VGN-FW51JF/H - Combo Blu-ray drive doesn't burn CD-R media above 4x

[VaioPMNS]

Hi,
I’m a newbie VAIO user having bought a VGN-FW51JF/H, which has a Blu-ray combo drive.
Only in the last few days have I decided to try out a simple CD-R burning and was quite shocked to notice the drive can only write at 4x, when the specs claim it goes up to 16x for CD-R!
The built-in drive is a Pioneer BD-ROM BDC-TD01 (firmware 1.01) and I tried three different software burners to no avail,(including Nero )all listing 4x as the top speed. Also tried 3 or 4 brands of CD-R…Sony, Memorex, Verbatim and nothing! Not only is the drive picky on the speed (taking 20 mins), but even pickier with the media…some burn well, others don’t (Memorex failed right at beginning, but Sony media pulled through).
I installed all the available updates from the support page, but apparently there is no firmware update, for the drive, to correct these serious issues. I still haven’t tried the normal DVD burning, but inserted one and at least the speed was displayed as expected, 8X, so I assume it’s only behaving like this for CD-R media.
In a store, also made a small test on another PC, exactly the same model, and once again the reported speed was 4x, so this is not exclusive to the one I bought.
Does anybody else have this issue ?
Is there a firmware for this drive ? I tried everything and couldn’t find anything…
I have one day to decide if I should keep the PC or not, as there are no guarentees Sony will acknowledge this bug and release a firmware to correct it L
Thanks in advance

[kaepten-koma]

I got an email from Sony Germany this week. They claim that they have tested the Drive (not mine, other TD01`s) and were not able to find any of the described symptoms.

They suggested to edit the reg file (which did not help of course) or to contact a support partner nearby as it is "most likely a software related issue".

Thanks Sony, but NO!

[lemoineyves]

Hello !

I got exactly the same CD-R upper writing speed 4x on the BD-ROM combo burner Pioneer TD01 (VAIO VGN-FW51MF bought on December 2010 in France).
After about 3 weeks of discussion with the Sony VAIO hotline (apparently both in France and sometimes ending in Ireland), I checked with them the Device Manager (as expected no ATA Channel with Windows7 64bits and the installed Intel Storage Matrix Manager but Nero9 Info tools "configuration" mentioning the Combo as a real UDMA-5 device attached to the SATA device), was obliged to make a complete reinstallation (a full time w-e job to save and restore my personal data/specialized softwares), to suppress the upper/lower filters in Regedit,...

At this stage, I am convinced this to be hardware/microcode problem of the Pioneer TD01.

Today Sony asks me te send my notebook to their reparation Center : no way, I am using my notebook on each day for my business, my proposal is to send them only the Pioneer Combo TD01 (having btw its own serial number !!) : it is indeed very easy to get it out and this is the simplest way for them to distinguish between a real hardware problem and an interference software/device driver problem. Furthermore Sony doesn't warrant you at all against the loss of your personal data during this process.

This is my second VAIO notebook, the three years old VGN-FE11H (now given to my happy wife) having a burner functioning at a 24x speed !!!

This matter is seriously worrying me, could some people of the VAIO Club help us in solving this ???

Many thanks, Yves LEMOINE from France

[Thalamus.]

Hi RogerMarie,

welcome to Club VAIO..

This matter is seriously worrying me, could some people of the VAIO Club help us in solving this ???

We are doing what we can to help, but please remember we are not Sony employees but Vaio users like yourself..

[VaioPMNS]

This is taking absurdly long, for what is apparently a simple solution!!!
The response given to kaepten-koma is ludicrous and insulting…not only are they not helping, but are also calling us liars, when they’re the ones lying! They must have a ‘magic’ TD01 different from all others that can actually behave decently…NOT!!
Why do they want the PC’s sent for repair!? Firmware updates come out all the time for lots of devices, what’s the big problem in making one lousy update that puts the drive functioning properly!?
As loyal customers, we deserve this problem solved without having to send anything to the repair center, as it’s faulty software ultimately! We want the drive burning at 16x!!! It’s in the specs and we bought these machines counting on it!!!!

[kaepten-koma]

I don't think that anyone lied to me. Either not all TD01's have this problem, or they used Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 that is pre-installed on Vaio laptops. I tested the program and it was actually able to burn CD-Rs at 16x.
However, neither WinOnCD2010 which is also a software by Roxio nor any other burning software seems to be able to burn at more than 4x.
It looks like sony is going to say that it works with the software that was provided with the laptop and they are not responsible for incompatibilities with other software.
However it is not acceptabel that the drive works with this one software only, especially since I don't like Roxio Media Creator at all.

[Thalamus.]

they used Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 that is pre-installed on Vaio laptops. I tested the program and it was actually able to burn CD-Rs at 16x.

Could someone else confirm that using the pre-installed Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 does indeed allow you to burn a CD-R media at 16x please..

[yoshitweaky]

I have tried Roxio easy media 10 and it does not allow me to burn at anything above 4x

Could kaepten-koma maybe tell us if he/she has removed the upper lower limits before trying this and maybe exactly what brand of cd-r media was used?

Did he/she up the priority of roxio before running etc

[kaepten-koma]

I tried to remove the upper/lower filters, but it did not help, so I restored my entire system - to answer your question, no I did not remove the upper/lower limits.

I tried Tested Roxio Media Creator again. Here are my results. I used standard Verbatim CD-Rs:

1. 700MB of different files - No more than 4x

2. 700MB Audio CD - No more than 4x

3. 200MB Audio CD - 16x Speed is possible!!!, Roxio tells me that theoretically up to 24x is possible. During the other tests it said that no more than 4x is possible.

So apparently the drive is able to burn half empty CD-Rs at 16x (really strange, but that is my result). Could please anyone of you try to confirm that?

Screenshot:

[radar2000]

Hi everyone.

Been out of town and have not had a chance to respond to this thread since my last post. I have a message from a Sony rep indicating that unfortunately this Pioneer drive can only read/write a 5X. Are these people for real? I'm going to call back and escalate this further.

I've read all the other posts on this thread and would like to remind everyone that this is a drive issue and not a software issue. I've used my friends 4 year old external USB dvd drive and have been able to rip/burn CD-R audio at 27X and up using any software (winamp, itunes, roxio, whatever). Don't believe me?...Just plug in an external usb burner drive and see for yourself.

I'm going to have this Sony rep try to explain this extraordinary phenomenon to me...how can a 4 year old dvd drive do what a current blue ray drive can't???

Sony is trying to blow smoke up our @sses...I would suggest that every FW owner with this pioneer blue ray drive contact Sony and demand an immediate fix.

Can I also suggest that everyone post any email addresses that they obtain which links to a senior Sony rep. With this information, we should draft a united letter demanding an immediate fix to this issue.

I'll keep you posted...please keep me posted.

Thanks.

[lemoineyves]

".... we should draft a united letter demanding an immediate fix to this issue" : I fully agree with this proposal.

My stuff : VAIO Sony VGN-FW51MF (bought in December 2009)

I am left with the Sony VAIO hotline asking me - after 3 weeks of controls - to send them back my notebook, which I did refuse, as I used it on each day for my personal work. However I'm ready to send them the Pioneer BD-TD01 for repair/exchange, but they refused my proposal (this indecent burner having a serial number which could be easily checked !!!).

Greetings from France to everyone and many thanks for your support concerning this very peculiar case.