| DVR-A04 Frequently Asked Questions |
| 1. Where can I get a User's Guide for the Veritas RecordNow DX program bundled with my drive? |
| 2. What's the difference between the DVR-A03 and the DVR-A04? |
| 3. Which hardware and operating system is the DVR-A04 compatible with? |
| 4. What software works with the A04? |
| 5. When are you coming our with a SCSI Interface? |
| 6. Can I play back a video on my DVD player if the DVD-R or DVD-RW disc was recorded on the DVR-A04? |
| 7. Can I record using +RW media? |
| 8. What software is bundled with the DVR-A04 drive? |
| 9. Does Pioneer provide an external enclosure with IEEE 1394 (firewire) connections for the DVR-A04? |
| 10. Do you sell the DVR-A04 with a blank bezel (face-plate)? |
| 11. How can I get the full 4.7 GB of data on a disc? |
| 12. Who makes approved 2X DVD-R media for the DVR-A04? |
| 13. Can I use the DVR-A04 to back up my hard drive? |
| 14. How much recording time do I have on my disc? |
| 15. How long should it take to finalize a disc? |
| 16. Why can't I use the DVD-R 4.7GB Authoring (A) media with the DVR-A04 drive? |
| 17. If I burn MP3s on DVD-R/RW media, will it play back on a stand-alone DVD player? |
| 18. Why does my Operating System show blank DVD-R/RW media as a single-track CD Audio disc? |
| 19. What is the difference between the DVR-A04 and the DVR-104? |
| 20. Can I put 96 kHz/24 audio bit on a DVD-R disc and have it play back at the original 96 kHz/24 bit rate? |
| 21. Can I use DVD-R media to make DVD Audio Discs - not CD audio files on a DVD but a true DVD Audio disc which needs a DVD Audio player to playback? |
| 22. Why do I get a message asking if I want to initial the disc when I insert a blank DVD-R or DVD-RW disc in to the DVR-A04 on my Apple MAC? |
| 23. What is the difference between the PRV-9000 and the A04? |
| 24. I'm trying to update my
DVR-A04/104's firmware but get one of the following
messages: * Kernel mismatch * Model name of kernel is not matched. Current FW = NECCI (NEC) or SA (SOTEC) * Improper firmware file :R300101.180 Please use firmware data from NECCI |
| 25. Why won't my drive wake up from sleep mode (Energy Saver) on the MAC? |
| 26. How do I stop the kernel panic message from popping up on my MAC? |
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| ANSWERS |
| Q1: Where can I get a
User's Guide for the Veritas RecordNow DX program bundled with my
drive? A1:The User's Guide for RecordNow DX is included on the Software Installation CD shipped with the DVR-A04. After installing the program on to your computer, click on Go To Full Application. Click on HELP from the main menu bar at the top of the window and select Index. Additional information is available from the HELP menu. |
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| Q2: What's the difference
between the DVR-A03 and the DVR-A04? A2: A comparison chart between the DVR-A03 and the DVR-A04 is available on the Pioneer website under Service & Support - Business Product Solutions. |
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| Q3: Which hardware and
operating system is the DVR-A04 compatible with? A3: The DVR-A04 is compatible with the Windows and some Macintosh platforms however the current application programs bundled with the drive are Windows-based. The drive uses the Windows-generic drivers included with the operating system. For Macintosh installations, contact Apple for assistance. Note: If you are interested in using an external-enclosure drive with an IEEE1394 connection, check with third party vendors such as QPS, LaCie, ForMac, etc. |
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| Q4: What software works
with the A04? A4: The DVR-A04 comes bundled with Pioneer-tested and approved application software programs. Many other programs may work as well, but please contact the program manufacturer with any questions or problems. |
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| Q5: When are you coming our
with a SCSI Interface? A5: Pioneer does sell a SCSI drive called the DVR-S201, but the drive costs more than the DVR-A04. The DVR-A04 is an IDE device for internal use in most existing PC's at a reasonable cost. Some vendors package our drives as external products using IEEE1394 that offers many of the same advantages as SCSI. |
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| Q6: Can I play back a video
on my DVD player if the DVD-R or DVD-RW disc was recorded on the
DVR-A04? A6: Yes, as long as your player recognizes DVD-R or DVD-RW media and the disc was authored according to DVD Video specifications. Check with the player manufacturer or refer to websites with DVD-R/RW compatibility information. Some of these sites are DVDMadeEasy.com, Apple.com, Proh.com, and homemovie.com. |
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| Q7: Can I record using +RW
media? A7: No, The technology is incompatible. The DVR-A04 is write-compatible with DVD-R and DVD-RW media ONLY. The +RW format can only be used with machines that will burn +RW media. |
