2/3s of my DVD players freeze around at 1h15m w/DVDr

[average joe]

Need some advice..classic question, but maybe I can get a new slant on some answers on this!

I have tried all DVD-r media, and currently use Ritex 8x.
I rip with DVD Shrink
I use a Lite-on drive, firmware all updated
I burn with Nero5.5.10 (DVD-video setting)
I have 2 APEX AD-2500s because they play SVCD too, they are about 2 years old I think, at least when I BOUGHT them.
I have a portable Audiovox DVD player
I have a Panasonic player

The problem: On all my burned DVDs, at the 1h 15m mark (approximately), the APEX and AUDIOVOX players lock up, stutter, whatever, you know what I mean. It will hardly ever play past them. The Panasonic seems OK.

I back up A LOT of videos, and this is really annoying now. SO...

Can anyone recommend a fix besides trying them in my friend's players? In fact, after I make them for my friends, a few of them complain of the same thing which makes me think that it is NOT the player

1) Will burning with DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink change that? Hopefully not because I like removing VOBs on startup with VOBrator.
2) In searching the forums I have also seen some advice that once the DVD backup is over 4.1G or so (since DVD Shrink maximizes space to the end of the DVDr) that some players' lasers get finicky. I would like to remain using Shrink because DVDxCOPY makes the files much smaller, and does not utilize the full 4.5G when backing up, making for more compression/pixelation when playing back. I haven't seen a mass exodus from DVD Shrink because it uses the full capacity of a disc when compressing to a DVDr
3) could it REALLY be my players, the APEX and Audiovox portable?
4) Am I being stupid by making you read all this if 1 player out of 3 seems OK and your answer is "forget all the other ones except for the Panasonic"

[bugster]

Please do not cross post. One topic is enough
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=268654

/moderator bugster