Player is DVD-Video only! No way to burn?

[dalmacious]

I have Cyperlink PowerDirector 12. I want to burn a DVD for someone who has a player that only takes "DVD-Video" their owners manual has an extensive list of discs the machine will not support. The *not supported" list includes DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-Audio, Divx, a whole bunch of CD formats and then it ends with "etc".

So, I think it will only take commercial discs and not anything I can make -- is this correct?

[loster]

Please post the manufacturer and the model number so that members here can read the manual.

[Cornucopia]

Possibly. Hard to say: "DVD-Video" is an application format that resides on either burnable/duplicated discs or stamped/replicated discs. Replicated discs (the kind that commercial/store-bought/Hollywood movies come as) are usually known as "DVD-ROM" media. So that list is clearly inaccurate in some way, if not in many ways.

Would be better to see which Brand/Model the device is. Inability to play anything but burned discs is actually quite rare.

Worst thing that could happen is the player needs to be replaced & replacement costs for DVD hardware players (including those that DO accept burned discs) can easily be $15-20.

Scott

[dalmacious]

It is the Panasonic DVD-RV30. The compatibility table is on page 6 on this link:

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DVDRV30.PDF

The copyright on the manual is 1999!

[Cornucopia]

That's the trouble: back in 1999, there were plenty of players that didn't accept burnable discs (by 2005-2007, almost all newer players would play them). It's still a possibility that this player MIGHT accept one, but not likely. Do a simple test and see...

Otherwise, time for a newer player!

Scott

[smrpix]

Looks like DVD+R, Region 1 or O is the way to go.

[Cornucopia]

Maybe.

[LMotlow]

Looks like DVD+R, Region 1 or O is the way to go.

Some players, even new ones, don't support DVD+R. DVD-R is universally compatible. http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/media/dvd-formats.htm

[smrpix]

DVD-R is universally compatible.

Except this player explicitly excludes it.

[hech54]

Looks like DVD+R, Region 1 or O is the way to go.

Some players, even new ones, don't support DVD+R. DVD-R is universally compatible.

Stone aged nonsense.

[orsetto]

Don't overthink this. Just burn a sample of whatever blank DVD type you have on hand for your own use, and give it to your friend to try. If it works, great, if not, they need to buy a new cheap player if they intend to get a lot of burned discs from you in future. It would cost less to buy a new player than to buy some blanks of every type to repeatedly test in this ancient Panasonic. Your friend has been ridiculously lucky with their freakishly-durable RV-30: early Panasonic players were notorious for premature laser failure. Most RV-30s were broken by 2002, so your friend got quite a run from theirs. Time to retire it.

FWIW, I owned a Panasonic RV-31 back-panel-dated "April 2001" which did play burned DVD-R / DVD+R despite the instruction manual claiming otherwise.

[LMotlow]

Looks like DVD+R, Region 1 or O is the way to go.

Some players, even new ones, don't support DVD+R. DVD-R is universally compatible.

Stone aged nonsense.

Myths about DVD+R are stone age as well. Take your chances. I don't. No problems. Ever.

[Keyser]

FWIW, I owned a Panasonic RV-31 back-panel-dated "April 2001" which did play burned DVD-R / DVD+R despite the instruction manual claiming otherwise.

I also had a Panasonic DVD Player (don't remember the model) that, according to the manual, couldn't play burned media and yet it always played Verbatim DVD+R discs without any trouble. However, it wouldn't play DVD-R.

[LMotlow]

I also had a Panasonic DVD Player (don't remember the model) that, according to the manual, couldn't play burned media and yet it always played Verbatim DVD+R discs without any trouble. However, it wouldn't play DVD-R.

Did you return it? I've had four Panasonics, two Denons, three Toshibas, and two Oppo's over the years. All of them played DVD-R's. Those that didn't list DVD+R in their specs wouldn't play DVD+R.

[hech54]

Did you return it? I've had four Panasonics, two Denons, three Toshibas, and two Oppo's over the years. All of them played DVD-R's. Those that didn't list DVD+R in their specs wouldn't play DVD+R.

Oh will you stop with the fanboy nonsense!!!

[LMotlow]

Fanboy? Explain.
No, don't. Plenty of people have gone thru several DVD machines since 1998. Some youngsters buy a new one every few months.

A Panasonic that wouldn't play DVD-R? Why use it? I don't even believe that post.

