Tech: DVD burners that don't shape up

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD burners that don't shape up
From: Will Fly
Date: 16 Mar 11 - 04:43 AM

A friend of mine who happens to be one of the local Apple "geniuses" has confirmed this morning that the optical drive - "one of the first things to go" - does need replacing yet again. It's under warranty, so no charge there, but I'm still getting the external burner as well. Belt and braces!

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD burners that don't shape up
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 10:42 PM

You can upgrade you DVD burner firmware for a try, this way can fix many general problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD burners that don't shape up
From: Will Fly
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 05:39 PM

I'm very wary of cleaner discs as I've known of some laser heads being damaged. The drive plays absolutely perfectly.

The error message I'm getting is: "The disc can't be burned because the device failed to calibrate the laser power level for this media".

This error message has been discussed on Apple forums for the past 2+ years - with all sorts of advice ranging from blowing compressed air from a can into the drive to resetting the International language settings in System Preferences (!) to raising the laptop up so that heat dissipates to running a cleaning disc...

I've wanted an external burner for some time. When it arrives tomorrow I'll get it into action and only then - as you suggest - consider a disc cleaner for the faulty main DVD/CD drive.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVD burners that don't shape up
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 05:31 PM

You sure it's not just that it needs a cleaner disc run through it?

Subject: Tech: DVD burners that don't shape up
From: Will Fly
Date: 15 Mar 11 - 08:27 AM

For the second time - on a laptop that's only 20 months old - the DVD burner is refusing to burn a DVD. I had the original one replaced when the laptop was a year old. I've got a 3-year warranty but, you know, I just can't be bothered to go through the rigmarole of booking an appointment with an Apple "genius", taking the machine into the store and hanging around while they scratch their heads before replacing it. I checked the error message on the web - seems like it's a problem that has no neat and easy solution. It plays OK, but won't burn. So I've ordered an external burner, which arrives within 24 hours.

I like Apple products - been using them for over 20 years - but the two parts that never shape up on their computers are the DVD/CD drive and the battery. My own theory is that the slimness of the modern designs is not conducive to robustness.