Toshiba D-R4 DVD-RW not reading on computer

[sctig]

Finalized disc on D-R4 (Fujifilm DVD-RW), plays fine on D-R4 and another DVD player (Pioneer).
(formatted on D-R4 as well)

Computer does not recognize. Tried both DVD drives, Nero, Sonic Record Now, DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter. I need to make copies for family.

Very frustrating, as I spent some time on this (4 videotapes to one DVD, with menus).

I have used the same DVD-RW on the D-R4 in the past without any problems.

Is there any way to recover from this?

This is what I'm getting with DVD Decrypter (the status Incomplete I think is the problem).
LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-832S VPDD (ATA)
Current Profile: DVD-RW

Disc Information:
Status: Incomplete
Erasable: Yes
Sessions: 1
Sectors: 1,807,648
Size: 3,702,063,104 bytes
Time: 401:43:73 (MM:SS:FF)

Pre-recorded Information:
Manufacturer ID: RITEKW01

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):
Book Type: DVD-RW
Part Version: 2
Disc Size: 120mm
Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified
Number of Layers: 1
Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP)
Linear Density: 0.267 um/bit
Track Density: 0.74 um/track
First Physical Sector of Data Area: 196,608
Last Physical Sector of Data Area: 2,004,255
Last Physical Sector in Layer 0: 0

[sctig]

Here it is in the other drive (crazy size):
BENQ DVD DD EW162I 47N9 (USB)
Current Profile: DVD-RW

Disc Information:
Status: Complete
Erasable: Yes
Sessions: 1
Sectors: 2,382,948,031
Size: 4,880,277,567,488 bytes
Time: 529544:02:31 (MM:SS:FF)

Pre-recorded Information:
Manufacturer ID: RITEKW01

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):
Book Type: DVD-RW
Part Version: 2
Disc Size: 120mm
Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified
Number of Layers: 1
Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP)
Linear Density: 0.267 um/bit
Track Density: 0.74 um/track
First Physical Sector of Data Area: 196,608
Last Physical Sector of Data Area: 0
Last Physical Sector in Layer 0: 0

[piano632]

Sounds like you're using VR mode the way you say you're making menus. You need Video mode if you want it to be universally playable. If you did record it in VR mode, you can still recover it on a PC with UDF software, but you'd have to reauthor the disc and redo the menus.

If you did use Video mode, then you might try unfinalizing the disc on the Toshiba, then finalize it again...and you might wanna try cleaning the disc first just to be sure.

[samijubal]

The D-R4 doesn't do VR on RWs.

[usually_quiet]

Maybe ISOBuster. a trialware program, could extract the data from your DVD-RW to your computer. However I am not sure how you would copy that file (or files) to another disc and get a playable copy. If the solution is not straightforward and you still have the tapes, it might be faster to just re-record the tapes on another disc.

I have used this program only once, but it worked like a charm. I was able to transfer the data on an unfinalized disc that was defective and failed during a second recording session, after capturing one program in its entirety. I renamed the resuling file to .VOB, and then edited it to retrieve the intact program. However, mine was a Panasonic recorder not a Toshiba, and I don't know if that makes any difference.

[sctig]

Thanks for your input.

I tried canceling finalizing, cleaning the disc, refinalizing with the same results.

You're right, it might be faster to go back and transfer, but what a royal pain... Plus, I would like to learn from this experience, but so far I have no idea what could be causing this. I have done this same thing with several DVD-RW's without a problem. Could it be the formatting didn't take? Do I have to delete all titles before reformatting?

I like the DVD-RW in case I make a mistake I can just delete the title, however doesn't help me at all if I can't make copies.

Don't understand how it plays on the D-R4 and another DVD player, but yet the computer doesn't recognize it.

[sctig]

OK, now I'm really confused. I just tried another DVD-RW, formatted it with the D-R4, recorded on it with the D-R4, finalized it with the D-R4 , and I'm getting all the same problems mentioned above.

Earlier attempts (in past weeks) at this were successful on the same media (i.e. taking a finalized DVD-RW from the D-R4 and duplicating it on the computer).

I have no idea what has changed. I've been doing some googling, and it's been suggested that having previously formatted DVD-RW media on something else other than the recorder you're using may cause problems. I wonder if these two discs I'm having problems with were formatted on the computer previously, but seeing as I'm just grasping at straws here, this is all just speculation.

Everything seems to be great with these discs on the D-R4 and another DVD player, but when I get them over to the computer, nothing works. Cannot play with WinDVD player either.

