
BURN-Proof activated

10:37:37 AM #2 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 525
ReadBuffer-Pipe got 81920KB of Memory

10:37:37 AM #3 Text 0 File Reader.cpp, Line 124
Reader running

10:37:37 AM #4 Text 0 File Writer.cpp, Line 113
Writer R: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A running

10:37:37 AM #5 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 3302
Turn on Track-At-Once, using CD-R/RW media

10:37:37 AM #6 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 279
Last possible write address on media: 359847 ( 79:59.72)
Last address to be written: 356664 ( 79:17.39)

10:37:37 AM #7 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 291
Write in overburning mode: NO (enabled: CD)

10:37:37 AM #8 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 2578
Recorder: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A

10:37:37 AM #9 Text 0 File DlgWaitCD.cpp, Line 458
>>> Protocol of DlgWaitCD activities: <<<
=========================================

10:37:37 AM #10 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 847
Setup items (after recorder preparation)
0: TRM_DATA_MODE1 (2 - CD-ROM Mode 1, Joliet)
2 indices, index0 (150) not provided
original disc pos #0 + 356665 (356665) = #356665/79:15.40
relocatable, disc pos for caching/writing not required/not required, patch infos
-> TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048, config 0, wanted index0 0 blocks, length 356663 blocks [R: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A]
--------------------------------------------------------------

10:37:37 AM #11 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1059
Prepare recorder [R: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A] for write in TAO
DAO infos:
==========
MCN: ""
TOCType: 0x00; Session Closed, disc not fixated
Tracks 1 to 1:
1: TRM_DATA_MODE1, 2048/0x00, FilePos 0 307200 730757120, ISRC ""
DAO layout:
===========
__Start_|____Track_|_Idx_|_CtrlAdr_|_RecDep__________
-150 | lead-in | 0 | 0x41 | 0x00
-150 | 1 | 0 | 0x41 | 0x00
0 | 1 | 1 | 0x41 | 0x00
356665 | lead-out | 1 | 0x41 | 0x00

10:37:37 AM #12 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1127
Removed 2 run-out blocks from end of track 1. Length: 356665 -> 356663.

10:37:37 AM #13 Text 0 File SCSIPassThrough.cpp, Line 36
SPTILockVolume - completed successfully for FCTL_LOCK_VOLUME

10:37:37 AM #14 Phase 24 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1725
Caching of files started

10:37:37 AM #15 Text 0 File Burncd.cpp, Line 4132
Cache writing successful.

10:37:37 AM #16 Phase 25 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1725
Caching of files completed

10:37:38 AM #17 Phase 36 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1725
Burn process started at 48x (7,200 KB/s)

10:37:38 AM #18 Text 0 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 2685
Verifying disc position of item 0 (relocatable, no disc pos, patch infos, orig at #0): write at #0

10:37:38 AM #19 Text 0 File MMC.cpp, Line 21611
Set BUFE: BURN-Proof -> ON

10:40:10 AM #20 Text 0 File ThreadedTransfer.cpp, Line 228
all writers idle, stopping conversion

10:40:11 AM #21 Text 0 File MMC.cpp, Line 16379
<PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A > start Close Session

10:40:11 AM #22 CDR -1 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1308
Unspecified Recorder Error
R: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A

10:40:11 AM #23 TRANSFER -19 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1308
Could not perform Fixation

10:40:11 AM #24 CDR -1 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1308
Unspecified Recorder Error
R: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-740A

10:40:11 AM #25 TRANSFER -19 File ThreadedTransferInterface.cpp, Line 1308
Could not perform Fixation

10:40:11 AM #26 Phase 38 File dlgbrnst.cpp, Line 1725
Burn process failed at 48x (7,200 KB/s)


Existing drivers:

Registry Keys:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\AllocateCDROMs : 0 (Security Option)

Wait till SATA II arrives. Twice the speed of ATA drives! the Plextor PX-716A is a great drive.

Dis Be one Ole Thread

No Sense or Qualifier? Not good...........Not Good at all. Roll back Nero and try, try again.

SATA is no faster than IDE in the real world, for optical drives. SATA II will also be a bust as the upper limit for disc speed is currently at 16X due to limits in the disc materials. I am pleased you find your Plextor good. I have found most other drives are better, especially considering the Plextor's 300% price surcharge.

Welcome to the forum.

plex sata drive in an e-serial case will be unmatched in external drives