The Dolphin tells it like it is....

[apvm]

So I just read the review of the SH-S203B on CDRLabs and it looks like a pretty good review. What's the dolphin's recommendation now between the S203B and the Pioneer 212?

I have both the SH-S203B and a Pioneer 112, for good media like TY and Verbatim, the S203B burn slightly better than the Pioneer and can burn at a higher speed with good results too but Pioneer could handle poor media like TDK, Memerox etc slightly better than the Samsung. The Samsung burn Cdr pretty good while my 112 couldn't burn or read cdr, btw I am still waiting for my 112 to come back from rma.

[Macross_Freek]

I have both the SH-S203B and a Pioneer 112, for good media like TY and Verbatim, the S203B burn slightly better than the Pioneer and can burn at a higher speed with good results too but Pioneer could handle poor media like TDK, Memerox etc slightly better than the Samsung. The Samsung burn Cdr pretty good while my 112 couldn't burn or read cdr, btw I am still waiting for my 112 to come back from rma.

I would actually like to buy the 212 but I would prefer to have bitsetting option. Is non bitsetting with DVD+R media pretty irrelevant now with newer dvd players? I do have some older dvd players but I've always used bitsetting to set DVD+R to DVD-ROM.

Also as another question, was the 212 plagued with the same cd issue as the 112? I don't remember reading anything definitive about this. Would the newest firmware release have fixed this on both the 112 and 212?

[Ghetto_Child]

Hey everyone I don't know if any of you came across this medium code. I've got 250pcs of this medium code right now. I'm testing a screener of my friend's movie "The Descendant" anyway. I will post graphs of the PI/PO test I did using my PX-716A and PlexTools Professional V2.35

To give you a hint/preview the medium code is ProdiscF01 exactly written like that. According to PlexTools and Nero CD-DVD speed it's a 4.7GB 8X DVD-R disc that was burned in a HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4165B labeled "STORAGELABS_TINYUDF_VOLUME". Nero scandisc says each file in the 3.7GB movie on the disc is 100% and here's a text result of a SUM1 PI Error and SUM8 PI Error scan below. I don't know what brand/label these spindles are from. I have 5 spindles of 50 discs and all 5 spindles are identical with Arial font on the spindle cover. These spindles could be just generic empty ones bought to store a bulk pack of the discs. I really don't know if they came with the discs. Oh the spindles look the same as I've seen RiData come in, clear cover with smooth rounded edges and the part that holds the disc is all gray.

The ECMA has a couple of standards that determine what are good ranges. For SUM1 (PI Errors per block) you must not have more than 4 errors per block. For SUM8 (PI Errors per 8 consecutive blocks) you must not have more than 280 errors per 8 blocks. If you want to know what an error is and what it means you can look it up on the ECMA International website. Download the ECMA 267 Standard for DVD-ROM, the ECMA 337 Standard for DVD+R/RW and the ECMA 338 Standard for DVD-R/RW at http://www.ecma-international.org/pu...ataInterchange

Nero CD-DVD Speed V4.10
Nero CD-DVD Speed: Disc Info
Basic Information
 Disc type:           : DVD-R
 Book Type            : DVD-R
 Manufacturer:        :  unknown
 MID                  : ProdiscF01
 Write speeds:        : 4 X - 6 X - 8 X
 Blank Capacity       : 4.38 GB
                      : 4489 MB
                      : 4707319808 bytes
Extended Information
 Layers               : 1
 Usage                : General
 Copyright protection : n/a
 Recorder information : recorded with HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4165B
 Disc Status          : Closed
Raw Data
Pre-recorded Information in Lead-in (0Eh)
0000 - 01 40 C1 FD 9E D8 52 00 02 88 0D 0C 88 88 90 00 - .@....R.........
0010 - 03 50 72 6F 64 69 73 00 04 63 46 30 31 00 00 00 - .Prodis..cF01...
0020 - 05 B8 83 00 30 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 66 C1 FA 77 - ....0.......f..w
0030 - 34 00 00 C0 10 DB 05 00 1E 48 2F 7C 34 00 00 C0 - 4........H/|4...
0040 - 8C DB 05 00 F8 EB FD 7F B4 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF - ................
0050 - CC DB 05 00 44 33 4A 00 25 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 - ....D3J.%.......
0060 - 00 00 00 00 18 00 00 00 3C 00 00 00 F8 EB FD 7F - ........<.......

