Partial DVD burns: faulty Superdrive, or OS problem?

Question

Level 2

235 points

Partial DVD burns: faulty Superdrive, or OS problem?

I have a 2009 iMac, 27", core i7, running 10.6.8. I have been trying to burn a DVD using iDVD and Disk Utility, but the burns do not complete. The disk ejects before the burn finishes. DU throws up a "medium error" alert. These incomplete DVDs play up to a point and then freeze and will play no further.

Things I tried:

Creating an .img in iDVD, then burning with Disk Utility.

Burning directly from iDVD

Using a different brand of DVD-r (Have tried Verbatim and Memorex, both of which have worked in the past.)

Burning at slowest speed available (2X)

Cleaning the Superdrive using compressed air

Cooling down the room ⚠

Reset SMC & PRAM

Ran the Onyx maintenance app

Observations, clues:

The drive plays CDs fine.

The drive plays commercial DVD, and even these incomplete DVDs, without trouble.

When burning at Fastest Speed, more of the disk is burned than when using 2X, as if the drive quit burning based on time rather than a mechanical issue, such as an obstacle in the lens track.

A second, different .img wouldn't complete either.

The iMac has been running hot of late. I reinstalled the 10.6.8 package update for some reason earlier in the year, and it has been running hot since then, but I am not sure the heat problem came right after the update or later. I notice it because the fans speed up from time to time.

So I am wondering if the Superdrive is faulty, or if something else is going on. I'd hate to replace the drive only to find out that the drive isn't the problem. Thanks for reading.

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8), null

Posted on Jan 8, 2015 10:24 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

207,229 points

Jan 8, 2015 10:39 AM in response to BCDrums

Read Bengt Wärleby's post in this topic for a possible reason you're getting that error message: Multiplexing Error.

What does your project consist of? If it's movies what did you use to create the movie and how did you get it into iDVD? Once you've gotten your movie into the iDVD project did you do any additional editing to the movie?

Follow this workflow to help assure the best qualty video DVD:

Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.

To check the encoding mount the disk image, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is good.

Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 8, 2015 10:42 AM in response to BCDrums

Cleaning the Superdrive using compressed air

May not be enough. Try a retail version of a CD/DVD drive cleaner. Same can be purchased from any place that sells CD/DVDs.

I'd hate to replace the drive

Would be cheaper if you purchase an external tray loader drive.

Try a different brand. Top forum favorites

CDs

FUJI

TDK

Verbatim

DVDs

Maxell

Verbatim

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2801Apple Computers: Troubleshooting the slot-loading SuperDrive

MUST READ: The Digital FAQ

Thank you for listing all the troubleshooting things you have already tried as well as your observations. Much appreciated.

Reply

Answer 3

BCDrums Author

Level 2

235 points

Jan 8, 2015 11:23 AM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad wrote:

Read Bengt Wärleby's post in this topic for a possible reason you're getting that error message: Multiplexing Error.

A wonderful post, I bookmarked it. However I am not getting a multiplexing error alert. The alert I get refers to a "medium write error."

What does your project consist of? If it's movies what did you use to create the movie and how did you get it into iDVD? Once you've gotten your movie into the iDVD project did you do any additional editing to the movie?

My movie was created in FCP5. It is 78 minutes in length and has 14 chapter markers. I exported it from FCP as a QuickTime movie at Current settings, which are 1920x1080. I opened the QT in iDVD, and it seemed to import the movie without trouble, and created the chapters. I used the revolution theme for the menu. I didn't edit any video within iDVD. I did ad 4 .aiffs to the subchapter menus. IiDVD created a Disk Image from the material at Professional Quality. Later I Saved As, and encoded as Hih Quality, which made no difference to the burn, which failed.

Follow this workflow to help assure the best qualty video DVD:

Once you have the project as you want it save it as a disk image via the File ➙ Save as Disk Image menu option. This will separate the encoding process from the burn process.

To check the encoding mount the disk image, launch DVD Player and play it. If it plays OK with DVD Player the encoding is good.

Then burn to disk with Disk Utility or Toast at the slowest speed available (2x-4x) to assure the best burn quality. Always use top quality media: Verbatim, Maxell or Taiyo Yuden DVD-R are the most recommended in these forums.

