Toshiba SD-R5372

Hello,

I recently ordered a Toshiba SD-R5372 from the internet. It was
advertised as 6X DVD-RW Read and Write with the firmware upgrade, which
I downloaded and installed.

However, I can only get it to read and write at 2x speed.

I am using Maxell DVD-RW disks.

Why would this be? I can think of several possibilities:
1. The Toshiba unit doesn't like my Maxell media
2. Misconfiguration in the software (actually, I eliminated this,
using both Nero and another program; both read the media at 2x)
3. Defective unit
4. I was cheated by the salesman

any thoughts?

onehappymadman@yahoo.com

wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I recently ordered a Toshiba SD-R5372 from the internet. It was
> advertised as 6X DVD-RW Read and Write with the firmware upgrade, which
> I downloaded and installed.
>
> However, I can only get it to read and write at 2x speed.

How do you know what the READ speed is?

> I am using Maxell DVD-RW disks.
>
> Why would this be? I can think of several possibilities:
> 1. The Toshiba unit doesn't like my Maxell media

This is a possibility. But also, what is the speed rating of these
particular disks (look at the packaging)? In any event, buy one or two
reputable brand disks that are not the newest models and try with
these. I had a problem trying to use a one DVD drive with disks that
were so new that the machine didn't recognize them and insisted on
writing a 2x instead of the disk's rating of 16x.

> 2. Misconfiguration in the software (actually, I eliminated this,
> using both Nero and another program; both read the media at 2x)
> 3. Defective unit
> 4. I was cheated by the salesman

Well, it should be possible to verify the model's specs according to
Toshiba. And, you can confirm you particular drive's model via
Properties > Hardware.

bxf wrote:
> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I recently ordered a Toshiba SD-R5372 from the internet. It was
> > advertised as 6X DVD-RW Read and Write with the firmware upgrade, which
> > I downloaded and installed.
> >
> > However, I can only get it to read and write at 2x speed.
>
> How do you know what the READ speed is?

When I was copying a family camcorder DVD, I'm pretty sure Nero told
me. The time it takes for reading is about the same time as for
writing (about 20 minutes). That's strange, now that you mention it.
The family movie is about 1 hour... this would imply 3x speed, no?


> > I am using Maxell DVD-RW disks.
> >
> > Why would this be? I can think of several possibilities:
> > 1. The Toshiba unit doesn't like my Maxell media
>
> This is a possibility. But also, what is the speed rating of these
> particular disks (look at the packaging)? In any event, buy one or two
> reputable brand disks that are not the newest models and try with
> these. I had a problem trying to use a one DVD drive with disks that
> were so new that the machine didn't recognize them and insisted on
> writing a 2x instead of the disk's rating of 16x.

Ok, I'll try this. The speed rating is not on the disc label (!?) and
I had long since thrown the original plastic wrap away.

> > 2. Misconfiguration in the software (actually, I eliminated this,
> > using both Nero and another program; both read the media at 2x)
> > 3. Defective unit
> > 4. I was cheated by the salesman
>
> Well, it should be possible to verify the model's specs according to
> Toshiba. And, you can confirm you particular drive's model via
> Properties > Hardware.

Good idea. I thought I had to take the computer apart again and record
the serial number on the drive... was hoping to avoid this
time-consuming step.

wrote:
> bxf wrote:
> > wrote:
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I recently ordered a Toshiba SD-R5372 from the internet. It was
> > > advertised as 6X DVD-RW Read and Write with the firmware upgrade, which
> > > I downloaded and installed.
> > >
> > > However, I can only get it to read and write at 2x speed.
> >
> > How do you know what the READ speed is?
>
> When I was copying a family camcorder DVD, I'm pretty sure Nero told
> me. The time it takes for reading is about the same time as for
> writing (about 20 minutes). That's strange, now that you mention it.
> The family movie is about 1 hour... this would imply 3x speed, no?

I assume when you say "copying" you mean to your hard drive. I find
this strange. Disks are limited in their writing speed. I am not aware
of a limit on READ speed imposed by the disk itself. But, I don't claim
to know everything.

