[Resolved] Short crackling at layer break position with some DVDs

[plato]

Hi everybody!
A short picture dropout at layer break position is nothing special, but I have made the experience with quite a few copies that instead of a short picture freezing, a short-dated and unpleasant noise could be heared at layer break position.

Has anybody else made this experience?

It's nothing special, but if there really is a problem, maybe it is possible for developers to fix this...?

Thank you very much!

 

[Webslinger]

1. Update your burner's firmware (if available)
http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=18731

2. Use good quality media (Memorex, Ritek, Princo, Fuji, TDK from Costco, and Maxell that are not made in Japan are not good quality media). Are you using inferior blank media? If you're not using Taiyo Yuden (not valueline), Verbatim Datalife Plus, or Maxell Broadcast Quality, then chances are the answer is yes.
If you use poor quality blank media, then you should expect problems.[/b]

For +R DL blank media, use Verbatim (preferably made in Singapore) or MAM-A 8x +R DL.

3. Try lowering your burn speed (not below 4x; if you have a 16x burner and 16x rated media try writing to it at 12x instead of 16x; an 8x burn speed on 16x rated media wouldn't be a bad idea either)

For +R DL blank media, try a 4x or 2x burn speed. Do not burn at maximum.

4. If you're using +R, +RW, or +R DL media, change the booktype to "dvd-rom" before burning:
http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=476 (step 3)

5. Avoid sticker labels (they tend to cause problems)


6. Download Nero cd-dvd speed. It's a free program. Select the tab labeled "scandisc". Insert the problematic backup disc, select the appropriate drive letter, and click "start". If Nero cd-dvd speed reports read errors, your backup is bad (which is the most likely case), your optical drive may be slowly dying, or your optical drive simply doesn't like the disc (or your choice of blank media)--even if the disc looks fine.


Bad burn quality is notorious around the end of discs (see step 6)
and also at layer breaks when using low quality DL media (use Verbatim +R DL media made in Singapore or MAM-A 8x +R DL, and change the booktype to "dvd-rom")

 

[plato]

Thank you for the quick reply, Webslinger.
With respect to the seven points it is only point number one that I have to check. I'll update my burner's firmware, although I don't think that it will change anything, since the crackling does not appear with every disc...

 

[Webslinger]

Thank you for the quick reply, Webslinger.
With respect to the seven points it is only point number one that I have to check. I'll update my burner's firmware, although I don't think that it will change anything, since the crackling does not appear with every disc...

1,2,3, and 6 are important.

I would also try using Clonecd instead.

 

[plato]

1,2,3, and 6 are important.

I know, but I am always using VERBATIM discs, I am burning at 4x and "Nero CD-DVD Speed" didn't report any issues. I'll update my burner's firmware, although it might have no positive effect, because if the current firmware version had problems with VERBATIM discs, there would be at least an issue with every copy.

I would also try using Clonecd instead.

Okay, but if there really is an issue with CloneDVD it should be fixed...

 

[Webslinger]

I know, but I am always using VERBATIM discs, I am burning at 4x

Try 2x. Also see if you can reproduce the problem during playback on your computer. If there's no problem on your computer, maybe your standalone player is starting to die.

Okay, but if there really is an issue with CloneDVD it should be fixed...

I agree

 

[plato]

Try 2x. Also see if you can reproduce the problem during playback on your computer. If there's no problem on your computer, maybe your standalone player is starting to die.

I forgot to mention something else:
while watching a DVD with the reported issue on the standalone player and the crackling appears, there will be no crackling again in case I rewind for approx. 30 seconds. In order to hear the crackling again, it is necessary to rewind for three minutes and let the disc normally play until that point. This is also exactly the case with the normal layer breaks, when the picture freezes up for a short moment. But I think this should be normal.
All indications are that the crackling is a characteristic for the layer break. Developers would know better...

BTW: Why does CloneDVD remove layer breaks?

 

[Webslinger]

I forgot to mention something else:
while watching a DVD with the reported issue on the standalone player and the crackling appears, there will be no crackling again in case I rewind for approx. 30 seconds. In order to hear the crackling again, it is necessary to rewind for three minutes and let the disc normally play until that point. This is also exactly the case with the normal layer breaks, when the picture freezes up for a short moment. But I think this should be normal.

Crackling isn't normal and could be indicative of your standalone player dying. Some players employ caching techniques that limit layer break pausing. So thirty seconds may be cached; I don't know. Again, try burning at 2x.

BTW: Why does CloneDVD remove layer breaks?

