Magnavox MWR10D6 - Cannot Record

[Kat9119]

I have had NOTHING but trouble with this unit. I got it about a year ago. Six months into using it, I started having issues with "cannot record on this disc" errors, timer recordings eventually being the only way I could record, to then end up not working due to the 'cannot record on this disc' error. As well as the error of the DVD not finalizing or not writing at all. It would just freeze up and I'd have to unplug the entire unit (hard to do with a huge entertainment center).

I tried Memorex 16x DVD-R discs, and they worked for a long period of time (on last- today - count I have used 45 of these DVDs), but then I started getting the 'cannot record on this disc' error a lot more, (even on ones that were right out of the package) figuring we got a bad batch of DVDs we switched to Maxell 'UP to 16x' DVD-Rs, was able to record on a total of 5 of them, before the unit gave me the 'cannot record on this disc' error on every new disc in the batch. Found an old DVD today, one of the Memorex 16x DVD-R discs, and it worked with no errors....yet it was that batch that had originally started giving me issues! I have also used Maxell DVD-RWs (no speed listed on them) and get the error off and on. I do not have the cash to keep trying different brands left and right!

Oh, and people say you can only use the DVD-RWs 4 times before getting that error without formatting them. Format how? Go to Disc Edit, erase disc? Thats the only option I see, and this doesn't solve the problem. I've had luck with recording on the same RW disc 50 different times or more without having to attempt to erase the disc, but eventually have to throw it out...

I have no clue as to what is causing this. I have read on other forums to try to record on only one speed of disc, only 8x speed, not UP to 8x speed, not lower, and not higher. Only 8x speed. I have yet to try this as I discovered this tip today.

Oh, and you want support for the unit? Good luck finding it! On the owners manual it says to contact support through www.funai-corp.com only they don't have this unit listed, although I did put an email into them today. Magnavox also doesn't have this unit listed. I was told it was now a Philips unit. Looked on their website, guess what? No unit listed there...

Oh yeah! And not even 'recording' when I try to edit the title or index photo of a DVD, it gives me the cannot record on this disc error, and it is not a finalized disc.

So, anyone have ANY luck with solving this error for DVD-R discs? As I said, I've had it a little over a year, and after the 6 month period it went downhill...

[RowMan]

Although I can't remember where I read it, it's possible that the laser pick-up tends to get dusty on this unit (I have the Funai SV2000 model) and a shot of compressed air in the right spot might do the trick.

Also, I was able to find a downloadable PDF of the manual for your recorder on the Funai support site so you probably emailed the right company.

[Kat9119]

Well, the company has yet to get back to me, some great service they have!

I had my husband get another brand of DVDs this time around, they seem to be working for the most part. I get the error a few times here and there when trying to edit the index photo. They are 16x DVDs as no stores we've seen carry 8x.

[wabjxo]

Try +R/RW discs. They might work better in your machine.

[oldandinthe way]

I find Nero on my PC does erases RW disks which become old and tired, rejuvinating them for continued recording. This is common to many DVD recorders.

I don't believe 8x media is a solution to problems with this recorder. Its new enough to have 16x write strategies. That said some combinations of DVDwriter and media do not perform well at 1x, which is what your recorder is operating at. In fact a lot of writers do not perform well at 1x on some 16x media.

Find a brand that works and stick with it.

[Kat9119]

I did buy a DVD cleaner, and I have blown air into the unit, and still we get errors.

Well, after 2 months of waiting for a reply, they finally wrote back.

If anyone else is interested this is what they said.

Thank you for your inquiry:
If discs hardly ever play correctly on this unit, then it may be due to a dust problem. You see, if you have had the unit for some time now, then its possible that dirt and dust may have entered the unit through the disc tray. If this occured, then the dirt and dust could be blocked the disc lens, the mechanism that reads the DVD's. If the lens is blocked, then it won't read DVD's correctly, and therefore won't play them on the screen. You can try to solve this problem by using a DVD disc cleaner. Its bascially a DVD with little brushes on it that you can put into your disc tray and it will sweep out all of the dirt and dust. You can buy one at any store that sells a DVD unit and it shouldn't cost you any more than 10 dollars.



You see, this unit was made sometime between 2003 and 2004. Back then the writing speeds of the DVD-R and DVD-RW discs (the two formats this unit can record on) were lower than they are today. However, for some reason, the engineers who designed this unit felt that there was no reason for it to record on anything faster than what was the standard writing speeds at that time. As a result, at the current moment the unit can only record on DVD-R discs up to 4x writing speed and DVD-RW discs up to 2x writing speed.

We know that DVD-RW 2x discs are still in production and are still being sold in stores today. However, DVD-R 4x discs are going to be alot harder to find because most companies have stopped production on them. To remendy this situation, our parent company, Funai, has created a device known as a firmware upgrade disc. Its a DVD that you can put into your recorder, and as it spins it'll upgrade the units writing speed capability. This will allow you to record on DVD-R discs up to 8x writing speed instead of 4x, which are still being produced and sold in stores. Best of all, the upgrade disc is free.

