How is it possible that a DVD that is burned

[Laughing Man]

Can play the video files I burn on it. Then I put it away in storage in a CD case yet I try playing it again later it doesn't work. :mad:

I saved alot of my anime and ..um other material this way and this is starting to frustrate me. It doesn't even play on my friend's laptop (though that may be a codec problem). It shouldn't be a codec problem for me since I use VLC as well as media player classic with a huge codec pack..

[Matthew]

1) Forget playback, can you copy the files off the disc? If not then you have a problem.
2) Cheap media?

[Laughing Man]

Hmm I can't copy it off the disc either. :(

The discs were purchased from Staples...so far it's one of the few types of discs that work with my drive. DVDRW IDE1008. Would it help if I updated the firmware since mine is outdated? I just don't know which is the latest firmware out for it is though.

[CWR03]

Is that the crappy Emprex from Fry's Electronics or outpost.com? Mine was fidgety from the start and failed after about 100 burns. Updating firmware had no effect, but maybe they've released a new one - go to drvupdate.com.

[BSpielbauer]

Can play the video files I burn on it. Then I put it away in storage in a CD case yet I try playing it again later it doesn't work.

As suggested above, this can easily happen due to poor media. In fact, there has been a lot of discussion about one particular manufacturer of very popular media that has released a lot of media in the past 12 months or so where this is the case (I am speaking of the Ritek manufacturer, and their G05 discs). The same has always been true of many lesser lines of media.

If you want your backups and your original burns to be reliable, shop carefully, find out what others have had success with, and stick with high quality stuff. It may cost a little more up front, but once you do the math you will find it is far less expensive than throwing away dozens and dozens of coasters after 6 to 12 months.

-Bruce

[setarip_old]

@Laughing Man

Hi!
Hmm I can't copy it off the disc either.

Can you copy from the disc if you try it on your friend's laptop?

[Laughing Man]

Nope..but oddly enough I brought the disc home to try on my sister and dad's computer and it worked. o.O

Edit: Anyway to identify what type of discs these Staples brand are? I tried looking at the disc and the paper that's wrapped around the stack of discs). Nothing besides Staples.

[setarip_old]

oddly enough I brought the disc home to try on my sister and dad's computer and it worked.

Now it's sounding like a format compatability problem, with the players/burners you've tried using capable of reading only one or the other - DVD+R or DVD-R.

Was this DVD burned on one of the burners you've tried to use for playback, or was it burned on yet another system?

[Laughing Man]

The DVD I'm trying to playback was burned on the burner I'm trying to use to playback.

Oddly enough the brand I'm using has worked pretty well in the past. It could be the drive is getting old (it is a couple years old) and I've been putting it thru through use with the last couple of months.

[blutach]

To identify the disk - open it in DVD Decrypter. Press R and see what is in the top right corner. You should have amongst other good info, the media ID code. If you got them from Staples, they're probably rubbish (and yes, your BTC burner doesn't have a good rep either, sad to say).

Regards

[setarip_old]

@Laughing Man

You've stated that the burned DVD plays properly on two other systems - so the burned DVD is not the problem.
It could be the drive is getting old (it is a couple years old)
You might want to try running a DVD/CD cleaning disc on your burner. Maxell makes one that retails for approximately $10US...

[Laughing Man]

Ok, I'll probably pick one at Best Buys so I did a search for one. And I found 3 types...does it matter which I get? They're all different prices yet all from Maxell. One has a system check while the other has a system and audio check. Then there is just the CD/DVD one.

[setarip_old]

Then there is just the CD/DVD one.

That should be the one...

[Laughing Man]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=2041855&type=product&id=1051826184997

I'll be getting that one..but what do those other features do? The system and audio check (along with the standard CD/DVD cleaning)

And can I reuse it? I'll pick it up on Friday and test it on Sunday.

[setarip_old]

1) Those are other PRODUCTS, not other features - and are not applicable to simply running a cleaning disc on your burner

2) Yes, it's re-usable - MANY times

[CWR03]

setarip_old is correct, the additional features on the other types are mostly sales gimmicks. I threw away an extra $6 on one, and the tests were ludicrous. The audio test just played white noise through each speaker one at a time.

[BSpielbauer]

Laughing Man:

Several posts back, Blutach gave you instructions on how you can identify this media, using a simple freeware program which can be downloaded, if you do not already have it -- DVDDecrypter. If you could do this, it would help a lot in trying to diagnose this problem. Like many others, here, I suspect you have used a lousy media, one which deteriorates rapidly over a period of time. However, in order to test this theory, we need to know the exact media, and Blutach's simple instructions would give us that. The download is fast, and you can have the answer in perhaps 5 to 10 minutes, and post it here.

-Bruce

[Laughing Man]

Hmm..might've missed that (sorry about that!).

DVDRW IDE1008 0052 (ATA)
Current Profile: DVD+R

Disc Information:
Status: Incomplete
Erasable: No
Sessions: 2
Sectors: 2,232,576
Size: 4,572,315,648 bytes
Time: 496:09:51 (MM:SS:FF)

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):
Disc ID: CMC MAG-E01-00
Book Type: DVD+R
Part Version: 1
Disc Size: 120mm
Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified
Number of Layers: 1
Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP)
Linear Density: 0.267 um/bit
Track Density: 0.74 um/track
First Physical Sector of Data Area: 196,608
Last Physical Sector of Data Area: 2,491,711
Last Physical Sector in Layer 0: 0

[setarip_old]

Disc Information:
Status: Incomplete
Sessions: 2

If I'm interpreting the information correctly:

1) The disc has not been finalized

2) You've burned a multisession DVD - which is a "no-no"

[Laughing Man]

I'm using a software called DeepBurner. I never click the multisession checkbox though. And how do I finalize a disc?

[setarip_old]

And how do I finalize a disc?

You can try using the tool included in DVD Decrypter v.3.5.4...

[Laughing Man]

ok I'll do that. So it doesn't matter what I used to burn it? As well what does finalizing it do exactly?

I picked up the CD/DVD cleaning disc so I'll use it as soon as I get back to college.

Edit: Where is the finalize tool in Decrypter? Or do I have to use it when I'm actually burning a disc?