Problems burning DVDs

[p38arover]

I'm having problems with the DVDs I'm burning.

They seem to burn OK but when I put them back in the PC, they appear blank - at least I can't see any files on them and they won't play.

The discs aren't blank because I've tried recording over them and the software tells me to replace them with a blank CD.

This is most frustrating. I downloaded a lot of Jeremy Clarkson TopGear and MotorWorld stuff, plus lots of Land Rover movies and Camel Trophy movies from the 'Net using P2P (which has taken weeks and weeks). I was running short of hard disc space on my laptop so I burned them all the DVD, deleted them from my HDD, and now I can't read the DVDs.

Not only that, I promised Redback the Bomber Crew episode he misssed, and a number of LR clips to RichardK and I can't deliver. I hate being unable to do what I promised.

I'm wondering if it is the brand of DVD I'm using (Imation).

I'm at a loss at the moment to know what the problem is but it is flamin' annoying.

Regards,

Ron

[Grizzly_Adams]

I know this may sound silly or stupid, but try putting them in different makes / brands of DVD players. You may be lucky and strike one that can read it...

I've had similar problems before :-

[CraigE]

Most times you will need to finish/close a cd for it to work. If you leave it open to add more data a lot of cd players will not recognise it. There should be a finsh tab in the burning software and you should be able to put these cd's back in and close them.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[HangOver]

turn off multi-session & turn on finalise CD
it will be in your options/settings menu for the program you use to burn with

[JDNSW]

DVD recording is a lot less robust than CD recording - prefer CDs for critical pictures. It is not unusual to find that DVDs recorded on one drive are not readable on another one or even on itself. I have seen it stated that DVD-Rs are a better bet than +R but I can't speak from experience. I have only had a DVD burner for about a month and have never (so far) had any problems at all. But I have done a bit of reading about it. There are some relevant comments in the current 'Silicon Chip' magazine talking about DVD-HD vs Blu-ray.

[p38arover]

Thanks chaps.

Hmm, will check but I don't normally use multi-session with the DVDs.

My PC's uses DVD+R.

[spudboy]

What speed are you burning at?

If you don't have a newish DVD burner, stick to 4x. I made a lot of drinks coasters by trying to burn at 8x.

I think you will have to chuck the dud ones you've already burnt.

[p38arover]

Wierd. I tried a couple in the DVD player attached to the TV and that will read the DVDs with the CT movies in AVI format - but the DVD burner that wrote them can't.

Ron

[Disco_Drivin_Dude]

Hmmmm, it seems wierd that your burner is burning to the discs but won't play them back. This to me raises some questions. Although this has happened to me in the past.

1. Need to know brand and model number of burner

2. Are you burning your files as a DVD (as in one that can be played back on a stand-alone dvd player) or just storing the files in the same format on the disc as you downloaded them (DVD_ROM ISO)?

3. What software are you burning with?

Imation are some of the crappest, most unreliable, most expensive discs I have come across (almost as bad as Sony). After a long period of trial and error, buying several different brands (including discs made in Japan), I refuse to buy anything other TDK DVD-R. TDK are not very expensive to buy (approx $50-60 for 50 disc on a spindle) and are considered to be one of the better quality disc out there. Cheaper if you buy a spindle of 100.

DVD+R seem to be very uncompatible with alot of DVD players to start with. Also brands of disc that burners like vary from brand to brand. A brand of disc that works fine in say a LG burner, might not burn at all in say a Benq burner.

BTW, it's always a good thing to check a disc after you have burnt it before you delete the original files and never burn a DVD at any thing fast than 4X, 2X if you are not worried about the time difference.

I will have adsl2 in about 2 weeks and would be more than willing to p2p what Top Gear and 4x4 files I have here to you (I got about 30 gigs in total) .

Ps: Please no flaming me for my views, be it good or bad on brands of disc mentioned here. I am only expressing what has worked for me and has helped my friends with the brands and models, I and they own.

[Redback]

Maybe the're, DVD-Rs your using and not +Rs

[abaddonxi]

Let me get this straight.

