GWA-4080N firmware (+dual layer)

I have downloaded the Sony version of the GMA-4080N firmware from the Dangerous Brothers website and applied it to my GWA-4080N. So far everything is working well. Windows detected the "new drive" and labeled it HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GMA-4080N. I get consistant information from Nero InfoTool as well. It shows it can now write and read to DVD-RAM and DVD +DL medias. I have read CDs and DVDs without any problems. I am about to write a DVD-R and see how it goes on that end. Unfortunately i do not have any RAM or DL medias to test the new functionalities.

Too bad the Sony GMA firmware doesn't improve from the DVD-Video reading speed of the GWA which is still stuck at 4x.

I should mention that I am using a Gateway 7405GX machine.

Any thoughts on this is appreciated.

EDIT: DVD and CD writing works well, i didn't notice any difference... Now if i can only get my hands on a DVD+9 disc!

11:35:39 AM - Burn process started at 2.4x (3,324 KB/s)
11:36:10 AM - Burning Layer 1
11:57:29 AM - Burning Layer 2
12:19:03 PM - Generating DVD high compatibility borders
12:19:59 PM - Generating DVD borders completed successfully
12:19:59 PM - Burn process completed successfully at 2.4x (3,324 KB/s)

This information was taken from the Nero log file after having written about 8.2 gigs of data onto the disc. I have had no problems reading the Verbatim +DL media after the burning process. That means one thing, a free upgrade

I have used the revision "0S35" of the GMA-4080N firmware by Sony to add Dual Layer compatibility on the GWA-4080N. If this has worked for me, it doesn't mean it will work for you. I will take no responsability if you try to upgrade your DVD writer and it fails (This will also void your warranty if it works). As for the DVD-RAM support I am not going to test it anytime soon because it isn't something I will be using anyway.

Also, can someone tell me what is the stock revision number of the Gateway GWA-4080N firmware on a 7405GX? because I didn't take note before upgrading. I would also love to hear about the firmware revision number on the Gateway 7422GX DVD writer as well. Thanks

TSSTcorp? i have never heard of them. Does this mean that all if not most of the 7422GX+ do not have an LG burner? Or maybe i'm just way off the road here.

Alright, so it is safe to assume that both the LG and toshiba drives can write on double layered discs in the Gateway 7422GX. If anyone can tell me the firmware revision of the LG DVD writer of that particular model it would be much appreciated. Same goes for the firmware in the 7405GX which i forgot to save

Does anyone know a program that can read and write firmwares from and to an LG drive? All i have found is packed firmwares that will only write.

I am just curious because it might be possible to extract the firmware in the drive from the 7422GX and use it in a 7405GX

There should not be a problem with reverting back if we can find a way to save the original 0G03 firmware.

Uh, you would have to ask them i guess

N304B, can you tell me what that means? lol

You should be aware that I fried my warranty by installing a shiny new memory stick in the internal ram slot. And those hinges that are falling apart now, blah! So i had nothing to lose at this point. And if something went wrong, well... i could have installed a new DVD writer right?

Anyway, I had been searching the net for a few weeks for ways to improve that particular piece of hardware in the 7405GX. My main goal, as seen in my first post, was to get a faster DVD video ripping speed. From what I could gather on various forums and The Dangerous Brothers website proposing that the GSA, GMA and GWA firmwares are basically the same, I made the move.

I can tell you this though. the firmwares had been sitting on my hard disk for over a week before i decided to press the proceed button. I think that I tried the NEC version first, i rebooted and Windows detected some new hardware but it was still reading as a GWA-4080N and i was not satisfied since it was supposed to be a GSA. So i loaded up the Sony firmware and applied that instead. After rebooting I could see that Windows had detected a GMA-4080N drive and that it was also listed as a DVD-RAM drive in Windows Explorer. I fired up Nero InfoTool and behold! It supported RAM and DL medias now. The 2 other firmwares on the Dangerous Brothers website would not let me load the firmwares into my GWA.

And that's that

Here is the link to the DiscInfo program but it is quite outdated now. It won't detect +DL support and such from DVD drives.

http://discinfo.rpc1.org/

I do not remember seeing this information. do you mean +DL reading, or writing, or both?

It is fairly easy. I downloaded and executed the "0S35 (SONY) Windows" firmware revision of the LG HL-DT-ST GSA-4080N (GWA/GMA) DVD writer found on The Dangerous Brothers website

This was applied to an HL-DT-ST GWA-4080N found in a Gateway 7405GX machine with a stock firmware version number of 0G03.

As noted by another user this is a beta firmware from the above mentionned site. Aside from DVD-RAM and +Dual Layer support it is also an RPC-1 firmware, meaning that it will read movies from any regions in the world.

Even though this has worked for me, and I won't try to stop the adventurous types, I will not be held responsible if you undertake this and your drive blows up and it kills your dog!

I will keep searching the web for an application that can read and write firmwares from and to an LG drive. It might be useful for saving up the original firmware in case it is needed. And maybe we can try and use the firmware from an LG drive in the 7422GX and use it in our. We'll see...

The Dangerous Brothers are known to release RPC-1 firmwares. By that fact is it true to assume that they will just patch it so it can read from other regions? Or will they unlock the RAM and Dual Layer capabilities as well?

If they do so it would become an RPC-1 GMA firmware... which we have already but it's a Sony

The best thing for me/us would be to get an unaltered GWA firmware so that we can flash it back to our drives in case it is needed.

If you have it extracted and that you have a program to write it back i'd be happy to try it out