Reauthoring programs need to since the user may be removing content, and content is being removed automatically if PC files appear on this disc as extras, such as wallpapers, games, etc. (if you're going to start arguing with me about this, rest assured I'm not interested) . . . Clonedvd will only backup dvd-video content.

 

[plato]

Crackling isn't normal and could be indicative of your standalone player dying. Some players employ caching techniques that limit layer break pausing. So thirty seconds may be cached; I don't know. Again, try burning at 2x.

Thank you very much so far. I'll follow your advise and burn my next DVDs at 2x. I'll also play the copies on my computer and on my brother's standalone player.
Hopefully this crackling is not written on the discs and is caused by the standalone player...

I'll keep you up to date!

 

[Webslinger]

Also give Clonecd a shot. I never have these kinds of problems with Clonecd.

 

[plato]

Hi everybody, hi Webslinger,
sorry for the delayed feedback, but I was really busy during the last weeks...

Cliff Notes:
-bought a new standalone player
-bought a new DVD burner
-lowered my burn speed

I also talked with Lite-On support and they told me, the reason for the crackling should be my burner which is probably defective. We will never know, if it really was the burner, since disposal is much cheaper than repair and so there will be no error statement...

I'll just continue creating backups with my new equipment and current program versions and I hope there will be no crackling ever again.

Unfortunately I have to report another small problem:
Copied "Hellboy II: The Golden Army", Region 2, Germany both with my old and new burner.
While playback on standalone player there is no crackling, but there appear more and more stripes through the picture, after layer break. They don't disappear unless I rewind back (ahead of layer break) and press "Play".
This problem does not appear neither with the original disc nor does it appear when I watch the backups on my two computers (one writer, one reader).

I don't know why this problem appears, so any suggestion is much appreciated.

BTW: I am starting to become desperate, since I wouldn't call myself new to this business and in former times I never had such problems.

I can upload some pictures in order to demonstrate you the stripes, if you wish (but not till tomorrow).

Thank you very much!

Regards,
plato

 

[Webslinger]

They don't disappear unless I rewind back (ahead of layer break) and press "Play".

Sounds like a cache problem with the standalone player. Does the issue happen with other standalone players?

I guess another test to try is to using Clonedvd to rip, and then use imgburn to burn (you can select an ideal layer break position using imgburn). If the problem is with the layer break position being chosen by Clonedvd, using imgburn would be a good test.

 

[plato]

Sounds like a cache problem with the standalone player. Does the issue happen with other standalone players?

I'll have to check this on my neighbor's standalone player, since I have only one player.

I guess another test to try is to using Clonedvd to rip, and then use imgburn to burn (you can select an ideal layer break position using imgburn). If the problem is with the layer break position being chosen by Clonedvd, using imgburn would be a good test.

This would be really interesting. But I was always satisfied with CloneDVD and the problems began suddenly with a CloneDVD update (I am not sure if it was 2.9.1.5).
Do you think there is a chance developers will have a look into it?

 

[Webslinger]

This would be really interesting. But I was always satisfied with CloneDVD and the problems began suddenly with a CloneDVD update (I am not sure if it was 2.9.1.5).
Do you think there is a chance developers will have a look into it?

You'd have to contact Elaborate Bytes: http://www.elby.ch/products/clone_dvd/support.php

 

[plato]

You'd have to contact Elaborate Bytes: http://www.elby.ch/products/clone_dvd/support.php

I'll check if the issue happens on other standalone players, too. Depending on the result, I'll contact Elaborate Bytes or not.
Thank you very much so far. I'll give you feedback ASAP and in any case.

 

[plato]

Hi everybody!
I want to present you my "search results".
With the utmost probability there is no issue with CloneDVD, but with the standalone player.
Mr. Nord from Elaborate Bytes, who is a very competent and helpful staff member, also copied "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" but he had no playback issues. Everything just worked perfectly fine.
A friend of mine, uses the same standalone player like me (elta 8819 MP4) but he had absolutely no issues with the same copy that I have watched.

Some of you might have noticed the following line in the history of CloneDVD 2.9.2.4 beta:

- New: Improved handling of layer break position

This won't change anything concerning "Hellboy II", since my standalone player seems to have problems handling layer breaks in general, so it doesn't matter where the layer break is being set, as Mr. Nord explained.

I'll probably purchase another standalone player and for this reason Mr. Nord sent me the following link:

http://buyersguide.bargainoffers.com/region_free_dvd_guide.shtml

I am really happy that the whole story finally came to an end and I just wanted to say thank you, Webslinger and Mr. Nord.

 

[Webslinger]

I'd recommend looking into an Oppo dvd player if you can afford one.

Anyway, I'm glad your issue is resolved.