DVR-A04 vs A05. Please advice

[saulin74]

Hello guys...

I got a big problem here. I recently had a DVR-A05 and well I was getting problems burning XBOX games. The games would burn fine error free. However some games actually would freeze. I wasn't sure wether it was the iso or the burner so I decided to take it back to the store. Now I have heard great things about the DVR-A04 and they actually had one which was without the box. I belive it was a return. Everything else was there and the thing sure looks brand new.

So I installed and put in the installation CD to install RecordNow. I noticed it took about 10+ seconds to read the CD. It usually would take less than 5 secs with my A05. Then it took a while to read the files and install the software.

I went ahead and upgraded the firmware to 1.40, it was 1.30 before. Then I put a blank CD-R and it reads it. I put a PC game and it reads it. I put a PS2 game and it doesn't read it... I put a Verbatim blank DVD-RW and it doesn't read it. I put a blank Princo DVD-R and it doesn't read it. I put the Pioneer DVD-RW that comes with the drive and it reads it but took more than a minute.

I tried going back to 1.30 and then 1.20 firmware and it does exactly the same thing. I also tried 1.31 (BTW: This can be done only with a hacked upgdvd.exe)

So I guess this burner is fuc*ed eh?

Does a normal A04 read all these media?

PS2 games
mmm all blanks DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs?


Cause the A05 I had read everything and really fast too.

****ty cause I think this was the only A04 they had and they don't plan on bringing more A04 either.

I wanted this burner over the A05 too cause of the hacked firmwares which allow to burn @2X 1X media.

I have 5 years warranty on this thing from Future Shop.

What should I do. Take it back and get a A05 brand new box sealed. or go through Pioneer and get a new A04?

The reason I thought it could be the burner the cause of the games freezing was the fact that.

1) I tried like 3 different types of DVD-Rs and RWs.
2) I tried DVD-Rs that I know for sure they work on my Xbox.
3) I tried burning a game that I know for sure works on my XBOX on the exact same media I tried burning.

Now if it sin't the burner it could be the fact that I transfer games from my Xbox @ 1100+KB/s perhaps?

or that I transfer games to my Xbox @ 3000-7000+KB/s?

Believe me I did tried every method and all kinds of software, PrimoDVD, RecordNow Max, DiscJuggler, Nero etc...

Now I doubt it is my executer v1 modchip. Since if I get the same games on the exact media from a guy I know. I know for sure they will work 100%

BTW some of these games that did not work. I actually was able to back them up suing the originals and using the HD game install utility on Evolution X. I then ftp'ed the files to my PC and burn the game in DATA mode.


So in this case I'm talking about Isos released on the net which are not burning perfect, and believe me no one else is having this problem for those releases.

So to resume this all. Was my A05 ok?

Should I get a A05 over a A04?

There is no way to get my money back and I can only pick between a A05 and a HP DVD burner which only does + media at Future Shop.