I just got an OEM BenQ 1650 from Newegg already flashed with BCFC firmware. It is installed as my secondary burner (my first is a Lite-On SOHW 1673S). I burned my first disc on the BenQ (Verbatim 16X DVD-R). The burned turned out good, but it took 18 minutes to burn at 8X speed. I did run a scan but I do not understand what the scan tells me. I tried reading the FAQ section on scans, but it is too technical for me. I also checked to make sure the DMA is enable and it is. Can someone tell me if this is a good scan and why it took so long to burn the disc? Am I doing something wrong?

I have now burned 3 discs, all at 8X and each burn took longer than the one before. The 2nd burn took 22 minutes and the 3rd burn locked my computer up at 27 mins. What is the problem?

Hi
Welcome to the forum mickilea.
This type of problem can be f/w or SolidBurn related. If you've enabled SB, just clear learned memory & see what happens then (alternatively you could just disable SB). If you don't have SB enabled either just redownload f/w(in case there's a problem there) & reflash the same f/w. Or (still redownload) flash back to previous f/w & then upgrade again. Let us know the results.

22 minutes??? wtf?? that sounds way too weird to me, could that really be f/w or SB??

Hi
gregtherotterius,
No guarantees the suggestions in my previous post will work. But sometimes in the past it has been known. If flash hasn't taken properly due to pc background activity(an argument in favour of flashing in safemode here) or corrupt download. SB has been also been known to be overfierce in the past too. For similar reasons. There may of course be other factors at work here. Process of elimination.

The drive came already with the latest firmware BCFC. This was an OEM disc bought from Newegg so there was no disc with it. I don't have Smartburn - where would I get that? I went to the BenQ website & there was no Smartburn to d/l. Also, the drive is listed as having no region code. Does this mean it is region free or do I need to choose region 1?

Go here: http://www.benq.us/ServiceAndSupport...fm?product=817

You'll see a link part way down for "QSuite". It has the tools to control Smartburn, Overspeed, and WOPC.

My OEM DW1650 from newegg came with no region specified as well. I had to set it to Region 1.

Here's a scan I got from the same media. It was burned at 16X, OS off, SB defaults, and WOPC on.

Hi
To enable SolidBurn(SmartBurn is a Lite-On function) you need QSuite 2.1. You can download QSuite & manual (this will give you a basic idea what does what)from links in my sig. Previous 1650 f/w here. You don't have to set region. I never do.

That's no guarantee that you get proper data rates.

The only way to know for sure is to run the burst rate test as shown in the screenshot below.

You need to have a disc [with data] inserted in the drive and be in the Benchmark tab of CD-DVD Speed to launch this test.

If you get something like 3 MB/s, that will be consistent with your burn time and resulting quality.

Hi Mickilea,

1) Try changing your BenQ to your Primary Buner!
2) If you are dead set on running as your secondary burner/dvd ... I would again go thru my Device Manager and check the DMA settings ... also, Check your BIOS settings.
Q: What Program were you using to make the Burns?

Also, a comment/question for all the folks above ... even though the Scan results say 96, 97% Quality ... Aren't the Total number of PI Errors a little too much!?!?!? I am just curious for you folks feedback.

Gonwk!

PIEs or PIFs?

~60,000 PIEs is very good for -R media.

The problem is the PIFs. The frequent PIFs of 1 (a lot of green color on the bottom) indicate that the burn process was interrupted many hundreds or a few thousand times because the data was not supplied to the drive at 11+ MB/s necessary for an 8x burn. [18 minutes to burn a disc is only about 3.2x.]

zebadee a bit of an aside here could u explain why in some pics details of the recording writer are displayed and others they arent ?

Okay, I have switched my BenQ to master & my Lite-On to slave, downloaded QSuite & set all parameters to suggested. I can't reflash my f/m because the file is a rar file & my Windows XP won't open that kind of file. I reburned & it still took 19 mins. I'm getting good burns using Nero 6 (full version), so still can't understand why it takes to long to burn.
I bought this BenQ because my Lite-On does not like the Verbs. I use TY most of the time, but there are times when I need to burn on Verbs (long story), so I guess if I have to live with the long burns, at least I am getting good burns on the Verbs now.

Any other ideas on why the burns are taking so long? Also, how are you all able to open the rar file? I never had any of these problems with my Lite-On drive & I bought it OEM also. And I have no problems updating my f/m for it. Why is the BenQ giving me so many problems?

BTW, thanks for all the help.

Um... What is the burst rate of the drive's interface? See that MB/s number in the lower right corner? What do you get?

DVD-R media saves the details of the burner used to write the disk. DVD+R media does not. CD/DVD Speed will report the "recorded with" burning drive's details when you do a "Disc Quality" Scan with DVD-R media. I got this from another thread in this forum but I couldn't find it again.

Also, if you do a Create Data Disc with DVD-CD Speed
it will show the "recorded with" info on DVD+R too.

I ran the burst rate and it is 33 MB/s. What does that mean?

I think you mean 23mbs, don't you?

mickilea, what kind IDE cable do you use, 40pin or 80pin ?

thanks chuck and icy .... i comprehend now

My burst was 33 but I went back to do it again and realized that I had done the test on a disc in my Lite-On drive. The dvd I had just burned on my BenQ has a burst rate of 33 in my Lite-on but only 24 in my BenQ. Is that normal?

As far as the IDE cables, I use the round ones not the flat ones. In case you haven't figured out yet, I know just enough to get me by on standard things and not enough to get me out of trouble.

Can anyone tell me why I can't open up the rar file for the BCFC f/m file?

1) 24mb = udma2 and if i remember correct it's ok.
2) Round once are probably 80pin.
3) install winrar, download again the bcfc f/m.

hope that help's .

You could also try 7-zip http://www.7-zip.org
It's freeware and will also open rar files.