Why doesn't my DVD player read this rewritable disk?

Factual Questions
1

My friend recorded an episode of Supernatural so I could see if I liked it. It won’t run on my DVD player. Help! Does it have to have something special to read these?

2

IIRC, DVD re-writeables come in two versions:

RW
and
RW+/-

Your DVD player probably reads only one kind, and your friend probably burned the other.

3

bangs head and I was sooooo looking forward to watching it, too. :frowning: So there’s hope, though? If she records it the other way, I’d be able to watch it?

4

If her DVD-R/RW machine is compatible with both formats. :frowning:

I used to work for an industry mag, but it’s been years. I was hoping some of my resources were still good, but they don’t seem to be.

Check with your friend.

5

Actually, they are RW+ and RW- (as well as R+ and R- for non-rewritables). Most newer DVD players will handle all of the formats, but some will only play + or - but not both.

That would be good, if she can. Some burners only record one format, and she would need to use the correct blank media. I hope she can record something that you can watch.

If all else fails, does your computer have a DVD RAM? They will usually read all formats.

6

It could just be the brand of media; some players are more fussy than others about what they will and won’t read; irrespective of +/- formats. It’s all down to the media ID, apparently - a little chunk of data encoded on the disc during manufacture, providing information about the type of media and some details of its physical and logical makeup - it may be that your player is either failing to, or refusing to read the DVD, based on something in this data (such as the type of dye used in the recording layer).

7

FatBaldGuy

The last time I edited an article on this stuff was in, oh, 2003, maybe? I thought my meory might be faulty.

Thanks for the clarification. (seriously. no sarcasm whatsoever.)

8

I don’t really understand everything in this thread, but I will show it to her. I don’t have a DVD RAM on my 'puter, unfortunately, and now I wish I had. SisterCoyote, **FBG ** is always super-helpful. Thank you everyone.

9

Check the DVD players section of VideoHelp. Look up your model and see what works for it. Note esp. the user comments.

Also, some players may not play DVDs recorded in some formats. I have a PAL disc that only 1 of the local 3 DVD players will play.