DVD player used to play burned DVDs? what happened? at DVinfo.net

Annie Cheatham · June 4th, 2003, 01:31 AM

I swear I have burned 10 DVDs on this project I am working on. After each one is finished, I pop it in my home DVD player, and the sound isn't quite right. With each newly burned DVD, the sound gets worse, and the picture starts to freeze more and more. Now its just a jumpy image with no sound at all.

I am even playing DVDs I was able to play last week (homemade)don't work either. They do initially load though.

Does anyone have any idea what has happened?

The player still works fine with "purchased" DVDs, just not with anything burned on my computer. My computer will play the DVDs just fine.

DVD player: SMC DVD-330S (able to play mp3s)
disks: Verbatim +R, purple lable, 4.7GB

I'm really going crazy here. I've thought all this time my burner was acting up.

Thanks ahead for any insight into this problem...

Annie C

Tor Salomonsen · June 4th, 2003, 02:06 AM

At least I can give you a few pointers:
DVDR help: http://www.dvdrhelp.com/
The DVD faq is at http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
The DVD+R page has some important info as well.

I'm in the soon to start burning DVDs category, so I am reading up a little. One thing that's very basic is that there is a difference in reflectivity between factory made and homeburnt DVDs. Reflectivity issues are also among the differences between DVD-R and DVR+R - as far as I know.
Also when a player tests the surface of a DVD to establish what it will take to read that particular plate, it may need a minimum of recorded material to do so. If you burn very short DVDs your player may be fooled by the unburned space.
Finally, there is a way to fool some players when they think they can not read a particular type of disk: Burn it as a DVD ROM.

Annie Cheatham · June 4th, 2003, 02:10 AM

I was reading about the reflectivity issues and what not, but I'm trying to play a DVD that worked LAST WEEK that doesn't work anymore.

It might help to say that the DVD that worked last week is a 12 minute DVD, and the new ones are 1hr DVDs, so I have both side of the spectrum.

Annie

Tor Salomonsen · June 4th, 2003, 02:22 AM

Beats me. Maybe a firmware upgrade (on the player) will help. If the playes isn't just simply dying on you, something must have happened to it - correctable or not. New firmware might give it something else to think about.

David Hurdon · June 4th, 2003, 05:48 AM

This may not be a great help, but I've read that some DVD decks have a menu setting to make them more aggressively try to play a given disk - don't know whether it's an enhanced error correction or what, but perhaps your deck manual can point you to something useful.

David Hurdon

Jeff Troiano · June 4th, 2003, 07:07 AM

I don't have a solution to your problem, but I thought I would let you know your not alone. Been burning DVD's of a bands performances for the lead singer, the DVD's I made him worked for the first week or so, now they don't. They just load, and after you chose from the menu they freeze up. One thing I thought it was, is his DVD player is one of those cheep walmart $49.00 deals, I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but so far he's they only one who has a problem with burnt dvd's I've made.

Jeff

David Hurdon · June 4th, 2003, 07:19 AM

Neither of you mention using paper labels so I should perhaps assume you haven't - but if you have that's almost surely the problem. Labels are taboo on burned DVDs, although before I found out I got away with them on short pieces. Search on the subject if you doubt.

David Hurdon

Annie Cheatham · June 4th, 2003, 11:59 AM

no, its not a paper label problem either...

but thanks for the consideration.

Annie

Tor Salomonsen · June 4th, 2003, 02:27 PM

As far as compatibility is concerned, at least one of the addresses I gave above has a constantly updated list of which DVD player will play what kinds of DVDs.
(Seems some of the cheaper ones will play just about anything you care to throw at it while some of the more upmarket ones ... well, you get the picture.)

Annie Cheatham · June 5th, 2003, 01:01 AM

The problem has been resolved...

I bought a DVD disk cleaner for the optical laser and that seemed to do the trick. Someone mentioned that burned disks are more tempermental than bought ones.

Why can't they just make a universal, affordable burner? I would love to get one that was more compatible with people's systems, but I've got the one that came with the system.