You can burn dvds on your computer, you can play them on TV dvd player, you can't play them on computer dvd player. You are using name brand dvds.

Maybe your computer doesn't have the right software or codec to read the format you are burning?

Try burning with another burning program. Try reinstalling burner driver. Try a different brand/type disc.

Good luck.

Cheers
Simon

[JDNSW]

Originally posted by p38arover
Wierd. I tried a couple in the DVD player attached to the TV and that will read the DVDs with the CT movies in AVI format - but the DVD burner that wrote them can't.

Ron

This is exactly the situation I said can happen. Try using DVD-R - and try changing brand of disks.

John

[loanrangie]

I never pay more than $25 for 50 dvd-r's and using a liteon burner and shrink dvd/ nero only ever have problems if the disc to be copied is scratched to buggery.

[DEFENDERZOOK]

<span style="color:blue">that can be repaired with car polish and patience.....
always work from the centre out till the disc is in a good enough condition to work again....</span>

[DeeJay]

I have been using Pinnacle for a couple of years and I find that it is "moody" over what brand of DVD I burn.
Symptoms are exactly as you describe.
Are you waiting for the burner to eject? My program says something to the effect it has finished but it has'nt.

[p38arover]

Well, I've sorted the problem.

The DVD recorder is definitely faulty. It's a couple of weeks out of warranty and the importer (Pebble Electronics) won't repair it under warranty.

I would have sent it in for repair before the warranty expired but i couldn't find the purchase receipt. I bought it from Aldi, it is one of their Tevion units.

A couple of weeks back I thought, how can I determine when I bought it so I rang Aldi HO and they told me when they put them on sale in their stores and the price. So I checked my Visa statements and found I had bought it the day it went on sale.

However, Pebble Electronics will not accept the Visa statement as proof of purchase for warranty.

I bought a TV from Aldi which also failed at the end of the 12 month warranty.

Maybe I need Amex which gives double the length of warranty on stuff I buy.

Ron

[chunk]

hi there ron, buy a pioneer dvd burner as a replacement, you can pick up one from any of the computer fairs for less than $80 with warrenty. also you can pick up ritek grade A dvd's for $22 for 50. i have used them for a few years now without any problems.

[Bradtot]

Hello Ron
Most manufacturers I deal with WILL accept a Visa statement as Proof of warranty.
Also In WA warranty is defined "as a reasonable amount of time", This is determined by a judge on the day in small claims (if it goes that far)
In WA all you need is "proof of purchase", so if u dont fill in the warranty card it does not matter providing you have proof of purchase.
I am sure if you contacted the ministry of fair triding in your state u will have a case for Pebble to answer to.
Yes its a lot of mucking around for you but will be worthwhile in the end.
I am sick of these sorts of people importing stuff and then washing their hands of it when something goes wrong.
Ron stand your ground and demand they replace it or you are contacting the fair trading people and that you will take them to small claims.
I bet it only costs them about $20 to import the burners here to aus, so why make a fuss in not to replace it. for that amount of money.
I have seen manufactures replace faulty stuff 6 and even 12 months out of warranty, so it does happen and most are ok in doing it.
KInd regards
Brad:mad:

[p38arover]

Thnaks Brad.

I was going to write to Aldi - it's one of their own brands - including copies of the early pages of this thread which proves (I hope) that I've been having problems for many months.

Maybe they'll be more responsive than Pebble.

Ron

[amtravic1]

I know this is off subject but I found it amusing. A while back a mate tells me he is having trouble and cant burn to any blank cd's.
I offered to go over and help him as he has a new computer and a stack of 25 blank cd's.
Put the first one in the burner and it says the disc is full, the same with the next 24. Then I notice he has written a small "f" on each one. At first I thought it was just because he had called the cd drive the "f" drive. Then the penny dropped, I asked him if he had formatted the discs, and yes he had made 25 nice new coasters. He thought I was not nice for laughing.

Ian

[Bushie]

Ron,

I think you answered it when you said Tevion and Aldi in the same post, do yourself a favour and get any half decent DVD burner for around $70.


Martyn