Drive can't play (some of) its own DVDs...

[Ander]

When I back up my DVDs, I often run into a strange problem: The backups play fine on my standalone DVD player, but not on my PC. When I insert them into my DVD-R drive (which I used to burn them), it can't read them---its light just keeps flashing. Anyone know why this would happen?

I'm using DVD Decrypter, DVDShrink, and Nero Express. This happens with some older movies, too, so I don't think it's a modern encryption problem. Thanks for your ideas.

[setarip_old]

Hi!

1) Try burning at a lower speed

2) Try running a DVD/CD cleaning disc on your burner. Maxell makes one that retails for approximately $10US

[Ander]

I always use the drive's lowest speed (4X). And I do use a cleaning disc now and then. So I don't think those are the problems... Thanks for the ideas, tho.

[setarip_old]

What's the brand and model number of your burner?

[Ander]

It's an Aopen DUW1608/ARR (pretty common, I think); firmware v1.11.

[setarip_old]

Well, it should be able to read what it burns, since according to a review at:

http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Storage-Devices/AOpen-DUW1608ARR-16x-DVD-R-RW-Review/2/

it can read the following formats:Max. Reading Speeds
DVD+R (Double Layer) - 8X
DVD-ROM (Double Layer) - 8X
DVD-ROM (Single Layer) - 16X
DVD+R (Single Layer) - 12X
DVD-R - 12X
DVD+RW - 8X
DVD-RW - 8X
CD-ROM - 48X
CD-R - 48X
CD-RW - 48XPerhaps you're using poor quality media. You might want to try burning Verbatim, SONY, or Maxell - all of which, from my experience consistently use high quality factories ("MID") for their manufacture...

[joseph5]

You might want to try burning Verbatim, SONY, or Maxell - all of which, from my experience consistently use high quality factories ("MID") for their manufacture...

Maxell uses Ritek MID, which has degradation problems.

[setarip_old]

@joseph5

Hi!Maxell uses Ritek MID, which has degradation problems.

I have over 200 Maxell DVD+R and DVD-R media. All are either HitachiMaxell or RicohJapan MIDs - both high quality...

[joseph5]

@joseph5

Hi!

I have over 200 Maxell DVD+R and DVD-R media. All are either HitachiMaxell or RicohJapan MIDs - both high quality...

Well, you've been lucky. There are lots of reports of Maxell media made by Ritek on cdfreaks.com

[Ander]

Maxell, that's what I'm using... But I don't know if this is a "degradation" problem. I'm referring to DVDs I've just burned.

[Ander]

Solved---it was the drive.

Some of my recent backups were having trouble on our standalone player, too. Good drives are pretty cheap now, so I upgraded to a new Pioneer DVR-111D (awesome drive!) and the problems are gone. Thanks for your ideas, though!