Hi all.

First, allow me to say that I am a CloneDVD/CloneDVD2 and AnyDVD user for a few years now and I have made quite a few succuessful DVD backups with this software combination. I really like both of these applications.

Lately I have had an unusually high number of failed DVD copies and I am not certain as to why. I am familiar with most of the issues that can contribute to failed burns, but I am stumped now.

I am using a fairly new Sony RW DVD DRU 820A DVD Writer. (New in June 2006). Firmware is up-to-date. As for media, like most when I started out with DVD burning I used whatever media was on sale locally. I did learn eventually that the DVD media used is one of the most important factors in quality burns. After reading a lot here and at VideoHelp.com about various media, I started using Ritek Ridata 4X DVD+R media, which was highly recommended here at CD Freaks at the time, and I enjoyed about two years of excellent quality and success rates with my burns. Then I was using an HP 300c DVD Writer.

After getting a new PC with this Sony 820a, I moved to the same type of media - Ritek Ridata - but at a different speed, 8X, to match the new writer. My first 15 burns out of a cakestack of 100 Ritek's were non-playable on just about any DVD player, though they played just fine on my PC. After making sure that my firmware was current I decided that I probably just got a bad batch. Still, I decided to read all I could about DVD media again and discovered that Ritek media was no longer considered to be all that. I did see that Taiyo Yuden was considered by many to be the top of the line. So I bought a stack of those and I still am getting burns at a success rate of about 10 - 15% using CloneDVD2 and AnyDVD. I tried an old stack of Playo that one of my children got me as a gift - I thought they were about the lowest brand available. Yet I got a higher success rate with them. At first I got 12 good burns in a row. Now, however, the failure rate with them is about the same.

So I am tossing about 9 out of every 10 DVD's away. Plus, I have to test-view every burn now.

I am running a new Falcon Northwest PC with a dual core AMD 4400+ processor, 2 GB of Corsair RAM, and gads of hard drive space.

Has anyone heard anything about the Sony DRU DL 820A not burning well? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

This is just my opinnion now, but I would not use Ridata media at all. Try some Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden media. There ofcourse could be numerous other issues here bt changing my media would be my first step.

J-Mack -

Unfortunately you have failed to be specific and provide information as to exactly what your problem is with your Burns.

State in specific detail what is exactly wrong with your Burns. Are you receiving any Error Code(s) and/or Error Notice Narrative(s)? If so provide that information.

What is the type of DVD Media are you using – Minus or + Plus blank DVD Media? What is the Name/Model of the PlayBack Viewing DVD device that you using?

BeLooken

Please read my post again. I said that I stopped using the Ritek media and I am presently using Taiyo Yuden...

Sorry about that J-Mack, as I have to read tthough all the posts on all the forums, sometimes I miss a word ot two. In this case I missed that part of your post. Sorry.

No problem - I'm just frustrated!

I do have a couple stacks of Riteks if you need them!

BeLooken,

I'm not ignoring you; just that I'll have to burn a couple more to see what error messages, if any, I am getting. I don't remember any in particular offhand, though. Just that the media did not seem to be recognized by the players. Though some are, and they play fine. More than a little frustrating!

I can tell you that I use only Plus (+) media. The previous writer that I used extensively was an HP DVD Writer 300c, which used only Plus media. And the Sony DRU 820A recommends Plus ovwer Minus, though it will take either. I also have an NEC 6750A DVD burner in a Notebook PC that recommends Plus media. So by habit I always purchase Plus.

One player is a Panasonic HT830 five-disc - part of a home theater setup, and another is a Panasonic 2232 standalone player - about 4 years old. One of the others is a $30 cheapie from Wal-Mart with a brand name I cannot remember, and it is not available to me right now so I cannot check.

When I burn a couple more I'll try to play them and I'll see exactly what, if any, messages they generate.

What speed do you burn the TYs at? What speed rating are they & are they +R or -R?

Also you haven't yet defined what constitutes a failure.

Edit. Posted at the same time so we now know it's +R media.

Hi TimC.

I set CloneDVD to automatically determine maximum speed. The writer is rated at 8X for most instances, and the TY media is +R, and rated at *X also.

Looks like we posted simultaneously - it actually showed up in the quote for this post as I was typing - pretty cool!

BTW, I'm not trying to blame CloneDVD, AnyDVD, or the media or burner in particular. I have been burning long enough to know that this could be caused by any number of reasons - but most ften something in the hardware/software setup.

I just can;t determine what at the moment.

So these are T02 discs then. well if these are genuine (& there are fakes around) then these are about the best you'll get.

On the burn side of the disc just before the burn part on the inner ring there'll be a batch number something like TG001162.

What's yours.

That was not easy to see at first...

It has TG001162, just as you said, and across from that it has 1119. Got them from Newegg.com. These are meant to be printed on, I think, as they have the same mirror-type finish on both sides. Weren't supposed to be, but that's what they sent me and I just kept them.

Most unlikely to be the media then.

What is your definition of a failure, we still don't know?

set clonedvd to 8x and try to set the booktype of +R media to DVD-ROM.

J-Mack -

What is so difficult for you to provide an exact description of exactly what is “WRONG” with the backup copies that you making? Forum Member TimC and I still don’t know exactly what your problem actually is.

Since we have finally determined you are using + Plus blank DVD Media are you Book Type Bit Setting your DVD+R Media to DVD-ROM to improve compatibility with your DVD playback devises?

In CloneDVD2 v2.9.01 set you Burning speed to “8 Speed” instead of “Maximum”.

Use a software program similar to DVD Identifier (http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com) or DVDInfo (http://www.dvdinfopro.com) and provide the MID (Manufacture ID and Media Code) of the blank DVD+R Media you are using. Just to be safe it would be a good idea to confirm “EXACTLY” what blank DVD+R Media you are actually using.

BeLooken