Are the DVD Drives used in DVD Recorders, the same as those in
personnel computers?

On 4 Jan 2007 17:37:00 -0800, "Myauk" put
finger to keyboard and composed:

Are the DVD Drives used in DVD Recorders, the same as those in
personnel computers?

I haven't seen inside many DVD-Rs, but I would expect that the HD
based recorders are most likely to use IDE DVD loaders. In fact I've
substituted the burner in a supermarket DVD-R similar to the following
with an LG IDE burner.

http://home.exetel.com.au/billscompu...s/000_9437.jpg

More pictures:
http://home.exetel.com.au/billscomputers/kross.htm

Here's what looks like an IDE drive, but with a flex cable instead of
the typical 40-pin ribbon:
http://home.exetel.com.au/billscompu...s_PS%20083.jpg

The PCB appears capable of supporting both types, if one were to add a
40-pin header.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but this exploded diagram of a
Panasonic DMR-E85H appears to show an IDE flex cable (22) connected to
a standard IDE HD (21) via an adapter PCB (28):

http://spares.bigwarehouse.com.au/fi...0%20%20%202522

I guess this means that Panasonic DVD loaders (aka "RAM drives") are
also IDE types ???

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

Meat Plow wrote:
On Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:37:00 -0800, Myauk Has Frothed:

Are the DVD Drives used in DVD Recorders, the same as those in
personnel computers?

Usually.

Not the ones I've seen. They like 'em proprietary.

Mark Z.

On Fri, 05 Jan 2007 09:06:52 -0500 Meat Plow wrote
in Message id: :

[...]

Just for the hell of it I popped open my Lite On All Write recorder and
yanked the drive out of it and put it in a USB case. The drive read discs
ok but I couldn't get it to record. Must have proprietary firmware. Also
have a Panasonic stand alone DVDR that I should experiment with. Maybe try
swapping the drives, trying the Pana drive in the USB case. Give me
something to do while I don't get around so well on a messed up foot.

Might want to check your recording software as well. I know that Nero
requires updates for newer drives all the time.

"Mark D. Zacharias" wrote in message
et...
Meat Plow wrote:
On Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:37:00 -0800, Myauk Has Frothed:

Are the DVD Drives used in DVD Recorders, the same as those in
personnel computers?

Usually.

Not the ones I've seen. They like 'em proprietary.

Mark Z.


Many of the ones that I've worked on, particularly the Chinese no-brand
supermarket specials, appear to have in them an absolutely bog-standard IDE
interface DVD drive, even down to the standard bus cable and power
connector, and standard side screw placements ... I wouldn't imagine that
the control software is anything to do with the drive itself, but will
certainly be proprietry. At the end of the day, all that is needed to run a
standard drive, is a front end that can handle the IDE protocols to get data
from the drive, and send it back. What is done with the data by the software
once it has got it, and what is done by the software before sending to the
drive, is neither here nor there, as far as the drive, as a piece of
hardware, is concerned ??

Arfa

Arfa Daily wrote:
Many of the ones that I've worked on, particularly the Chinese no-brand
supermarket specials, appear to have in them an absolutely bog-standard IDE
interface DVD drive

Information at http://www.area450.com is fairly interesting (but now
dated) about the IDE interface in DVD players/recorders OEM'd by Sampo.
Some player owners have even hacked hard drives, compact flash and
network interfaces into their equipment!

--
Adrian C