No audio with DVD+R DL discs...anyone?

[Huntr777]

Hi again all...wow it seems like every time I try something new, there's always a problem...but I always remember the word crisis means the same as opportunity in Japanese (I think...) So here we go, burned a few DVD+R DL discs (Sony brand) with Toast 8.1, and for some reason some players will not play the audio, just the video. However, other players play them without a hitch. You want to laugh? My mom and dad have the exact same Cyberhome standalone DVD player, yet I get no audio with theirs, but with mine it's fine. Also plays fine on my Mac...anybody care to have a go at this one?

H777

[dnix71]

Burned discs are hit and miss on tabletops. If you burned a disc too fast it might be borderline readable. Even among identical model tabletop dvd players, there is some variation (laser pickup-maybe one is dirty or has a lot more use/ maybe a servo on one is failing but still works for pressed discs).

I just bought a 25 cake box of those DL+R Sony discs (2X) from CompUSA for $40. If I have problems with them, I'll let you know.

[Frobozz]

What format is the audio on the disc? If it is AC-3 (Dolby Digital) or PCM there shouldn't be a problem, but if it is MPEG audio such as is recorded by EyeTV then the player's audio setup needs to be set to convert MPEG audio to PCM. Each brand of player seems to describe this setting differently.

Also, is the audio connected the same way with your player and your parent's player. For example, if one of you is using a digital audio connection while the other is using an analog audio connection that might help in trouble shooting.

The most likely scenario, though, is that some players work with some burned discs differently than others. dnix71 offers good advice.

[Huntr777]

Interestingly enough, I've never had this problem with single layer DVD-r's...could it be that these are DL discs?

H777

[lawnman]

I think it's a media problem or burn speed problem.

Verbatim +R DL and burn no faster then 2X.

[Huntr777]

Just talked to a friend of mine who used DL discs...he told me that DL discs have about a 25% success rate with playability in standalone and computer drives. Anybody here think that's a reliable quote?

H777

[tomlee59]

As others have said, it's a strong function of media. Like most who have posted here, I've had near-zero success with anything other than Verbatim, and only if burned slowly.

If you are using anything other than Verbatim, I'd say that 25% is an overly optimistic figure.

[dnix71]

I just burned the third DL disc on this Pioneer 112D. I burned a 5.65 GB folder of a movie as a UDF in Toast 6.1.1

I got a -5001 error on lead out. I'm using Patchburn, but the first two discs were fine. The source was a firewire hd and the target a fw LaCie box with the Pioneer in it.

Googling suggests the error is something to do with invalid resource forks.

The 3rd disc will not mount in a Pioneer 107D internal. I'm going to try burning a video disc from the video_ts folder and see if that works.

edit: same error, but it can't be about resource forks, since the video_ts folder option leaves them out. also won't mount in a Pioneer 107D.

[greenjeens]

I'd first check the easiest option that has been already mentioned. Making usre that the audio output in the DVD menu is set to pick up the correct audiostream from the DVD. Just in case the audio a particular audio got left out when burned, or the player isn't detecting the correct stream.
Manually try PCM audio, Dolby digital and the analog inputs on the receiver (provided there is a digital out and as well as a set of standard RCA L/R audio cables from the DVD player to the recever or amp).

At least this will give the player a chance to pick up any working or avilable audio tracks from the DVD.

Using certain Mac compatible HD and SW seems like good insurance.
I only use Verbatim DVD+R datalife plus Discs and DL +R Verbatim discs. I only burn DVD's on Pioneer drives (109/111 DL), since Pioneer is what Mac uses and there seems to be fewer compatibility issues.
Pioneer DVD players, THE SAME MODELS THAT ARE APPLE OEM SUPER DRIVES, may be preferable to later model Pioneer DVD DLs, but I haven't had the problems with the 111D. Not sure what the currant Super Drives are?
Oxford Fire Wire chipsets are most recommended to connect external Mac devices as (found in my DVD-109/OWC external burner). But newer Initio FW chipsets seem to work without a hitch for HDs etc. I still have to use Patchburn though.

I've had very good luck with my SonyDVP-NS50P stand alone DVD player. I will likely only buy Sony universal DVD players, because I've had such good playback support!
It plays anything I have burned with my Mac, at any speed, DL , using Verbatim discs with MTR, Toast Video TS folder, Itunes.

Some CD/DVD players seem to have major to minor Mac/DL sourced playback issues. I'm sure many other players work perfectly, but avoiding incompatible equipment, at least by using the OEM Pioneer burners, despite limited choices, or fancy options, might be worth it.

No matter what, sometimes, Apple just creates their own unique bugs, that users find by accident. Like a recent Quicktime upgrade that broke Apple Lossless recording. I found it, and luckily a few others could confirm the bug or I'd still be wondering what I did and how to fix it
Using mainstreem hd/sw makes figuring out problems much easier and less likely to occur to start with.