Issue with LG Brand DVD Recorder (not a computer drive) more details in post

[jediliz]

I received a LG Brand DVD Recorder / VCR Combo (mostly so I could transfer recorded shows on tape to a DVD-R and because I'd rather record on DVD Recorder so I can watch the DVDs elsewhere.) for a Christmas gift (December 2006).

I taped from television onto a DVD-R "The Parent Trap" w/ Haley Mills, with said DVD Recorder, a few months ago. I tried playing it in my regular DVD Player, a 5 Disc player from Sony and it won't play at all. The DVD-R plays just fine in the DVD Recorder.

I want to be able to bring these DVDs I made (I made one with the "Sarah, Plain and Tall" movies as well) on vacation so I need them to be able to play in a portable DVD Player.

Anyway, is there some solution to my problem? I am pretty sure the DVD got "finalized" after I stopped recording. I want to be able to record some more programs to DVD (from old VCR tapes that I taped programs from television onto) and be able to play them in my other player. I have not tried DVD+R discs, only DVD-Rs because that's what I purchased at the time. The brand of Disc (if that makes a difference) is Memorex. It is 16X, 4.7 GB / 120 Min type discs.


If anyone can help me out, I'd be grateful!

Thanks.

(if this needs moved, please move it to the proper forum).

[admin]

Your Sony player should play DVD-Rs, but to make sure, you can find out the supported formats for your model here, as well as any potential problems with certain media:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers

Do the DVDs play on your computer?

[jediliz]

Well, it won't play in my parents' computer (which has a DVD-ROM) which I am on at the moment. The DVD-ROM does play regular commercial dvds (I have Sky High in the drive and it plays fine). Not sure about my computer's DVD Drive as the computer is 4 years old already. I tried the DVDR/Rw Drive with the Disc (with the movie I taped from television) and it only popped up the "create a music CD, format, etc screen.

I can try my own computer's DVD-ROM Drive, but I don't know if it'll play it.

The only player I tried here at my parents house that claims it reads/plays DVD-Rs gave me a message on the television screen that said "can not play this disc".

Its also a Sony.

[Chewy]

I am pretty sure the DVD got "finalized" after I stopped recording

you need to be absolutely sure, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

check in a newer drive that you know reads burned dvd-r's

[jediliz]

Cyberlink Power DVD is NOT recognizing the DVD-R (this is on my parents computer). It doesn't even show up as a disc in th drive on the My Computer screen (and when I click on th drive to see if I can try to read it another way, it says "insert Disc" but its already in there.

I don't think there is a newer drive that I could check.

[Chewy]

may not be finalized?

[jediliz]

may not be finalized?

When I was first having trouble with the DVD-R not being able to be "Read" by a DVD Player, I tried looking up online for some help. One place I found had someone say maybe it didn't get a certain "finalizing" step done and what to do. I need to see if maybe that's what happened - since I can only play the DVD-R with the DVD Recorder/player.

That's what I mean.

[Westly32]

Yes, you'll need to finalize it. Since it's only playing on te recorder that made it, that's a big giveaway. In order to watch any burned disc from your set top recorder on another dvd player, the disc needs to be finalized.

[admin]

Sometimes it's different to the "finalize" you do with normal DVD burning. Some recorders record in DVD-VR mode, while others use their own formats which only their own models can read. There should be an option in your DVD recorder to finalize the disc, check your manual for more info (on certain LG recorders, the instruction is to go to setup -> disc options -> select finalize).

[jediliz]

Thanks for the information. I have to go to my house anyway (am not there right now) so when I do, I'll bring the discs that can't play in the regular DVD player and hopefully all will be fine soon. I'll post if I get it "fixed".

[jediliz]

That's what the problem was! The dvd was never finalized (you'd think that screen would have popped up when I was done recording?). I'm now able to play the DVD-R on my parents computer's DVD-ROM Drive.

Feel free to lock this.

[admin]

That's good to hear.

[RFBurns]

That's what the problem was! The dvd was never finalized (you'd think that screen would have popped up when I was done recording?).

This was a part of the design in some of the newer Sony DVD recorders but never was implemented because if the unit were to have automatic finalization after a recording, a user may want to put more onto the disc before a finalization. If the unit finalized by itself after a recording, of couse no more recordings were possible. There would have to be operator interaction either way, one to choose to finalize or not so you could add more recordings, or tell the unit to record so much onto the disc then finalize. Again either way, the user would have to hit a button at some point, so automatic finalization was not going to solve anything, but create problems.

[jediliz]

that makes sense. And the recorder I have is an LG bramd Recorder / VCR Combo.

[RFBurns]

that makes sense. And the recorder I have is an LG bramd Recorder / VCR Combo.

Yes, I was just using the Sony units as an example. But I am sure that the LG engineers had similar ideas regarding their designs and putting in an automatic finalization process.

Glad it all worked out for ya! Happy dubbing!