Standalone Divx DVD player/burning/conversion quandry

[wellsyuk]

Hello,

Up until recently I've been able to put many downloaded .avi files onto a dvd as data and watch in my front room, and my divx dvd player has had no problem playing anything. All of a sudden the dvd player does not recognise the files on newly burned discs (it does for old ones) and comes up blank - but the files are there as they appear as data when viewing on my PC. I've tried converting the files using SUPER but they still do not work.

My query is a diagnostic one really, would you speculate that the problem is most likely to be:
1. The DVD player not being able to process newly encoded format?
2. Nero data burning express?
3. My DVD burner/discs?
4. Something to do with Codec's?

Thanks, thought I would get some advise on where to start making changes first.

[guns1inger]

1. Anything encoded with the Home Theatre profile should play happily on all certified players and most others. If you are unsure, try using AVIRecomp. It will encode with lowest common denominator settings to make it universally playable.

2. I prefer Imgburn for all my burning needs - give it a try

3. Have you changed brand or bought a new spindle recently ?

4. Unlikely, but see answer 1.

[wellsyuk]

Thanks I'll try AVIRecomp - but before I really didn't need to convert anything, it's frustrating. Are most files encoded with the 'Home theatre' then? Where can I find more info on this?
I'll definately try Imgburn too thanks that looks good. I have bought a new spindle (now use Dual layer discs) but it applies to my old spindle too.
Thanks for your advice.

[wellsyuk]

ok I really don't understand what is going wrong. I've tried converting some files using AVIRcomp but it still didn't appear on the standalone DVD when burnt onto disc. I've burnt a file using imgburn and this will not appear on the standalone DVD. I tried burning older .avi's that I know work and they still fail to appear on the standalone. All this time they all appear on my PC ok when looking at each disc so they are burning ok?, and all previously burnt DVD's with various .avi's work fine on the standalone..?

[Krispy Kritter]

Are you finalizing the disc?

[wellsyuk]

Yeah the files show up on the disc in my PC after burning - but blank in the standalone.
Can someone suggest different ways of burning the raw data files onto dvd's so I can try different methods? Does Imgburn do 'just data burns' also? I can't seem to find that.
If no folders or any files are showing up on the standalone for my recent burns, is it the DVD burner or the convertor? or has the standalone devloped contemporary disc paralysis?
argh!
Sorry it's worked so well for so long, then this happens.

[wellsyuk]

Just worked out that CD's burn and the files show up and work OK from the same burner drive - so it's a DVD only problem. What would stop DVDs from showing files on a standalone?.. Isn't it the same burning process as when a CD burns data?
I've tried 2 types of DVD-R's, dual layer and normal, neither show anything.

[TBoneit]

Different lasers for CD and DVDs. So you need to figure out whether the player or the burner is bad.

[jagabo]

In Nero Burning ROM use either ISO or UDF file system, no multiession, finalize.

[RabidDog]

Make sure you burn your stuff as A DATA disk not as dvd video.
What make of dvd player? not yamada? Is it a Samsung Hd850?
Also buy some DVD-RW for testing, its much less wasteful on the environment/wallet
All files should have ATECHARS.AVI type filename (8 chars with avi extension)

[theewizard]

your old discs still play, your new discs ( even new copies of old files ) don't play.

they show on the pc but NOT on the stand alone player

what speed are you burning at ? have you tried a slower speed

try a direct disc copy of one of your old discs that play and use a disc from your old spindle

dimes to donuts it won't play, this means your burner is failing, and the PC is just a more sensitive DVD reader than the the standalone

this is a direct copy, no encoding no conversion, use img burn and burn at 1/2 max rated media speed. if it won't play you need a new burner

[wellsyuk]

Thanks, ok yes I always burn as data and I have a Samsung HD850 as per my specs.
I found this out now - it seems I can burn and view most old files onto new DVD discs, the problem seems to be when I 'data burn' certain recent files I've acquired - as they (and any other files put with it!?) come up blank on the standalone. The media info check on the files that do not show up - do not seem to show me anything unusual, so I'm perplexed.

