imported_Buzz Vinard

DVD-R problem. Players picky about discs?

I decided to use up my Fuji Film 1x DVD-Rs making an Aeon Flux set. Burning all went well, and the discs play fine on my PC, but I'm getting harsh pixillation, audio drop-outs, and eventually, lock-ups as the video gets beyond about the half-way point.

I did not have these problems with my TDK discs (which I used to make Aeon masters), and I sure hope I don't have them with those 50 Maxells I just bought. I used the Fuji discs previously to make a Zoo Field Trip video for my son...copies to school, grandparents, etc. The Zoo video was only 20 minutes long, and I did not have pixelizing or any other problems on it.

I don't think there is a problem with the discs themselves, or the burning process, but I'm thinking that there could be a problem with disc compatibility with my player. Bit for bit, the Fuji Aeon set is identical to the TDK Aeon set. Yet, I can play the TDKs without any problem.

The player is an older Toshiba SD-5109.

Thoughts?

Rob Gillespie

Some players will work well with discs, others will not and until you try them you'll have no idea really.

My Pioneer DV-09 will play recorded discs OK (though they have to be DVD-Video format, not the much-touted UDF1.02) but glitches a little in the last half of the disc. My cheaper multi-region Pioneer plays them fine.

The discs I'm using now are cheap 1x discs from a company called BulkPaq (the lilac coloured ones).

No longer here.

Wayne Bundrick

It is common for a DVD player to have problems with some brands of discs. Very few players can pass all tests on all brands. When DV Magazine did compatibility tests last year, 90% of the players tested showed at least some format or brand incompatibility.

They crunched their spreadsheets in every direction, and for comparing different media brands, this is what they found:

Apple: 73%
CD-Recordable.com: 45%
Imation: 71%
Maxell: 80%
Memorex: 59%
Mitsui: 73%
Panasonic: 69%
Pioneer: 58%
Ridata: 69%
Ritek: 51%
Sony: 76%
TDK: 76%
Verbatim: 69%
Vivastar: 63%


I'm not really the adventurous type to gamble on cheap discs so I'll pay $15 for a 5-pack of Apple brand. They've proven reliable enough for me, and hey, they're $2 per disc cheaper than the last time I stocked up on them.

Wayne Bundrick

\"It tastes like there\'s a party in my mouth and everybody\'s throwing up!\" -- Philip J. Fry

MarkHastings

I would think reflectivity plays a big part in being compatible (cheaper discs might not be as reflective). If the DVD's are anything like CD's, I know that Fuji isn't as reliable as TDK.

p.s. Maxell is a good brand as well.

John_Berger

51% for Ritek???? Wow! I use nothing but Ritek and I've never had a compatibility problem on any of my DVD players. Even my Pioneer DVD/laserdisc deck will read Ritek without a problem.

Hmmm.... Maybe I should consider switching to Mitsui, Sony, or TDK.

MikeM

Wow, I wasn't even aware that the SD-5109 could play DVD-Rs. I know that my old SD-5109 will not even play CD-Rs.

As for your main question, yes, certain players will have compatibility issues with certains types of DVD-R media. I had a tough time getting the Panasonic RP62 to play any DVD-Rs I created. Then, bumped up to the Panasonic RP82, and the exact same DVDs play perfectly. So even newer players, by the same company, who both claim to support DVD-R may yield different results.

imported_Buzz Vinard

I know that my old SD-5109 will not even play CD-Rs.

A feature that really pissed me off at the time! Damned thing was $800, and I didn't even ask if it could play CD-Rs. I mean, for that much money, it should have played anything I threw at it that could fit in the tray.

I sent a copy of Aeon with my spouse who is in Indiana visiting friends. After I saw that the Fuji discs weren't so hot, I worried that they might have trouble watching them. I still don't know, but with luck they have a newer player with less compatibility issues.

We're about ready to ditch the old Tosh for a Malata, anyway.

Thanks for the help!