Panasonic DMR-E30 can't play recorded DVD

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

My friends bought this DVD recoredr (Panasonic DMR-E30) and I wrnt there to record one of my old VHS tapes on DVD. I am having trouble to play recorded DVD on my Daewoo DVD-5800 player. It plays fine on Mintek 2580. Here is what I did to try solve this.

- DVD was recorded in SP mode from VCR and lenght is 1h 17min
- DVD freezes almost imediatly after playbeck starts and it can't be played.
- It is not media, because I used same media for DVD rip and it works.
- It is not media, because I ripped this DVD with IfoEdit and burned it on different one and it behaves same way

So my conclusion id that it must be problem with way how this recorder Authors DVD. Why ? I stripped video and audio stream and reauthored it with authoring software and it plays fine now.

Does anybody know what is the problem ?

Another question that I have is... Why in SP (2h) and XP (set to 1:15) mode this recorder encoded video in 352x480 resolution ( half D-1 ) and not in full DVD resolution ? Don't they support 740 (or 704) resolution ???
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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

ejai · member Joined: 13 Jun 2001 Location: New York USA

I understand your pain.

I too have had problems playing discs on certain players that were recorded with the Panasonic recorders. What I find is that the file structure of the recorded cd is not exactly created the way most programs are (DVD standard).

If you look at the files on the cd you created you will notice that the "audio ts" folder does not exsist. I am not sure if this is the cause but I have noticed this inconsistancy. So what I did is create the movie using the Panasonic recorder and then transfer the DVD-Ram video to my computer using a DVD-Ram reader drive. I edit the file and add menus using DVD Workshop, and then burn it to DVD-R.

This process does not take a lot of time and it makes a DVD-R that seems to have no problem playing on any DVD player I've tried. I also noticed that the "audio_ts and video_ts folders are on the disc.

Like I said before I've had the same problem with several different players, but after doing what I stated above I no longer have this problem.

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

It is not AUDIO_TS folder issue. In my test when I ripped DVD to HD and then burned it again on different media I included AUDIO_TS folder and result was same.

Your steps are just adding to my suspicion. If you re-author (in your case with DVD Workshop) problem is gone. So AUTHORING is an issue. Can you use in DVD Workshop AC3 sound ?
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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

ejai · member Joined: 13 Jun 2001 Location: New York USA

Thanks, that's good to know.

Yes you can author using Ulead's DVD Workshop and maintain the ac3 audio.

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

What about using IfoEdit to fix problem or re-author ??? Or other free tool ? Anybody knows what is realy happening ???

And what about 352x480 issue ? Are you having same problem ?
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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

thxkid · Member Joined: 08 Aug 2001

my parents have a daewoo 5900 and my E-20 play no problem and I have 3 5800 daewoo's and play fine also, but my portable player will not play anything from the E-20, I stick the DVD-R from the E-20 into my computer, use DVD shrink to reauthor it(about 10 minutes) reburn onto a DVD+R and it plays fine in the protable, by the way I don't have this problem with my Magnavox DVD+R recorder, so its not a settop issue just the stupid way panasonic authors their DVD-R's.

handyguy · Member Joined: 25 Mar 2003

All my disks I make with my e30 play in all my dvd players, I only use Accu dvds they are suggested for this unit.

You have to finalize your dvd-r disk for it to play properly too...

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

shhas · Member Joined: 04 Jan 2002

Here is my two cents.

I have the latest Panny (DMR-80) and the problem does exist with this machine as well. I agree with above that the authoring is the issue. It is not the media and it is not necessarily the DVD player either. (even though there are some DVD players that can be very forgiving and pretty much play anything you throw at them). The DVDs that I made with the unit did not play on the old Daewoo 5800 even though they played in 5-6 other players that I tested it on.

Another issue that I have with mine and posted here before is that a good number of DVD-roms in the computers cannot rip the DVDs you make with these Pannys. Only one of my computers can rip this and two others cannot.

This is how I do it now, and I think you and anyone out there with similar machine and problems should do it too; as long as you have a dvd drive in your computer that can recognize DVD-RAM.

