User manual PLEXTOR PX-712UF

Model PX-712UF External USB/FireWire Drive DVD±R/RW, CD-R/RW DRIVE INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL JUNE 2004 Plextor reserves the right to make improvements in the products described in this manual at any time without prior notice. Plextor makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Plextor Corp. reserves the right to revise this manual and to make changes in its content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such revision or change. This manual is copyrighted, all rights reserved. It may not be copied, photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without Plextor's prior permission. Manual copyright ©2004 Plextor Corp. First edition, June 2004. Licenses and Trademarks Plextor and the Plextor logo are registered trademarks of Plextor Corp. All other licenses and trademarks are property of their respective owners. Record Your Serial Number For future reference, record the serial number and the TLA code (found on your drive's label) in the space provided below. TLA/Firmware Revision Number FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION STATEMENT This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS STATEMENT This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada. LASER INFORMATION These products have been designed and manufactured according to IEC 60825-1 on the Safety of Laser products. This product comes under "Class 1 Laser Products." CAUTION: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure. A Laser Caution Label is attached on the bottom of the external drive model. The laser beam emitted from the optical pickup is visible and invisible. Accordingly: · Do not open the optical pickup housing. · Obtain service only from Plextor-authorized personnel. CAUTION: To disconnect the external DVD/CD drive from electrical current, pull out the drive's power cable. PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual iii Bottom View of External Drive, Showing Caution Label Location Detail of PX-712UF Laser Caution Labels iv PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual Table of Contents 1. Getting Started ..............................................................................1 About this Manual...........................................................................1 Meet Your PX-712UF .....................................................................2 What the PX-712UF Does...........................................................2 Features of the PX-712UF...........................................................3 Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-712UF ..........................6 What You Can Do with the PX-712UF.......................................7 About Software ...............................................................................8 Precautions ......................................................................................9 Where to Go From Here..................................................................9 2. Installing the PX-712UF External USB/FireWire Drive..........11 PX-712UF Drive Features and Controls .......................................11 Front Panel--PX-712UF External Drive ..................................11 Rear Panel--PX-712UF External Drive....................................13 What Else Is In the PX-712UF Box ..............................................15 Save Your Box!.........................................................................15 Mount the PX-712UF Drive..........................................................16 Determine Your Computer's Operating System ...........................17 Determine What Interface to Use ..................................................17 Connect the PX-712UF Drive .......................................................18 Record the Serial Number and TLA Code ................................18 Install the Drive in Your Windows Computer...........................18 Identifying Cables and Ports .....................................................20 If You Have Windows 98SE and FireWire ...............................21 If You Have Windows 98SE and USB......................................21 Switching Between USB and IEEE 1394 Interfaces .....................22 If You're Using FireWire ..............................................................22 If You Have a Macintosh ..............................................................23 3. Using Your PX-712UF ................................................................25 What Media to Use........................................................................25 DVD Media ...............................................................................25 CD-ROM Media........................................................................25 Tray Loading and Operation .........................................................27 Handling DVD and CD Media ..................................................27 Cleaning Discs...........................................................................28 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual v Table of Contents Mounting Position......................................................................... 29 Playing DVDs ............................................................................... 29 Writing to DVD Media ................................................................. 30 Specifying +R/RW or -R/RW ................................................... 30 Writing to CD-R and CD-RW Media ........................................... 30 Using the Disc/Busy Indicator ...................................................... 31 Switching to SpeedRead for Video Playback ............................... 32 4. Advanced Features and PlexTools Professional....................... 33 Loading PlexTools Professional Software .................................... 33 Using Silent Mode ........................................................................ 