Ok, I have to first say that I'm new to the NEC hardware. I've been a life long Plextor user (PX-W124Tsi), only recently jumped to Lite-on (LDW-411S), but after 6 months, the Lite-on kept giving me a CRC error on DVD's that I bought, I decided to try NEC (based upon the reviews).

The main reason I originally went with Lite-on, was because of the vast number of utilities and ease in which the Lite-on hardware can be hacked. I liked the fact that the Lite-on was easy to make region-free and the bit setting tool.

I've done quite a bit of rearch before I bought the NEC, so I know that there are tools out there along with various firmware hacks for the NEC drive and I read as much as I can regarding the various posts on here on how to flash the drive using the various firmwares.

My current NEC drive is running version 2.16 and I'd like to know the pros/cons of the current versions ('flavors') of firmware out there.

I know of the following firmware hacks:

1) BETA Version 2.06 TDB Windows Flasher, and 2.16 TDB Windows Flasher
2) Herrie's 2.17
3) BETA MAD DOG 2.F8 Windows

I'm sure there alot of others out there, but these are the most prominent ones.

I'd like to flash my drive, but I'm not sure which one is best.

I'm interested in the following for my drive:

1) the ability to bit set in either single layer or dual layer +R
2) region free my drive
3) maintain quality burns
4) greatest compatibility of blank dvd media (ability to burn to them, not really interested in burning at speeds beyond the rated media speed, although it would be nice)
5) the ease to upgrade firmwares when a new one comes out, I think I recall reading that it's difficult to flash the drive after the drive has been flashed using herrie's 2.17 firmware.

I would appreciate any insight you all can provide.

thanks,

Yo-

Have Herries 2.17 on both my 3500's and have no problems so far.......

Flashed in XP with winrar and all is good to go-

Happy Burnin'

Mike

I also flashed with herries 2.17 on my 3500ag and all is well-love it, no problems. nec3500 and herries 2.17 has been very very good to me.

herries 2.17 here also and no problems as of yet..............

I want to know how the write strategies of Herrie's compare in age to Mad Dog's 2.F8 release. Which ones are newer? My primary concern is in the +R, -R and CD-R strategies.

NEC 2510 and NEC 3500 firmwares dump and strategy versions are posted here : http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=96140

Excuse the ignorance, but what's a write strategy? I've seen the term used, and I assume it refers to a hacked firmware that tells/tricks the drive when it reads a particular type of blank media to be able to write at a much faster speed than the rated media?

Thanks for the link, I found Mad Dog's strategy numbers, but must have skipped past Herrie's. Anyhow, I found a quote that's probably worth more anyway:

It appears Liggy favours Herrie's due to the mentioning of issues with TDK (the basis of Mad Dog's firmware.) I guess I won't be flashing until I see something new...

I am using Herrie's 2.17 plus Liggy's Beta 6.

Herrie's 2.17 firmware is based on the MadDog 2.F8 firmware with drive string ID changed to NEC ND-3500AG 2.17, riplock removed and region free.
Liggy's beta's are also based on this firmware.

What is the success rate of updating to these hacked firmware?

"Success rate"? 100%, if you don't have a power blackout in your area during the flashing process that is...

Thanks