VHS to DVD

[subo]

I am a complete technophobe and I have a question that will prove my point. I want to transfer my VHSs to DVD. I have a VHS player and a DVD recorder. I attached the VHS machine (output) to DVD (input), pressed the play button of the player and the record button of the recorded. Then I removed the disc and put it into another DVD player attached to my television and got the message, 'cannot play this type of disc'. The disc I used was a RW+ so I repeated the same thing with a RW-. Same result. I saw on a message board something about 'finalizing' before playing. I have no idea what finalizing is or where I do it. Is some kind peorson out there able to give me very clear and simple, non technical advise as to what I should be doing.
Thanks

[minidv2dvd]

you will need to read the dvd recorder manual. it will tell you how to finalize the dvds before you remove them from the recorder. if you are going to keep them use dvd-r blanks. cheaper and much easier for dvd players to utilize.

[jman98]

Finalizing is closing the disc so that no more data can be written to it. Obviously in the case of DVD+/-RW you will be able to erase the disc in the future if you wish.

Re-writable discs were never intended for long term storage, so while it's fine to test your recording with them, if you want to keep the DVDs you make, you'll need to burn them to DVD+R or DVD-R.

Note that some older DVD players don't play re-writable DVDs at all.

[qpskfec]

DVD+RW do not need to be finalized before playing in another DVD player

If DVD+RW doesn't work in your DVD player, it either doesn't support +RW, or does support +RW, but doesn't like the brand of disc you are using. Try the disc on your PC or another DVD player.

DVD-RW do need to be finalized

[jman98]

DVD+RW do not need to be finalized before playing in another DVD player

That's what they claim, but are you really and truly going to argue that there aren't any DVD players anywhere in the world that still won't play such discs even through they should support DVD+RW? I'm not willing to make that claim. I don't feel comfortable ruling out finalization as a possible problem cause here.

[qpskfec]

There is no option finalize a +RW on my Philips recorder. It is only available for +R discs. There is a "make edits compatible" option which allows edits like inserting chapter marks after the recording is done to be used on DVD players.

I have several DVD players which play some brands of disc fine, but not others.

I even have a player that played one spindle of Verbatim fine, but not the next.

The OP should finalize the -RW they have already tried or try another brand of +RW.

[victoriabears]

If the recorder has an option when you use a + RW then finalize it.