34 Turning On Silent Mode ........................................................... 34 Important Facts about Silent Mode ........................................... 36 Using SecuRec.............................................................................. 37 Password-Protecting a Disc with SecuRec................................ 37 Reading a Password-Protected Disc.......................................... 39 Important Facts about SecuRec................................................. 39 Using VariRec............................................................................... 40 How the Default VariRec Setting Is Determined...................... 40 Changing the VariRec Setting................................................... 41 Important Facts about VariRec ................................................. 43 Using GigaRec.............................................................................. 43 Burning a Disc with GigaRec ................................................... 44 How GigaRec Works ................................................................ 45 Important Facts about GigaRec................................................. 45 Testing Your CDs and DVDs ....................................................... 46 Measuring Read Transfer Rate ................................................. 46 Measuring Write Transfer Rate................................................. 49 Measuring Q-Check C1/C2/CU Errors ..................................... 51 Measuring Tracking and Focus Error ....................................... 56 Making Q-Check Jitter/Beta Measurements ............................. 59 Measuring Q-Check PI/PO Errors ............................................ 62 Advantages of Buffer Underrun Proof Technology...................... 64 vi PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual Table of Contents 5. Maintenance and Troubleshooting ............................................65 Cleaning the PX-712UF Drive ......................................................65 Upgrading Firmware .....................................................................66 Emergency Eject ...........................................................................67 Troubleshooting ............................................................................67 Make Sure the Drive Is Recognized ..........................................67 Using the PX-712UF Self-Test Diagnostics..............................69 What You'll Need .....................................................................69 Performing the Self-Test ...........................................................69 What the Self-Test Results Indicate ..........................................70 6. Frequently Asked Questions.......................................................71 Appendix A: PX-712UF Specifications..........................................73 Appendix B: Technical Support.....................................................85 How to Contact Plextor Technical Support...................................86 Before You E-mail/Log On/FAX/Call for Support .......................86 Returns ..........................................................................................87 Contacting Plextor's RMA Department ....................................87 Packing Your Drive...................................................................88 Shipping Your Drive to Plextor.................................................88 Appendix C: Warranty ...................................................................89 If You're Outside the U.S. or Canada ...........................................90 Index.................................................................................................91 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual vii Table of Contents This page intentionally left blank. viii PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 1. Getting Started Congratulations! Thank you for purchasing the Plextor® PX-712UF, a reliable, high-performance recordable DVD and CD writer, rewriter, and player. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in us. Our goal is to put you--and keep you--on the leading edge of DVD and CD technology. About this Manual Please read this manual carefully and keep it handy for easy reference. Use the manual for installation, operation and troubleshooting. If your drive needs service, see your dealer or call Plextor's Technical Support Department. In this manual you should find all the information you need to successfully install, operate and troubleshoot your drive. If you run into a problem that doesn't seem to be covered, however, please contact us. (See "Appendix B: Technical Support" for the different ways you can reach us.) You will be connected to our friendly, helpful band of tech support engineers. What might seem like an uncooperative drive to you could very well be a 30-second fix to them. But we will never know unless you contact us. PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 1 Section 1. Getting Started Meet Your PX-712UF The PX-712UF is a DVD ReWritable/CD ReWritable drive that provides professional quality DVD and CD performance for writing, rewriting and reading. What the PX-712UF Does For DVDs, the PX-712UF: · Writes DVD+R (recordable DVD, "plus" format) media at up to 12X speed on recommended 8X media. · Writes DVD-R (recordable DVD, "dash" format) media at up to 8X speed. · Writes DVD+RW (rewritable DVD, "plus" format) media at up to 4X speed. · Writes DVD-RW (rewritable DVD, "dash" format) media at up to 4X speed. · Supports DVD+VR and DVD-VR real time editing. · Reads DVD discs at up to 16X (depending on USB or IEEE 1394 host controller). · Reads DVD-Video discs with CSS at up to 2X CLV. · Supports DVD-RW DRT-DM (Distributed Real Time Defect Management) For CDs, the PX-712UF: · Writes to CD-R (recordable CD) media at up to 48X speed. · Writes to CD-RW (rewritable CD) media at up to 24X speed. · Reads all CD-ROM, CD-RW, and CD-R data media at a maximum of 48X speed. · Reads CD-DA (audio) and CD-R audio media at up to 40X speed. · Reads CD-RW audio media at up to 32X speed. 