In order to send you the upgrade we need to know what firmware version your unit requires. First you need to access the DVD recorders service mode. Turn on the DVD Recorder and the Television, make sure the unit is on the DVD side. You may access the service mode by pressing the CMSKIP button on the remote control. Once you press CMSKIP you must press the numbers 1,2,3. You must do this quickly so it may take a couple tries. The model name will appear on the screen followed by Firmware Version. I need to know the serial number next to FE:
Press the RETURN button to exit screen.

Please send the FE number along with your name, address, phone number and model number, to us and we'll send you the firmware upgrade.

Its nice how in the directions and whatnot it tells you it supports up to 24x speeds, but this guy here is telling me only 2x & 4x.

I just hope they are quicker at sending it out then then were with replying to my email.

[Kat9119]

Well, I got another email from them, if any of you with this unit is interested

Thank you for your inquiry,


Below is a list of discs that should or should not be used with the DVD recorders.



DVD-R

4x can be used

8x or higher will result in a disc error.



DVD-RW

2x can be used

4x or higher will result in a disc error.



The following discs have been tested and are proven to be compatible with our DVD recorders.



MEMOREX DVD-R

FUJIFILM DVD-R

FUJIFILM DVD-RW

IMATION DVD-RW

IMATION DVD-R 2.0

TDK DVD-RW 2X

TDK DVD-R 2X



The following are brands of discs we DO NOT recommend:



MEMOREX DVD-RW

SONY DVD-RW

SONY DVD-R

TDK DVD-RW 4x

TDK DVD-R 4x

Please be aware that a free software upgrade is now available to customers. This upgrade will enable your unit to recognize the (DVD-R 8x) discs. To obtain a copy, please call 1-800-242-7158. Customer service by phone is available 7 days a week 6:00am to 9:00pm pacific time.

I ended up calling them and they told me that my unit WAS already upgraded, so now I can use 4x DVD RW and 8x DVD R

But, I'm just posting this message for anyone else that might have issues.

Of course, I can't find those speed discs anywhere around here, so now I guess I have to order online.

[oldfart13]

Good thing The Source (Radio Shack) has been blowing out all their old 4X Kodak discs for $18/100 for the past little while. They work great in old hardware that don't have upgrades to the firmware available....

[louv68]

I contacted them a little over a year ago to see if they had an updated firmware. No was the answer I got, and no to future revisions as well.

I have successfully recorded onto 16x media, both +/-R with no problem. My problem has been in finding RW's the unit will record onto.

This is a copy & paste from another thread I followed:
The SV2000, more specifically the WV10D6 which I own is a very picky recorder in terms of +/- RW's it will record onto.

I have only found two that will work, and both are Memorex branded.

The 1st is 1X DVD-RW, media code: RITEK000V11A
The 2nd is 4X DVD+RW, media code: Philips041

Others' I've tried: Office Depot +/- RW's. -RW media code: RITEKW04 would not record.
+RW's media code: RICOHJPNW11 recorded but would only play on the recorder and pc's, not on any of my other 5 standalone players.

I have also tried Maxell +RW's. The one's I bought were coded the same (RICOHJPNW11) as the Office Depot's and gave the same results. I also tried some Maxell 2x -RW's (cannot remember the code) which also would not record on the unit.

Just the other day, I bought some TDK branded RW's that also would not record onto the unit.
4x -RW code: TDK601saku Don't work.
4x +RW code: PHILIPS-041 These are the same as the Memorex that work, but these don't!!

[oldfart13]

I'm sorta lucky. The Daytek 950-S I bought for $100 as a return without remote control (which I eventually acquired) allows me to pull the hard drive out and put into a computer either through a USB 2.0 external hard drive enclosure or else directly to the IDE bus. That means I don't have to do the interim step of recording to a disc and ripping to the computer for further processing. The files are directly accessible as Mpeg 2 with Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio so they are already compliant. Sure saves a lot of time and discs...

[JohnnyBob]

Thanks greatly to OP for that information about how to access the built-in Magnavox MWR10D6 tech data, and about possible firmware upgrades!

I have a Magnavox MWR10D6 and just called their 1-800-242-7158 number to inquire. The customer service rep asked me the model number. I responded with "MWR10D6". Then she responded with something like: "that model already takes 8x and 16x discs, and does not need a firmware upgrade".

I asked, but apparently she did not know anything about "FE VERSION" numbers. But after some poignant & probing questions, she finally said I could call their parts department M-F 9am-5pm for more info. Apparently their parts department handles firmware upgrades(?).

As OP indicated, pressing CMSKIP followed by 1-2-3 on the remote control brought up the following tech info on my unit:

F/W VERSION DISP

MODEL NAME: E7A60UD
FE VERSION: R32_033_000
BE VERSION: R3A31147S1E
TT VERSION: T30023FSU

LD ADJUSTMENT: OK
DISC ADJUSTMENT: OK

DEFAULT SETTING: ENTER
EXIT: RETURN

I wonder how my FE VERSION number compares with OP (or others with this unit)?

