New drives don't recognize old-stock media

[whit3rd]

For a casual backup operation, I recently loaded a CDRW blank into my
iMac; it ejected after a few seconds. Every time. Thinking there might
be a problem with the blank, I tried a second, and a third.
They all ejected.
Maybe it was a bad batch? I found some old burned disks from the
same batch, and loaded one or two: they read out normally.
I have an external DVD burner from years back, so I powered it
up... and it also rejected these blanks.
But, I know the blanks worked BEFORE that; rummaging through the
pile I find a CDRW drive from a previous generation and NOW
the disk is writeable.

The newer drives, Pioneer DVR-105 and Matsushita UJ-825,
are probably unequipped with the first generation CDRW (2x)
recording algorithm, and won't even report the media characteristics
to the burner software. They just eject the (new old stock) disk.

The badge "ReWriteable UltraSpeed" is seen on misbehaving drives,
but "ReWriteable HighSpeed" is on the drive that can write CDRW (2x).

This kind of incompatibility is disturbing... I've always assumed my
pencils will write on ANY paper I can find, and that technology
never lets me down.
They say optical disk is the "new papyrus" - HAH!

[Mike S.]

With write-once media being dirt-cheap, I stopped buying all types of
rewriteable media ages ago. Too unreliable even when they "work".

[smh]

Post by Mike S.
With write-once media being dirt-cheap, I stopped buying all types of
rewriteable media ages ago. Too unreliable even when they "work".

Maybe too unreliable for you. When Mikey was shilling for Take Two
before the reports of DirectCD bugs started pouring in:

=======================
From: Mike Richter (Acraptec Shill)
Subject: A note on Take Two
Date: 9/1/99

For Take Two to work ideally, your drive must support
packet writing and you must have DCD installed...to do it.

You may back up ... to a DCD-formatted erasable.
=======================

Imagine for Take Two, supposedly a backup software, to work "ideally" no
less, it must use supposedly *inherently* flaky, fragile, faulty,
unreliable packet writing format!

Moreover, the supposedly *inherently* flaky, fragile, faulty, unreliable
packet writing format was good enough for BACKUP, even when combined
with supposedly *inherently* flaky, fragile, forgetful, unreliable cd-rw
media!

[smh]

Post by smh
=======================
From: Mike Richter (Acraptec Shill)
Subject: A note on Take Two
Date: 9/1/99
You may back up ... to a DCD-formatted erasable.
=======================

==========================================
Did Mike Richter coin the term "Erasable"?
==========================================

=====================
From: Mike Richter
Date: 5/17/02

I refer to "erasable"
=====================

Did Mikey coin the term "Erasable"?

-----------------------------
(From old cdrfaq)
Subject: [1-1] What's CD-R?

A related technology called CD-E (CD Erasable) is expected
to be available in late 1996.

[Note: It was recently decided to call this technology
"CD-Rewritable" instead of CD-Erasable" -- kwc]

-----------------------------
Subject: [2-12] How does CD-RW compare to CD-R?

CD-RW is short for CD-Rewritable. It used to be called
CD-Erasable (CD-E), but some marketing folks changed it
so it wouldn't sound like your important data gets erased
on a whim.

-----------------------------
Erasable CDs are a go, compatibility to come later
October 23, 1996
By John Poultney

The newly standardized CD-Rewritable format,
known until a month ago as CD-Erasable
-----------------------------


For laughs 1:

=======================================
CD-RW Media Need Limbered Up for Erase?
=======================================
======================
From: Mike Richter (Slimy Shit)
Date: 4/5/04

the awkward erasure of erasables
======================

Do cd-rw media need to be limbered up before erase?


For laughs 2:

======================================
Mike Richter, Is CD-RW Media Homeless?
======================================
======================
From: Mike Richter (Slimy Shit)
Date: 2/7/06

Given the poor life of erasable media
======================

Is cd-rw media homeless, Mikey?

[smh]

Post by whit3rd
For a casual backup operation, I recently loaded a CDRW blank into my
iMac; it ejected after a few seconds. Every time. Thinking there might
be a problem with the blank, I tried a second, and a third.
They all ejected.
Maybe it was a bad batch? I found some old burned disks from the
same batch, and loaded one or two: they read out normally.
I have an external DVD burner from years back, so I powered it
up... and it also rejected these blanks.
But, I know the blanks worked BEFORE that; rummaging through the
pile I find a CDRW drive from a previous generation and NOW
the disk is writeable.
The newer drives, Pioneer DVR-105 and Matsushita UJ-825,
are probably unequipped with the first generation CDRW (2x)
recording algorithm, and won't even report the media characteristics
to the burner software. They just eject the (new old stock) disk.
The badge "ReWriteable UltraSpeed" is seen on misbehaving drives,
but "ReWriteable HighSpeed" is on the drive that can write CDRW (2x).
This kind of incompatibility is disturbing... I've always assumed my
pencils will write on ANY paper I can find, and that technology
never lets me down.
They say optical disk is the "new papyrus" - HAH!

Space is limited to store media id strings and write strategies in
256K(?) rom. Good thing the discs are ejected without writing anything
which surely would have resulted in coasters.

Also if the problem discs are virgin 2x, that is nothing has ever been
written to, then they may have exceeded shelf life which is 5-10 years.