> > > I am using Maxell DVD-RW disks.
> > >
> > > Why would this be? I can think of several possibilities:
> > > 1. The Toshiba unit doesn't like my Maxell media
> >
> > This is a possibility. But also, what is the speed rating of these
> > particular disks (look at the packaging)? In any event, buy one or two
> > reputable brand disks that are not the newest models and try with
> > these. I had a problem trying to use a one DVD drive with disks that
> > were so new that the machine didn't recognize them and insisted on
> > writing a 2x instead of the disk's rating of 16x.
>
> Ok, I'll try this. The speed rating is not on the disc label (!?) and
> I had long since thrown the original plastic wrap away.

Come to think of it, until very recently, I hadn't seen (in Europe) any
RW disk that exceeded 4x. So unless your Maxell disks are very new,
they would not exceed that speed. As a matter of fact, there are still
some 2x disks about, so perhaps what you got is correct for your
particular disks. Do not assume that every disk will be written at the
speed that the drive is capable of putting out. The disk "tells" the
drive (via the drive's firmware, I believe) which speed it should use
for any given disk.

> > > 2. Misconfiguration in the software (actually, I eliminated this,
> > > using both Nero and another program; both read the media at 2x)
> > > 3. Defective unit
> > > 4. I was cheated by the salesman
> >
> > Well, it should be possible to verify the model's specs according to
> > Toshiba. And, you can confirm you particular drive's model via
> > Properties > Hardware.
>
> Good idea. I thought I had to take the computer apart again and record
> the serial number on the drive... was hoping to avoid this
> time-consuming step.

bxf wrote:
> wrote:
> > bxf wrote:
> > > wrote:
> > > > Hello,
> > > >
> > > > I recently ordered a Toshiba SD-R5372 from the internet. It was
> > > > advertised as 6X DVD-RW Read and Write with the firmware upgrade, which
> > > > I downloaded and installed.
> > > >
> > > > However, I can only get it to read and write at 2x speed.
> > >
> > > How do you know what the READ speed is?
> >
> > When I was copying a family camcorder DVD, I'm pretty sure Nero told
> > me. The time it takes for reading is about the same time as for
> > writing (about 20 minutes). That's strange, now that you mention it.
> > The family movie is about 1 hour... this would imply 3x speed, no?
>
> I assume when you say "copying" you mean to your hard drive. I find
> this strange. Disks are limited in their writing speed. I am not aware
> of a limit on READ speed imposed by the disk itself. But, I don't claim
> to know everything.

yes, copying to the hard drive. Nero reports read speed as about 2875
kb/s, varying up and down every few seconds. Since 1x speed is 1350
kb/s, this is about 2x speed.

"The data transfer rate of a DVD drive is given in multiples of 1350
kB/s".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD


> > > > I am using Maxell DVD-RW disks.
> > > >
> > > > Why would this be? I can think of several possibilities:
> > > > 1. The Toshiba unit doesn't like my Maxell media
> > >
> > > This is a possibility. But also, what is the speed rating of these
> > > particular disks (look at the packaging)? In any event, buy one or two
> > > reputable brand disks that are not the newest models and try with
> > > these. I had a problem trying to use a one DVD drive with disks that
> > > were so new that the machine didn't recognize them and insisted on
> > > writing a 2x instead of the disk's rating of 16x.
> >
> > Ok, I'll try this. The speed rating is not on the disc label (!?) and
> > I had long since thrown the original plastic wrap away.
>
> Come to think of it, until very recently, I hadn't seen (in Europe) any
> RW disk that exceeded 4x. So unless your Maxell disks are very new,
> they would not exceed that speed. As a matter of fact, there are still
> some 2x disks about, so perhaps what you got is correct for your
> particular disks. Do not assume that every disk will be written at the
> speed that the drive is capable of putting out. The disk "tells" the
> drive (via the drive's firmware, I believe) which speed it should use
> for any given disk.

yeah. I got the cheap DVD-RWs, so this is most likely 2x. I'll try
and buy a few 4x, and see if this improves any.

> > > > 2. Misconfiguration in the software (actually, I eliminated this,
> > > > using both Nero and another program; both read the media at 2x)
> > > > 3. Defective unit
> > > > 4. I was cheated by the salesman
> > >
> > > Well, it should be possible to verify the model's specs according to
> > > Toshiba. And, you can confirm you particular drive's model via
> > > Properties > Hardware.
> >
> > Good idea. I thought I had to take the computer apart again and record
> > the serial number on the drive... was hoping to avoid this
> > time-consuming step.

Confirmed in Properties > Hardware; yes this is a Toshiba SD-R5372, so
no the web vendor didn't cheat me. Whew.