[madmacgames]

I have a 12" revision B powerbook, and I keep getting buffer underrun errors when I try to burn a DVD with any of Apple's apps.

It does not happen if the disc is around 2gigs or less, but anymore and about 3/4 of the way through I get an error similar to "device failed: the buffer drained without buffer underrun protection". This happened so far in iTunes (burning data DVD to backup my music) & Disk Utility. I've successfully burnt a DVD with iDVD but the movie was only 2 minutes long just to test if my player would play DVD-RW discs.

I am using DVD-RW's, so I can only go at 1x. No possible way to go slower to prevent the buffer underrun.

I do not have this problem with Toast. I can burn full 4.38gig DVD-RW's at 1x and full 4.38gig DVD-R's at 2x with not one problem. Toast provides the option to turn buffer underrun protection on and I always use it.

None of the Apple apps with burning functions seem to have the option for buffer underrun protection. My drive supports it though. This is pretty rediculous that I cannot even burn a full DVD at 1x with the Apple apps because they failed to include a buffer underrun protection option for drives that support it.

Any ideas?

[chabig]

If you open the Console utility and read your console log, it will state whether the burn underprotection was enabled or not.

Chris

[ibook_steve]

Try burning with all other applications quit and don't touch the machine during the burn process. I usually do this anyway just to be safe. If you still have the same failure, then maybe you could try reinstalling the iApps that are giving you the problem. Not sure what else to do here.

Steve

[chabig]

The reason Apple's apps don't have the option to turn on underrun protection is because they automatically use it if the drive supports it.

Here's what my console log says for the burn I just did:

Finder: Burn started, Tue Dec 30 11:51:27 2003
Finder: Burning to CD-R media with SAO strategy in MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-815 X101 via ATAPI.
Finder: Requested CD burn speed was max, actual burn speed is 16x.
Finder: Burn underrun protection is supported, and enabled.
Finder: Burn finished, Tue Dec 30 11:56:06 2003
Finder: Verify started, Tue Dec 30 11:56:06 2003
Finder: Verify finished, Tue Dec 30 11:58:51 2003

Yours should say something similar. If not, you do have a software problem, probably with your system. What OS are you running? And how did you install it (clean, archive and install, or upgrade)?

Chris

[madmacgames]

Originally posted by chabig:
Yours should say something similar. If not, you do have a software problem, probably with your system. What OS are you running? And how did you install it (clean, archive and install, or upgrade)?

Chris

Sorry should have mentioned that.

I'm on OS X 10.3.2. I did a clean install (formatted hard drive and installed).

From the way the error message I get reads, it sounds like buffer underrun is not being enabled in the Apple apps, ie "buffer drained with no buffer underrun protection".

I will check the console logs. From the error message and the fact that Toast does not give a problem, I have a feeling I'm gonna like what I find though.

[madmacgames]

hmm did not do it this time. Successfully erased a DVD-RW with Disk Utility (quick erase) and burned 4.26GB to it using iTunes in data CD/DVD burning mode:

DiskManagementTo: Erase started, Tue Dec 30 14:17:47 2003
DiskManagementTo: Erasing in MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 DXJ3 via ATAPI.
DiskManagementTo: Erase finished, Tue Dec 30 14:18:24 2003
iTunes: Burn started, Tue Dec 30 14:19:15 2003
iTunes: Burning to DVD-RW media with DAO strategy in MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 DXJ3 via ATAPI.
iTunes: Requested DVD burn speed was 47x, actual burn speed is 1x.
iTunes: Burn underrun protection is supported, and enabled.
iTunes: Burn finished, Tue Dec 30 15:16:52 2003

I will just have to keep an eye on the console log when using the Apple apps to burn DVDs if I get the buffer underrun errors again.

[chabig]

Well I'm glad it's working now, although we don't really know why it failed before.

Chris

[madmacgames]

I guess I spoke too soon. It happened again, but this time I saved the info from the console log:

hdiutil: Burn started, Thu Jan 8 14:49:11 2004
hdiutil: Burning to DVD-RW media with DAO strategy in MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-816 DXJ3 via ATAPI.
hdiutil: Requested DVD burn speed was 47x, actual burn speed is 1x.
hdiutil: Burn underrun protection is supported, and enabled.
hdiutil: Burn failed, Thu Jan 8 15:34:33 2004
hdiutil: Burn sense: 4/03/01 Hardware Error, No write current
hdiutil: Burn error: 0x80020060 The device drained its buffer without burn underrun protection.

I don't really know what to make of that, but I'm confused by it because 1st it stated burn underrun protection is supported and enabled, but then you can see the last error states the buffer drained without burn underrun protection.

And though I don't really know what it means, this line has me sort of worried:
hdiutil: Burn sense: 4/03/01 Hardware Error, No write current

[chabig]

I'd say you have a problem with your drive, not the software. Remember, those lines were written in chronological order. No write current is a hardware problem.

Chris

[initiald]

hdiutil: Requested DVD burn speed was 47x, actual burn speed is 1x.

what the helli wish my computer wanted to burn that fast it would take 5 seconds to burn a dvd