Sometimes I think I'm either the dumbest person on earth, or I'm jinxed with bad electronics. *sigh* I have this DVD+R/W recorder (a standalone Philips DVDR985). It has a brand new drive in it, and since it has recorded 8x discs fine before (Memorex and TDK), I assumed the new drive had the firmware upgrade. I bought some Imation 8x discs today and this stupid machine will NOT record on them. And it has to be the discs, because I put in another disc, and now it's recording fine. What can I do to get these discs to work? Or am I now the proud owner of 25 mini frisbees?

And...is there anyway to buy a firmware upgrade disc? Last time I tried to download and burn my own, it didn't work.

Hmmm.... I am wondering something... are these DVDs - or +?

Hmmm.... I am wondering something... are these DVDs - or +?
+

Sometimes I think I'm either the dumbest person on earth, or I'm jinxed with bad electronics. *sigh* I have this DVD+R/W recorder (a standalone Philips DVDR985). It has a brand new drive in it, and since it has recorded 8x discs fine before (Memorex and TDK), I assumed the new drive had the firmware upgrade. I bought some Imation 8x discs today and this stupid machine will NOT record on them. And it has to be the discs, because I put in another disc, and now it's recording fine. What can I do to get these discs to work? Or am I now the proud owner of 25 mini frisbees?

And...is there anyway to buy a firmware upgrade disc? Last time I tried to download and burn my own, it didn't work.
can try to take the disks back to where you bought them? see if you can exchange them for a different brand...

if the drive was replaced, it probably has the upgraded firmware, but if not:

To Upgrade:
1. Download the files from http://drivers.softpedia.com/progDownload/Philips-DVD--Firmware-Download-5766.html

2. Unzip the folder & SAVE ALL of the Files Not The Whole folder (Just The Files from Inside The Folder) onto a Disc (CLOSE THE DISC, NO CD-RW, JUST CDRs).

3. Put that disc into your DVDR985 Recorder, and let it update. It takes about 10 Minutes

I bought them at Target. Do they take back open media? I just assumed they didn't.

I bought them at Target. Do they take back open media? I just assumed they didn't.
I would just try... as long as you have your receipt and tell them it was the "wrong" kind of discs, they ought to let you return or get store credit. :)

I bought them at Target. Do they take back open media? I just assumed they didn't.


Target doesn't take back any electronics unless they are broken then you can make an exchange for the exact same item. And if I remember correctly, you have to have your receipt.

Cathy, they might give you store credit, I'm not sure. It never hurts to try though :)

Target doesn't take back any electronics unless they are broken then you can make an exchange for the exact same item. And if I remember correctly, you have to have your receipt.
Poo.

Cathy, they might give you store credit, I'm not sure. It never hurts to try though :)
Yeah, I side with you... It doesn't hurt to try.

I dl'd the upgrade, used Nero to burn all the files, and all these stupid machines will do is spit the CD out without a second thought. Any other ideas anyone?

I could buy a new machine for cheaper than I could get either one of them fixed.

Wal-Mart lets you take them back... just explain you got the wrong kind. I was like you when I first got mine too. :lol:

go back to target with the disks and explain they wont work with your machine, if they wont let you exchange them for a different brand, just buy a couple disks from a different brand to see if you can find one that works, then see if you can TRADE those other ones with someone...

when you made the disk, did you copy all the firmware files directly into the root of the cd - ie. NOT into a folder on the cd? If the disk doesnt do ANYTHING, it probably means that you've already got the firmware upgrade (it wont rewrite the firmware if it is the same version #)

Target took them back and I got TDKs that I know work.

when you made the disk, did you copy all the firmware files directly into the root of the cd - ie. NOT into a folder on the cd? If the disk doesnt do ANYTHING, it probably means that you've already got the firmware upgrade (it wont rewrite the firmware if it is the same version #)

Yeah, I dragged each individual file over to the burn area, and it burned that way. Nero puts everything in alphabetical order...I didn't know if there was a certain order it needs to be in or not. I figured at least the one machine I know doesn't have a new drive would take the CD, but it didn't either.