END OF THE MOVIE!! GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER!!!

[frostyc]

I am using dvdxcopy. I have a new plextor 8x external drive. I have used TDK, Fuji, and memorex DVD+R's. I am having one major problem. At the end of the movie the picture freezes, gets choppy, or even jumps to different parts of the movie. Funny thing is that it doesnt do it at tthe same part everytime. But it is always at the end. Can I change my burn speed? If so, how? Also I have been using sticky labels, could that be the problem? I have seen a lot of posts regarding this subject, but no one has an answer. Someone told me that it is bad media. I find it hard to believe that everyone is buying bad media. I think it may be the burn speed. Can someone tell me their experiences with this problem and how they solved it??

[MeTaLgEaRsOoTy]

i solved my problems with good quality media.
the thing with memorex,etc,is that they use cheap dyes and stick their brand name on them,people buy them thinking there good,but in reality theyre not.
try a ritek dye media,like the ritek discs themselves.
also try not to burn at 8speed,as its overburning the discs,there not meant to be that speed,there meant to be 4max.
and the 8speed portion of the burn is always to the end.
nero6 and copytodvd let you alter the burn speed,dont know about the others,because IMO,there all bloatwared rubbish.
as for sticky labels.....bad idea,they make the discs heavier,and unbalanced.so stay away.
try burning now at 4 speed on good quality x4speed discs.

[widemouth]

You say that you have heard it before but it really is almost certainly bad media. The end of the movie is written on the outside of the disk which is most likely to have dye irregularities.

Get a software product DVDINFOPRO or similiar and use it to find out who exactly is manufacturing your disks. Conpare it to a media guide such as http://www.lordsmurf.com/media/dvdmedia.htm

In Australia I can't find decent media anywhere so I buy RITEKG4's from the US.

Hope this helps.

[frostyc]

I am using TDK's now. Everyone praises these disks. Every media I use is having the same problem.

[simmons3d]

Could it be your dvd player? I was having similar problems with an older dvd player (2 years). When I upgraded to a 2003 model (philips 727) all the chops and freezes were gone.

[frostyc]

Can some people you have had this same problem tell me their experiences and how they resolved it?

[BobK]

I had a similar problem with my old DVD player (an Apex) when I first started burning DVDs. I thought it was a problem with the burning or the media, but when I got a new player the problem vanished.

[frostyc]

I am thinking about getting a new player. Any suggestions?

[handyguy]

Don t put labels on your disks it makes them unbalanced. Tdk might be great media but how do you know it works for the plextor?

[frostyc]

It is on the plextor website!!!

[Barnabas]

I am thinking about getting a new player. Any suggestions?

It's both media and the DVD player. I own 4 DVD players, 2 Apex, 1 Sanyo, 1 Pioneer.

Out of about 15 different makes of disks I have tried, the ONLY one I have found that will always play back perfectly on the 2 Apex units is a generic disk that only burns on a Pioneer burner. That said, I suggest a Pioneer or Sanyo DVD player in that order, as they handle burned media much better than the Apex units do.

[Tidy]

To be hoenst with you the people I have talked to in the past have said they have had a lot of problems with their Plextor drives. I have owned 3 Plextor CD-RW's and they all died prematurely and produced unstable CD's I don't know about their DVD writers though. I have read a post elsewhere that says the Plextors ability to Burn at 8x can cause the problems you are having. All you need to change your speed is a burning software that will allow you to do it like Nero 6. You can use clone to make an iso (Nero's Transcoder Sux). Then use Nero to burn the iso to disc. Switching to that process solved my problems. The thing I do not like about Xcopy is the fact that it does not allow you to change many options or at least the version I have doesn't.

T

[Gazorgan]

It's either bad media, or a bad player. Probably bad media. TDK is not guaranteed perfect media, but is generally good stuff (but who is to say it's not been in some 120 degree warehouse for 5 months awaiting shipment?).

Also, there's no guarantee your DVD Player can play these correctly. I mean some players are increadibly picky about disk types. However your symptoms point to a bad burn job (last 500 MB of disk becoming erratic).

[frostyc]

How about using dvdshrink to create an ISO?

[Gurm]

1. Burn at 4x because 8x is unstable.

2. Get a few Ritek discs and see if the problem goes away.

- Gurm

P.S. I don't care what you heard from your friends, Plextor makes THE BEST DRIVES, period. Jeez.

[Laddydaddy]

frostyc
Don't use the sticky labels. I think this may be the problem. Try this, make another copy of the movie you are having a problem with but don't put on a sticky label. Chances are you won't see any freezing, jumps, choppy scenes, etc. I use TDK and Memorex media. When I applied the sticky labels I experienced the same problems as you. Without the sticky labels I have no problems at all. Let us know how you make out.

[frostyc]

How do I change the burn speed on my plextor??

[FOO]

How about removing the label from a disk and try it again ?

[ddlooping]

How about removing the label from a disk and try it again ?

I second that.

