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Firmware Support
Are you having trouble burning certain types of DVD R media with your burner?
The first thing we recommend is trying a few different types or brands of DVD R media. It is important to realize that as media manufacturers change and update their discs to add more speed and functionality, the firmware of the drives does not automatically change with them. Drive manufacturers offer firmware upgrades because of the new and different media types being released to the market. Even if you have a favorite brand of disc that works great for you, the formula may someday change and it will be necessary to upgrade either the firmware or the drive itself. While a firmware upgrade is not a guaranteed "fix all" for burning problems, it can and often does resolve issues.
So what's the deal with all these firmware updates? The reality is that most of the time, the drive manufacturers are actually playing catch-up to the media manufacturers. Therefore, it is not uncommon for drive manufacturers release updated firmware for their drives that include support for a wider variety of media, bug fixes and speed and performance improvements. The major reason why you should keep your drive firmware up to date is for the media support.
As DVD R media is created or changed by the world's media manufacturers, support for it is added to the newest firmware revisions. The firmware tells the drive the best settings for a particular piece of media, which helps the drive produce the best possible burned discs. You may need a firmware upgrade before you can even burn a certain brand or speed of DVD media, or even add support for a different format of media. Sometimes the drives will have support for media that isn't even available yet and the firmware will be needed when that media is released. Support for a wider variety media is the main reason for these firmware updates, but sometimes they will even correct problems with operating systems or certain burning software. For this reason, you should make sure that you have the latest version of your burning software as well.
How do you identify what drive model and firmware you have already? For Windows users, go to "My Computer" and do a right mouse click and choose Properties, choose the "Hardware" tab, then choose "Device Manager" button. You can then find your drive from the list of CD / DVD drives and highlight it, right click and select "Properties," then "Details." Your drive type and firmware version should be displayed.
Other applications like the NERO Info Tool or even some third-party burning software can tell your current drive and firmware version. For Macintosh computers, you need activate the Apple System Profiler. Choose the "Devices and Volumes" tab at the top, select from the list of ATA Device choices for your DVD drive, click on the small arrow expand that line. It should show your drive model, manufacturer and firmware revision number.
To find the latest firmware for your DVD burner, we recommend visiting your drive manufacturer's home page.
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