LG recorder/player

[willp]

My LG model LRA-820 always displays a Message " unknown Disc. Check disc again" The disc I'm using has video burn't on it from a few years ago using the same unit. It also gives the same message trying to play an audio disc burnt with the same unit. What could my problem be>? TY in advance.
will

[Clockwork]

Are the disks finalized?

[october262]

My LG model LRA-820 always displays a Message " unknown Disc. Check disc again" The disc I'm using has video burn't on it from a few years ago using the same unit. It also gives the same message trying to play an audio disc burnt with the same unit. What could my problem be>? TY in advance.
will

have you tried cleaning the disc or try cleaning the laser inside the player
with a laser lens cleaner ??

[orsetto]

If its a close relative of the LRA-850, the problem might be a failing DVD drive. These units were last sold circa 2007, which is a century ago in terms of DVD recorder lifespan. OTOH, if your 820 is still working fine with many other discs and you're only having difficulty with the two discs you mentioned, the problem might be localized to just those two discs. Both recordable and Hollywood-made commercial discs can go bad sometimes after several years. Some recordable discs were poorly mfd with limited durability, some burned poorly when originally made and have deteriorated further after years pass.

Your best chance to recover the video on such unplayable discs would be the ISObuster utility, which requires a Windows PC or laptop with an optical disc drive. You could also check if a PC/Mac software-based player like VLC is able to read the problem discs: this sometimes works well enough to at least play them and see whether the videos are important enough to make a further salvage effort.

Clockwork's question "are they finalized" might be an alternative issue: you say these two problem discs were made in this LG 820 recorder, but is it possible you're mistaken? If they came from a friend or relative who owns a different brand of recorder, and the discs were never finalized, your LG would not be able to play them. Each recorder brand can only play unfinalized discs burned in similar models of the same brand, unfinalized discs from a different brand recorder would require a PC with ISObuster or PowerDVD software to view the contents.

[willp]

Are the disks finalized?

Unable to select finalize --can't get past error message. I was able to view a disc using my computer but not on the LG

[willp]

I think maybe I have discovered my problem. A few years back in time the first DVD recorder I bought was a Philips that was used frequently for saving family video's. Then I added the LG to my system and left the philips at another location thinking both units would be compatable? if this could be the problem--can it be be resolved with a down loaded firm ware for the LG?

[orsetto]

Nope. The finalizing process cannot be changed from one brand of recorder to another by updating or modifying the incompatible recorder. You'll need to either extract the videos with software on your PC, or buy/borrow a functioning Phillips-compatible recorder to properly finalize these two discs.

This might not be as difficult as you'd think: nearly every other recorder brand abandoned the North American market between 2008-2010, after that Phillips-compatible units were the only ones available (until they vanished around 2019). Even back in the heyday, Phillips-compatible recorders dominated the USA/Canada market: the Chinese mfr (Funai) that actually built Phillips recorders recycled the same design under several other popular brand names (Toshiba, Magnavox, Sanyo, etc). WalMart alone sold tons of them. So you just need to find somebody who owns a Phillips or one of the other three brands (dvd-only recorder or dvd/vhs combo recorder).

Brands that left the market ten years earlier tended to be exclusive, or shared technology with only one other brand name. LG partnered with JVC, Sony with Pioneer, and Panasonic stood alone. None are cross compatible with each other or the Phillips-derived recorders for playing or finalizing unfinalized discs.

[willp]

Can I use my computer to burn a copy of the disc and then view it on my LG?

[usually_quiet]

Can I use my computer to burn a copy of the disc and then view it on my LG?

The file and folder structure that you would need for a DVD video disc that can be played in any DVD player is normally usually incomplete until the disc is finalized, so simply copying the disc probably won't work if the disc that you want to copy requires finalization.

You need to use a program like the aforementioned ISOBuster to recover the video from the disc and you'll probably need to use DVD authoring software to turn the recovered video into a playable DVD.