Q-Check PIPO SUM1 ProdiscF01 8X-R.txt
This scan tests for uncorrectable PI errors per data block on the disc
-------------------------------------------------------
PlexTools Professional V2.35     Q-Check PI/PO Test
Copyright(C) 1999-2006 Plextor SA/NV
Sun, October 21, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------
                  PIF        POE        POF
       Avg       0.01          -          -
       Max          2          -          -
     Total        748          -          0

Q-Check PIPO SUM8 ProdiscF01 8X-R.txt
This scan tests for PI errors before correction per 8 consecutive data blocks on the disc
-------------------------------------------------------
PlexTools Professional V2.35     Q-Check PI/PO Test
Copyright(C) 1999-2006 Plextor SA/NV
Sun, October 21, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------
                  PIE        POE        POF
       Avg       2.31          -          -
       Max         18          -          -
     Total      34891          -          0

SUM1 PI uncorrectable Errors per block scan on left. SUM8 PI Error before correction per 8 consecutive blocks scan on right.

Does anyone know how to attach or embed an html page into a post?
All graphs of ProdiscF01 Quality Scans

CDDVDtest_ProdiscF01_8X-R.txt

Q-Check_Beta_Jitter_16_ECC_Blocks_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_Beta_Jitter_8_ECC_Blocks_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_PIPO_Basic_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_PIPO_Basic_ProdiscF01_8X-R.txt

Q-Check_PIPO_Burst_PIE_POF_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_PIPO_Burst_POE_POF_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_PIPO_Burst_ProdiscF01_8X-R.txt

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM1_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM1_ProdiscF01_8X-R.txt

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM8_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM8_ProdiscF01_8X-R.txt

Q-Check_TA_Inner_Zone_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_TA_Middle_Zone_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Q-Check_TA_Outer_Zone_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Read_Transfer_Rate_ProdiscF01_8X-R.html

Do any of the media gurus have any comments about this media? Where to buy it even? DD? buck? BestOffer?

EDIT Oct. 23rd 9:15 AM:
I just did a quick scan on 2 random discs from the 250 disc set I'm previewing. One disc which was dirty prior to testing had a noticeable dip in quality especially on the last 1/3rd of the disc. Keep in mind this disc had some liquid residue on it before testing. The other randome disc had same results as the very 1st disc scanned. Superb quality, both random discs were burned using Roxio Toast on an HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B. So that's 3 discs, 2 recording softwares, 2 different DVD writters, all the same medium code, burned this July.

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM1_ProdiscF01_8X-R_Disc2.html

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM1_ProdiscF01_8X-R_Disc2.txt

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM8_ProdiscF01_8X-R_Disc2.html

Q-Check_PIPO_SUM8_ProdiscF01_8X-R_Disc2.txt

[apvm]

I would actually like to buy the 212 but I would prefer to have bitsetting option. Is non bitsetting with DVD+R media pretty irrelevant now with newer dvd players? I do have some older dvd players but I've always used bitsetting to set DVD+R to DVD-ROM.

Also as another question, was the 212 plagued with the same cd issue as the 112? I don't remember reading anything definitive about this. Would the newest firmware release have fixed this on both the 112 and 212?

Can't remember about the 112 since I am still waiting for it to come back from rma and for the Samsung it doesn't auto bitset DVD+R to DVD-ROM but the burning software I use do that for me...Nero and Imgburn.

It all depends on how old your player, my Philip and LG has no problem with DVD+R but the Apex 1500 (I don't own it anymore) can't read DVD+R or DVD+R bitsetted to DVD-ROM.