Please take advantage of the DVD-RAM

Either write in real time to the DVD-RAM or write to the hard drive of you Panny and then transfer to your DVD-RAM disc.

Put this disc in your computer, use TMPGEnc DVD Author and edit your DVD-RAM. You can add menu and even motion menus or no menue and get rid of the stupid default menus of panasonic.

TMPGEnc DVD Author does NOT reencode your movie so you save a lot of time. You can either burn the result with that or use another burning program of your choice (RecordMax Now is the best in my opinion).

I played in Daewoo 5800 and bunch of others without any problem,

Hope this helps,

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

Great ! Only one question and I believe that you answere it in your post. Does TMPGEnc DVD Author preserve and handle AC3 sound ?

Still question remains... Is there anybody with enough knowledge of DVD structure and so.... so he/she can explain what is going on ? Why is there this issue ?
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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

shhas · Member Joined: 04 Jan 2002

Yes, it handles AC3.

As to why this is happening, I am not really sure.

I did finally rip one DVD that the unit wrote and ran it through DVD Decrypter and ifoEdit and burned it via RecordMax Now.
Guess what? The same problem happened again. The same standalone players that choked before choked again, and I could not rip the DVD in the other two computers of mine (see above).

Conclusions:

Problem is NOT the Media (same media works fine for everything else)

Problem is NOT the DVD player (with exceptions)

Problem is NOT the DVD-ROM of the computer (they work for reading and ripping other DVDs fine)

Problem is NOT the burning software (same software used without any problem with home made videos and ripped and unripped DVDs)

Problem is NOT necessarily the hardware of the Panasonic and its burning it. (DVD-Ram burns fine)

Problem is NOT the encoding of the MPEG (Mpeg extracted from the DVD is fully compliant)

The only item that has not been checked is the software in the Panny that writes the VOBs and the DVD structure and finalizes it.

everyone agrees?

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

bobinga · Member Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Augusta, GA

I have an e50 and a daewoo 5800.
The 5800 will not play my discs burned with Pan e50,
Took same discs to circuit city and they played well in 3 different players.
These of course were all dv-r
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God Bless

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

Well... only help is to re-author them.... I guess. If you want DVD that can be played almost anywhere. Panasonic creates (as my friend calls them) "bastard DVDs".

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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

ejai · member Joined: 13 Jun 2001 Location: New York USA

I have found no workaround but to author the video using computer software. This situation leaves a very bad blemish on the Panasonic company for continuing to produce dvd recorders that have this problem.

Yes I've found away around this problem but it shouldn't be happening at this stage of the game. Panasonic doesn't seem to care or isn't listening to the consumers. I assume they had a hand in the specs for dvd authoring, so why haven't they got it right?

Just remembered, wasn't this the same company that release the E-30 and below with the black level bug?

Guess I'm asking a little too much.

Saminai · Member Joined: 17 Aug 2003

I'm not too surprised. I try to avoid buying panasonic products after my camcorder and SVHS vcr broke within a year after purchase and light usage.
I think they have similar quality to Apex.
I might try to get a Sharp...My Sharp VCR still works after 7 years of moderate usage and 3 house moves!

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

I don't agree. Panasonic makes good products generaly. In Europe their models of VCR were one of the best. They didn't get authoring part of DVD recording right but otherwise quality seems to be good.
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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

handyguy · Member Joined: 25 Mar 2003

Sometimes I run my dvd files through dvd2one & it generates new ones, even if I don't need the other functions of the program.

cdeviney · Member Joined: 17 Aug 2003

Panasonic DMR-E80H discs won't play in my Apex AD-5131!

ejai · member Joined: 13 Jun 2001 Location: New York USA

I agree that the quality of the Panasonic devices are not the problem. I believe that Panasonic makes very good products. The problem with the authoring function might have been a rare situation.

Still after hearing all the complaints about the authoring functions why aren't they fixing the problem in their newer models and why haven't they come up with a fix for the older ones?

I have no sympathy for big companies that continue to put out devices that are known to have bugs.

