Samsung Burner Will not recognise blank DVD

**davidhmorris** · 02-01-2005, 07:44 PM

I know nothing about burning a DVD, still less about the significance of speed ratings ona Burner! I have a Dell 2400 which is fitted with a Samsung CDRW/DVD 48x Combo (Model SM-348B). I recently purchased VideoStudio 8 and successfully burned a small trial project to a CD-RW in DVD-Video. I now want to burn a real project to DVD but the Burner will not recognise the presence of the blank DVD I have loaded. Thinking that I might have to initialise the blank disc, I tried to do so but again, Sonic tells me to 'Insert Media'.
Is this a hardware problem, a software problem or am I simply using the wrong type of blank DVD discs? I did ask Dell and Samsung for guidance as to which discs I should purchase but got no response from them. I actually bought a pack of PCLINE DVD-RW2x from PC World.
I have since put the above problem to both Samsung and Dell. Samsung tell me I should contact Dell whilst Dell are telling me nothing to date. I am getting nowhere fast. Can you please enlighten me!

**Marc Peters** · 02-01-2005, 08:21 PM

The SM-348B is unfortunately not a DVD burner, but a CDRW/DVD combo. This means it can read and write CDs but can only read DVDs.

**mrlipring** · 02-01-2005, 10:25 PM

he's right, you know.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Ha...s/samsung348b/

**Ian in Northampton** · 02-02-2005, 10:42 AM

I guess it's easy to get confused when they're called DVD/CDRW drives - you could easily read that as a DVD/CD RW drive and make the mistake of thinking that what you've got will also write DVDs, rather than just play them.

**davidhmorris** · 02-03-2005, 05:49 PM

Thanks for your rapid responses. There's one born every minute! What I cannot understand is why neither Dell nor Samsung pointed out my basic misunderstanding, despite my detailed description to both of them.
Anyway, I still have an urgent need to burn DVD's. Any suggestions for a suitable device would be most welcome.

**Marc Peters** · 02-03-2005, 05:54 PM

Pioneer DVR-109 from blankdiscshop.

http://www.blankdiscshop.co.uk/acatalog/Hardware.html

**Ian in Northampton** · 02-03-2005, 06:17 PM

I can also recommend the NEC 16x dual layer drive (ND3500?) available from the same source. I got mine from there - and it ain't burnt a coaster yet...

**Mike Thorpe** · 02-04-2005, 10:12 AM

I got my NEC-2500 (single layer, pah) and it works with loads of discs, except those with the Ritek G04 dye. I've no idea if that's an issue with the 3500, but if it isn't, you sholdn't have an issue.

If I was buying on now thogh, TBH I'd probably get the Pioneer.

**davidhmorris** · 02-04-2005, 06:16 PM

Thanks guys for your advice - I can now move forward.

**davidhmorris** · 02-15-2005, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Marc Peters

Pioneer DVR-109 from blankdiscshop.

http://www.blankdiscshop.co.uk/acatalog/Hardware.html

Took your advice and purchased DVR-109. It arrived to-day and I have just attempted to install it. Following the instructions in the Dell manual, I installed it as a second DVD Drive in my Dell Dimension 2400 ( the first being the Samsung Combo, which does not write DVD's). When I re-booted, Device Manager did not recognise either Drive. I then ran 'Add Hardware Wizard'. It only recognised the new Pioneer and asked me to install the Driver. In the first place Pioneer did not supply a Driver CD but even if they had the original CD Drive is now inoperable. I went onto www.pioneer.co.jp/product-e/ibs and down-loaded what I took to be the appropriate Driver file (atapi307_e.exe) but when I tried to run it nothing happened.
I had thought that retaining the Samsung would provide a little bit of insurance but perhaps I should simply have replaced it with the DVR-109. As you will have gathered, I am pretty clueless about this whole area and desperately need your guidance.