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<TITLE>RE: [TLUG]: recommendations for a DVD burner </TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>I have a LG 4040b DVD-burner too. It poorly supports some of the blank medias, e.g. it won't burn no-name blank DVDs at 4X. I stuck with Princo and Ritek, which are pretty expansive.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: D. Hugh Redelmeier [<A HREF="mailto:hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org">mailto:hugh@mimosa.com</A>] </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: April 5, 2004 11:11 AM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4@public.gmane.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: Re: [TLUG]: recommendations for a DVD burner </FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>| From: cbbrowne-HInyCGIudOg@public.gmane.org</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>| There is something of a known problem with some LG drives...</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>| <A HREF="http://lwn.net/Articles/55537/" TARGET="_blank">http://lwn.net/Articles/55537/</A></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>| </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>| LG has apparently implemented something that doesn't comply with ATAPI</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>| standards, so there is a risk of destroying the drive if you send the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>| wrong commands to it...</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>That problem is just with LG CD-ROM drives (not *-writers) and even then</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>there is a firmware update.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>LG implemented a firmware write command, but chose the ATAPI</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>buffer-flush command to encode it -- after all, who would flush a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>write buffer on a read-only device? Smart thinking. I believe this</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>actually violates the ATAPI spec.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>If you kill your CD-ROM, it is too late to apply the firmware update.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>If you have an LG CD-ROM, go to their website to get an update</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>before you get bitten. Should be somewhere in <A HREF="http://ca.lgservice.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://ca.lgservice.com/</A></FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>(a .jsp hell).</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>================</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>I have an LG DVD writer (4x, +/-) but I don't have enough experience</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>to judge it or compare it. If you look, you can find the 8x version</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>for ~$130 -- cheap enough that I will probably never again buy a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>CD-writer.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>If I remember correctly, the firmware update is distributed in a form</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>that requires MS Windows to unpack it, then DOS to install it. The</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>DOS part I accept, but the MS Windows requirement is gratuitous.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>The retail version comes bundled with MS Windows software; I don't</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>know about the OEM package. The software is not very mainstream. I'm</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>not sure if it is any good.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Hugh Redelmeier</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org voice: +1 416 482-8253</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>--</FONT>
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