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| Q8: What software is
bundled with the DVR-A04 drive? A8: For a complete list of bundled software, please refer to the DVR-A04 Support page on this website. |
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| Q9: Does Pioneer provide an
external enclosure with IEEE 1394 (firewire) connections for the
DVR-A04? A09: Pioneer does not build, provide, or support an external IEEE 1394 enclosure. However, several third-party vendors provide the DVR-A04 drive in an IEEE 1394 enclosure or sell standalone enclosure kits. Most of these vendors include installation assistance and technical support. |
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| Q10: Do you sell the
DVR-A04 with a blank bezel (face-plate)? A10: The DVR-A04 is a Pioneer-branded drive. To ask about a blank bezel, contact the Parts department at (800) 228-7221. |
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| Q11: How can I get the full
4.7 GB of data on a disc? A11: The total usable disc space available on 4.7GB DVD-R/RW media is approximately 4.37 Gigabytes. The apparent discrepancy is because DVD formats use one billion bytes (1000 x 1000 x 1000) to represent a gigabyte, whereas traditional data storage calculations use a 1024 x 1024 x 1024 value. This amounts to an apparent 7% difference in the total number of bytes when DVD capacities are compared with the traditional calculation; in other words, 4.37 GB = 4.7 billion bytes. |
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| Q12: Who makes
approved 2X DVD-R media for the DVR-A04? A12: The Pioneer has qualified media from the following companies: Pioneer, TDK, Mitsui Chemical, Hitachi Maxell, and Mitsubishi Chemical (Verbatim brand). For additional information, please see the 2X DVD-R Media statement on this website. |
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| Q13: Can I use the DVR-A04
to back up my hard drive? A13: Yes. However, for automated backups, you will need a third-party software package. Check with your preferred software application manufacturer. |
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| Q14: How much recording
time do I have on my disc? A14: The bit-rate affects the production length. Encoding content at 10 Mbps provides approximately 60 minutes on 4.7 GB DVD-R/RW media. Encoding at 5 Mbps will provide about 2 hours on 4.7 GB DVD-R/RW media. |
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| Q15: How long should it
take to finalize a disc? A15: To fill a single-sided disc requires about a half-hour at 2X or about an hour at 1X. Depending upon the amount of data to be burned to the disc, it may take up to 12 minutes to finalize. As a general rule, the more data on the disc, the less time it takes to finalize. |
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| Q16: Why can't I use the
DVD-R 4.7GB Authoring (A) media with the DVR-A04 drive? A16: Authoring media was created for the DVR-S201 which uses a 635nm laser to burn discs. The DVR-A03 and DVR-A04 drive write with a 650nm laser and burns to General (G) media. Most DVD hardware manufacturers now design their equipment to use General media. For more information about Authoring and General media, please refer to the DVD-R General vs. Authoring White Paper on this website. |
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| Q17: If I burn MP3s on
DVD-R/RW media, will it play back on a stand-alone DVD
player? A17: This depends on the design of your DVD Video player, check the instruction manual to see if this function is supported. With the appropriate software, your computer should be able to play back MP3 files from a DVD-R or DVD-RW disc. |
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| Q18: Why does my Operating
System show blank DVD-R/RW media as a single-track CD Audio
disc? A18: Your Operating System was not programmed to recognize this media type. This is normal and does not cause problems. The Application program still recognizes the media and allows proper recording. |
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| Q19: What is the difference
between the DVR-A04 and the DVR-104? A19: The DVR-A04 is a Pioneer-branded drive sold to the public through Distributors and Retailers. This drive is bundled with free application software programs and two pieces of blank DVD media to allow the customer to create personal content on discs as quickly as possible. The DVR-104 is a drive designed for specific (non-Pioneer) companies and is called an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) product. OEM units become the responsibility of the vendor that included it as a part of their product line. These drives are sold to our OEM customers without the DVR-A04 software programs and media. The vendor packaging this drive with their equipment provides all service and technical support. |