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

Good question and I don't know answer. I don't know how does it work with these big companies ? How developers get feeedback about their work. Do they read forums like this ? Do we even call them about this issue ? I don't, since I don't have this unit and friend who owns it (from there my experience) doesn't care since he doesn't have problem with his player. And also in this DVD business there is som many thinks to blame ... media quality, DVD player ... so they maybe don't even bother with this issue since customer support will start... "Are you using this and this medium ? Are you using this and this DVD player ? No ??

Than don't call us... "

At least that was their reaction when Sony's first dual DVD Writer came out and had a lot of compatibility issues.
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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

cdeviney · Member Joined: 17 Aug 2003

6. Why doesn't my DVD player play DVD-Rs?
Our extensive testing shows that Panasonic DVD-R media recorded in the DMR-E20 will play back properly in about 85% of home DVD players being sold as of June, 2001. The 15% that experienced some difficulty were models that used older technology, often one to two years older. Also, older DVD players may not reflect the recent standardization that has taken place in the DVD industry. As the industry releases new models, the number of DVD players that experience problems will sharply decrease. The brand of DVD-R media you use will also influence this compatibility issue. A possible solution would be to try another brand of media that may be more compatible with your DVD player.

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/wwwconsumer/custo ... DMR-E80H#2

donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU

It is pretty stupid of them to blame it to old technology. I never had any problems with any DVD in my player other then one that comes from Panasonic.

Yeah.... that is what every manufacturer will tell you. IT IS NOT US. IT'S THEM

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Pinnacle Studio 8 and DV home video editing (ver.9 already home)

ejai · member Joined: 13 Jun 2001 Location: New York USA

Media has nothing to do with the problems that are being experienced with the Panasonic recorders. The system that is used to author the disks are the problem ie: Panasonic recorders. I recently went to a Circuit City store to try out the new portable dvd players. When I put the disk made with the E50 in one of the players it started freezing. I decided to try another player and it wouldn't recognize the disk at all

I also had another disk that was created with the E50 but authored using my computer dvd writer. It played well on all the players. Remember these players were new, the only portable players that played the disk well that was created with the E50 was the Panasonic portable players.

This was also my finding using several standalone dvd players. Just FYI, I used TDK DVD-R disks for the test. I must admit I do have a fairly new JVC dvd player that plays the Panasonic disks with no problem.

lacywest · Member Joined: 28 Aug 2001 Location: California

ktton · Member Joined: 07 Jun 2003

oldfart13 · Member Joined: 09 Nov 2000 Location: Canada

If the Daewoo doesn't play the discs, then get another player. With players down to as little as $50CAD, anyone on this board can buy one. I have 7 now and all will play the discs made in my Panasonic E80. I have no Daewoo unit. Even Radio Shack has disinherited that company and no longer sells their products. Players that work with my discs from the E80:

Malata 393
Apex AD-600A
Apex 1500
Norcent DP-300
RCA 5220P
Sony PS2 Version 1

The 7th unit is the E80 itself. All the discs I have burned also play in my computer DVD burner (Pioneer A05) and my DVD-ROM drive (Matsushita 8583). I also generally burn to good media like Maxell 2X branded media (none of that fake Maxell crap) and don't have any problems whatsoever.

hech54 · CONFUSED Joined: 26 Jul 2001 Location: Yank in Europe

Yea....I know the "history" of Philips DVD Recorders....but my Philips DVDR985 has worked flawlessly since day one. It is an OLD one (ff9 something firmware)....never upgraded the firmware....has made 3 coasters in it's life.
Best of all the +R's it creates play in EVERYTHING I have ever stuck them in. What about the +RW's you ask?.....don't...(see below)
The +R's also react and behave the same exact way as a production DVD in DVDShrink and DVDDecrypter....the +RW's....sometimes they rip well....sometimes NOT.
Just my 2 cents worth....

Now all you need is ANOTHER friend with a Philips DVD Recorder....sample them both...

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donpedro · member bember Joined: 05 Aug 2002 Location: EU