Older DVD player not playing backups

[Jon_Are]

Hi all,

I'm new to this backing up thang.

I've backed up half a dozen DVDs with great success, except that only a couple of them work on my older player (it's a Sony that is around 5 or 6 years old).

On my other two (cheap) players, as well as my PC DVD drive, no problems at all.

I'm thinking I should pick up a fairly inexpensive unit to replace 'ol unreliable. What are my chances of a new player being able to play my back-ups, considering that my other two newer players work well?

Thanks,

Jon

[sfheath]

Re: Older DVD player not playing backups

Originally posted by Jon_Are
What are my chances of a new player being able to play my back-ups, considering that my other two newer players work well?

Quite high providing you're using good quality media - be sure to check for + or - compatibility.

[Experi-Mentor]

here's a link/guide for media/dvd player compatibility :

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers

[Jon_Are]

Thanks, guys.

I think I should have been more clear...

Two DVDs I backed up play on the Sony perfectly.

The last two I burned start to play on the Sony, then get hung up and the screen flashes what looks to be an error message.

So...would an incompatible player play SOME backed up discs but not others? Seems to me, it would be an all or nothing thing.

This is what leads me to wonder if the player is either starting to malfunction or else it is too old to consistently recognized backed up media.

Thanks!

Jon

[Enchanter]

I was told by a number of shops (when I was shopping for a DVD player) that some players have compatibility/read issues with certain media (be it back-up discs, scratched discs, 'low-quality' discs, etc.). I ended up with a Pioneer DVD player, which easily reads all types of media I could throw at it.

Cheers!

[jmet]

If your backup freezes, stutters, skips, or has some pixelation, it is more than likely due to poor quality media being used. Cheap media is poorly manufactured around the edge of the disc, hence the reason why it mostly skips toward the end of the movie. The two main things to consider first are:

• Is it cheap media that you are using? (ie. some off brand you bought at a local computer store/fair, even a store like Circuit City or Best Buy sells cheap low quality media.)
• How fast are you burning? - Burn no faster than 4X, might have to go down to 2X with really cheap media.

Also, are you using adhesive labels on your back ups? If so, try removing the labels (if you can) and playing them again. Go here for more info on why not to use labels. - http://forum.digital-digest.com/show...threadid=28604

You can go here for some other possible solutions: http://forum.digital-digest.com/show...threadid=44912

[Jon_Are]

I am using TKD media, burned at 2X.

No Labels.

There aren't skips or pixelation, here's what happens: a couple of times, the disc loaded and started normally, then froze - the remote buttons had no effect at all, and I had to eject the disc.

A couple of other times, the player didn't even recognize the disc as a DVD (it thought it was a CD).

A couple of other times, I just got a weird apparent error message (I think it said 00:13, or something similar).

I guess my main question is, with everything in the burn process being done identically, why would the player play some discs, but not others?

Thanks,

Jon

[sfheath]

At a first guess I would say borderline media. Try DVDInfoPro's 'CRC check' on your burned media. At least use it to get the manufacturers ID of your media and use Experi-Mentor's link to check against your Sony.

[setarip]

"I guess my main question is, with everything in the burn process being done identically, why would the player play some discs, but not others?"

Do your "problem" burned discs playback on your PC?

All other things being equal, with lower quality/cheap burnable media you can have a couple (or a great deal) of unusable discs.

(The error message displayed by your SONY standalone player was, if I remember correctly, "C13:00". This is simply indicative of the SONY being unable to read the disc - either because it's dirty [try cleaning it], or because it's poorly manufactured).

[Jon_Are]

Do your "problem" burned discs playback on your PC?

Yes, every time.

lower quality/cheap burnable media

TDK doesn't fit into this category...does it?

the SONY being unable to read the disc - either because it's dirty [try cleaning it]

It is a brand new, untouched by human hands, disc.

Maybe I'll try re-burning to another disk before I spring for a new player. I'll post back and let you know how that goes.

Thanks, everyone.

Jon

[setarip]

Again, you can have a couple (or a great deal) of unusable discs.

If you've got a spindle of discs, try picking one from a different section of the stack...

[Jon_Are]

Re-burned "Friends" -

As with the others, works on two players, works on the PC DVD player, fails on the Sony.

I'm going to stop by Best Buy and pick up a $49 Toshiba they have on sale, just to see what happens.

Jon

[setarip]

"I'm going to stop by Best Buy and pick up a $49 Toshiba"

At that price, get two ;>}


Have you tried running a DVD/CD cleaning disc on your SONY? Maxell makes one that retails for approximately $10US...

[Jon_Are]

Have you tried running a DVD/CD cleaning disc on your SONY?

Yep, that was the first thing I tried.

Update: I just watched "21 Grams" - which I thought had burned cleanly - on one of my 'good' players. I was very disappointed to eventually run into major freezing and pixelation.



Jon

[setarip]

Sounds like you've got a bad bunch of media...