Unable to write DVD - Which DVD media has worked for you?

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fbell50 · #1 Post by **fbell50** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:10 pm

My T42p has a Panasonic/M a t s u s h i t a UJ-812B DVD drive which supports the -R DVD format. I can read cds, dvds, and write cd-rw, but when I try to write to a Ritek 4X DVD-RW a message is displayed requesting a blank DVD and asking me to check that I am using the proper format disk.

I have spent over an hour with IBM support, during which I was told that the DVD+RW would work and then asked why I wanted to write DVDs when I could write CDs! Finally they decided to send me a new drive which also fails. I asked which DVD-RW brand I should use, but they refused to recommend a brand.

Has anyone successfully burned DVDs, and if so what brand did you use?

MadeInJapan · #2 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 9:31 pm

Does media from somewhere other than Ritek work on it? Could be that you got 2 defective drives. I've always had good luck with TDK, Maxell, E-gear (Target brand), Imation and Memorex. I have also tried some other no-name discs but with mixed results....even within one cakepack...some discs work while others don't.

edelrc · #3 Post by **edelrc** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 9:41 pm

I don´t know if was just chance... but I tried three Ritek DVD-R two days ago and did not work for me either...

It did write good since other non-IBM laptops could read it... but the same thinkpad that wrote it, could not read it.
Pfreviously, I had problems a couple of times with Sony DVD-R media, so I called IBM and they decided to exchange my drive. I am waiting now for it.

Wish i had tried with more brands of virgen DVD-R media!
Never had problem with original DVDs

sugo · #4 Post by **sugo** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 11:03 pm

The following worked great here:

MIJ TDK 2x DVD-R
MIJ Sony 1-8x DVD-R
MIJ Panasonic 3x type 4 DVD-RAM
MIJ Maxell 3x type 4 DVD-RAM

lebouc · #5 Post by **lebouc** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 2:13 pm

hi
i had exactly the same problem
All X4 DVD-RW media are not compatible with M a t s u s h i t a UJ-812B. Use first a X2 DVD-RW media and tell me (not a X4 because some X4 are not compatible with X2 DVD recorder.
I am sure it will work.
For information, M a t s u s h i t a UJ-812B is not compatible with DVD and CD +

JohnDrake · #6 Post by **JohnDrake** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 6:15 pm

Did you format it first?

lebouc · #7 Post by **lebouc** » Sat Dec 18, 2004 7:15 am

i do not format it

fbell50 · #8 Post by **fbell50** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 3:18 pm

As suggested I got a different brand and speed (Memorex 2X DVD-RW) and they work. Thanks to everyone who replied and pointed me on the right track.

This is the first Thinkpad I have ever been disappointed with, and this finicky DVD drive and IBM support's inability to recommend media is one of the disappointments.

willflash4beads · #9 Post by **willflash4beads** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:19 am

Are there any guidelines for choosing recordable DVD media that will be compatible with the Matshita UJ-812? Since it has a maximum data transfer rate of 2X for DVD-R and DVD-RW media, I would think that any media >= 2X would work, but I saw some TDK media rated at 4X that says it is intended for use ONLY in 4X drives/recorders. If media is rated for a range that includes 2X (say 1X-8X), should that work okay? I notice the UJ-812 is compatible with DVD-R V2.0 General and DVD-RW V1.1, and I've seen some media specify their compliance with these standards. Is it important to use both speed rating and standards compliance as criteria? I really dislike going the "try it and see if it works" route.

UCI2CI · #10 Post by **UCI2CI** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 4:03 am

willflash4beads,

i saw those TDK DVD-R disks also. It had a scarry warning saying that it could actually damage some dvd-writters by fogging the lens. I've had good experience with both cheap and expensive disks. I actually just burned a bunch of DVD a 2 weeks ago using GQ disks which are considered bottom-of-the-barrel disks. No problems what so ever. The disks i wrote still work

. I have used Sony, GQ, and Apple (i dont know why i bought Apple disks.....tooooo freaking expensive). They were all rated from 1-8x, or 1-4x. I think as long as you use either disks rated at 2x speed (which are rare now a days) or disks rated for 1- X, X= 4, 8, 12..... you'll be fine.

WilsonF · #11 Post by **WilsonF** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 9:34 pm

I have found that Imation X4 DVD-R and -RW disks can't be written in my TP, but no-name X-2 and all Imation X2 (quite a bit less expensive) will work.

I also have had Verbatim 4X Data-life plus P/N 94495 work in my TP (although only at 2X record speeds). However, these are expensive inkjet-printable-surface disks; I haven't tried other Verbatim 4X disks as I have about 75 of these around my home.

It's a pain in the neck to keep two kinds of disks, but it's expecting a lot to have a TP write DVD's on battery power.

I am now seeing 5.25" DVD writers that will write both - and + and dual-layer DVDs at 4x or 8d under $100 (or just a little over with a USB 2.0 enclosure that you install the drvie in yourself). At those prices, you can have one at home and one at work and rely on the TP fairly rarely.

MadeInJapan · #12 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:17 am

I know that it's not thinkpad related, but CompUSA has 50 packs of 8x DVD+R TDK's on sale right now for $20.00 a pack!

Unable to write DVD - Which DVD media has worked for you?

Unable to write DVD - Which DVD media has worked for you?

Problem solved - thanks to everyone who replied

Any guidelines for choosing DVD media?

Verbatim 4X Data-life plus P/N 94495 work for me

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