Panasonic E-55 play DVD-r DL?

[dfgh11]

Anyone managed to get DVD-r DL on a Panasonic E-55? I thought I'd ask before I waste hours and ££££ on trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. It does work on other players you see.

[dfgh11]

tried burning it several ways. All resulted in it not working on the E-55.

Iam I doing something wrong, as all I'm doing creating an image in DVD decrypter, then burning the image file using that too. I have tried using record now 7.2, but it jus yeilds the same results

Based on this, I'd have to say that DVD-r DL are less compatible than DVD+r DL. As I at least managed to get 3 of 5 +R DL to work on my E55 and everything else I tried it on

[handyguy]

I think only 40-50% of dvd players play home written DL media. You might check that left column, it has info on what dvd recorders play what.

[BSpielbauer]

Anyone managed to get DVD-r DL on a Panasonic E-55? I thought I'd ask before I waste hours and ££££ on trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. It does work on other players you see.

Not quite certain what you are asking, here. If you are asking whether the Panasonic E55 can actually BURN dual layer discs, then I would have to say no. Very few standalone units have been released that can WRITE dual layer media.

If you are asking whether the Panasonic E55 can READ discs that were burned (on a PC) using dual layer DVD-R discs, then the answer is definitely "Yes." I have burned 26 dual layer DVD-R discs, and all 26 of them have been tested from beginning to end (some several times) on my Panasonic E-55.

By the way, the answer (to both questions) could have been found right here on this web site, in the "DVD Recorders" section over at the left of this page, under the "LISTS" section. Here is a direct link to the chart on the Panasonic E55:

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdrecorders.php?DVDnameid=313&Search=Search&list=1#comments

=====
After carefully re-reading your second post, I now realize that you are using a PC to burn, and asking if they can be PLAYED on the Panasonic. Yes. If you have not experienced success, then we need to look carefully at:

-Media, first and foremost. I had read that the most compatible, and most reliable blank media by far when it came to dual layer DVD-R discs was the Verbatim. I read post after post that said people had problems with ALL of the other stuff out there. So, at that stage, I bought only Verbatim. I did have six of the Ritek discs which I had already burned, and they all played fine on my Panasonic. Other players' owners reported many problems, with Ritek. And, all of the other blank media (dual layer DVD-R) similarly had many, many reports of problems. So, if you are using Verbatim, you should be fine. If you are using Ritek, you are probably still fine. ANYTHING ELSE, though, I would suspect you may have problems with... People reported BIG problems with Memorex dual layers. People reported BIG problems with Phillips dual layers. People reported BIG problems with Samsung dual layers. People reported BIG problems with Imation dual layers. (Note that this entire paragraph only applies to dual layer DVD-R blank media).

-Method... You must make sure you are using the last version of DVDDecrypter. You should also make sure you have it set to the defaults, in every case. You can restore to the default mode, if you have changed anything.
-You then use MODE: "ISO READ R" to rip it.
-You then use MODE: "ISO WRITE W" to burn it, and select the .MDS file.
-Make certain you burn at only 2.4X, and do not multi-task at all.

Hope something here helps,

-Bruce

[dfgh11]

Thanks for the reply

The -R DL media is being burned in exactly the same way as I burned the +RDL. I had success with the +R which were Datasafe DL discs. Then a few days ago, I tried the -RDL and I burned them in exactly the same way, but with no luck; these were Verbatim. They did however, work on various other players.

[BSpielbauer]

Thanks for the reply

The -R DL media is being burned in exactly the same way as I burned the +RDL. I had success with the +R which were Datasafe DL discs. Then a few days ago, I tried the -RDL and I burned them in exactly the same way, but with no luck; these were Verbatim.

Unfortunately, you failed to mention what method you were using when you made the backup of the +R discs. You merely stated that you "burned them in exactly the same way" when you made the DVD-R discs, and that this method failed. However, I am not certain what "this way" consisted of.

One possibility, of course, is that your DVD+R method included a combination which managed to change the book type to a DVD-ROM. (This can only be done to DVD+R discs). If so, then that makes the disc compatible with practically every drive out there (since it is now a data disc, and not a typical DVD).

However, we cannot do that wih DVD-R discs. So, when burning onto DVD-R blank discs, we need to take care to make sure our methods are completely sound -- (compliant DVD video discs) if we expect them to play.

There are also a few other possible causes of your lack of success, however, it is fruitless to speculate until we learn what method you were using when you tried to back up onto DVD-R discs.


I can assure you that the Panasonic E55 is very capable of playing compliant burned dual layer DVD-R discs, as I have one E55 unit at home, and two E55s at work (I work in a library), and have used all three to play these burned discs. None have had any firmware updates, they are in "out of the box" condition.

Hope something here is of some help...


-Bruce in Chi-Town

[dfgh11]

Well I've tried a number of ways. I read to an .img with DVD Decrypter then burned using , both DVD decrypter and record now 7.2. When I did this with +RDL it worked. I have tried 'Data disc' with -RDL, but as of yet RN7.2 hasn't allowed me to burn, and keeps coming up with ' Format Error'. Just for test purposes, I tried Nero, DVD-Video. But that didn't work on the E-55 either. I am now going to try reading to a .gi (ANYDVD) and burning that with RN7.2. Final disc though.

How did you burn your -RDL?



Well this time I took DVD Decrypter right out of the equastion and just ripped and burned a .gi and it still didn't work on my E55

[BSpielbauer]

How did you burn your -RDL?

Dfgh11:

Actually, I did outline my method (which is by far the most common method), above, in my very first post to you. I even outlined it using an all-caps title of “METHOD:”

However, if you prefer not to scroll back up… just keep reading.

