Freecom DVD Problem - cannot find blank disc.

Does it work with DVD-R and CDR ?

I might be barking up the wrong tree here, but DVD-RW have a less reflective surface IIRC so reading the disc is harder.

It could simply be that the drive is simply getting clapped out and the laser and / or pickup isn't as good as it once was, so it's having trouble detecting the discs.

If it doesn't work with DVD-Rs either, this presents another possibility - some drives have multiple heads / laser assemblies, and while one might fail, the other might still work fine - this is often the case where a CD might work, but a DVD does not (or vice-versa) - if it uses different lasers to read and write, that particular component may have keeled over.

I've never tried it with DVD-R. It's quite newish - just a few months old.

So I've never actually managed to get it working in terms of copying onto DVDs.

I haven't tried CDs because I took the view that if you are going to copy data, you might as well do it to DVDs rather than CDs.

I had a freecom badged drive a while ago - wasn't impressed... it was a rebadged OEM variant of a well known drive, but without the firmware updates to allow it to work with newer media... thinking about it, see if they've released a firmware update for yours - it may help :-}

If you're in the UK and it doesn't work with DVD-Rs either, i'd strongly consider taking it back as faulty - the Sale Of Goods Act (as amended) says a fault within the first six months is classed as being present at the time of the sale unless the vendor can prove otherwise.

Give DVD-Rs a go, and you might help narrow down the problem. Some drives struggle with DVD-RW at the best of times, and from a personal viewpoint, DVD-RW are a bit of a crap idea anyway, as the data is far more likely to be corrupted or impossible to read, the dye layer wears out quicker, and they cost a *hell* of a lot more.

Why are you asking in uk.finance?

I only realised myself after I posted my initial response, apologies for keeping it off-topic :-}

Sorry.

I accidentally posted in the wrong group.

Incidentally, DVD +R works fine.

Thanks.

The odd off-topic post can be a sanity check to make sure someone is awake :-p

OK, so it's either a firmware or a media issue - some drives just don't like particular discs and / or dyes for some reason - a firmware update might resolve it (it often does).

Failing that, try a different DVD-RW brand :-}