As noted, I did create a Disk Image, and the image plays without problem in DVD Player. I burned in DU and iDVD with the same result. I have used Verbatim and Memorex, and both failed in the same way.

Thanks for the help!

Reply

Answer 4

BCDrums Author

Level 2

235 points

Jan 8, 2015 11:33 AM in response to Baby-Boomer-USofA

I will try a DVD cleaning disk. I am using Verbatim disks and Memorex disks. These have worked for me before. Thanks.

Reply

Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

207,229 points

Jan 8, 2015 11:39 AM in response to BCDrums

Misread that. Try the cleaning procedure that Baby Boomer suggested. It could be a dirty laser.

Reply

Answer 6

Jan 8, 2015 1:28 PM in response to BCDrums

Hi

Me trying to think.

- Free Space on Your Boot Start-Up HARD DISK (other is of NO interest - as they can not take and return .temp files) HOW MUCH IS THERE ?

- You know that there are more than one laser in Your CD/DVD burner - so that it can read says nothing about the writing laser status

- AND - IMPORTANT ! - You were able to create DiskImages - HOW DO THEY PLAY on Your Mac - so that not the problem is prior to the BURNING of DVD process.

Yours Bengt W

Reply

Answer 7

BCDrums Author

Level 2

235 points

Jan 8, 2015 1:38 PM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Hard disk has 1.25 TB available.

I wasn't aware that there was a separate writing laser. It does write, but it stops before the burn is complete.

The disk image I want to burn plays fine in DVD Player.

I have just cleaned the optical drive with a DVD lens cleaner disk. I burned another disk. After a few minutes, the disk was ejected, incomplete, and I received this error message:

I am hoping there is a setting somewhere to repair, rather than a bad drive.

Reply

Answer 8

Old Toad

Level 10

207,229 points

Jan 8, 2015 2:21 PM in response to BCDrums

Are you able to burn a data CD or DVD from the Finder?

Reply

Answer 9

BCDrums Author

Level 2

235 points

Jan 8, 2015 3:05 PM in response to Old Toad

Don't know. Will try.

Reply

Answer 10

Sep 18, 2015 6:15 AM in response to BCDrums

BC Drums: I feel your pain. Our SuperDrive has been going well for 14 years!

But, all good luck runs out. These drives can outlast a person, but it's the steady

march of technology that eventually sinks them. In this case, it's the unavailability

of the media the hardware was designed to use. That happened back in, what, 2005?

So the faster burnable media made my SuperDrive obsolete. CDs? Fine. It's the DVD

that frustrates.

Our Ancient System:

PPC QuickSilver 2002 933mhz

1G Ram

OS X 10.5.8 Leopard

SuperDrive Pioneer DVR-104 ( iDE connectivity )

Firmware A227

Media: Verbatim Digital Movie #94728, 4x burn speed, or 8x burn speed.

Net: Burn errors; inconsistent playback across several DVD players. The cause is

high speed DVDs. Firmware hasn't been offered by Apple for the SuperDrive in over

10 years and firmware hacks can render disks of many or all kinds unreadable in

some cases. So, I haven't updated to say, firmware 1.20, 1.30 ( which I've read

is bad ) or 1.41.

Solution? New iDE / ATAPi internal / external optical drive ( supplies quickly running

out ) or a SATA drive with a PCi card to translate the signal.

I write this for all who've encountered problems similar to BC Drums who are stretching

their old Mac system to the max.

I'm looking a Sony internal iDE drive, 'cuz the SATA will be problematic for me.

Reply

Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

207,229 points

Sep 18, 2015 9:42 AM in response to rastereyes

Why waste money on an internal optical drive when you can get an external drive that can be connected by USB or Firewire and can go with you if and when you upgrade to a new Mac system since they don't have built in optical drives.

Reply

Answer 12

Sep 19, 2015 10:53 AM in response to Old Toad

Good Point, Old Toad. I hate the idea of having dead space where the drive is now

and don't want to keep populating my desktop with more plastic and metal. Further,

the rear ports are maxxed out. Solution? A bus. That's more crap on stack.

But, good point. Here's your star.

rastereyes

Reply