Where did my recording go?

[mushy747]

Hi All

I had a really strange experience with a dvd and wondered if anyone knows what happened.

I recorded a programme last year , (Gerry Robinson 3 episodes ) we decided we would watch it again, put it in the player and watched 1 episode , i then stopped it and went to eject when it said on the menu, DVD needs to be finalised so i pressed the finalise button, it then said error , the next night i put it in the player to continue watching and it doesn't recognise the dvd !!

I tried it in the PC and that too doesn't recognise the DVD as it won't load.

Has this happened to anybody else and is there any way of getting the episodes back?

Lyn

[BillTurner80]

What's the make of the dvd recorder?

[mushy747]

Hi Bill

It's a Liteon DD-A100

Lyn

[aaron]

name='mushy747']I tried it in the PC and that too doesn't recognise the DVD as it won't load.

When you say it wont load, do you mean it wont play? I suggest you put it in the pc, click on 'my computer' hover your mouse over the dvd drive or right click the dvd drive, and press properties. This should tell you the size of the files on the disk (ie 2.3 gb) Assuming there is a healthy size file still on the disk, then you should be able to rip it to your hard drive with a tool like dvd decrypter or dvd shrink. (If you can rip it with dvd shrink, then you can simply open the ripped folder and press backup, to create a new disc image, then burn a new copy)

[mushy747]

Hi Aaron,

Thanks for your help.

I tried your suggestion but when i right click it gives no information just the egg timer and everything seems to jam and i have to end the programme.

Thankyou

Lyn

[steve9049]

Hi Lyn,



I don't have that make of DVD recorder, I've got Panasonic DVD Recorders, but I've had that problem a couple of times over the years.



It seems the finalisation process of the disc went wrong on your machine. Consequently not only will the DVD recorder not recognise the disc but your PC will not either, as it hasn't been finalised properly. Coincidentally, It happened to me once when I tried finalising a disc weeks after I put the material on it.



I'm sorry to sound so negative. Have you tried unplugging the DVD recorder from the mains and restarting it? That sometimes works for me when I put a disc in the machine and it doesn't recognise a disc has been inserted.



You could try a CD cleaning disc in the machine.





Steve.

[BillTurner80]

I have a couple of LiteOn AA100s and I've been trying to reproduce your problem on both with no success I'm afraid.

I'm used to see the 'when the disc is complete, finalise it to . . .' message often as I archive TV series as I go, removing and inserting the discs as and when needed.

Have you tried reinserting the disc, then pressing and holding the menu button? It fools the player sometimes into thinking it has already checked the disc; this will let you into the disc tools menu.

Sorry it's not much help, but I'll keep trying :)

[mushy747]

Hi Steve & Bill

I have finalised lots of discs with no problem which is why it is so strange (perhaps it's because i left it while to finalise).

Thanks for your help i will try your suggestions tomorrow.

I have unplugged it but that didn't work i will let you know how i get on tomorrow.

Many thanks

Lyn

[autolycus]

Perhaps you could try a friend's dvd reader on their PC. I have two dvd drives (a reader and a recorder) on my PC, and i have found that sometimes one will read a disk that another will not. Even, sometimes, one drive will copy certain files off a dvd that the other will not and vice versa. I'd try for copying rather than autostart in PowerDVD or whatever.



Unfortunately, it does sound as if the disk is corrupt.

[julian_craster]

This sometimes happens with DVDR discs, but never (in my experience...) with DVDRW discs, which is why I always use the latter......they are salvageable !

[mushy747]

name='julian_craster']This sometimes happens with DVDR discs, but never (in my experience...) with DVDRW discs, which is why I always use the latter......they are salvageable !

I was a novice with DVD recorders when i recorded on this type of disc ( if i knew then what i know now)

I have tried the various suggestions but no joy.

Thanks for all your help but it does look like the disc is corrupt!

Thankyou All

Lyn

[Amethyst_Isle]

I went through your post Mushy and have to ask a question.