Anyway, I'm at a loss. From now on, until I get this figured out, I'll be burning directly to DVD-R with the recorder, which leaves no margin for error.

If anyone has a brainwave, I'd love to hear it.

[samijubal]

I'd have to guess it's the discs. I don't know about their RWs, but Ritek DVD-R complaints are all over the net. I use MCC 2x RWs in the D-R4 every day. I record, load them into TMPGEnc, edit, make menus and burn to DVD-R, then erase and reuse them. Formatting on a PC doesn't make any difference. The only time I had any problems was when the discs had been used on a PC, then a JVC standalone, then possibly the PC again, not sure about that one, then used in the D-R4, some of those discs had bad spots in the recordings. A full erase on the PC solved the problem and they've been flawless since. The recorder is only supposed to be compatible with 2x RWs.

[sctig]

Thanks for the response.

It still makes no sense to me that the DVD-RW is playable on the D-R4 and another DVD player, and yet chokes in both drives on the computer.

I also just got an ERR-14 error with Maxell DVD-R media trying to finalize on transferring the same videos. This is getting very frustrating, and my confidence in this is shaky at best.

If I could get the DVD-RW copied, it would things so much easier.

[usually_quiet]

OK, I tried an experiment. I used ISOBuster to extract the Track 01 image as a .TAO file from a finalized DVD-RW made by my Panasonic recorder. I then used ImgBurn to burn the file to a disc. (To see Track01.TAO in ImgBurn, I had to select “all files [*.*]” for the “Files of Type” box.) It played perfectly on my PC, but I can’t test it on a regular DVD player because my Panasonic is currently at a repair shop.

It might have been possible to use Nero to burn instead, but the OEM version I have doesn't include the Nero Burning ROM.

Maybe this will work for you maybe it won’t. Shouldn’t take much more than an hour to find out.

[edit] I considered getting a reconditioned Toshiba D-R4 to replace my Panasonic should it prove impossible or too costly to repair it. (Mostly because of the high praise it receives about the quality of recordings.) However, I have seen posts indicating it is picky about media, or will fail to read/write to certain types/brands of discs after a few months of use. Don't think I'll chance getting one unless there is some indication that this can be corrected somehow.

[sctig]

Thanks. This didn't work either.

ISOBuster doesn't get anywhere (looks like the disc is empty).
Nero Burning ROM no luck either.

Aaargh. I'll try it one more time with a Verbatim DVD-R, but I would like to get this sorted out as the ideal approach would be to use DVD-RW so I can erase titles if they're not to my liking and re-record.

As mentioned earlier, I would like to understand why the DVD-RW plays on my D-R4 and another DVD player yet chokes on my computer.

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

[usually_quiet]

I am really surprised that ISOBuster was no help. Since DVDDecrypter could decipher a little useful information, I expected it would find more than an empty disc. It wouldn’t necessarily show the usual DVD files, but I thought it would display something.

Why are the DVD players/recorders able to play the problem disc? I can’t give you a definitive answer, but I suspect it is because they use different firmware/software to read discs than a PC would use. I know I’ve seen some people complain that their PC-authored disc won’t play on their DVD player when it plays just fine on their PC, so I see no reason why the reverse couldn’t be true for others.

Given a couple of complaints I’ve seen about how Toshiba DR-4 misbehaves after a few months use, and the “Status: Incomplete” from DVDDecrypter, I think something is going wrong during finalization, at the very least.

At least it is still somewhat functional and not totally dead like my Panasonic. But seriously, if it is still under warranty, take care of it now.

[sctig]

Unusually quiet, you're probably right, but it was a purchase off Ebay several months ago.

I just did the whole operation again with a Verbatim DVD-R with success.

As samijubal stated, it might be the media, and I'm inclined to think that's a good possibility as so far I've done a few with Verbatim, all successful. I'm hoping that's the case, as it's a lot easier solution than if something's wrong with the D-R4.

Can anyone recommend good DVD-RW 2x? I think the ones I'm using (Fujifilm) might be garbage.

[samijubal]

I've been using my D-R4 every day for 8 months now, it's been flawless except 1 time when I tried to cancel finalization on an RW disc and got an error 14. The disc was pretty dirty, so I don't think it was the recorder. The disc will play in the Pioneer 111D with Power DVD, but Decrypter won't recognize it, neither will windows or TMPGEnc. 2x Verbatim RWs is what I use in mine every day.