I recently got a Pioneer DVR 111 DVD burner and am having a problem with it. While burning "data discs" using Nero 6, the drive seems to get stuck randomly. Out of about 10 attempts, 7 simply stopped writing with anywhere from 20% to 80% done and had to be aborted. I've done a little research, and come up with 3 possibilities that I'd appreciate some feedback on:

1) I read somewhere that burning software like Nero that is OEM (as my Nero 6 is) will only work properly when using the drive for which it is installed (in my case my CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive). Is there any truth to this, and does this simply mean that I should upgrade to a none OEM version of Nero?

2) I've also read that certain brands of CDs/DVDs are supported by certain burners while others aren't, something I was previously unaware of. I've managed to find a supported list for various Pioneer burners including mine, and the discs I've been using (Memorex DVD-Rs) aren't on it. Does this mean a solution is as simple as getting a different, supported brand of discs?

3) Many forums/sites I've been to (including this one) suggest updating firmware as a remedy for burner problems. However, the only firmware update I've been able to find so far for my model is on Pioneer's European site, and even has the letters "eu" in the .exe. Is this fine, or do I need some specifically North American firmware (I'm in Canada), and if I do, might anyone be able to point me in the direction of some?

Thanks for your time,
TheBeard

Hi TheBeart, I'm at work at the moment so I'll just give you the slightly shorter answers to each question

1) This used to be true, but as they were recieving too many conacts with problems, this isn't the case anymore...depends on how old your copy of Nero is.

2) Supported brands are an irritating issue and annouying. I'd suggest try this one first, as it's by far the easiest.

3) In regards to the firmware - this should always be your last option...we'll venture down this alley if we can't think of anythign else.

OK, here's the latest: I'm installing a trial version of Nero 7 as I type this, who knows maybe it'll work better. Once thats done, I'm going to try burning again at much slower speeds like 2x or 4x, as a closer inspection of the supported brands list I'm using did say that speeds of up to 4x were achievable with unlisted brands. I previously tried 12x, 8x, and 6x (the discs in question are 8x) but hey maybe I just need to go reeeaallly slow for this particular brand. Also, in the next day or so I'm going to get some discs that are on the list and try those out. Hopefully something will work and no firmware updating etc will be necessary. I'll keep you posted Garhar.

One thing puzzles me though: if these Memorex discs are unsupported by my burner (or at least unsupported at speeds above 4x as may turn out to be the case) why did they work fine on a few of my attempts? Shouldn't they have just not worked at all?

Update: using the demo version of Nero 7 and burning at 4x, I've been able to burn 2 DVDs flawlessly on 2 attempts. So, at the moment it would appear that my problems were arising simply because I was trying to write too fast to unsupported media. I will of course try burning to supported media at higher speeds next, but I'm not in as big a rush to go out and buy new discs now, so for the time being, at least, I consider this problem solved. Thanks for taking the time to try and help me Garhar!