DVD-RW to DVD-R - how do I do it???

[nathanaa]

Ok, maybe I'm really missing something simple here, but I'm stumped. I finally have my equipment set up, and got it working properly. I've got -

for video to DVD-RW transfer:
JVC HR-S9911U SVHS VCR
AVT-8710 TBC
JVC DR-M10 DVD writer
Walmart special 13" colour TV

for DVD-RW to DVD-R conversion:
Fujitsu P5020D w/DVD drive (-R read only)
TDK external 8x DVD+-R/RW

Anyway, I converted my first VHS tape to a DVD-RW. I took it out of the M10 and dropped it into the TDK (my laptop can't read -RW discs apparently). The Roxio software DVD player will play the disc if I point it at the external TDK drive. However, the drive does not register as having a disc in it. Also, if I try to "open" the drive contents, I get a window pop up that says there is nothing in the drive.

When I formatted the disc in the M10 it asked if I wanted to format in VR or Video mode. I formatted the first disc in VR mode and another disc in Video mode, and transfered the VHS contents to each disc (I think). The VR disc is the one that would play through the Roxio DVD player on my laptop.

So, I can't get my laptop to see the VR disc when it is in the TDK drive, although I can get it to play it. Because the computer won't see the disc in the drive, I can't transfer the file I assume is on the -RW disc to my laptop HDD so I can author it. Any help on what I am doing wrong would be greatly appreciated. Did I format the disc wrong so now my laptop can't "see" it? Something else? Any thought would be appreciated.

Help please, and thanks!

[nathanaa]

I edited, got more info in my description, still hoping for some assistance - thanks!

[lordsmurf]

Roxio makes crap software. Don't use anything from them.

VR mode is a bad idea. DVD-Video mode s better, especially on the JVC.

Did you FINALIZE the discs on the JVC?

[nathanaa]

I don't think I finalized anything - I didn't choose anything like that as an option when the process was done. I just went in, ejected the disc from the M10, brought it out to the laptop and tried to read it/transfer the file to the HDD.

Is finalizing something I *need* to do? And if I do that, will that make the DVD-RW disc not reusable again?

[EvilWizardGlick]

Run the dvd-rw through DVDFAB
http://www.dvdidle.com/dvd-fab.htm
Reburn as dvd-r.

[nathanaa]

I see that DVDFab is shareware, so I'll check it out. Does that finalize the disc, or is this just another option for transfering it from DVD-RW to DVD-R?

I'm thinking I should RTFM *further* than I did before, I just read about how to record. I guess I figured that would do it, but apparently not, lol.

Any other comments/advice appreciated, thanks!

[nathanaa]

Yeah, well, just goes to show ya what RTFM will do for a guy. I read another 20 pages or so further and discovered I needed to finalize the disc before it could be read by another machine.

So, put the disc back into the M10 and lo! My laptop was able to read it, I've authored it, and everything worked great.

Thanks for all the help folks, mightily appreciated.