Stuttering/pixelation in last third of DVD copy

[bruce73]

Specs:
Windows XP Home SP2
Plextor PX-716UF (firmware v.1.04, latest)
DVDShrink 3.2
Alcohol 120%
TMPGEnc DVD Author
Denon 2910 via DVI
Samsung HLP5063

I'm having a problem with my standalone DVD player choking on copies I'm burning. After they play for about 2/3 of the way through, the image starts to stutter and pixelate with audio dropouts. It will persist until there is a total freeze. I can start the disc over and it will play the first portion of the disc OK, but chapter advancing to the problem area usually becomes impossible.

This doesn't happen all the time (more often than not, however), and it doesn't seem to ever happen with commercial discs. If I let the DVD player cool off for 30 min. or so, I can generally go the problem area and finish playing the disc.

So, narrowing down the possible problem, could it be:

1) Media related -- the same happens with Fuji DVD+R & Memorex DVD-R (both 8x);
2) Burn speed -- I dropped from using MAX to 4x, still happens;
3) Authoring -- happens whether I burn a DVD folder with TDA or an image with Alcohol;
4) A picky DVD player.

I'm thinking it must be #4, since the Denon can access the outer parts of the disc when cold, but has trouble when it builds up a little heat (it is well ventilated). Does this make sense? Are there other comsiderations, or something else I can do when making the discs to prevent this?

[TheUnknownComic]

I had that same problem until I started recording at 2X instead of faster speeds.

[johns0]

Could be your burner or that the home dvd player is too picky.Try the discs in another dvd player to confirm this.

[bruce73]

TheUnknownComic:

Unfortunately, neither TDA nor Alcohol gives me the option to burn at 2x, at least with the 8x media I've been using. Perhaps 4x media might, I don't know; I'll look into that.

johns0:

I've thought about that, but the only other DVD player I have set up is a Mintek, which doesn't support DVD+/-R. I have a Samsung 841 in the closet (good place for it...); I could hook that up and test. But if it were the DVD player (or burner), how does that explain the player's ability to play the last third of a disc when cold? I would think if it were a problem with correctly decoding the burn, it would be happening all of the time, regardless of the DVD's temp.

[jdizzy40]

Do you have another player to try to see if the same problem exists?

[johns0]

I could hook that up and test. But if it were the DVD player (or burner), how does that explain the player's ability to play the last third of a disc when cold? I would think if it were a problem with correctly decoding the burn, it would be happening all of the time, regardless of the DVD's temp.

When the dvd player is trying to read the part of the media where its having problems causes it to heat up,skipping right to the area when cool will let the dvd player play these parts.

Putting on labels can cause this problem.

[bruce73]

When the dvd player is trying to read the part of the media where its having problems causes it to heat up,skipping right to the area when cool will let the dvd player play these parts.

Putting on labels can cause this problem.

Interesting. But since the "problem" areas aren't really problems on the discs themselves since the player can play them when cold, wouldn't it follow that perhaps just the heat buildup from normal use is the culprit? And that heat coupled with something about the discs themeselves (dye, perhaps) ends up making the decoding problematic? I'll have to pay more attention to how the heat builds up over time. This problem always starts happening 60-75 min. into a disc.

I do put labels on the discs (never caused problems with audio CDs or SVCDs, though). I will try playing a disc without a label and see if I can get through the entire thing. Had no idea a label could cause excess heat.

Thanks.

[Gurm]

Possibilities, in order of likelihood:

1. Bad media.

2. Readers that don't like your media (or any media).

3. Labels.

4. Heat.

While I agree that any of these are possible, the first two are the most likely.

[markhamPete]

I think the labels are definitely to blame and I don't think it's the heat causing problems. I think it plays fine for the first hour because of where the data is on the disc. The information on the disc is burnt from inner to outer. The information on the outer part of the disc is harder to read because it is spinning faster. Any labels could affect the way the disc spins.

[bruce73]

markhamPete:

While what you say is true about how the data is burned to the disc, it doesn't explain why, after the player is allowed to cool off, the end of the film (i.e. the data on the outer portion of the disc) is accessed and played without any problems. Heat definitely seems to play a part in this (keeping in mind that commercial discs are not affected at all, albeit not created in the same way as home burnings). If the labels are causing more heat to be generated (as I understand it), it still seems to me that it is the excess heat that is the villian.

[Ma_Jie]

The consensus around is that labels are crap. Do a search...

- Jie

[Gurm]

When heat causes an issue, MEDIA is still to blame.

All burnt media has errors on it. The errors get far more noticeable to the player when the disc is hot.

[garryheather]

The information on the outer part of the disc is harder to read because it is spinning faster. Any labels could affect the way the disc spins.

Not exactly true, a DVD spins at a different rate from the inner to outer edge like a CD does, plus if the data rate is very slow and can be reliably read, the player will slow down the disc so as not to overfill the buffer. If a disc always rotated at the same speed then yes, the outer edge would be "going faster" as far as data throughput goes, but the speed is not fixed.

More likely is the label isn't centered, and the disc is wobbling making it difficult for the pickup to focus. Plus, the disc is only clamped in the center, meaning the outer edge is prone to flexing and will try and stay level in the same manner that a gyroscope does.

Another thing to remember is the track pitch is a lot smaller on a DVD than a CD, so it is a lot harder for a player to track a DVD than a CD. It always amazes me the damn things work at all !

[cellmaniac]

I've had similar experiences with skipping and freezing after applying a label to the burned DVD. There's a lot of discussions on this forum regarding how labels cause the disc to be imbalanced. I believe if you use the lighter labels such as the foil ones or inner ring labels, they should be ok. I personally use a magic marker and no longer do I have problems.

[garryheather]

... or get a disc printer !

I've never looked back...