2 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1. Getting Started Features of the PX-712UF · USB 2.0 and FireWire interface: Features both USB 2.0 and FireWire® (IEEE 1394), to connect to a PC or Macintosh computer with either of these high-speed interfaces. Supports both Hi-Speed USB 2.0 (480 megabits per second) and Full-Speed USB 1.1 (12 megabits per second). · PoweRec: Plextor Optimized Writing Error Reduction Control (PoweRec) adjusts laser power and writing speed so they're at the optimum settings for that particular disc. (For example, when you're writing a DVD, PoweRec checks to see if the maximum 12X speed is possible, and sets the optimum write speed.) You can enable and disable PoweRec. · VariRec: Lets you change the write strategy to record at highest quality on different types of discs. Also provides user adjustment of the recording power above or below a default level. This adjustment lets you customize the optimum laser power to your own needs. · Silent Mode: Unique technology that sets the drive for super-silent operation. By controlling access speed, read/write speed, and tray opening and closing speed, you reduce drive noise to a whisper. · MMC compliance: Supports the MMC-4 command set. · Flash memory: Allows upgrading the PX-712UF to the latest firmware revision (available from the Plextor web site) without opening the computer or physically accessing the drive. · Black tray: Reduces the effect of optical distortion by absorbing reflections from the laser beam, enhancing read quality. · Plug and Play: Supports Windows Plug and Play. · Self-test diagnostics: The PX-712UF has a self-test diagnostic function for easy troubleshooting. PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 3 Section 1. Getting Started · Q-Check tests: The Plextor PX-712UF achieves high-quality recording on virtually any DVD or CD media. To see for yourself, use the Q-Check features to check laser operation, or measure and display characteristics of the media you're using. DVD Features · Lossless linking for DVD+R/RW: Allows DVD+RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD-ROM players. · Zero Link for DVD-R/RW: Has 0 byte gap between sessions so the discs are compatible with all players. This allows DVD-RW discs to be edited and still play on DVD-ROM players. · Wide DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW media compatibility: Compatible with a wide range of DVD±R and DVD±RW media. · Multiple DVD types: Supports DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, multiborder, multi-session, DVD±VR, for read and write. · Versatile recording modes for DVD+R/RW: Including disc-at-once (DAO), multi-session, and incremental write for DVD+R; random access write and sequential write for DVD+RW. · Recording versatility for DVD-R/RW, too: Including DAO, incremental recording, multi-border recording for DVD-R; and multi-border recording, incremental recording, restricted overwriting, DRT-DM for DVD-RW. · SpeedRead: For DVD-Video discs equipped with CSS copy protection, you can enable fast playback (SpeedRead) or leave at the factory default for quiet video playback. 4 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1. Getting Started CD-R and CD-RW Features · Variety of recording modes: Supports track-at-once, disc-at-once, session-at-once, multi-session, variable and fixed packet writing, and CD-MRW (Mount Rainier). · Buffer Underrun Proof Technology: Eliminates buffer underrun errors, so you can safely use your computer for other tasks while you're writing to a CD-R or CD-RW disc. · Wide compatibility: Wide CD-R and CD-RW media compatibility. · Orange Book compatibility: Compatible with Orange Book, Parts II and III. · OPC and ROPC: Optimum Power Control and Running Optimum Power Control, which adjust the laser power for the optimum write strategy. · CD-TEXT, CD+G: Supports CD-TEXT and CD+G writing. · GigaRec: Variable capacity recording that lets you change CD-R disc capacity over a range from 60 percent to 130 percent of the rated value. GigaRec lets you get much more data onto a CD, or decrease disc capacity while gaining improved audio quality. · SecuRec: Security protection that lets you make your CDs readable only by persons with the correct password. · Overburn: Another way of burning more information onto a CD-- audio up to 99 minutes 59 seconds in length, or a data disc up to 875 megabytes in capacity. PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 5 Section 1. Getting Started Minimum Configuration to Use the PX-712UF Here's what you'll need in order to install and use the PX-712UF drive. · Computer: Pentium III, 800-MHz CPU or faster. (Pentium 4, 1.6-GHz or faster recommended.) · Minimum RAM: 128 MB. (256 MB recommended.) · Interface: USB (2.0 or 1.1) or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) interface. (Onboard USB 2.0 or IEEE 1394 host controller recommended.) · Hard disk size: To write to a CD in image mode (that is, to write an image of a CD to your hard disk), you need 1 GB of free space. For a DVD, 6­10 GB of free space is recommended. (For more accurate guidelines, see the help files or documentation for the recording software you're using.) · Operating System: PC: Windows XP, 2000, Me, 98SE. Macintosh: For FireWire and USB 1.1, OS 9.1 or higher recommended. For USB 2.0, OS X is required. NOTE: You cannot use the PX-712UF with early versions of Windows 98; if you are using Windows 98, it must be Windows 98SE (Second Edition). Also, Windows 98SE must be updated with the latest Microsoft patch. NOTE: The built-in USB ports on older computers (and even on inexpensive new ones) provide only USB 1.1--that is, Full-Speed (12 Mbps) USB. This limits the