Suddenly Stuttering

[ADigitalMan]

Howdy folks. I'm suddenly having an problem with stuttering on my DVD-Rs that didn't exist before. Lately, the backups I've been making have started stuttering and freezing during the last 20-30 mins of each disc. I have burned the exact same files onto a DVD-RW but had no trouble. Also, the DVD-Rs that give me trouble on my player behave just fine on the computer.

Here are my Specs:
The computer is a Dell Optiplex GX260 1.8 GhZ P4 w/384 RAM running Win2K. My ripper is the built-in Samsung SM-332B. I rip to my HD with DVDDecrypter, reencode for single DVD-R using the latest version of InstantCopy and then burn with InstantCopy using my Toshiba SD-R5002 burner to Memorex DVD-R v.2.0 media (bought on a spindle of 50). No other programs are running to take up memory and I have 40% of my 80GB HD free when I start to rip.

Playback is on a Apex 5131 which, until this point, has had no problems with anything I've been doing. Further, as I mentioned earlier, I burned a DVD-RW of one of my bad discs on an old Pioneer DVD-RW I use for testing, and this played just fine.

The "bad" discs play just fine on my computer, both drives.

So, with all this inconsistency in the problem, I can't tell if the problem is in the player, the media, or the burn process. The Apex 5131 player is notorious for being able to play anything you throw in it. The computer has the lifting power to do exactly what I'm doing without fail. The media is a wild card but it has worked up until now, then six of these bad discs in a row.

Any ideas out there?

[CloudBurst]

The loader might be going in the dvd-rom...try cleaning it, if that doesn't help you may have to replace the loader with a dvd-rom. It will take some custom work trying to get it to fit and will definatly void any warrenty. a website that has tutorials on replacing loaders is area450. They replace loaders in sampo machines but the concept is usually the same for any ide loader. But remember to proceed at your own risk...

[Triple_Helix]

Howdy folks...

It's a cinch your not a Euro.

Even though you're using quality media, I suspect that is the problem -- bad batch, maybe. This is supported by the fact that the DVD-RW is okay and that the 'stuttering' is toward the end of the DVD-R discs -- where most media issues occur.

LTA

[poopyhead]

Also, the DVD-Rs that give me trouble on my player behave just fine on the computer.

1) are the DVD-R recently burned giving you this problem on your standalone dvd player, or are previous WORKING DVD-Rs also been giving you stutters on your standalone???

2) given the fact that the DVD-Rs work on your comp and not on your standalone suggests that it is the media, irregardless of the "supposed quality or brand" i've had expensive taiyo unden made in japan CD-Rs that gave me glitches (blockiness) while cheapo made in taiwan ones didn't. try reburning the movie on a new batch of DVD-Rs.

[ADigitalMan]

To answer poopyhead (can't stop sniggering at that alias):

1) The older working DVD-Rs are still working best as I can tell. It's just the latest batch.

2) Do I understand that you recommend I switch brands? Do you recommend a particular brand? I only need 2x media as my burner will only write that fast.

One piece of new news ... I did re-burn one of my titles and had what I thought was success, but I tried the new disc again later and it was stuttering too, when it hadn't been stuttering minutes earlier. It's always in the same general place on the discs, but not always on the same frames each time. Is that evident of anything?

Thanks for the continued feedback.

[poopyhead]

have you tried burning at 1x only???

also, you may wanna check this out about your standalone..maybe someone else has your problem...

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=Apex+5131+&Search=Search

[ADigitalMan]

Topic Update: I've recently bought a spindle of RitekG04 and so far, I've had much better luck -- no coasters or stutterers yet (knock on wood).

Now get this: I did a bit-for-bit copy of one of my "stuttering" Memorex discs to a new Ritek disc, and the Ritek version plays just fine in my standalone. Anybody have more thoughts on this? Is it an issue of the Memorex media being compatible with my player? Or is there some other explanation? Obviously the errors were not burned onto the disc, or they would have copied over (not to mention I'd have thought they would have stuttered on the computer as well).

P.S. So I wouldn't waste the spindle of Memorex media, I used the rest of it to back up files smaller than 3.75 GB with 100% success. A few that were between 3.75 and 4.00 stuttered, though some were fine.

--DM

[poopyhead]

need to goto the link i just gave you....tells you more info about your dvd player..including media compatibility

[DVDJunkee]

I can tell you, the reason for the stuttering is almost definitely the media. The reflectivity of that batch you got was bad near the end, causing problems for your dvd player. The data was there, but it had problems reading off the disc. Your dvd burner can almost always read these kinds of discs better than a standalone, and that is why you could bit-for-bit copy it to a better media and have it work.

[spaceman]

Now get this: I did a bit-for-bit copy of one of my "stuttering" Memorex discs to a new Ritek disc, and the Ritek version plays just fine in my standalone. Anybody have more thoughts on this? Is it an issue of the Memorex media being compatible with my player? Or is there some other explanation? Obviously the errors were not burned onto the disc, or they would have copied over (not to mention I'd have thought they would have stuttered on the computer
--DM

I too had the same probs with some choice discs stuttering on my dansai 852 player but play fine on my other stanalone + pc,then did as u and copy over to a ritek or princo disc + they work fine on all players.

U say that no errors were copied over from the stuttering disc but if u think about it there are no errors there as u said they work fine on your pc,as is the case with my choice discs.

It's all down to that thing called compatibility + what works in one doesn't always work in another

[Gurm]

Two words.

BAD MEDIA.

- Gurm

[dcsos]

OLD ISSUE:
DON'T USE STICKY LABELS on DVD's as this may cause stuttering

[spaceman]

Two words.

BAD MEDIA.

- Gurm

How can it be bad media when it works in 1 setup but not another.
U r guessing

[spaceman]

OLD ISSUE:
DON'T USE STICKY LABELS on DVD's as this may cause stuttering

Who uses labels? cos i don't

[moridin]

Hello,

I recently discovered this same problem with some of the discs ive been burning of late.

I've been burning on Princos at 2x for a while now and have never had the problem until now. I am using an A05 with latest firmware. I too think it is the media but i have one question.
Is there a program that i can use to check if this happens?
I tried using dvdshrink as it scans the disc at the beginning, but it seems to be missing the errors sometimes. It will sometimes scan a disc and not read any errors, and sometimes it will... on discs i know to be bad.

[poopyhead]

@moridin,

are those Princos rated 1X or 2X???

using the 2X all hacked firmware, if that's what you're doing, will cause sub-optimal burns because it overrides the burner's internal controls....normally, the burners will know what speed to burn media optimally...burning those Princos at 2X may NOT be optimal...should try at 1X.

[moridin]

Thanks for hte reply, ill try them at 1x (full disk) and see what happens... as for the media, im just going to buy 4x riteks from now on... this isnt worth the hassle.

I did find a programto verify reads on discs... but i wish i could find one that i can specify it where to read. I want to read the last 30% of the disc... not the whole damn thing (which takes the better part of an hour).