DVD recorder can't read DVD-RWs; supposed to

[Bodrey]

I just bought a Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD recorder. It's supposed to be able to read DVD-RWs. However, when I put one in this afternoon it said it couldn't read it and instead prompted me to format it. Well, there are files on it already so I didn't want to do that. I transferred these files from my computer. Am I not going to be able to use the recorder this way? Do I have to use a specific setting or something before I start burning the disc? I don't understand why the recorder can't read the disc. It's supposed to be able to read DVD-RWs. Has anyone else had this problem? If so, is there a solution?

Thanks in advance,
- Bodrey

[samijubal]

They need to be formatted on the Panasonic. You can't use the same disc on a PC and a standalone without reformatting each time you go from one to another. PCs and standalones use different formats.

[piano632]

Did you write the DVD-RW as a DVD-Video (you need DVD authoring software to create the proper file structure)? This is the only way a DVD-RW made on a PC can be played on a standalone. You can't just write it as a data disc, if that's what you did.

[Bodrey]

Actually, I put the question out to Panasonic and they told me that if I specify the DVD-Video format before burning video files to a DVD-RW the disc is done - I wouldn't be able to erase and rewrite to it after that. Wasn't aware of that...

[samijubal]

That's crap, you can't erase and record in the edited spots like in VR mode is all. You can still erase and reuse the disc. The record time left on the disc will only go up if you erase the last title or the whole disc, if you erase a title in the middle in DVD-video, you'll still have the same amount of record time left. Panasonic is clueless.

[piano632]

The people at Panasonic must be idiots. The whole idea of -RW media is to be eraseable/reusable. You can erase it up to 1,000 times (theoretically) no matter what format you record on it.

[handyguy]

1000 times? Naw, maybe 100.

As mentioned above, you must create a dvd video disk. Don't just drag the audio & video files to a disk.

[Bodrey]

As it turns out when I try to copy AVI or MPEG files to the DVD-RW using the DVD-Video format it tells me I have to use DVD Authoring software to "convert" the files to a DVD-Video compatible format (Piano632 pointed this out). Since I was using Nero it recommended NeroVision Express. Sure enough, NVE does what it says but the resulting file sizes are so big it's not worth the effort. I tested it using an AVI file that was about 680MB in size. After converting the file it was over 3GB! Took up more than half the DVD. I can fit a lot more files on a DVD when I don't use the DVD-Video format. Looks like I'll be hanging on to my DVD Player after all...