Burning Issues: Tips and Tricks for CDR / CDRW Writing: BLINDREAD

- tries -

COASTER-INTERRUPTUS

Generic [MIRAI Retail kit] SANYO CRD-BP4-M 16/10/40 "burnproof" SCSI-3

[at least five runs each - bar Disk#3 - on two samples of the BP4]

We tried some of the better audio-extraction applications: CDDAE, Feurio, & EAC on three pressed media: #1 - new; 70 minutes; #2 - slightly [ie normally] scratched; & #3 - seriously damaged - both scratched & with degraded internal reflectivity. All were clean.

With reference to our read-speed tests, it's worth noting that Feurio, after an exhaustive series of speed-step runs, diagnosed the drives' basic read-performance as:

The BP4 read Disk #1 at 23.5x average [max 32x] using both CDDAE & Feurio; 6x using EAC in secure mode. All extractions were of very good quality - 97% average with EAC.

Disk #2 failed in CDDAE, was extracted with good quality by Feurio, & was [eventually] extracted with very good quality - & CRC match - using EAC.

Disk #3 failed in CDDAE & Feurio; & the first track alone took over 8 hours to extract using EAC with 82% quality.

As a comparison, EAC with the 40TSi extracted all of Disk #3 in just over 5 hours at track-qualities between 86% & 94%.

DAE features:

The desirable hardware features for DAE are: CD-DA Accurate Stream, no caching of audio data, & C2 error-pointer reporting.

EAC - the DAE application of choice, especially when dealing with tricky media - works optimally when set to "secure" mode, using a reader with these three capabilities. The BP4 has the first two; but there's a gap between the C2-error capabilities the BP4 returns to inquiry . . .

FireBurner:	Feurio:

. . . & those it has in fact:

EAC tested for C2 error-reporting without success, & neither Feurio nor EAC would work with C2-reporting enabled.

In very broad terms: C2 errors are visible - scratch or fingermark sized, & C1 errors down around the scale where 'burnproof' plays: a pressed CD won't pass quality-control with C2 errors; but may well have a few C1 errors. Where a CD-reader reports information it receives from C2-error pointers, it gives both data as to the global & local condition of the CD - whether & where it's scratched - & to what degree & where intense analysis using both C2 & C1 is or has been required.

Without C2 error-reporting enabled, EAC is very slow indeed extracting in secure test & copy mode from damaged disks. "Slow" [we're not joking] can = days. C2-reporting also helps both Feurio & EAC extract to their highest quality - see the Feurio FAQ for more detail.

We tried other DAE applications; but the best real-world performance overall with the BP4 came when using Feurio - the only application giving us any confidence it & the BP4 might cope briskly with a visible light scratch or two.

DAE conclusion:

All-in-all we felt the BP4 was, by current standards, good for DAE from clean media; & could be developed to be truly competent if C2-error-pointer reporting was fully implemented.

The above screenshots show that inquiries to both FireBurner & Feurio reported the BP4 could read both data & audio sub-codes - though, again, Feurio would not run with these apparent capabilities enabled . . .

. . . which brings us to . . .

Protected-disk copying:

Tested at least five times each on two samples of the BP4 f/w 4.31 using protected PSX, Nero 5.x OEM distribution disk, & SafeDisk1

The latest firmware for this [& other] Sanyo burners encouragingly states:

. . . . & the helpfile for the latest [3.x] version of CloneCD replaces the discouraging verdict of an earlier version of CloneCD [2.8.4.3] on performance using previous firmwares . . .

. . . . with better, indeed the best, news:

Other applications capable of reading beyond RAW 2352 to some degree - BlindRead, Nero, & Vob Instant Disc/Copy - would not provide consistent results when reading using the BP4. Occasionally, it appeared one or other of these applications recognised the BP4 as capable of reading +16 or +96; but all disappointed in practice.

A promising application for full use of the BP4's capabilities appears to be FireBurner2.x - either with 2448 mode track-images ripped using FireBurner1.06, or using the upcoming FireRipper. FireBurner2.x is in fast-developing beta: the present beta3 is stable; but does not yet accept mode[s] 2368 & 2448 image-files.

You need a reader & writer both capable of RAW+16 or [ideally] RAW+96 to backup CD's protected by these [& other] common techniques:

SecureROM; ProtectCD; PSX protections; Dummy Files

SafeDisc1-protected CD's are different; in principle requiring only accurate reading of good sectors & accurate recognition of bad sectors.

Normally; either CloneCD - set to fast-error-skip - or BlindRead - set to 'nibble' - can backup SafeDisc1 quite reliably; however we only had reliable results at endurable speeds with the BP4 using CloneCD 3.x - this appears to have a new & better read-engine for the BP4's hardware - not software, which is faster - error-skip.

Nero v Nero:

As a last test with the small sample of protections to hand; we tried the usual smart-Alec routine of seeing whether the default application [Nero 5.x OEM] would make a backup of its own distribution-disk.

