So old DVD Players won't play DVDRs?

[wco81]

I used ffmpegX to convert to MPEG3 or DVD, then Sizzle to make the disk image (because the files came in two parts) and Disk Utility to burn to DVD-R media.

I have an old Toshiba, vintage 1999 or 2000. It gets disk error, won't even load the menu.

My PS2, also from 2000, will show the menu and when you hit play, you hear audio but no video.

But the burned DVD-R discs play fine in DVD Player (Mac OS X).

Interesting that I got varying degrees of functionality (from none to at least audio).

Is there a particular model I should look for or is it a roll of the dice when dealing with burned media?

[lumis]

I've never experienced an issue with a PS2 playing a good quality DVD-R disc. Most PS2's won't play mpeg-1 DVD's, well they will, but they are sharing the same experience as yours. They will play the menu & audio, but no actual video content.

[wco81]

Um, I thought I was playing an MPEG2 DVD.

Like I said, my PS2 is from a time when there were no DVD-Rs in the market. Maybe newer PS2s would handle it, as might newer players.

[lumis]

DVD-R was around before the Playstation 2 was released.

[TugBoat]

I've found that the most compatible DVD recordables are burned with a burner capable of book-typing a DVD+R to DVD-ROM. A NEC-3550A with modified firmware, like mine, will do this. Every Player I've tested will play one of these DVD-ROMs fine.

Burner = around $35
FW case = around $30
Firmware = Free
Compatibility = Priceless

Check it out

[DeusExMachina]

Also, don't forget the media. Oftentimes player incompatibility is due to crappy disk media.