MAG Dubbing Is messed UP

[Novice20]

I always dub from the MAG DVD Recorder HDD to the DVD in 2HR mode using +RW disks. For the first time I did a recording directly to the DVD in 1 HR mode (instead of to the HDD). Now, no matter what I do, I can't get the MAG to dub to that DVD in HIGH mode. It insists on dubbing in SP mode. I recorded a minute directly to the DVD and set it to 2 HR recording (in addition to having deleted the original direct 1HR mode recording) to see if that would help. But it doesn't.

What's the key to getting the MAG to dub to this DVD in 2HR mode the way it used to? I powered off/on a few times without it making a difference.(I just tried a different disk and it is writing to that disk correctly - but I don't want to lose the use of the first disk. )

I realize this may sound trivial but it bothers me that the MAG is so messed up.

thank you

[Cornucopia]

Factory reset? (if it's even possible)
Firmware upgrade?

Scott

[Novice20]

This may be a different problem. I just tried to dubbing this show "A" to another disk and got the same result. then I tried show "B" and got the correct HQ. The problem may be how the MAG is looking at that HDD recording. It was originally about 2 1/2 hrs but I did scene deletes to get it down to 1 3/4. that's what it shows in the TITLE. And that will fit in a +RW DVD in HQ dub mode. Maybe the problem is the MAG is not reading the correct current file size.

[sanlyn]

Should we guess which model MAG you have?
Why are you using +RW?

[orsetto]

Novice20, is this the Magnavox MDR513 you mentioned in your Cablevision thread?

If so, you need to stick to the terminology Magnavox uses for the different functions: your question above mixes up several terms which can get confusing. The 1-hr-per-dvd "recording speed" is HQ, the 2 hr speed is SP, the high speed lossless dub function is usually just called HSD or HIGH (not HQ), and when the unit refuses to do that it drops to a real-time dub (loses quality, the dub from HDD takes exactly as long as the running time of the recording).

The 513 will only do a high speed dub from HDD to DVD if the total file size is slightly less than 4.4GB. This usually means you can get approx 64 mins at HQ and 128 mins at SP per DVD. When you made that HQ recording direct to DVD recently, you may have temporarily forgotten to switch the speed back to your usual SP afterward. The hard drive recording thats giving you trouble may have been accidentally done in HQ: if so, it will not fit on a dvd even if edited down to 1 hour 45 mins (max that can fit on a DVD in HQ mode is 1 hr 4 mins). Double check the problem title in the HDD navigator: see if it is HQ and runs longer than 1:04. If so, thats your hangup: the Magnavox MUST re-encode that HQ recording in the slower SP mode to fit it on a DVD. Your options are to either let it do that, or divide the recording into two segments on the HDD which you can then HIGH speed burn to two dvds in HQ instead of one dvd re-encoded as SP.

If you confirm the problem title is recorded to the HDD in SP mode and runs two hours or less, the hangup may lie elsewhere. The 513 can be a little buggy sometimes if you use the shortcut D. DUBBING button on the remote to start the dub. Instead, start the dub by going into SETUP/MENU and selecting the DUBBING function. This always brings up a display showing you whether HIGH speed dubbing is possible or the the machine thinks it must force a different re-encode speed like SP or SPP instead. There should be a number in MBs showing the total size of the video(s) you want to dub at the bottom. If that number is larger than 4.3GB, something is off: the title is recorded in HQ and runs longer than an hour, or the 513 is having trouble with that specific recording (hard drive error usually). If its a hard drive error, theres not much you can do: if it allows a re-encode dub, at least you'll get a DVD.

You might have a glitch in this one DVD+RW: every so often they just crap out and you have to trash them. You could try erasing it completely, that might clear the glitch, otherwise discard the disc if your others don't have the same problem.

Resetting the 513 probably won't help, but you can try it. You unplug it from power outlet for an hour, then press and hold in the power button while simultaneously plugging the power cord back into the wall (it helps to have an assistant). Keep holding the power button until the front panel shows P.On. A reset clears the operating system, clock, and timer settings but leaves all your recordings intact on the hard drive.

[Novice20]

Thank you for your clear, detailed explanation. I apologize for mixing up the terminology. Yes, its the 513 - I'm used to the shorthand from my other post.

You are right in what you said. What threw me off was when the DVD came up as 1 hr (HQ ) on the DVD, as it was last used. Combined with the SP selection from the dubbing side I got confused. As my dubs are always (2x<60 mins shows) on a single two-show dub, I always see the High Speed auto selection.

what also added to the confusion is that when I do the High-Speed (HQ) dub, only the dubbing bar indicator shows on the screen. Here, it was showing the actual show as it was dubbing it, which I had not seen happen before this. Now I understand that this must be the default to show it and only with the High-Speed dub it doesn't show what it is dubbing.

I do use the Setup --> Dubbing method and only use the d.dubbing button as required to confirm the selections.

[Novice20]

I still don't see a clear pattern to what is happening. For two years I have been dubbing from the MAG HDD to DVDs two shows each just about 59+ minutes at one time and they have dubbed at HQ. Now I am apparently getting random dubbing selected at SP for the same things that I was doing before. I did do a bit of testing and removed from the dubbing list one of the two shows and substituted it with another show of the same length. Now these two shows dubbed at HQ.

[Novice20]

I did some more checking and I may have found part of the answer. The MAG is setup to record to the HDD in SP mode. But when it records from the DVR playback, I see that it was doing that in HQ mode. One of those DVR recorded shows may have been in the set of two that would not fit.
I'll have to check this further.

The 513 can be a little buggy sometimes if you use the shortcut D. DUBBING button on the remote to start the dub. Instead, start the dub by going into SETUP/MENU and selecting the DUBBING function.

orsetto, would you explain what you meant by this? I go to SET UP and select DUBBING. But I have to use the D.DUBBING button to "confirm" the dubbing selections and get back to the dubbing screen. Or should I be doing that some other way and completely avoiding the D.DUBBING button?