Comments

Chienworks wrote on 6/8/2006, 4:57 AM
Well, there's SONY, and then there's SONY. And then there's also SONY, and SONY, and SONY. About the only thing they have in common is the name. Vegas and DVD Architect are produced by SONY Media Software, a division of SONY Pictures Digital. Your DVD drive was produced by SONY Consumer Electronics. The two companies are about as independant as they can be.
bStro wrote on 6/8/2006, 6:26 AM
Well, now, do you want us to try and help you, or did you just post in order to diss Sony? ;-) (Chienworks is absolutely right, by the way. They're completely different companies. Besides which, it may have the SONY name tattooed on it, but the drive might be manufactured by someone else. Welcome to the world of corporate conglomerates.)

What problem is it that you're having? Do you get any error messages? Or does DVDA claim to successfully burn a disc, but the disc doesn't work properly? What happens when you put the disc in a DVD player? In a software player? What version and build of DVDA are you using (go to Help -> About DVD Architect)? Be sure you're using the latest update for DVDA as well as the latest firmware for your burner.

DVDA used to be really bad at burner support, but it's a lot gotten better over the years. If the DW-Q30A is "new" not only to you but also to the market, then it wouldn't surprise me that you'd have some problems in DVDA -- they couldn't very well have tested the software using a drive that didn't exist yet. If that's the case, I would expect, perhaps, better support whenever the next update to DVDA is released. (Unless the next version comes out first...)

Rob
Laurence wrote on 6/8/2006, 9:30 AM
First I want to vent, and then I want help! The whole reason I bought a Sony drive was to be sure it worked well with DVD Architect. I replaced a Sony drive that was working great but kind of slow.

Actually I know a little more now. The drive is actually a Liteon drive that was rebranded as a Sony for OEM sales. I saved all of about $10 over a regular Sony boxed model. I won't do that again!
TheHappyFriar wrote on 6/8/2006, 9:51 AM
the actual sony model would have the same problem. Make sure the firmware is up to date. Someone I knew had an external DRU 710 & DVDA would always freeze up the laptop, but Nero would work fine. Ends up the drive was physically bad. Could be the same problem with you. But, double check firmware. From what I understand DVD burners aren't like CD burners. They all can be slighly different (so that software can be rigged to work only on certain burners no doubt).
originalbob wrote on 6/8/2006, 10:16 AM
See this link for Sony drive help:
DVD Burn failure with Sony DW-Q30A
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=180136
Bob
<<edit>> some of the 'remedies' may void your warranty.
Laurence wrote on 6/8/2006, 12:41 PM
Well I updated the firmware and tried to burn another disk. It got all the way to finalize and there it still is, ten minutes later, still "finalizing" without any actual progress showing up on the finalize bar.

This is similar to what it did before I updated the firmware except that before after sitting there for a while with no progress, it would suddenly give me a message that the write was completed without errors. This was not true however since the disk would only occassionally play however in a DVD player.

Now it just sits there trying to finalize, but unable to do so.

I've tried with several top notch media: Verbatim, Maxell and Ty Yuden. It is the same regardless. I end up authoring with DVD Architect and writing the discs with Nero or Roxio. The only problem with this approach is that I can't include extras like the raw jpegs used in a photo montage for instance.

So what is a good DVD burner to use with DVD Architect then?
bStro wrote on 6/8/2006, 3:20 PM
Is the disc a single-layer or a double-layer? Burn-once or rewriteable? +R or -R?

If it's a -R, and you've got a +R, try that. Since the process seems to be stalling during the finalize process, +R might go more smoothly as, I believe, -R requires more more finalization(?).

I end up authoring with DVD Architect and writing the discs with Nero or Roxio. The only problem with this approach is that I can't include extras like the raw jpegs used in a photo montage for instance.

Oh yes you can. In fact, that's how DVDA users added extra content before DVDA started supporting it. Just create a new DVD project in Nero, add the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders created by DVDA, and then add your own Extras folder alongside them. Put your jpegs, etc into the Extras folder of the project.

Rob
Laurence wrote on 6/8/2006, 4:00 PM
The drive is dual layer 16x DVD+-RW. I will try to use a +R disc and see if that helps.
PeterWright wrote on 6/8/2006, 5:55 PM
Laurence, you CAN include extras like raw jpegs - just include the Folder(s) in the burn that you do with Nero or Roxio.
Laurence wrote on 6/10/2006, 8:08 AM
Well I just bought a Sony DRU-820A burner from Walmart for $69.99. It does all the +/- options and even DVD-RAM. Hopefully this will work better than the rebranded Sony/Liteon model.