In Over My Head - DVD Recording Help

[DiverDown808]

So I buy a DVD recorder, you know.....to transfer my video tapes and camcorder tapes to DVD format. I buy a stack of blank DVD's and record some camcorder tapes. No problem.

Then I lend one out to a friend to watch, and he calls and says it wont play. I try playing one on the DVD recorder, and it plays fine. Then I try my other DVD player....nothing - my PSX2..........nothing - my X-Box.......nothing - even my computer with a DVD drive......nothing.

What gives ? Then I make the mistake of reading the instructions. DVD- , DVD+ , huh? huh?

Can anyone make sense of all these options for me ?

All I want to do is record DVD's, and also be able to send some to friends and family and be assured that they can actually watch them on their DVD players.

I'm hoping it's as simple as buying a pack of DVD+ blanks, instead of the DVD- blanks that I bought. (What's the difference, anyway?)

Anyone? Someone?

DD

[helen]

There is a thread (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=3602) about DVD-R and DVD+R.

I guess you knowning the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R is not that important but rather knowning what kind of DVD your recorder can use. If your device can only write to DVD+R then you need to just buy blank DVD+R.

[tutusue]

Chris...The -R seems to be the most compatible with other machines. Did you finalize the DVD after recording? That's an important step. My recorder's directions state an unfinalized disk will play in the machine it was recorded in but not other machines.

Or, it could just be as simple as that particular DVD wasn't any good to begin with. I've had a bunch of those!

[DiverDown808]

You hit the nail on the head, tutusue.

Turns out there is a little teeny tiny paragraph that.........ok, it was a huge chapter on finalizing the disc at the end of the manual right where it starts giving me instructions in French. I put the recorded discs in and they finalized just fine. Played on all my DVD players. Whew

So hey, I gots me some home-made porn for sell if anyone is interested !!! Wait, doesn't my wife come on this board ? Yikes !! I mean, I have some lovely video of clouds and Waipahu landscapes for sell. :D

Thanks Helen and tutusue for your help.

DD

[tutusue]

You hit the nail on the head, tutusue.[...]
Cool...but that doesn't mean I'll relinquish my "Untechie Tutu" monicker anytime soon! :o

[kdramafan]

You hit the nail on the head, tutusue.

Turns out there is a little teeny tiny paragraph that.........ok, it was a huge chapter on finalizing the disc at the end of the manual right where it starts giving me instructions in French. I put the recorded discs in and they finalized just fine. Played on all my DVD players. Whew

So hey, I gots me some home-made porn for sell if anyone is interested !!! Wait, doesn't my wife come on this board ? Yikes !! I mean, I have some lovely video of clouds and Waipahu landscapes for sell. :D

Thanks Helen and tutusue for your help.

DD

As you founf out Tutusue was correct. You would not believe how many people who buy their first dvd recorder for some reason miss the info in the manual about finalizing the dvd. I'm been using standalone dvd recorders for about 5-6 years now. I have brought about 5 different Panasonic models and
am using 3 of them just about every day.