quote:

ORIGINAL: souless

What about writing performance was it improved or changed somehow in 3.04?

My own burning tests suggest to me that burning performance has improved - at least for people like me who had problems burning reliably. I've started this thread to see what others think - http://www.cdrinfo.com/forum/tm.asp?m=108205

(in reply to souless)

StefanT:
Then I don't know... the only option is then to load a firmware that has riplock in tact but this will limit the ripping of DVD-Video as well.

MrMad:
Well.. most of todays peripherals (like hard drives, graphic cards,..) have it's own programmable processor build in for controling the device, communication and other device specific tasks ( for DVD writers for example controlling burning, reading,...). A firmware is the software that this processors use.. you could also say they are some kind of mini operating systems for the device. This is good because you can upgrade this software and add additional features (writing at higher speeds.. add new supported disc, etc.) or just fix some bugs (fix writing strategies for better quality burning, fix reading issues, ...). Flashing is the process how to get the firmware into the device memory and a flasher is a program that will do this task.

(in reply to StefanT)

I have no problem with riplock. This drive will seldom, if ever, be used to rip
a DVD. Its for burning digital tv broadcasts and to playback them again.

My problem is that I would need a firmware that has riplock also for dvd+r.

Pioneer has this utility to change some drive parameters for its 109 / A09,
which uses the same chip as the 3520. So my hope was to find some similar
tool that allows permanent changing of the drive parameters. It can also
be a Windows app, if the change is permanent.

(in reply to Quikee)

Riplock will limit the speed for all disc that have a VIDEO_TS folder.. also riplock in official firmwares is always enabled. Which utility for Pioneer are you refering to ? There is very little things in a burner that you can change permanently... the only thing I know is bitsetting.. other things are either not permanent or are drive specific features (like WOPC in BenQ). Even if Pioneer and Nec have the same chip this doesn't mean they are the same and support same features... from what I have seen they are like 2 completely different drives in reading and also in writing.

(in reply to StefanT)

Hmm... from my tests it seemed that riplock did only work for original DVDs
(I only tried one, and that one has CSS also). My self-burned DVD+R or DVD+RW
did replay at full speed. Could it be that it is a combination with the medium type
(via bitsetting) ?

(in reply to Quikee)

It may be.. yes. Never tought much about it.. even haven't test it. It refers to VIDEO_TS directory in the firmware but maybe something else might be implemented also.

(in reply to StefanT)

Hey there
I've just became a happy user of NEC ND-3520A
And now I'm wondering, which firmware should I use: I-O Data 1.25 (rebadged to NEC 3520) or I-O Data 3.22 with DL-9 support (rebadged to NEC 3520)?

Please tell me, which is the optimal choice, cause reading the forum I came to conclusion, that these two are the best? What would YOU use, if you were in my position?

I've read everything carefully here, but, to tell the truth, didn't understand much.

Thanx

(in reply to Quikee)

3.04 or 3.22 both will work OK

(in reply to RipperD)

i used to use 3.22 but now i use the official 3.04 firmware just because i like to use official firmware.

(in reply to RipperD)

I'm currently using TDB's Riplock/RPC1 1.25 firmware version, and have been very pleased with my results... about 150 DVDs burned and no coasters, great +R compatibility among a variety of players, etc.  I don't envision doing any dual layer burning in the near future, so I just wanted to do a sanity check here.  First, upgrading to 3.xx should only improve my burner's write quality/performance?   And second, given that I want to keep bitsetting for SL+R's as well as have Riplock/RPC1, that means my only matching choice of firmware is 3520_3.22_RPC+RL.rar off of scorpio's page?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for maintaining these fantastic resources emperor and scorpio.

(in reply to rahzel)

probably yes, this is what you will need, the 3.22 fixed with RPC1 and Riplock

(in reply to Foolishness)

OK...I need some help clearing a few things up.  I want to upgrade the firmware to allow dual-layer burning for -R media and to allow PI/PIF disc quality scanning.  I'd also like bitsetting but it isn't critical.  I don't need RPC1 nor Riplock disabled.  It looks like the official 3520 v.3.04 firmware will give me all of this except the bitsetting.  Am I correct?  Also, does the  "I-O Data 3.22 with DL-9 support" offer the bitsetting AND the PI/PIF disc quality scanning??  If not, is there a firmware that does what I want?  Thanks.

xpfshost 

(in reply to emperor)

3.22 doesnt support PI/PIF testing but has autobitsetting for all + media.

3.04 is the ONLY firmware that supports pi/pif testing but no bitsetting for SL +R and +RW, only DL +R.

(in reply to xpfshost)

Garn!  That's what I figured.  Thanks.

xpfshost

(in reply to rahzel)

Hey!

I have had much use of the info posted here for updating my 3520. Thanks for that all of you!

Now, however,  the drive has stopped working and I think it is a mechanical failure judging from the sounds it made before stopping...I have used the RPC1 1.24 and  later the 3.04 versions of the TDB firmware supplied on their site. I did not (stupid I know) backup the original firmware before flashing but have been able to flash the drive with the 1.04 original supplied at TDB even though the drive is broken.

My questions are as follows:

Are there several 1.04 versions out there or is the TDB 1.04 the same I had for from the beginning?  If not can the vendor of the drive see what firmware there should have been based on the serialnumber of the drive and thus conclude that i have altered it? If so I will have to pay a handling fee to the vendor for making a faulty warranty claim making it cheaper just to buy a new drive. Is it possible for the store to see that the drive has been flashed several times?

After my last flash it reports as nec 3520 1.04, 2 mb buffer, serial number, no date for the firmware, RPC II, 4 changes left in nero info tool. Does it always report without a date for the firmware or is this TDB specific?

Thanks in advance for the help! Nabokov

(in reply to curlyhead2000)

I just got my 3520A yesterday and thanks to this thread flashed it to the 3.22 + RPC1 + Riplock firmware.

However when I check the booktype now the bitsetting for +R SL and +R/W are active but the +R DL is disabled. Was I mistaken in thinking that it should be enabled?

I don't have any DL media and don't plan to until the price drops so it's really a moot point but I was just curious.

Thanks to emperor and everyone else!

7

edited to add: BTW the no problems burning so far so the firmware seems ok and I like the new drive much better than my old one. 

(in reply to Nabokov)