# Question about recorded CDs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706 "2000-06-17T16:36:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/1 "2000-06-17T16:36:31Z")
We have a situation with our dvd player. Sometimes, when we insert a recorded VCD, it seems to be ok. On other times, it seems to not be able to detect it. This happens with the same cds sometimes. Sometimes, with the cd’s we can’t see on our dvd player - we can watch it on another VCD player. Is something wrong with our DVD player? Does anyone know what’s happening? Thanx… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/2 "2000-06-17T18:02:14Z")
Let me see…if I understand your post correctly you make a burned video CD (a -VCD- _NOT A DVD_) that your DVD is spec’d to be able to play and randomly, sometimes it plays it and sometimes it doesn’t. Need more info… 1: Is this a DVD player attached to a TV and stereo system (ie component DVD plyer) or a CD/DVD reader in your computer? As a side note PC based DVD players have passed through a few generations by now and the earlier ones (gen 1 and some gen 2) could not read recorded CD’s or even if they could were real flaky/picky about what CDR’s they would read. I know very little about VCD’s other than that the reported quality usually stinks relative to DVDs but that you can burn/copy them on CDR players and that it usually takes 2-3+ CDR’s to handle a movie with any level of quality. This VCD site/FAQ has links for additional info re hardware and compatiblity issues [http://www.geocities.com/rwvong/vcdfaq.html](http://www.geocities.com/rwvong/vcdfaq.html) This VCD site has some burning tips [http://www.psxforum.com/vcd](http://www.psxforum.com/vcd) Problems 1. Always make sure your CD is clean. Using alcohol and a clean rag works great. 2. Normally you will get better results reading and burning at 1x. 3. Normally you will get better results creating an image file then burning from the hard drive. ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/3 "2000-06-17T18:41:53Z")
Thanx astro for replying!! > [@](#): > > \*\* > Let me see…if I understand your post correctly you make a burned video CD (a -VCD- _NOT A DVD_) that your DVD is spec’d to be able to play and randomly, sometimes it plays it and sometimes it doesn’t. > \*\* Yep, you’re rite (i just reread my post - it does sound confusing hehe so sorry). DVD player randomly plays / not plays burned VCDs. > [@](#): > > \*\* > 1: Is this a DVD player attached to a TV and stereo system (ie component DVD plyer) or a CD/DVD reader in your computer? > \*\* It’s a component DVD player, attached to tv and stereo system. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Problems > > 1. Always make sure your CD is clean. Using alcohol and a clean rag works great. > 2. Normally you will get better results reading and burning at 1x. > 3. Normally you will get better results creating an image file then burning from the hard drive. > \*\* I went to the sites you mentioned, but i couldn’t seem to find the answer i needed. Also, it made no difference whether it was CDR or CDRW. I don’t know much about this (maybe you can tell already 🙂 ), and it is my little brother who burns the cds, but he told me it works with both CDR and CDRW. And to answer your final questions, everytime it has happened, we have made sure the CDs are clean. Happens regardless of that. Our DVD player could read the cd one minute, and after a little while when we pop it back in, it just doesn’t read it and out it pops… as to points 2 and 3, i’ll have to tell my little brother to try. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/4 "2000-06-17T20:36:38Z")
Older DVD players have two lasers, one red (the older, inexpensive kind) and one in whatever bluish wavelength they decided was appropriate for DVDs. Newer players have only one laser, the newer model, and use their single laser for reading both older CDs and DVDs. Some brands of CD-R media just don’t reflect as well as others when played with other than a plain ol’ red laser. If your DVD player is a newer model (by that I mean less than 2 years old), that’ll be the problem. Burn the VCDs onto a different brand of media; you might have better luck. ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/5 "2000-06-17T20:46:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > If your DVD player is a newer model (by that I mean less than 2 years old), that’ll be the problem. Burn the VCDs onto a different brand of media; you might have better luck. > \*\* Hi Max Torque: Do you mean that is why it reads sometimes and not at other times? Or do you mean that the DVD player would read some 'brand of media’s and not others? Actually, do you think it would be a better solution to just buy a VCD player instead (so that it reads what it is supposed to?) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/6 "2000-06-17T20:54:10Z")
I meant that the DVD player will probably read some brands of media but not others. Different CDRs have different materials and properties. Experiement. I wouldn’t buy a VCD player, at all. If you’re that determined to view VCDs, buy yourself an older DVD player, like a Sony S300. That way, you won’t be stuck with a one-trick pony of a VCD player. ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/7 "2000-06-17T21:04:29Z")
Yes, this is what i’m confused with. You see, even with the same brand of media, it sometimes read and sometimes not. That’s the problem here. We’ve actually experimented with a lot of different brands, and the same thing happens all the time. Oh, and thanx! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/8 "2000-06-17T23:07:35Z")
Maybe the laser eye in you dvd player is dirty? ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2000, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/9 "2000-06-18T10:34:33Z")
Are you serious or joking Handy? sorry, it must have something to do with ur posts…but i’m serious. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2000, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/10 "2000-06-18T15:40:56Z")
Take you cd’s to the store where you can buy dvd players & try them & see if they work. Yes, the lens gets dirty. Im pretty sure I saw yesterday at the store some dvd laser cleaners. ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/11 "2000-06-18T15:58:06Z")
Thx handy. But if the lens are dirty, then wouldn’t it affect every CD we put in it, instead of just some? ---
**Author:** ![Llardball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Llardball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llardball)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2000, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/12 "2000-06-18T16:37:49Z")
The problem could be your younger brother. When you burn a CD of any kind, you need to make sure you are “finalizing” or “closing” the CD. This means that after the CD has been created, your burner will make the CD incapable of being erased. This only works with CD-R. CD-RW cannot be “finalized” because the CD will need to remain “open,” that is why it is a CD-rewritable disc. So, to summarize if you cannot understand what I am saying: 1. A CD-R is needed. 2. After the blank disc has been burned, the disc needs to be “closed” or “finalized.” Your CD should then work. Try this before buying a new DVD or whatever you have. ---
**Author:** ![\_oo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e9a140/32.png) [@\_oo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_oo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-recorded-cds/22706/13 "2000-06-18T16:45:30Z")
Thanx Llardball, I should have guessed the problem could have been my little brother, hehe. You wrote very clearly, so I understand what you mean. Gonna have to ask my brother if he has done what you have said.