This disk has a combination of false modes & false-gaps fronted by a false TOC, & is a challenge to deconstruct correctly into its component tracks: however, we felt that Nero would of course be able to exploit the RAW read/write capabilities of the BP4, & make a brute-force copy.

Sadly, the BP4 could not read this disk in any settings available through Nero - including those to force Nero's version of RAW reading.

On a happier note: the 40TSi & BP4 used together with Nero made perfect RAW on-the-fly copies of this disk at 12x, evidence of the BP4's performance at . . . .

Protected-disk-write:

It does it all. There's actually little more to say: the BP4 wrote all data we provided it with in all modes at all speeds.

Protected-disk conclusion:

The BP4 at present is reliably effective making backup copies of most protected disks ONLY when using CloneCD 3.x & firmware 4.31

Using CloneCD 3.x, the CRD-BP4 f/w 4.31 used alone or with the 40TSi made perfect copies of any of the few protections we tried. Please note that the BP4 - like the vast majority of burners, in particular those based on Sanyo silicon - does not have the EFM-code writing abilities required to backup SafeDisk2-protected CD's to be read-device independent.

We were surprised that protected-disk-read performance with the supplied application [Nero] was as ineffective as with the many applications not yet provided with full driver support for the BP4's full range of RAW capabilities.

Write performance:

The BP4's read-performance, when tested, falls slightly below the specification & our expectations: the write performace doesn't - it's exactly as specified: SAO,TAO,DAO . . . all the way to DAO RAW+96 . . . it all worked.

At 16x, yes, it takes just over 5 minutes to write a full 650Mb CD; & on our dual-CPU test-system running Windows 2000 we found it next to impossible to get BURN-proof to kick in, unless running a couple of instances of a CPU stress-test. We couldn't make a coaster.

We had good results with all media used; but would recommend visiting Sanyo's tested media page.

The competition:

16x SCSI-burners are thin on the ground: Yamaha have the [unpleasantly noisy] 2100S - a faster all-round reader, but inferior - & non-'burnproof' - writer, especially of HSRW media: in the next month or so they'll release a 20/10/40 burnproof-equivalent model using the Oak LSI.

Plextor are reliably rumoured to be very near to releasing a SCSI-version of their splendid 16/10/40 'burnproof' model: this is likely to be a near-identical writer & phenomenally good DAE reader - roughly as good as their 40TSi; snags are expense - & that in the US it'll be packaged with worthless Adaptec software [lucky Europeans get WinOnCD3.8OEM].

16x BURN-proof SCSI-models more - er - intimately related to the Mirai CDR-BP4-M include the Waitec 'T-Rex'; the Nimichen/Brainwave CRD-BP4-N ['Generic'; kit comes with Nero; 4.31 firmware]; & the Iodata CDRW-SB1610B [many BP4/1400 variants, including FireWire & USB] - there are doubtless others.

There are, of course, many 16/10/40 BURN-proof IDE/ATAPI models very closely related to the OEM Sanyo BP1400: a good clue to kinship is whether the firmware version number - "5.31" [say] - is similar to a recent Sanyo firmware number.

The future:

It is possible the BP4 & related model's DAE performance may be improved by a major firmware revision: we have reported the C2 pointer issue to Mirai, who are pro-active in encouraging Sanyo to focus their product development.

The present:

At present, many users - not just the demanding - will want & need a first-class SCSI CD-reader like the Plextor 40TSi to complete Mirai's BP4 package & balance & unleash its fine performance as a writer.

Given the fine value of the Mirai kit, & the profound desirability of all-SCSI CD-device chains, this is a practical - if noticeable - extra investment: such a combination represents the current state-of-the-art in CD read/write performance & will make a tempting alternative to the Plextor 16/10/40 SCSI-burner - at its traditionally handsome price when & if released.

At the time of writing, the Mirai CRD-BP4-N represents a pretty irresistible standalone alternative to the Plextor PX-W1210S BURN-proof SCSI 12-speed; the buyer must balance the BP4's second-generation BURN-proof, faster writing & much better value against the Plextor's DAE read-quality . . . . & a deserved good name for continued development & first-rate support.

Other opinions:

We didn't test the BP4 with any UDF application - InCD, DirectCD, InstantCD etc - if these dubiously reliable applications are of use to you, cdrinfo has an early-firmware BP4/1400 preview with some InCDv1.70 tests.

Storagereview doubtless will soon provide a BP4 review with many, many numbers & "performance" with Adaptec software.

The Feurio website has just now added accurate data on the BP4's DAE qualities & write capabilities - typically, this went up just after we had completed 130 hours of test-runs.

Burningissues' verdict? . . .

. . . er . . . no pompous faffing about with stars or marks out of 10: we bought one [at a small trade discount] - after testing an evaluation sample & with full knowledge of alternative & upcoming burners.

Sweet 16 . . .

. . . . x, on the fly

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