Verbatim DVD+R doesn't work, but Sony DVD+R and Fujifilm DVD+R

[Wurzel123]

Hello!
I burned on my computer some DVD's with various avi-files. I had few blank DVD's available which I bought around 5 years ago(Sony DVD+R 1x-16x, 120 min/4,7GB and Fujifilm DVD+R 1-16x 120 min/4,7 GB). The .avi-files were recognized by my DVD-player. Last week, I bought again blank DVD's , this time I choosed Verbatim (DVD+R 16x 120min, 4,7 GB). Unfortunately, the video files burned on those DVD's are not properly recognized by the DVD-player: the sound is OK, but the image is completely missing, I get only a blue screen with the mention that there is a codec problem. Then I burned on a new Verbatim-DVD datas which already were burned on Sony and Fujifilm-DVD's and I had the same problem: blue screen with sound. Therefore, I suppose that the problem isn's the file (since it is recognized when it is written on the elder DVD's), but maybe on the Verbatim DVD.
Why doesn't it work with Verbatim and what can I do in this case?

[roma_turok]

You DVD-player have problem recognize video file with error message codec problem
It's nothing to do with Verbatim-DVD
burning as data to different type of DVD
its not changing codec of video file

[orsetto]

If the exact same file burned to Sony or Fuji plays fine in your player, but the new Verbatims do not, it might be an issue with the new Verbatim blank discs. The player may be saying its a codec problem because it can't read the discs properly, but can read the Sony and Fuji discs. Try your Verbatim discs in a different newer player: if they work, perhaps your player is wearing out, if they don't, the Verbatim discs could be faulty.

I had a problem with these myself a few weeks ago: I bought a spindle of 100 Verbatims, packaged with the same orange/purple wrapper design I usually buy, but when I began burning them I had a 60% failure rate (wouldn't finish burning, or wouldn't play properly after burning). I had these issues on three Windows PCs, two Apple Macs, and a couple of DVD recorders. On a hunch, I used the DVDidentifier utility of my PC to determine who actually made these new Verbatim discs, and it said Ritek! I looked more closely at the dvds and wrapper, and discovered they were missing the usual Verbatim "AZO" trademark ("AZO" means top quality discs actually mfrd by Verbatim).

This is apparently a new marketing strategy Verbatim is using on discs they sell thru retail stores. Until recently, Verbatim had two classes of retail blanks: the orange/purple wrapper indicated "AZO" top quality, and the white wrapper marked "Life Series" indicated economy/bargain discs made by third-party suppliers (not "true" Verbatim). But it seems all new Verbatim is now using the orange/purple package, so you must look very carefully for a tiny "AZO" label somewhere on the wrapper to make sure you're buying genuine reliable Verbatims. The "AZO" symbol no longer appears on the disc themselves: new AZO and non-AZO retail discs now look exactly alike once removed from the wrapper (the AZO discs do still identify themselves as Verbatim MCC03RG20 when loaded in a PC).

[Wurzel123]

If the exact same file burned to Sony or Fuji plays fine in your player, but the new Verbatims do not, it might be an issue with the new Verbatim blank discs. The player may be saying its a codec problem because it can't read the discs properly, but can read the Sony and Fuji discs. Try your Verbatim discs in a different newer player: if they work, perhaps your player is wearing out, if they don't, the Verbatim discs could be faulty.

I had a problem with these myself a few weeks ago: I bought a spindle of 100 Verbatims, packaged with the same orange/purple wrapper design I usually buy, but when I began burning them I had a 60% failure rate (wouldn't finish burning, or wouldn't play properly after burning). I had these issues on three Windows PCs, two Apple Macs, and a couple of DVD recorders. On a hunch, I used the DVDidentifier utility of my PC to determine who actually made these new Verbatim discs, and it said Ritek! I looked more closely at the dvds and wrapper, and discovered they were missing the usual Verbatim "AZO" trademark ("AZO" means top quality discs actually mfrd by Verbatim).

This is apparently a new marketing strategy Verbatim is using on discs they sell thru retail stores. Until recently, Verbatim had two classes of retail blanks: the orange/purple wrapper indicated "AZO" top quality, and the white wrapper marked "Life Series" indicated economy/bargain discs made by third-party suppliers (not "true" Verbatim). But it seems all new Verbatim is now using the orange/purple package, so you must look very carefully for a tiny "AZO" label somewhere on the wrapper to make sure you're buying genuine reliable Verbatims. The "AZO" symbol no longer appears on the disc themselves: new AZO and non-AZO retail discs now look exactly alike once removed from the wrapper (the AZO discs do still identify themselves as Verbatim MCC03RG20 when loaded in a PC).

I tried it and the check result was that the manufacturer of the blank DVD's was Mitsubishi, not Verbatim...

[hech54]

I tried it and the check result was that the manufacturer of the blank DVD's was Mitsubishi, not Verbatim...

MCC - Mitsubishi Chemical Corp(?) have been associated with quality Verbatim DVD blanks for decades.

[jman98]

Can't say I'm thrilled to read orsetto's post. In the past Verbatim simply did not make any discs that weren't AZO except the Life series. I rarely buy their discs in stores so it's another reason to only buy from the trustworthy online sellers like Rima and SuperMediaStore.

Sony DVDs are sometimes made by the very best manufacturers but often not. And Fuji is 100% crap as far as I know. As far as Worzel123's problem, I'd need physical access to the discs to see what the heck is going on here. What he's reporting doesn't seem logical for MCC made discs.

[mail2tom]

This sounds like good information for me regarding the AZO/lack of markings on Verbatim discs and the fact that DVD Identifier reads the MCC03RG20. I've been buying white inkjet printable through Walmart (online 100 pack in plastic wrapper) and all have shown as being MCC03RG20 and burn fine. Sadly, some "legitimate" Verbatims (not from Walmart) come up as CMC MAG AM3 and fail quite a bit where ImgBurn says it can't find the next sector to write to.

[orsetto]

I tried it and the check result was that the manufacturer of the blank DVD's was Mitsubishi, not Verbatim...

Well that answers one question. As hech54 told you, Mitsubishi *is* Verbatim, so the "good" AZO Verbatims will display an identity code like MCC03RG20 (where MCC stands for Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation).

Since your problem discs identify as AZO, we can probably rule out "bad media" as the glitch. While it is certainly possible to get a "bad" package of AZO discs, that is really rare. More likely the playback issues are being caused by your hardware: either your player is wearing out in such a way that it can't quite read Verbatim media, or your burner is starting to fail and isn't quite up to burning Verbatim media. This is the opposite of what usually happens, though: more typically players and burners first show trouble with non-Verbatim media, then when they're almost dead they stop being able to use Verbatim as well.

You need to check how your Verbatim burns play in other hardware: if no issue, you need to replace your old player. If you still have playback problems with these discs in other players, the issue is your burner or the actual discs. "Bad" Verbatim AZO is rare but it does slip out of the factory occasionally. Only way to be sure is try burning some of these discs in someone else's (newer) burner: if those burns play fine in your player, then your burner is at fault. If not, it means you bought a rare batch of "bad" AZO discs. See if the dealer will exchange them for you, or send them to the Verbatim customer service office in your country and ask them to exchange.