Thanks for all the help!
Annie

Tor Salomonsen · June 5th, 2003, 01:17 AM

You're a smoker then? I'm told cigarette smoke stick to laser lenses like - well, tar.

Nigel Moore · June 5th, 2003, 01:18 AM

Nowhere have you stated what burner you have.

And did you clean the burner or the player?

This would all be useful information for those of us heading into DVD burning!

Annie Cheatham · June 5th, 2003, 01:35 AM

I am not a smoker, but I guess there must be a lot of dust in the house or on the DVDs I've been playing. I wouldn't have thought it to be dirty though. Its not like I leave it open or keep my DVDs uncovered.

I cleaned the player. The burned was working fine.

I'm using a NEC +RW ND 1100A. It came with the Dell.

I wonder if I can use the DVD cleaner disk on a CD. It says its made for DVDs, but I can't imagine the CD laser head would be any different....

Annie

Nigel Moore · June 5th, 2003, 01:49 AM

Hmmm, assuming that you'd had the player for some time and had played a lot of DVDs on it, and also assuming that this noticeable degradation occurred cumulatively over the period that you were introducing newly burnt DVDs, it sounds like the burnt DVDs may have been introducing something to dirty the player.

It would be interesting to know if this happens with repeated plays of a burnt DVD after the initial play, or whether it's just a one-off. Either way, at least we have something to look to as a first step in trouble-shooting should the need arise.

Thanks!

Rob Lohman · June 5th, 2003, 03:34 AM

A friend of mine had similar problems with DVD's he bought. He
used a cleaning disc which cured the problem for a while. In the
end he had to send his player in (I think something was a bit
loose inside or had to be cleaned up). Weirdest thing was that
he had the most troubles with discs that were single layer
instead of dual layers (which tend to cause more problems if
something is wrong).

These days it might be better to just buy a new DVD player
because that will probably be cheaper then to have it cleaned/
fixed.

June 4th, 2003, 01:31 AM	#1
Annie Cheatham Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 45	DVD player used to play burned DVDs? what happened? I swear I have burned 10 DVDs on this project I am working on. After each one is finished, I pop it in my home DVD player, and the sound isn't quite right. With each newly burned DVD, the sound gets worse, and the picture starts to freeze more and more. Now its just a jumpy image with no sound at all. I am even playing DVDs I was able to play last week (homemade)don't work either. They do initially load though. Does anyone have any idea what has happened? The player still works fine with "purchased" DVDs, just not with anything burned on my computer. My computer will play the DVDs just fine. DVD player: SMC DVD-330S (able to play mp3s) disks: Verbatim +R, purple lable, 4.7GB I'm really going crazy here. I've thought all this time my burner was acting up. Thanks ahead for any insight into this problem... Annie C

June 4th, 2003, 05:48 AM	#5
David Hurdon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 484	DVD player used to play burned DVDs? This may not be a great help, but I've read that some DVD decks have a menu setting to make them more aggressively try to play a given disk - don't know whether it's an enhanced error correction or what, but perhaps your deck manual can point you to something useful. David Hurdon __________________ Site:http://www.faceliftmarketing.ca Blog:http://www.websitevideo.blogspot.com

June 4th, 2003, 07:19 AM	#7
David Hurdon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 484	DVD player used to play burned DVDs Neither of you mention using paper labels so I should perhaps assume you haven't - but if you have that's almost surely the problem. Labels are taboo on burned DVDs, although before I found out I got away with them on short pieces. Search on the subject if you doubt. David Hurdon __________________ Site:http://www.faceliftmarketing.ca Blog:http://www.websitevideo.blogspot.com