[usually_quiet]

I recall that about 10 years ago, setting the book type to DVD-ROM when burning DVD+R would sometimes allow DVD+R discs to be played by machines that would otherwise reject them.

The only trouble is, that the DVD burner needs to support setting the book type, and so does the burning software. Imgburn software can do it without a problem. I don't use DVD+R so I'm not sure how many DVD burners have the required feature today.

[hech54]

IIRC when you use ImgBurn to burn a DL(+R) DVD, it gets bitset/book typed to ROM no matter what(by default).

[hech54]

Fanboy? Explain.
No, don't. Plenty of people have gone thru several DVD machines since 1998.

...and a lifetime ago an ex-girlfriend of mine had a Sony DVD player would would not play ANY homemade discs....CD, VCD, SVCD or DVD.
That was a lifetime ago. Fanboys spew ancient history as if it is in any way relevant today. Here's a hint for you....it is NOT relevant at all today.
-R, +R....that hasn't mattered for 5 years...probably more like 10 years. And while you are at it, please tell us what brand of -R Dual Layer DVD blanks you use.

[LMotlow]

Don't know what side of the bed you got up on today, but I never had a DVD player that couldn't handle properly made home-made DVD-R's. If others you know had cheap or defective players or bad discs, it's something that never happened to me from Day One if I used good media. I, too, bought the hype on DVD+R at one time and had problems with them. Worked on one player, not on another. So I didn't use them any more, don't trust them, and don't suggest that anybody buy 'em. What's your beef with that? I'm just passing on my own experience. Sorry yours and your friends' gear crapped out. I didn't do it.

Plenty of posts on the 'net all the time from people who made DVD+R's complaining their discs won't play. Yeah, there's the case of ancient or portable players that won't make nice with home-made videos (I still have mine, it plays DVD-R since I bought it in 2002). Why would someone buy a player that wouldn't play a standard DVD-R and not return it? Anyone would've asked for a refund and looked for something else.

The player in question is likely one that wouldn't (and won't) play a DVD-R. Or +R. Or likely not much of anything else. Simple answer: get a new player that handles what you want. Some new players will not play DVD+R. Panasonic's DMP-BD81 doesn't list any +R media in its specs. So I wouldn't suggest buying that player for anything +R, unless you like to pay money to take chances. I'd avoid those if DVD+R is a problem. Otherwise, I don't know what your problem is. But it ain't mine now.

[hech54]

Sorry yours and your friends' gear crapped out. I didn't do it.

WTF are you talking about?

And there are also plenty of discussions on the 'net about Elvis still being alive. Now there is nothing wrong or illegal about believing Elvis is still alive but people who endlessly discuss this belief never seem to get that second date, or that job interview.....because they are perceived as being complete loons for discussing such outdated, long-disproved and completely irrelevant topics. (thank you Sam Harris)....

The +R -R fanboy war was nonsense back then and is even more irrelevant now than it was back then.....and you still have not told me what brand of -R dual layer DVD blanks you prefer.

[LMotlow]

The +R -R fanboy war was nonsense back then and is even more irrelevant now than it was back then.....and you still have not told me what brand of -R dual layer DVD blanks you prefer.

Now you're going to tell me that DVD+R/DL is the same as DVD+R. Let's wait until you're medication has been adjusted.

[hech54]

The +R -R fanboy war was nonsense back then and is even more irrelevant now than it was back then.....and you still have not told me what brand of -R dual layer DVD blanks you prefer.

Now you're going to tell me that DVD+R/DL is the same as DVD+R. Let's wait until you're medication has been adjusted.

+R is an inferior work of the devil compared to -R according to you so.....what brand of -R/DL discs do you exclusively buy and burn?
It's a simple question really. By your fanboy-ness we can all assume that you would not be caught dead using anything +R so let's have it.....what brand of -R/DL media do you use?

[LMotlow]

Verbatim DVD+R/DL. That is, for those players that can play them. Many players can't. All of mine can -- but some of them won't play DVD+R/SL, so the two types are not "the same thing". Those are family videos and important stuff I don't want to take chances with. The originals are archived as straight, unauthored MPEG on hard drives. And I've had to re-author a couple of times for relatives/friends whose players won't play DL discs. I won't force them to buy another player just because +R fanboys have no imagination. And because no DL disc is as reliable as DVD-R/SL.