PC won't read -RW's Video Mode DVD's Finalized on Recorder

[Offroad]

My Desktop PC won't recognize files on or play video from, -RW media thats been formatted in Video Mode, Recorded and Finalized on my JVC DR-M10S recorder.

I have two drives on the PC in question, one is a DVD burner and the other a DVD Rom drive. The burner thinks any -RW disc from the JVC is a blank CD (no files at all), the DVD Rom drive doesn't even see a disc loaded at all. My laptop with a CD Burner/DVD Rom drive recognizes the disc and plays the video fine and the JVC plays them back as well. I don't have this problem if I record with the JVC on -R media or when playing back a commercial DVD.

At first I thought perhaps some of the spindle of Ritek 2x -RW's I bought with the recorder were going bad but all of them act the same. I have also tried Maxell and Fuji 2x -RW media with the same results. Using Nero I can quick erase any of these -RW discs with the DVD burner on the desktop PC, then burn DVD video on it from my hard drive and the PC's burner will play the video just fine. The specs for the BenQ DW-1640 DVD burner on the desktop PC call for support on -RW burns of up to 6x and reading up to 16X.

Both the laptop and the Desktop PC are on Windows XP Pro with SP2, and the Desktop has all the latest critical fixes from Microsoft.
I have used this desktop before for editing -RW media from the JVC without any problems, however WinXP has been reloaded recently and I may have had a different burner the last time I ripped video recorded on the JVC to the desktop.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I've tried everything I can think of

[Offroad]

Any ideas?

[canyon]

I'd like to solve your problem, but can't be of much help: But maybe I can just reinforce your own thoughts a bit, as nobody else has any comments -
I've got a JVC DRM10 also, and use it the same way you do - On the DRM10: format in Video Mode, record and finalise. I use a batch of TDK x2 DVD-RWs, that are now becoming unreliable after a couple of years use, and being successfully replaced with Verbatim 4x DVD-RWs. Generally no problems in recognising and reading the disks on my 2 desktops with a mixture of Sony DRU500AX DVD burner, Toshiba DVROM and NEC4550 burner.

Having read through your post several times, it seems to me that you know what you are doing, and have done the relevant set of tests and comparisons that I would have done in your situation - That's a shame - it would have been a lot easier if you were a complete idiot and had forgotten to turn the pc on!

The only things that have changed seem to have been the XP install, and possibly the burner on the Desktop pc.
The fact that the JVC and your laptop play the disks OK, seems to indicate that the disks and the recording are fine. As a further test, just to confirm this, you could try playing the disks on a different DVD player.
However, the fact that you CAN burn DVDs on the desktop isn't consistent with the other symptoms.
If you burn a video dvd on the desktop, does it play on the laptop and on the DRM10?
I'd look at the following:
- Configuration problems on the desktop.
- incompatibility between the disks/recording on the BENQ and other DVD devices.
- Hardware problems on the desktop (IDE slave/master setting correct?)

Sorry I can't be of more help- I'm clutching at straws as much as you!

[Offroad]

Canyon:

Thanks for the comments, I'm starting to wonder if the BenQ is a bit weak on reading -RW media but the DVD-ROM drive on the desktop doesn't like the same discs from the JVC either. It also seems strange if I format and burn video on the same -RW media using the BenQ then the BenQ burner will play it fine. That seems to indicate the burner can read -RW media without issue.

Since the BenQ will play -R media recorded and finalized on the JVC just fine its not like the JVC is outputting the wrong DVD file structure or anything. If my ROM drive wasn't also having problems I'd be fairly positive its a problem with the BenQ.

I shouldn't need an ASPI layer just to playback a -RW from the JVC should I?

[SingSing]

Does the DVD-R/W spin then stop in either drive ?

[Offroad]

Does the DVD-R/W spin then stop in either drive ?

I have no problems at all with -R media recorded on the JVC playing on the desktops DVD burner.

-RW media recorded on the JVC (several brands tested) will spin up in the desktop burner and ROM drives. It will show as a blank CD in the burner, the ROM drive doesn't even recogize a disc after it tried to spin and load.
The same media will play on my laptop CDburner/ROM drive.

The same -RW media can be formatted wth Nero in the desktop burner and a ripped video burned on it with Nero and the desktop burner will play it fine.