Can some files blank a data disc to prevent anything showing up? What format/encoding would do that? Or do lasers get strangely selective with old burning age?
Data burns at x2 or x4 so it's not like it's going mad for it. And old files still burn so the burner must be OK.

I'll keep trying but it's really strange/annoying. Your replies have been great thanks.
Can I just clarify this - Imgburn does data or video as standard, and how do you flick between the 2?

[Krispy Kritter]

All of the files should show up. Possibly not if they are in a format the player can't read. Although my philips will show file names for files it cannot read, I don't know that all players can do that.

Before continuing much further, I would test the discs (working and non-working) in another dvd player. If you or a friend don't have one, just take you discs down to the nearest store. Won't take but a minute to check. If they all work, then your standalone is the problem. If some work and some don't, then you have a burner issue. This will save you a lot of time and discs, plus point you to the problem hardware.

Imgburn will do video or data. Are you loading images? Then you don't choose the mode, it burns by the data type set in the ISO.

[handyguy]

"Yeah the files show up on the disc in my PC after burning "

They are supposed to do that even if you dont finalize it.

[jagabo]

Finalizing a disc writes the master table of contents. Without the master table of contents a DVD player will not see any files. The computer can see the files on an un-finalized disc because it understands the intermediate multiesssion format.

[Krispy Kritter]

"Yeah the files show up on the disc in my PC after burning "

They are supposed to do that even if you dont finalize it.

I was referring to the standalone player.

The pc drive can almost always read discs that it has burned, even when they can't be read anywhere else.

[wellsyuk]

Are you loading images? Then you don't choose the mode, it burns by the data type set in the ISO.

No, just plain .avi files - I can't see how you burn straight data files like that using imgburn like you can with nero? It seems to do just video/image based burns, perhaps I'm wrong.
That's what I thought, all the files should show up really, it's just odd that some do and some don't even if they are the same. I'll have to try a load of different/newly burnt files and as you say, try another divx standalone somehow.
Oh and my discs are finalised BTW, nero says 'successful blah..' and ejects.
What do most of you people burn data files with by the way? (if you do..).

[Jeremiah58]

Oh and my discs are finalised BTW, nero says 'successful blah..' and ejects.

That does not mean that a disc is finalized. That messagge means that a burn is finished.

What do most of you people burn data files with by the way? (if you do..).

To burn avi files on a DVD:
Open Nero Burning Room.
Leave the default option "DVD-ROM (ISO)".
Under Multisession choose "No Multisession" and a disc will be automatically finalized.
Click "New", add avi files and click burn.
That's it.

Are you sure that those problematic new files have .avi extension?
My standalone player will not show video files with other extensions (for example .mp4, mkv, rmvb, flv...).

[theewizard]

just maybe your NEW avi files are not the same as your old avi files

perhaps they are h264 not dvix h263

perhaps they are hi-res like 960*xxx or 1280&720

your old player is NOT doing to play these files

it takes a new ultra DviX certified player to play hi-res h264 files

[jagabo]

Divx Ultra certification does not imply hires (over 720x576) or h.264. Only Divx menus, chapters and subtitles.

http://www.divx.com/certification/

[wellsyuk]

perhaps they are h264 not dvix h263
perhaps they are hi-res like 960*xxx or 1280&720 your old player is NOT doing to play these files

I think that's it you know, Divx standalone players unable to process hi-res files, so simply nothing shows up..!
I'll do more testing but I'm fairly sure that could be it.

[jagabo]

My Liteon LDV-2002 and Philips DVP-5960 both will list all AVI files regardless of frame size or codecs. They just won't play the files if the frame size is too large or the codecs aren't supported. Of course, your player could be different.

Use AVICodec or GSpot to check your files. Those programs will tell you the frame size, codecs used, etc.