Can't copy from DVD-R to DVD+R

[internetpilot]

I'm not exactly a newbie to the DVD backup thing -- been using DVD2SVCD for years, but I recently jumped on the late train and bought a DVD burner, so now I'm encountering a whole new world of issues. I'd appreciate any advice/insight on the following.

As my first DVD-R backup, I made a backup of one of my children's DVDs (Wallace & Gromit Three Cracking Adventures) using DVD Shrink and ImgTool Burn on an Imation 8X DVD-R using a LiteOn SHW-160P6S DVDRW drive. I had to use ImgTool Burn because for some reason DVD Shrink wouldn't play nicely with Nero 6, so I just told Shrink to put all the files on my hard drive and then I used ImgTool Burn to make the DVD-R. Everything worked fine other than thatand I was very excited to successfully burn my first DVD copy without much issue. The DVD-R plays just fine in my two Sony set-top DVD players, as well as on my computer and two notebook computers. However, it won't play in the car DVD, which is a big issue since that's mostly where the kiddies will watch this and future DVD-R. I can't get info on what the car DVD player will take for media, but I figured I'd try a DVD+R to see if it's one of THOSE players. And this is where my problem now is.

I cannot copy from the DVD-R to the DVD+R. Nero won't let me (says that I can only copy to DVD-R) or DVD-RW), Roxio won't let me, and I can't even just use Windows Explorer to copy the files because for some reason (although it plays using PowerDVD just fine), Windows XP Explorer claims there's nothing on this DVD-R. Tried to play it in all the above listed players/drives again, and it plays just fine.

So here are my questions:

1. Why is this DVD-R reported as blank when every player (except the car DVD) seems to know there's an entire movie on it?

2. Why can't I copy from DVD-R to DVD+R? Is this something common that I just don't know being a VideoCD type of guy?

3. Could there be some other reason why the DVD player in the car won't play this disc? I find it strange that this car DVD player plays VCDs, SVCDs, and just about everything else I've thrown at it, but won't play this disc.

Thanks for any help/suggestions/etc. Sorry this is so long.

[setarip_old]

Hi!

One way to accomplish this would/should be, in NERO, select "DVD-Video" mode and "drag&drop" ALL of the files from the DVD-R into NERO's RED "Video_TS" folder - and burn...

If, for some reason, this doesn't work for you, try this:

From the "Recorder" dropdown menu, select "Choose Recorder" and set NERO to first copy/"burn" to "Image Recorder". Once this has been accomplished, reset NERO to your actual burner. Then, as long as your filesize doesn't exceed the capacity of a DVD+R (which is a miniscule 6Mb less than that of a DVD-R) and your burner is capable of burning DVD+Rs, burn your DVD...

[internetpilot]

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, Nero doesn't recognize the DVD-R as having any data on it. This is just bizarre to me since several standalone DVD players recognize it fine and so does the very drive that burned it. However, it will only play it through Cyberlink PowerDVD -- Nero, Roxio, DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter, DVDFab, etc., simply do not recognize it as having DVD data on there even when I'm using the same drive that burned it as the reader!

I knew there was a reason why I held out with SVCD's for so long! ;) :scared: This is giving me a headache like most things that don't make common sense. Oh, well. I'll keep trying! Thanks again! Please don't hesitate to suggest anything else, even if it seems trivial or you feel like you're talking down to me (because you definitely are when it comes to DVDR stuff).

[setarip_old]

Could there be some other reason why the DVD player in the car won't play this disc?It's quite possible that your car's DVD player can ONLY play actual commercial, pressed DVDs and possibly DVD+Rs...

As far as your primary problem goes, just make another copy from your original, purchased DVD - this time on a DVD+R - and try burning at 4x or less...

[jel]

or (if you want to save a bit of time) create an iso image of the DVD-R copy using dvddecrypter in 'iso read' mode, then use dvd decrypter in 'iso write' mode (or ImgBurn if you prefer) to burn that iso image onto a blank DVD+R.

keep in mind though that DVD+R hald a fraction less information than DVD-R.

[internetpilot]

Thanks, folks. I was reading another (completely unrelated) thread, and saw the thing about Nero allowing burning too close to the edge with the default capacity settings. Also, because CD-R's (SVCDs) are a lot more tolerant with higher speed burning, I of course kept the burn speed at "Maximum". I see from other threads (and now this one) that's a no-no! Oops! I'm suspecting that it's probably the capacity issue more than the speed, because that would explain why Windows Explorer cannot explore the disc. I didn't receive an error or anything, but I'm betting that's the issue. I'm also going to bump the burn speed down to 4X -- no reason to be hasty when all you fine (and more experienced) folk seem to burn at slower speeds.

I tried another smaller burn (to save time even if it does waste a couple of discs) on both a DVD-R and a DVD+R, and SetaRip_old is right -- my car DVD player will only play commercial, DVD+R, or CD-R (VCD/SVCD). It definitely doesn't like DVD-R discs. My wife's car DVD plays both + and -, and so does all of our standalone players (and computers), so it looks like I'll be a DVD+R man from now on. That seems weird to me because I've yet to find a DVD player that will play SVCD/VCD and not play both DVD+/-R. Coincidentally, these smaller burns are also viewable in Windows explorer, and I can make copies in Nero, etc.

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I'm learning!

[setarip_old]

Thanks for the help and suggestions.Always a pleasure ;>} I'm learning!We all are - always!