The website DVDwriters.co.uk has some more information on the Pioneer DVD-R drives bug. We reported about this bug before and updating the firmware should fix the problems. However this firmware update also seems to have some side affects.
According to the website the firmware update removes the 2x burning for Ritek and CMC DVD-Rs. These were introduced in firmware v1.31 (for the A04), but can now only be written at 1x after the update. The site has also more information on the problem taken from the website MacintoshDigitalHub.com (The Pioneer drives are widely used in the latest Apple PCs)
First, some background on the media. Manufacturers of blank DVD media are beginning to ship blanks that can be burned at double (2x) or quadruple (4x) speeds. Although these media aren't widely available yet, they will be in October. You'll soon be able to buy DVD-R blanks that can burn at 4x, and DVD-R/W blanks that can burn at 2x. (You won't necessarily be able to burn at the that speed, however, as noted in my update of September 18.) |
Now here's the problem. According to Pioneer, when you insert one of these high-speed blanks into a Pioneer DVD burner, the burner can become "confused" and lock up. If you don't promptly remove the media (by powering down and then restarting with the mouse button pressed), the drive's optical pickup assembly can overheat and fail. (The pickup assembly is the drive's laser, lens, and associated circuitry.) Pioneer estimates that this overheating could take place in as little as five minutes.
So what's the resolution? For Mac users, that answer is a bit hazy. Pioneer is releasing updater software that tweaks the internal firmware in its drives so that they are able to use the high-speed media. This firmware updater will be available for download from Pioneer's Web site; you'll also be able to order it on a CD-ROM.
But this updater will not work with SuperDrives, since they contain Apple's firmware. According to Pioneer senior vice president Andy Parsons, "Apple is aware of the issue, and we expect they will have a solution soon." Parsons emphasized that he was not speaking on behalf of Apple, and that any updater announcements would have to come from Apple itself. In any case, those of us with SuperDrives will have to wait for Apple to deliver a firmware update."
More information about the bug and how to fix it, can be found in our previous newsposting here. If you would like to discuss this, feel free to visit our DVD Forum.
Source: DVDwriters.co.uk