The disc you used to record the programme on,was it a DVD+R or DVD-R ?

[mushy747]

name='Amethyst_Isle']I went through your post Mushy and have to ask a question.



The disc you used to record the programme on,was it a DVD+R or DVD-R ?

Hi

Just checked, it was a DVD- R



Lyn

[Amethyst_Isle]

Ahhhhhhhhhh I think I know the problem now.



I use to use DVD-R's too and then I discovered one problem (with my machine anyway and may be with yours too ) when I used a DVD-R and record something and then take it out of the machine without finalizing it I could never play it again ,but it would play if I finalized it first (if that makes sense to you ? ) this was always a problem with DVD-R's whenever I used them,I now use either DVD+R or DVD+RW.

[julian_craster]

I have also found that formatting a DVDR disc can mess up the menu and make it partially unplayable....DVDRs are a false saving when you can buy a DVDRW disc for 60p or less.



With DVDR discs I have ended putting 50% of them in the garbage.......

[aaron]

name='mushy747']Hi Aaron,

Thanks for your help.

I tried your suggestion but when i right click it gives no information just the egg timer and everything seems to jam and i have to end the programme.

Thankyou

Lyn

Hmmmm, tricky! Do you have any programme like Download DVDFab HD Decrypter 4.1.0.2 - All-in-one DVD copying/converting/burning software - Softpediaon on your pc? It's a long shot, but I wonder if simply loading the disk, opening dvdfab decrypter and selecting your dvd drive as the source may enable access to the disk...Certainly, if you have more than one dvd drive on your pc, then try it in both....

Incidently, i tend to record with my dvd recorder (a panasonic) using dvdrw +/-, then rip the image to my pc, and reburn to dvdr for archive, then erase the dvdrw and start again...

Best of luck, Aaron

[steve9049]

I don't really subscribe to the last contributor's argument about DVD-R's



I've got 4 Panasonic DVD Recorders, and go through about 50 DVD-R's a week. As long as you've got a decent make recorder and use quality discs ie. Verbatim you should get very little problems. At just over 20p a disc for good quality ones, there is a big differnce to 60p.



The reason copying fails with me most often is problems with the source disc.



I think I've had 2 or 3 discs not work properly in their own right out of the thousands I've used

[mushy747]

name='aaron']Hmmmm, tricky! Do you have any programme like Download DVDFab HD Decrypter 4.1.0.2 - All-in-one DVD copying/converting/burning software - Softpediaon on your pc? It's a long shot, but I wonder if simply loading the disk, opening dvdfab decrypter and selecting your dvd drive as the source may enable access to the disk...Certainly, if you have more than one dvd drive on your pc, then try it in both....

Incidently, i tend to record with my dvd recorder (a panasonic) using dvdrw +/-, then rip the image to my pc, and reburn to dvdr for archive, then erase the dvdrw and start again...

Best of luck, Aaron

Aaron Thanks for your help i tried it with DVD Decrypter and it said disc is empty!



Hi Steve



When i first got my DVD recorder i didn't understand all the DVD jargon so i always recorded on DVD-R and this was the only DVD i have had a problem with.

I always use DVD+RW now and if it is something i would like to watch again i copy it to a DVD-R and erase the DVD+RW.

Lyn

[Amethyst_Isle]

A word of advice I would suggest you make back up copies,just in case the other disc does not play,as one day 1 copy might not play and then you can always rely on the back up copy,as the programme/film may never been shown for years or not at all.



It only takes one scratch and the recording can become pretty useless,this never happened to VHS tapes.

[autolycus]

name='julian_craster']This sometimes happens with DVDR discs, but never (in my experience...) with DVDRW discs, which is why I always use the latter......they are salvageable !

My experience is different. Most problems have occured when archiving from DVD recorder hard drive to PC via DVDRW. One reason why i bought a humax PVR - to archive recordings via USB. It has happened with DVDR too though, on occassions.