[wookie]

So I just read the review of the SH-S203B on CDRLabs and it looks like a pretty good review. What's the dolphin's recommendation now between the S203B and the Pioneer 212?

im curious about this as well

[Sgt_Strider]

Is the Samsusng SH-S203B actually better than the Pioneer 212D?

[Ghetto_Child]

I'd like your comments on my scans please. I want to know what you think of that medium code, that writer, and from which brands that medium code can be found please?

[Happy13178]

Anyone know what the best brand of inkjet printable dual layer dvd+ or -r's is? Looking for a spindle of some decent discs....any manufacturers to avoid for this? The only ones that are inkjet printable I've found lately are Ridata, and not sure on the quality of those... http://www.cty.ca/details.asp?pid=1849

[rabbit]

I think Dolphin said that these new MAM-A ones are decent:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=25151
MID Code RICOHJPND01-067

Not exactly cheap, at $75 for 25.

There was a guessing game thread about those MAMs awhile back. "New, quality DLs" or something like that.

[Pavel]

Is the Samsusng SH-S203B actually better than the Pioneer 212D?

People on Ncix forums have reported issues with it: http://forum.ncix.com/forums/index.p...d=0#msg1459643

[batman321123]

Hi,

Is there a site or a list of media that is good right now? Or should I just find some cheap media and then come and check in this thread if someone has commented on it?

Just Leoning

[apvm]

My Pioneer 112D rma finally came back Friday....they replaced my old Dec 2006 built with a new Mar 2007 built with stock 1.09 firmware....it now read/write cd without problems thus confirming can't read/write cd bug only exsist with units built before March 2007.

As for comparing the Pioneer 112/212 vs Samsung S203B, I have both the 112D and 203B...the 203B can't burn the Verbatim 2.4X DVD+R which I bought from blankmedia.ca for $2.95/25 spindle, Nero report no write strategy for this media with the S203B but will still burn at 2.4x but the burnt quality is boarderline..still playable tho. They are ok with the Pioneer 112D 1.09 firmware, nero burn them at 2.4X and burnt quality is better than S203B.

Based on the above media, TDK DVD+/-R 16X, Kodak DVD+R 16X, TY DBD-R 8X, Acro Circle DVD-R 8X, Fuji MIJ DVD+R 8X, Verbatim DVD-R 4X and Verbatim DVD+/-R 16X....Pioneer 112D is an overall better burner than the Samsung because it can handle the cheaper media like the TDK better than Samsung.

If Pioneer has truely fixed the can't read/write cd bug, Pioneer is still the better buy over Samsung, LG etc present models...jmo

People on Ncix forums have reported issues with it: http://forum.ncix.com/forums/index.p...d=0#msg1459643

I don't have the mentioned problem, my MSI K8N SLI Platnium (Nforce 570 chipset) and Gigabyte P35-DS3L (Intel P35 chipset) motherboard
works fine with the Samsung 203B onboard....sounds to me a driver problem instead of a Samsung problem to me.

[smuncky]

got a pack of verbatim dvd-r which are made in india and the packaging is blue and orange. like the picture.



are these discs that are made in india better than the ones MIT (assuming that they are TNR font)?

[nicolaim]

got a pack of verbatim dvd-r which are made in india and the packaging is blue and orange. like the picture.

are these discs that are made in india better than the ones MIT (assuming that they are TNR font)?

I'm just guessing, but I doubt the font thing still applies when the manufacturing is in a different country...

[NG]

got a pack of verbatim dvd-r which are made in india and the packaging is blue and orange. like the picture.



are these discs that are made in india better than the ones MIT (assuming that they are TNR font)?

If they're MII then they're from Moser Baer so the font thing shouldn't matter since we used that to avoid the Verbatim's by Prodisc.

I wish DD was still around to give us the FYI on these discs (from what I understand Moser Baer discs are pretty middle of the road "meh"). I hope that Verbatim hasn't gone down the crap Memorex road...