I bought one of these at Walmart last November 2007 and used it to transfer about 25 VHS tapes to DVD. It worked OK for me. It wouldn't accept some blank Playo 16x DVD+R (MCC004) discs I had handy from a Staples sale, but recorded OK with the next Staples sale brand of Kodak 16x DVD+R (AML003). It also accepted Sony 4x DVD+RW discs.

Although it recorded OK for me, it had some problems related to movie playbacks. It wouldn't hold the Pause or Stop with Recall positions for very long. Like if I paused a movie overnight, it couldn't restart it the next day. That's important to me, so I took it back and exchanged it in February 2008. The new unit works fine with those playback features. I haven't had occasion yet to try the DVD recorder operations again (and might never?).

[wabjxo]

Another neat thing about that SKIP-1-2-3 feature is your unit may also have a disc utility that checks the media ID (MID) on your blank and recorded discs, like my Philips 3575 has.

If it does, you should be able to arrow right on that FW screen and check disc MIDs, as described at the very bottom of this post.

[JohnnyBob]

Another neat thing about that SKIP-1-2-3 feature is your unit may also have a disc utility that checks the media ID (MID) on your blank and recorded discs, like my Philips 3575 has.

If it does, you should be able to arrow right on that FW screen and check disc MIDs, as described at the very bottom of this post.

Thanks. Yes, that works with my Magnavox MWR10D6 as well. Nice to know.

It recognizes my TYG03 discs OK and has a write-strategy for them. Those are 16x Taiyo Yuden DVD-R, which seems to be indirect evidence that its firmware is already updated for 8x and 16x media.

[Kat9119]

As OP indicated, pressing CMSKIP followed by 1-2-3 on the remote control brought up the following tech info on my unit:

F/W VERSION DISP

MODEL NAME: E7A60UD
FE VERSION: R32_033_000
BE VERSION: R3A31147S1E
TT VERSION: T30023FSU

LD ADJUSTMENT: OK
DISC ADJUSTMENT: OK

DEFAULT SETTING: ENTER
EXIT: RETURN

I wonder how my FE VERSION number compares with OP (or others with this unit)?

Model #: E7A60UD
FE: R32_025_000

So yes, they are different. In the email that i had gotten from the company they had told me based on that I could upgrade, and then the woman on the phone told me it was already upgraded.

It wouldn't be such a big deal if I had the $ to afford a new good burner, but that won't happen for awhile. lol

[louv68]

Here's the tech info for my SV2000 model #WV10D6 manufactured in Jul 2006

MODEL NAME: E7A20UD
FE VERSION: R32_031_000
BE VERSION: R3A35580P1E
TT VERSION: T30023FSU

LD ADJUSTMENT: OK
DISC ADJUSTMENT: OK

DEFAULT SETTING: ENTER
EXIT: RETURN

Both a customer service rep and the parts department tell me that I have the newest firmware and getting the E4 error is due to a defective lens unit. Cost to repair would be around $45 + shipping costs. I've had the E4 error ever since I bought the unit. The first time I called them was within 2 weeks of buying the unit, and they never mentioned this. The unit still records onto two different RW's:
The 1st is 1X DVD-RW, media code: RITEK000V11A
The 2nd is 4X DVD+RW, media code: Philips041

I've not been able to find other compatible RW's since.

[Kat9119]

The problem with these units is that these speed discs are becoming extinct, as it is, I can't find them anywhere around here.

[terryj]

Just to add my 02¢ as an owner of three of these units:

as i said I own three of these units, one I keep as the main workhorse attached
to my HTPC, the other two are unit I use for the office and the bedroom respectively.

The units in the bedroom and the office both are used primarily to watch discs
that I don't want to finalize ( RW) and to finalize discs that I have recorded
on the main in use unit, if I want to keep them.
This way, I use the main unit as a constant recorder if you will.
After recording 1100+ VHS to disc,
I have noticed that the main recorder gets "finicky" if with each recording since
hitting the 1000 mark, often throwing up the "e4" error as noted by others.

At that point, I rotate the units from room to room, like tires on a car,
and keep things moving while I take time to troubleshoot
(ie., clean) the problematic unit. I remove the top cover, and
use condensed air to clean the unit out. I also run a lens cleaner on it
( twice) to clean the unit throughly. It seems to do the trick.

For what it's worth, in my units I have used the following brands of discs,
and here is what works for me and what doesn't. YMMV.

*Taiyo Uden Value Line 8x rated ---WORKS CONSISTENTLY--TOP CHOICE
* Taiyo Uden Premium Line 16x rated--WORKS CONSISTENTLY--2nd CHOICE
*Memorex DVD-R/+R 16x--WORKS Infrequently, ever other disc
*TDK +R/ -r 16x--DOES NOT WORK
*Office Depot branded DVD+RW--WORKS CONSISTENTLY
*HP Branded DVD+RW--WORKS Infrequently, ever other disc
*Verbatim 16x +R (MIS) --DOES NOT WORK
*Verbatim 16x -R (MIS) --WORKS CONSISTENTLY--3rd CHOICE

The sad thing is that people who I record stuff for from my HTPC often
bring me the cheap discs, and I just give them back the recordings on TY's.
I then take the cheap stuff and just use that for one offs of data backup
from my Macs....