OT; DVD movie discs??????

[Elliot Naess]

This part makes sense:
Millicent The Bus exists to haul Kinetic Sculpture Racing vehicles to the races -> I have a ton of VHS video tapes of Kinetic Sculpture Racing -> I'm trying to transfer the video tapes to DVDs.

This part does NOT make sense:
I have a Magnavox MRV700VR DVD+RW/VHS Recorder -> I dub the films on the VHS cassettes to DVD+R and DVD+RW discs -> the new discs play fine on the same machine -> the new discs do not play on other people's DVD players. WTF?

I've made well over 100 discs from 25 tapes so far. 26 more tapes to go, and many, many more copies. Me not happy.

I used to think that a DVD was a DVD. Apparently not. So far, I only grasp that there is a (to me) whole new world of technical details regarding DVDs; I do not grasp why or how or what. Help!

 

[the_experience03]

Does the machine finalize them and record them in a "normal" format? I've burned plenty of CD's that wouldn't play in CD players, but would play just fine in computers only because they weren't finalized. Likewise, I use many various output formats that are compatible with some, but not all machines.

 

[Elliot Naess]

The finalizing may be a possible... item for investigation. The machine is supposed to finalize the discs automatically, but now that you mention it... I remember that finalizing took quite a bit of time back when I first used the machine, and now perhaps it does not take so long. So maybe the discs are not being finalized. I'll look for information about that in the instruction booklet in the morning.

What is a "normal" format?

Hmmm... could the recording speed have any thing to do with this? Some of these tapes ran over two hours, so I set the DVD recorder to 2 1/2 hour. Could that have mucked it up?

 

[Elliot Naess]

BINGO! Not finalized. And I have managed to get one finalized, so... only 119 to go!

Thanks a million!

 

[Elliot Naess]

Uh, oh. Still not out of the woods. The finalized discs work for some people, but not for others. Some players bring up a notice that "the disc is dirty". And some players seem to get stuck on "loading". On one occation a film skipped forward like a phonograph record on a wobbly table.

And now my recorder has quit recording.

So.... What kind of machine should I buy? One that WORKS, this time! :?:

 

[cucullen]

are all the players able to handle the DVD+RW format? if not try playing them on the computer and see if they play.

 

[Elliot Naess]

are all the players able to handle the DVD+RW format? if not try playing them on the computer and see if they play.

I have been using both +R and +RW discs, which are what my recorder specifies for recording. Some of my friends are able to play one kind, but not the other.

And as you suggest, one man reports that he can play my discs on his computer, but not on any of his several TV players.

It's all quite incomprehensible. I deeply regret volunteering for this project at all. Modern technology is completely out of hand. (I'm happy to report that I have not had TV reception in my house for six years, and I'm sure as heck not going out and spending a single penny on more computer crap January 17th!) Ah... I feel better now.

 

[cucullen]

yeah sounds like thats what it is some dvd players only play certain formats. have everyone just use thier computers connected to their lcd tvs and they should be fine.

 

[Elliot Naess]

yeah sounds like thats what it is some dvd players only play certain formats. have everyone just use thier computers connected to their lcd tvs and they should be fine.

Is that the future of home-recorded films -- playing them thru PCs instead of dedicated equipment? Was there never a standard established for DVD home movies? I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[the_experience03]

I think the common problem is most likely the RW discs. The +R's really shouldn't be a problem on all but the oldest DVD players out there. It's the rewritable discs that are a killer. The same goes for CD's. Truly the easiest way I've found to burn DVD's is by simply using my computer. It allows me to easily make tables, do editing, etc. Best of all, a good DVD-RW drive is under $40. The problem comes with getting them off the VHS tapes. However, there are middle to higher end graphics cards out there that can do it as well as other USB, Firewire, etc capture devices. The catch is that you must rip everything to the hard drive in real time. I'm not sure how many hours of footage you have, but you could be there for a while while it is recorded. On the other hand, once it is ripped to a hard drive it would be nothing to whip out a copy in 10-15 minutes I would imagine.

 

[Elliot Naess]

I don't even know if my computer could handle that -- it is six years old. I'll have to study this a bit.

Seems to me, my need is to make discs that anyone can play on whatever equipment they have, so long as it is DVD equipment. Don't commercially mass produced discs do that? Is this not possible with home recorded discs?

 

[the_experience03]

Most home discs do. Like I said, being rewriteable (that's the RW discs) makes them distinctly different from commercial discs. The other factor that plays in, though not nearly as much with modern equipment, is that commercial discs are stamped whereas homemade discs are equally "burned" such that the high and low spots are made in a special ink rather than physically imprinted on the media. I don't know that that's such a problem with the newer players out there, but that was one of the big hang ups with older stuff. It just wasn't sensitive enough. It was a fine line between being sensitive enough to play burned discs and not being so sensitive that the smallest imperfection (read: scratch) would make the disc unplayable.

 

[Elliot Naess]

Well, I'm having more trouble with the +Rs than the +RWs.

I did not know that the technology is so different between commercial and home made discs.

What you tell me would seem to explain why I have people report "dirt on disc" with brand new sparkling clean discs. This home burning technology would seem to be just flat inadequate. Could I expect better results with a more expensive recorder?

Hey, it's way past midnight, and that's here on the West Coast. Let's get some shut eye!

 

[cucullen]

yeah sounds like thats what it is some dvd players only play certain formats. have everyone just use thier computers connected to their lcd tvs and they should be fine.

Is that the future of home-recorded films -- playing them thru PCs instead of dedicated equipment? Was there never a standard established for DVD home movies? I wouldn't be surprised.

we are already there, it will be getting more popular as lcdtv prices drop. esspecially as the web stays an entertainment value, nothing like hopping on line with a 42 inch tv as a monitor to show your friends a youtube video or the skoolie site for ideas.

nah home dvds were never standardized, but it really is down to the player more then anything else.

 

[Andreb]

I always had reading problems with burned DVD+R on older player and on those cheaper 29$ DVD player. What I did realize is that burned DVD-R are more compatibles than DVD+R and plays on about any players, newer, older, cheap or expensive. I think that if you want to buy a new dvd recorder, you better pick one that support DVD-R recording.

 

[Elliot Naess]

Thanks Andreb, I may try that.