I'm not too certain what NVidia drivers I currently have installed (possibly 6.14.10.45.23) but I am curious if installing the version 4.24 drivers would work well with my system:

FIC Mainboard
GeForce 2 Graphics Card (exact model?)
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton" CPU
Windows XP

I'd like to try the newly released 4.24 drivers, as they appear stable with the 2510A, but I want to be sure I can reform back to my current drivers if anything goes haywire with the 4.24.

Thats not a problem with WinXP as you can use to RollBack or System Restore. Or simply Uninstall the drivers. The new IDE Driver for Nvidia is ver 5.10.2600.412 dated 1/13/2004 comes along with Version 4.24 as a package.

Nvidia just posted a new package drivers for Nforce board chipset that is version 4.27 release on July 19, 2004.

Tested it and runs ok on my Asus A7N8X Deluxe board. However Nvidia does not recommend this driver on a Chaintech 7NJS Board.

i use the nec 2500 with the firmware 2k5107v2b5dl. It was bitsetted with DVDInfoPro 2.56: The default booktype for DVD+R is DVD-ROM.
After copy a DVD with CloneDVD the new DVD can't be read by my DVD-Drive Pioneer-DVD-103. It can't be read by the nec 2500 too with the hacked fw.
So i try to use this DVD with the standalone player Cyberhome 505. Surpise, surprise: It can be read there.

After backup the nec 2500 with the stock fw 1.07. It can read the DVD to!!!

Checking the DVD with DVDInfoPro or CD-DVD-Speed it shows DVD-ROM.

I've burned before some DVD+R with the stock fw. These can read by all the drives i have, including Cyberhome.

Can anyone tell me what the matter is!

Thanks

I just wanna add some steps needed to get my NEC2500A able to burn DVD.

First: Install VIA Arena IDE driver, don't use default microsoft driver.
This step makes it detectable by dvdinfopro / dvd identifier / nero info tool
However, it always freezes when I tried to burn DVD. I could burn CD w/o problem.
Second step: using via ide driver setting, set the drive to PIO4 NOT Ultra DMA.
Finally, I can burn DVD now !

spec: VIA KTxxx Motherboard, Athlon XP2000+, WinXP Pro SP1.

A writer in PIO mode will not allow you to burn at higher speeds and will produce problematic burns at low speeds.
Your advice is flawed.
DMA enabled is REQUIRED for DVD burning.

sry but that's the only way to solve the freeze problem. I've been searched in this forum for the solution, and I that's the only way I found. Unless there is a better way I will certainly take it.

Need help..
Have new ND-2500A (Mad Dog Dominator 6-in-1-Dual) using DVD Decryptor/ DVDShrink. After burning using 4X Memorex -R and +R or Fuji 4X +R, DVD does not play in either of my DVD players, only plays on a PC. Same process with my ND-1100A works fine using same media. After return/replacement, they all did the same thing. Any help would be appreciated.

Intel P4 3.06
1GB Dual Channel DDR 3200
Intel 3D Extreme embedded graphics
Nero 6.3.1.6
DVD Decrypter 3.2.3.0
DVD Shrink 3.2.0.15

@cool4now, your DVD player may require a disc with a booktype of DVD-ROM.
The 1100A did this automatically with some firmwares.
Check the firmware guide pinned thread to find a bitsetting fw for your drive.

wesociety - Thanks for the info. I normally don't post in forums, but glad I did. I read through the forums, backed up my original FW and flashed with 2k5107v2b5dld. Set booktype with DVDInfoPro, and now burns both -R and + R with no problem. Also indicates dual layer +RL supported. Saved me another trip to OfficeMax to return drive. I will wait for RL media to come down some and try burning to burn DVD with no compression. Thanks again.

Glad I could help
Maybe you should post more often

I grabbed an NEC 3500A today and it won't read faster than about 10.5x. It's stuck in Multi-word DMA Mode 2 (16.6MB/sec). I have four drives on a PCI IDE controller. They are configured as follows:
Primary Master: NEC 2500A
Primary Slave: Toshiba SD-R5002 (older DVD-RW drive)
Secondary Master: NEC 3500A
Secondary Slave: LG 16x CD-RW
The Toshiba is actually in UDMA mode 2 (33.3MB/sec) while the other three are in Multi-Word DMA Mode 2 (16.6MB/sec). How can I set the 3500A (well, the rest of the drives actually ) into 33.3MB/sec mode?
I am using 80 pin cables on all the drives, Win98SE, and I do not have the option to change DMA settings for a specific drive. I'm using a Silicon Image SiI 0680 Ultra 133 Raid controller.

I'm thinking about getting a NEC 3500a or a related drive like the Pioneer dvr108 and the following troubles me because I use the Intel Application Accelerator RAID Edition as the RAID controller for the hard disks in my Windows XP Pro SP1 system. Is this likely going to be a problem?

The Intel Acceleration thinggy as well as Nvidia plague are not NEC specific.

They more often than not harm your burning installation with EVERY drive. If the latest update of those don't give you problems, just ignore the advice. If they do then uninstall them.

Hi, this is my first post. I hope it's the right place for it.

I'm currently thinking about getting a DVD burner (another first for me). I've narrowed it down to the NEC 3500, but after all the controversy that surrounds the reading of DL discs on the earlier model (2500A is it?), I'm wondering if people are having the same problems with the 3500?

I'll probably be getting a Shuttle case in a couple of months (if I can scrape enough money together!), but as they're so tiny you can only fit one optical drive in it. That's one drive to read\write everything. If I'm unable to play the odd rented DVD because it's slightly scratched then I'll need to start the search all over again.

Does anyone have any information on this? I've spent hours going from site to site without much luck. Any help would be very much appreciated. I can only afford one shot at this.

Thanks.

is there also a media database for cds like http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia ?

@ fuxxi

... InstantInfo - optical storage data base
. . the data base is located in Germany, but maybe there are any useful informations for you, too

@ShivaZ: im from Germany and this Site is nice. Thank You!

I'd like to see the booktype section of the FAQ updated to mention the limitations on bitsetting for the 3500. Ie that as of yet, it is not fully implemented for single layer disks, only working for the +R format, not the +RW format.

can the nec 2500a burn dual-layered dvds?

Yes, with 2510A firmware loaded on it.

that's sweet! i guess i won't have to get the 3500 then

Does anybody have problems with there nec 3500 AG dvd drive. I have an external drive. I insert a blank dvd+r disc and it doesn't recognize it as a dvd drive it recognizes it as a cd drive. please help

I bought a NEC 3500a, and hate it. I have a K-Hyp 8x and using the same media (K-hyp, Imation and HP), same software (nero 6.6.0.1), burning same Video files(4Gb), the 3500 takes 10:30 and the K-hyp only takes 6:40 to burn. When I'm burning both say they are burning at 8x, but the 3500 is burning at about 6x. I have the 2.16 Frimware from Dangerous Bros with rip lock. It allows me to rip a DVD at the same speed as my K-hyp, but not burn.

I thought it might be a bad drive so I bought a MadDog (same drive guts) and it did the same thing. Anyone have any comment how to fix this, make it burn at a true 8X or more?

BTW, when I do a Nero speed test the 3500 shows its faster, but when it burns its significantly slower.

Thanks
Nagelxj

I have the NEC 3500A. I am having trouble reading the DVDs I burn on anything but the PC. I have tried multiple brands of blank media and multiple format (-r, +r, etc). My firmware is 2.C8.

Any ideas as to what I might try? Could book type have something to do with it? Thanks