CD-RW drive performance to 4X write, 4X rewrite, and 6X read, while DVD performance with USB 1.1 is 0.7X. For optimum performance if your PC or Macintosh does not have built-in USB 2.0, use the FireWire port, if available. Or, for PCs (and Macs with expansion capability), you can purchase and install a third-party PCI USB 2.0 or FireWire plug-in host adapter card. 6 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1. Getting Started What You Can Do with the PX-712UF Just look at some of the things you can do with your PX-712UF: · Record slide shows or digital video onto DVD+R, -R, +RW or -RW discs. · Play DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs. · Record data or audio onto writable or rewritable CD media. · Play music CDs. · Save photos and other images on rewritable or writable CDs. · Create a CD or DVD "sneakernet" to share information with colleagues--just use software such as Roxio's DirectCD to drag and drop files onto DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD-R or CD-RW media, then continue adding files and sharing the same disc. · Archive images and video to DVD or CD. · Master new software programs on DVD or CD. PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 7 Section 1. Getting Started About Software In order to record on DVD±R/RW and CD-R/RW discs you will need to have mastering, packet writing, or duplication software installed on your computer system. If you purchased a retail kit from Plextor, you'll get this software on a disc in the box. PlexTools® Professional is a powerful application software package that lets you take full advantage of the CD/DVD functions of the PX-712UF drive. PlexTools Professional lets you use your Plextor PX-712UF to burn CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD discs, and it also lets you take advantage of all the unique new features found in the Plextor PX-712UF drive. Roxio's Easy CD CreatorTM 6 Basic DVD Edition also lets you burn DVDs and CDs. You can burn and share anything on CD or DVD, including music, photos, and videos; and you can also back up your critical data to a CD or DVD. One component of Easy CD Creator is Drag-to-Disc, which makes the Plextor PX-712UF drive as easy to use as a hard disk drive. (For more information, install Easy CD Creator and examine its help files.) For details on other software that is available for writing to DVDs or CDs, please visit the web sites of the companies whose software you are interested in, refer to their user's manuals, or look at the help option within the software. A list of various software that you can use with your Plextor drive can be found in the Support/Compatibility section of www.plextor.com. 8 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual Section 1. Getting Started Precautions Like the rest of your computer system, your PX-712UF requires reasonable care in its installation and use. · Keep the area around your drive clean from dust, smoke, and other contaminants. Also, do not allow moisture or liquids, including water or cleaning fluids, to touch the drive. Thinner, benzene, or alcohol-based solvents can mar your drive's surface. · Do not drop or jolt the drive. · Do not move, carry or transport a disc in the drive, because this can cause damage. · Do not attempt to open the drive and service it yourself. Removing the cover may expose you to harmful electrical voltages or the laser beam. For your safety, entrust service to experienced service personnel only. · Keep your DVDs and CDs free of dirt or other contaminants, by storing them in jewel cases. Use only industry-standard discs. Do not insert dirty, warped, poorly balanced, or cracked discs into the drive. · Do not clean discs using a circular motion. Instead, using a soft, dry cloth, wipe gently in a radial motion; start at the center of the disc and proceed to the outer edge. · Do not attempt to clean your drive using solvent-based cleaners or an air compressor. · Do not attempt to clean your drive using a CD cleaning disc. These discs can damage your drive permanently. Where to Go From Here · See Chapter 2, beginning on page 11, to install your drive. PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 9 Section 1. Getting Started This page intentionally left blank. 10 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 2. Installing the PX-712UF External USB/FireWire Drive This chapter explains how to physically connect your PX-712UF external drive to your computer. PX-712UF Drive Features and Controls Before proceeding, you should become familiar with the controls and features of your Plextor drive. Match the parts of your drive to the illustrations below. Front Panel--PX-712UF External Drive Figure 1: Front panel of the PX-712UF external drive PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual 11 Section 2. Installing the PX-712UF External USB/FireWire Drive · Disc/busy indicator: Illuminated yellow for disc initializing, reading, and ejecting. Illuminated amber for writing. (Blink rate indicates writing speed.) Illuminated green during standby and when Buffer Underrun Proof Technology is operational. · Disc tray: Slides out to allow you to insert a disc. · Emergency eject hole: If the automatic eject button does not work, turn the power switch to OFF, then insert the emergency eject tool, paper clip, or other thin, rigid object in this hole to eject the disc tray manually. · Power indicator: Illuminated blue when the PX-712UF drive power is ON. · Eject button: Push once to eject the tray. Push again to load the tray back into the PX-712UF. To prevent wear on the drive, always use the eject button to load the tray. This button also controls SpeedRead and silent operation for DVDVideo discs with CSS protection. To enable SpeedRead, with the disc tray empty, press and hold the eject button for 3 seconds, then insert a DVD-Video disc. The disc is played back at an accelerated speed. 12 PX-712UF Installation and Users Manual