Tech: Burning DVDs

Subject: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: jacqui.c
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:39 PM

OK - I'm trying to burn copies of the Kendall & Utah concert from last year. I did manage to produce a few last year before life got in the way so I know that my machine will do it.

I've just spent over 30 minutes trying to get it to do this again and can't seem to get anywhere. It asks me if I want to burn a CD and then asks for a blank disc when there is already a disc in the burner. There is nothing coming up about burning DVDs.

I'm not totally up on computer language so, if anyone out there can help, can you give very easy instructions using, as far as possible, non tech language. Right now I don't think my brain can take anything else!

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: bobad
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:44 PM

It appears that your computer is not recognizing that there is a disc in the drive. This happens to me when the lens in my CD burner is dirty. I open it up and clean it, then it works just fine. Will it play a CD? If yes, then that's not your problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: jacqui.c
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:51 PM

Thanks anyway Bobad - I've just put the DVD in the write part and it plays it with no problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:54 PM

I get that message when the disc is bad.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 07:56 PM

What software are you using to burn the disk? Sometimes you have to select the correct media within the program, then it looks for it.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Amos
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 08:28 PM

I tole Kendall he shoulda got a Mac....sigh....

Use Roxio Toast, I guess, and set the tabs to "DVD". Drag the source file into the panel and hit "Burn".

It will balk at the disc if it is not recordable, has already been written to, is corrupted, or is having a bad hair day.


A

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 09:37 PM

Refined from above, maybe the disc is 'bad' in the sense that it's a blank CD or DVD, but if your computer isn't recognizing it anyway, maybe the whole thing is bad. Maybe you're trying to burn it using the wrong program. You might have more than one program to burn disc thingies.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 09:44 PM

I discovered I had a 'flawed' CD burning drive a few months ago. It would play, but not burn. It was under warranty, and they put in a better one than the bad one....and it had Nero burning software with it, so now I am able to do almost anything with it.

It is always 'possible' that it is the drive itself.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 10:15 PM

"DVD Drives" are more 'fragile' than 'CD Drives' - they burn to higher tolerances, etc - they can easily 'stop burining' much more readily than a CD only drive - cleaning the laser lens often helps.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 11:21 PM

My HP came with a burner that is set up with LightScribe. It seems to have so much baggage that it was messing up some software I was using to eliminate the region code (so now I don't need to wait for a film to make it across the pond in Pal1, I can just watch it from the UK or Germany or Oz or wherever). I did a little research and learned that LightScribe was probably the problem. I bought an inexpensive Pioneer DVD burner and made it the master and put the HP DVD burner as the slave and completely removed the CD player. Works great this way.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: M.Ted
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 11:43 PM

This is an obvious one, but I'll mention it anyway. There are two different DVD formats, DVD-R and DVD+R, newer DVD burners will handle both, but older ones often only record one and not recognize the other--I have pulled my hair for a fair amount of time before realizing that I was using the wrong one--

I have also tried to burn DVD's in a CD player--and once I bought a whole spindle of DVDs that turned out to be coming apart at the edges. That kept me going for quite a while. Good luck!

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: jacqui.c
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 04:34 PM

I tried two different discs - both taken from their original packaging. I use DVD-R - got that one sorted out a while ago.

Comedy of errors - went to use the pc last night and the monitor has just about died - it just flashes on and off and wouldn't turn off. I'm using the laptop right now. Once I get a new monitor set up I'll try importing the programme Amos suggests. Otherwise, looks like I may need to buy a new DVD drive!

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 04:43 PM

It sounds like you are trying to burn a DVD-R using softward that will only burn CD's - that would explain why it is asking about CD's and why it won't recognize the DVD-R disc.

Another possibility, if it is in fact DVD-R burning software, perhaps it is set at too high of a record rate? Try lowering it if that is the case.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: jacqui.c
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 04:48 PM

I know that the system is set up right as I used it last year to burn DVDs and it worked perfectly then. When I bought the machine I specified a DVD write.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 05:21 PM

Is it a standalone burner or a PC?   

If it is a PC, the drive could be a DVD-R drive, but if your software doesn't burn DVD-R's it won't matter. Your original note made it sound as if it would only ask if you wished to burn a CD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 05:37 PM

Jacqui has burned DVDs using her current DVD Burner and software. Wonder if the wonky monitor is a symptom of the same problem?

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 10:46 PM

It is very easy to have more than one type of software on your PC and switch the "default". If you do not burn discs regularly, it is possible that the wrong program opened and she is not able to burn because of it.   The monitor should have no connection at all, unless it is a major problem with the entire PC in which case there would be other problems.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Gypsy
Date: 06 Sep 07 - 10:57 PM

Here's my two centses. my dvd burner ( a lightscribe ) hates NEW dvds. I always have to clean them before inserting into the drive. And wait for them to spin up. Sometimes takes a couple of cleanings, and occasionally a reboot.

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 04:59 PM

I had a screen come up that told me there was a serious problem with my DVD burner.

I called the mfg (LaCie), who basically told me that if that screen came up, it was all over. As a last chance long shot, before trashing the burner, he said, try one using one of those cleaner discs that people use to clean DVD players. I did, and it actually worked again.

These things do malfunction, even (or perhaps especially) if they are not used much. There are a couple ways to deal with it--

First:check the mfg website for FAQs, fixes, and maybe even a user forum.

Second: Google something like "LaCie DVD Burner won't recognize disk" and read til you find a suggestion that you like and understand (remembering that a lot of "tips" only make sense to the person who wrote them)

Third: Resign yourself to the fact that these things turn to junk more often than they should, and buy a new one--

Subject: RE: Tech: Burning DVDs
From: Amos
Date: 07 Sep 07 - 06:07 PM

One sure method for the successful burning of DVDs is, of course, lighter fluid.


A