METHOD THAT WORKS:
-This is the method I have used for all of my burns.... I have had no coasters, and all play on Panasonic DVD E55 units, and they also play fine on my Toshiba DVD standalone player and my Sony DVD standalone player and my son’s Playstation 2 and my wife’s mini-van DVD player.

-Pop in the original disc, to be backed up.
-Start up DVDDecrypter. You must make sure you are using the last version of DVDDecrypter. This is essential. If not, GO GET IT. You should also make sure you have it set to the defaults, in every case. This is also essential. If you need to, there is an option to restore to the default mode, if you have changed anything. If you need to, find this option, and re-set it. Now. Yes, it will cause the method to fail.

-Up at the top, look for the menu “MODE” click on this, and select "ISO READ R" to rip it.
-Select a destination for this rip (which is going to be an image file) on your hard drive.
-On the left-hand side (3/4 of the way down), click on the large “DECRYPT” icon / button, and walk away. Do not multitask.

When it is completed…

-Eject the original disc. Put in a blank, dual layer Verbatim DVD-R.

-Up at the top, look for the menu “MODE” click on this, and select "ISO WRITE W" to burn.
-Look for the area on the left where it says “SOURCE: PLEASE SELECT A FILE.” Click on the folder and navigate to the filer where you have stored your ripped files. Select the file which has an .MDS extension.
-Look in the right hand pane, ¾ of the way down, and verify that it says that the “Write Speed” will be 2.4X. If it says anything else, change this option to “2.4X.” Do NOT try to burn any faster. I do not care what your blank media says.
-Click on the large icon in the left hand pane (3/4 of the way down) which depicts a hard drive, an arrow, and a DVD.
-Walk away. Do not multitask.

Done.


There are other means of doing this successfully. None of the successful one I have seen match up with the ones you described, though. Some may even chime in with options for using other software. However, there are also many traps and pitfalls and problem areas which one can encounter using other programs (especially RecordNow, and especially AnyDVD, and especially PGCEdit, and ESPECIALLY Nero! Nero is a great burner, but trying to use it with dual layer media is asking for mucho trouble.). Nero has some very confusing options for dual layer burning, such as “determine optimum layer break” and “calculate the layer break” and “eliminate existing layer break” and a few more, which have left most users with two layer breaks, or no layer break, or layer breaks which defy the strict rules of compliant DVDs (one layer must be smaller than the other, for example, and the break must occur only at a mathematical point which is a multiplier of a number…)

There is a thread right here at Videohelp.com which now has 266 posts from people who are trying to make Nero work: “First Burn with Dual Layer – Problems With Layer Break.” Did you read it? It is visible on this page, right now, as I type this. There is a thread on Doom 9’s forum which now has 309 posts. It is called “Burning DL Media with PGCEdit.” The number of posts in those threads tells me something. A lot of people are not having success, using other software.

The method above (the method I outlined) is safe, reliable, and tested. With the price of dual layer discs, I prefer to let others do the experimenting, and make coasters, and buy more discs. I will use the method that everyone knows works.

-Bruce

[dfgh11]

Well, my method mirrors your method. As of yet I have 5 Discs out of 5, all -RDL that don't work on my E55 and 2 +RDL out of 5 that don't work on there either. What DVD burner have you got? Mine is a Pioneer 109.
I think the fact that I can seem to get RN7.2 to accept any DVD files in data disc mode, is perhaps a hint to the problem I have here.

[lordsmurf]

Panasonic DVD recorders are not the best players.
In fact, few recorders make great players.

[BSpielbauer]

Panasonic DVD recorders are not the best players.
In fact, few recorders make great players.

Lordsmurf:

I agree, completely. However, the fact remains that the Panasonic E55 is quite fine when it comes to playing my DVD-R dual layer discs that have been burned properly, based on my experiences, and those of others (see the user reports on the data base results on this DVD Recorder on this web site).

-Bruce

[BSpielbauer]

Well, my method mirrors your method. As of yet I have 5 Discs out of 5, all -RDL that don't work on my E55 and 2 +RDL out of 5 that don't work on there either. What DVD burner have you got? Mine is a Pioneer 109.
I think the fact that I can seem to get RN7.2 to accept any DVD files in data disc mode, is perhaps a hint to the problem I have here.

The burner that I used to burn _almost_ all of these dual layers discs:

Pioneer DVD-RW DVD-108 external burner. This is an external burner, connected using a USB cable. Ironically, it is almost identical to the internal 109, or the A09, as I understand it. This burner handled the first 24 dual layer discs that I burned.

The last two discs that I burned, though, were on my new PC. I still have the Pioneer burner hooked up to it, but I wanted to try out my new internal burner. These last two burns (both discs from the recent re-release of Apollo 13) were burned on a NEC + RW NEC 3530A.

-Bruce

[Mythos2002]

I'm surprised -R dual layer discs doesn't have a booktype setting. So how has compatibility been?

Mythos

[dfgh11]

I haven't managed to get any -r to work on the E55, maybe I'm doing something worng- which is most likely

[ofbarea]

My DMR-E55 plays the following media:
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R (Book type: DVD+R)
DVD+R (Book type: DVD-ROM)
DVD+R DL (Book type: DVD-ROM)
DVD+RW (Book type: DVD+RW)
DVD+RW (Book type: DVD-ROM)

It does not play the following:
DVD+R DL (Book type: DVD+R DL)

Not tested:
DVD-R DL (but I do not think it will work)

The burners used were HP DVD-200i, NEC 2500@2510 and Lite-on 1693S.

Note: The testing was done before aplaying the latest firmware.