SONY Recorder suddenly won't recognize DVD+RW discs

[Sir Nose]

I've had a SONY RDR-GX300 for about 2 years. No problems at all. In all that time, I've used it like a VCR, re-using SONY DVD+RW discs.

Yesterday I inserted one of the discs and the DVD recorder spent much longer than usual flashing "Load." Then it displayed a message that "The current disc is nonrecordable."

I tried several other discs from that batch (all SONY discs that have worked in the past), same problem.

The SONY recorder played several commercial DVDs without any problems.

I tried to play a SONY DVD+RW disc that I had recorded on that recorder a week ago. Same message, followed by a second message. "Cannot play this disc."

I tried some Memorex DVD+RW discs, same problems. I burned some DVD+RWs on my computer and tried to play them in the SONY recorder, same problems.

Now here's where it gets strange. I inserted a Memorex DVD+R disc. The recorder started formating it. I tried to play a DVD+R that I had burned on my computer, and the SONY recorder played it just fine.

Does anybody know (a) why a DVD recorder would suddenly balk at DVD+RW discs or (b) why it would accept DVD+R discs but not DVD+RW?

Any suggestions on trying to fix the DVD recorder, or should I just learn to live with DVD+R discs until I replace the recorder?

Thanks for your assistance.

(I apologize in advance if this question has been answered elsewhere. I tried to search for similar problems but I didn't find anything.)

[hech54]

All I know is.....the FIRST thing to go on the older Philips DVD Recorders was the ability to recognize RW discs. My old Philips has also shown examples of this recently....but it records to normal R's just fine....still.....knock on wood....