June 5th, 2003, 03:34 AM	#15
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	A friend of mine had similar problems with DVD's he bought. He used a cleaning disc which cured the problem for a while. In the end he had to send his player in (I think something was a bit loose inside or had to be cleaned up). Weirdest thing was that he had the most troubles with discs that were single layer instead of dual layers (which tend to cause more problems if something is wrong). These days it might be better to just buy a new DVD player because that will probably be cheaper then to have it cleaned/ fixed. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 4th, 2003, 02:06 AM	#2
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	At least I can give you a few pointers: DVDR help: http://www.dvdrhelp.com/ The DVD faq is at http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html The DVD+R page has some important info as well. I'm in the soon to start burning DVDs category, so I am reading up a little. One thing that's very basic is that there is a difference in reflectivity between factory made and homeburnt DVDs. Reflectivity issues are also among the differences between DVD-R and DVR+R - as far as I know. Also when a player tests the surface of a DVD to establish what it will take to read that particular plate, it may need a minimum of recorded material to do so. If you burn very short DVDs your player may be fooled by the unburned space. Finally, there is a way to fool some players when they think they can not read a particular type of disk: Burn it as a DVD ROM.

June 4th, 2003, 02:10 AM	#3
Annie Cheatham Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 45	I was reading about the reflectivity issues and what not, but I'm trying to play a DVD that worked LAST WEEK that doesn't work anymore. It might help to say that the DVD that worked last week is a 12 minute DVD, and the new ones are 1hr DVDs, so I have both side of the spectrum. Annie

June 4th, 2003, 02:22 AM	#4
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	Beats me. Maybe a firmware upgrade (on the player) will help. If the playes isn't just simply dying on you, something must have happened to it - correctable or not. New firmware might give it something else to think about.

June 4th, 2003, 07:07 AM	#6
Jeff Troiano Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 480	I don't have a solution to your problem, but I thought I would let you know your not alone. Been burning DVD's of a bands performances for the lead singer, the DVD's I made him worked for the first week or so, now they don't. They just load, and after you chose from the menu they freeze up. One thing I thought it was, is his DVD player is one of those cheep walmart $49.00 deals, I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but so far he's they only one who has a problem with burnt dvd's I've made. Jeff

June 4th, 2003, 11:59 AM	#8
Annie Cheatham Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 45	no, its not a paper label problem either... but thanks for the consideration. Annie

June 4th, 2003, 02:27 PM	#9
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	As far as compatibility is concerned, at least one of the addresses I gave above has a constantly updated list of which DVD player will play what kinds of DVDs. (Seems some of the cheaper ones will play just about anything you care to throw at it while some of the more upmarket ones ... well, you get the picture.)

June 5th, 2003, 01:01 AM	#10
Annie Cheatham Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 45	The problem has been resolved... I bought a DVD disk cleaner for the optical laser and that seemed to do the trick. Someone mentioned that burned disks are more tempermental than bought ones. Why can't they just make a universal, affordable burner? I would love to get one that was more compatible with people's systems, but I've got the one that came with the system. Thanks for all the help! Annie

June 5th, 2003, 01:17 AM	#11
Tor Salomonsen Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 265	You're a smoker then? I'm told cigarette smoke stick to laser lenses like - well, tar.

June 5th, 2003, 01:18 AM	#12
Nigel Moore Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 358	Nowhere have you stated what burner you have. And did you clean the burner or the player? This would all be useful information for those of us heading into DVD burning!

June 5th, 2003, 01:35 AM	#13
Annie Cheatham Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 45	I am not a smoker, but I guess there must be a lot of dust in the house or on the DVDs I've been playing. I wouldn't have thought it to be dirty though. Its not like I leave it open or keep my DVDs uncovered. I cleaned the player. The burned was working fine. I'm using a NEC +RW ND 1100A. It came with the Dell. I wonder if I can use the DVD cleaner disk on a CD. It says its made for DVDs, but I can't imagine the CD laser head would be any different.... Annie

June 5th, 2003, 01:49 AM	#14
Nigel Moore Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: Switzerland Posts: 358	Hmmm, assuming that you'd had the player for some time and had played a lot of DVDs on it, and also assuming that this noticeable degradation occurred cumulatively over the period that you were introducing newly burnt DVDs, it sounds like the burnt DVDs may have been introducing something to dirty the player. It would be interesting to know if this happens with repeated plays of a burnt DVD after the initial play, or whether it's just a one-off. Either way, at least we have something to look to as a first step in trouble-shooting should the need arise. Thanks!