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| Q20: Can I put 96 kHz/24
audio bit on a DVD-R disc and have it play back at the original 96 kHz/24 bit
rate? A20: Yes, but you need 3rd party hardware/software that supports this sample rate and bit depth. Contact your preferred software manufacturer for support. |
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| Q21: Can I use DVD-R media
to make DVD Audio Discs - not CD audio files on a DVD but a true DVD Audio disc
which needs a DVD Audio player to playback? A21: Yes, as long as your audio program is capable of creating the proper DVD-Audio file structure. In addition, you need a DVD Audio Player that supports DVD-R playback. |
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| Q22: Why do I get a message
asking if I want to initial the disc when I insert a blank DVD-R or DVD-RW disc
in to the DVR-A04 on my Apple MAC? A21: If you insert blank media without first launching a burning/authoring program, you will see this message: Do You want To Initilize? EJECT or CONTINUE. To avoid receiving this message, do either of the following solutions. 1. Launch a DVD-burning application that supports DVD-R/RW media (Roxio's Toast Titanium, etc) BEFORE inserting the disc in to the drive. 2. Launch a DVD-Authoring program, such as DVD Studio Pro, that supports DVD burning from within the application. The applicatoin will prompt you when to insert the blank media. |
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| Q23: What is the difference
between the PRV-9000 and the A04? A23: The A04 provides DVD-Video compliant discs but requires authoring and pre-mastering software. It is NOT real-time and usually takes 2 to 3 times the amount of time as the PRV-9000 to make a DVD-Video disc. However, the A04 can also be used to back up hard drive data and make CDs. The PRV-9000 is “authoring in a box” and provides real-time MPEG2 encoding but no support for writing to CD media. |
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| Q24: I'm trying to update
my DVR-A04/104's firmware but get one of the following
messages: * Kernel mismatch * Model name of kernel is not matched. Current FW = NECCI (NEC) or SA (SOTEC) * Improper firmware file :R300101.180 Please use firmware data from NECCI A24: Your DVR-A04/104 drive was not intended for the U.S. market. The DVR-104SA and the DVR-104NECCI are not sold in United States. Click on the appropriate link below to update the firmware in your DVR-A04/104 drive: Note: There are no instructions with these downloads. The links provide downloadable firmware files only. However, the process is similar to running the standard DVR-A04/104 firmware updater. Instructions for running the standard firmware update are availble from the Pioneer High-Speed webpage. Click on "Instructions for Updating Drive". NEC Japan http://121ware.com/download/pc/module/pc98-nx/winxp/drive/104E130/104EA130.EXE SOTEC (Japanese domestic market) http://forum.firmware-flash.com/dl_firmware.php?category=4&manufactor=25 To check the kernel on your drive, refer to the Pioneer High-Speed webpage. Click on "How to Check for Firmware and Drive Model Number" |
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| Q25: Why won't my drive
wake up from sleep mode (Energy Saver) on the MAC? A25: The MAC operating system will sometimes report kernel panic errors when the Energy Saver mode is used with non-Apple drives. In most cases the disc in the drive is no longer accessible and can't be ejected. To access the drive, reboot the computer and turn off the Energy Saver option so the drive does not go to sleep. Follow the steps below to turn OFF the sleep option. 1) Launch System Preferences (located under the Apple Menu). 2) Double-click on Energy Saver located under the Hardware section. 3) Click on the Sleep tab. 4) Uncheck the "Put the hard disc to sleep when possible" box. Another option is to use the slider under "Put the computer to sleep when it is active for" and slide the arrow to 3 hours or Never. |
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| Q26: How do I stop the
kernel panic message from popping up on my MAC? A26: The MAC operating system will sometimes report kernel panic errors when the Energy Saver mode is used with non-Apple drives. In most cases the disc in the drive is no longer accessible and can't be ejected. To access the drive, reboot the computer and turn off the Energy Saver option so the drive does not go to sleep. Follow the steps below to turn OFF the sleep option. 1) Launch System Preferences (located under the Apple Menu). 2) Double-click on Energy Saver located under the Hardware section. 3) Click on the Sleep tab. 4) Uncheck the "Put the hard disc to sleep when possible" box. Another option is to use the slider under "Put the computer to sleep when it is active for" and slide the arrow to 3 hours or Never. |
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