Not only can labels mess up perfectly good backups, but in some (extreme?) cases they can also damage your player.
The player has to work harder because of the added weight (glue+label), possibly because it has problems tracking correctly (due to the "label-induced-wobbliness"), it then gets hotter, sometimes to the extend of melting the glue/label.
You then end-up with bits of ripped label all over the inside of your player.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Besides not using labels also make sure the VIDEO_TS folder is <4GB.
BTW..have you updated the firmware in your Plextor?
www.rpc1.org
To rule out your DVD player take one of your disks to a friends house or got to a electronics store.

[frostyc]

Besides not using labels also make sure the VIDEO_TS folder is <4GB.

I do I do that with dvdxcopy??

[MOVIEGEEK]

Besides not using labels also make sure the VIDEO_TS folder is <4GB.

I do I do that with dvdxcopy??

Use DVDShrink.

[ddlooping]

"Besides not using labels also make sure the VIDEO_TS folder is <4GB."

Nah, first try removing the label and see if the DVD then play normally. :P
I wouldn't think the media you used were so bad you had to waste 10% of their capacity.

[Gazorgan]

Improperly applied lables cause your DVD to wobble. Guess what? It wobbles the worst at the edge. It's not as big an issue with CDR's as the 'tracks' are bigger. On a DVD they are much smaller, hence less tolerant of wobble. I think this is why cheapo disks really fail, they wobble too baddly when burning, and wobble horribly when read at higher speeds (although DVD Plaers ar 1x, it's really bad re-ripping on a PC).

Some better players and drive supress wobble better than cheaper units.

[smearbrick1]

Ok... That "make sure your VIDEO_TS folder is under 4GB"... that's a bunch of crap. Second, the problem with your discs is probably a bunch of little issues lumped together.... never put a sticky label on any DVD (inner ring labels are fine) it causes the disc to be unbalanced, thus, causing wobble. Third, if you are going to buy a DVD player, stay away from everything APEX... anything SHINCO just about SUCKS!!!! I know people in these forums swear by APEX players, but I've had two of them. They are not worth the hassle just to save a few bucks. My opinion... a pioneer dv-434, dv-343, or dv-333. All of these are great. I have a dv-434 and it plays everything flawlessly. Fourth, I doubt your media is the problem. If you are using TDK, they usually kick ass, If you have doubts, try using a Ritek. Fifth, your burn speed is not set on your burner, it is set by your burning software. I don't know where this setting is on DVDxCopy... but then again, I don't like that program to begin with. You can do the same thing with DVDShrink and Nero 5.9/6.0.

[MOVIEGEEK]

"Ok... That "make sure your VIDEO_TS folder is under 4GB"... that's a bunch of crap"

I didn't make that up,that was from first hand experience.Some DVDR manufacturers use crappy dye that doesn't spread evenly to the edges.

BTW..I think you need to switch to decaf coffee or take your meds.

[ddlooping]

Some threads you might find of interest.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28604

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22676

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=145802

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=155206

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=157110

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=179724

[indolikaa]

STRAIGHT ANSWER: It's the servo-optical assembly or the disc itself.

How's that for conclusive?

Seriously, this is a problem that I don't have. If I could tell you there was one specific reason why I don't, I'd tell you. Consider my situation...

* I use Optorite DD-0203 drives
Read some threads regarding this drive and you'd probably never buy either this drive or this brand. Yet I burn all day (and sometimes night) long and rarely produce coasters.

* I use Memorex media
Read some threads regarding this media and you'd be hard-pressed to find overall supporters of their product. Yet, the last batch of DVD+R and DVD-R I purchased was Memorex (CMC ID codes on both versions) and I had one coaster out of 20 total discs.

* I use DVD-lab
Which, so far as I know, has no speed control.


I am, however, conservative in my bitrate calculations so that I avoid reaching the very edge of the disc. Whatever the birate calculator suggests I normally round down to the nearest 250 or 500 interval; if the bitrate calculator says 4825 I'll drop down to 4750 or 4500.

I don't use labels very often but I'd suspect them in a heartbeat. Remember that any imbalance is magnified as you move from the center to the outside edge. The optics can only focus within a narrow field of view, and if the disc is oscillating beyond that tolerance the laser may as well be reading thin air at that point.

[Tidy]

I know this is a bit off topic but:

The observation about Plextor had NOTHING to do with friends words and more with my experience I have had more problems with Plextor than all the other drives I have owned combined. I see people on other sites complaining about the Plextor drives doing exactly what this gentleman is having happen. Plextor may have made the best drives previously (although through my experience I can't tell when this would have been) but I think their reign is coming to an end. Just my opinion though.

[FOO]

a pioneer dv-434, dv-343, or dv-333. All of these are great. I have a dv-434 and it plays everything flawlessly

That was yesterday. I have had a DV333 for years. It was better at wierd
things like SVCDs long ago. It won't play DVDs with AC3
audio made by besweet and it won't play anything with MP3
and it wont play PAL

I also have a cheap Mintek ($45) which plays absolutely anything I put
in it including my wierd outta spec experiments. .. and burned tacos