[Beware] DVD-RW is not compatible with laptop DVD-ROMs

[nemethmik]

I just got my Pioneer DVR-104 and burned my first set of DVD-RW discs. The drive and the bundled Nero 5 works perfectly, no problem.
But, the DVD-RW discs (Pioneer, Sony, hypercheap generic) do not work with any of the slim DVD-ROMs in our HP and Compaq notebooks.
At the same time, DVD-R works without problem in these slim DVD-ROMs.
To my surprise, neither my high-end Panasonic LF-D311 DVD-RAM/R can read DVD-RW discs
However, my friend's Panasonic RP56 DVD player worked well with the DVD-RW discs. This player is marked as DVD-RW compatible, though.

My conclusion is that you may face significant compatibility problems when you intend to use DVD-RW discs in DVD-ROM drives especially in notebooks.
[NOTE: forget what I wrote in the original post. Sorry for the troubble]

[Eug]

I just got my Pioneer DVR-104 and burned my first set of DVD-RW discs. The drive and the bundled Nero 5 works perfectly, no problem.
But, the DVD-RW discs (Pioneer, Sony, hypercheap generic) do not work with any of my, my friend's and our office's DVD palyer and DVD-ROMs.
What a crap DVD-RW is! Practically DVD-RW is totally incompatible with all current non-Pioneer DVD reader gizmos.
DVD-R is perfect, no problem, but this DVD-RW
I had believed that with the Pioneer I would be able to use DVD-compatible rewritable DVD technology. What a mistake! I'm really disappointed.
My conclusion is: if the DVD reader/player/ROM does not have the DVD-RW compatible logo it will not work with DVD-RW.

Your conclusion is not correct. There is SOME compatibility (with my DVD player for instance), but not ubiquitous compatibility. Check the DVD Players Compatibilty List on this site. Anyways, if you look around, you'll find out that neither DVD-RW nor DVD+RW have great compatibility.

If you want to maximize compatibility, the only option in your case is to burn DVD-R.

Either that or you've burned the discs incorrectly. It is also possible to burn discs that play on a PC but not on a standalone player, regardless of the media used.

[Faustus]

Yes it depends greatly on the player when it comes to the RWs... the R stuff is better for set top compatability. But I have played RWs in my set top just fine.

[alkieman]

Nemethmik. Pioneer has NEVER claimed 100% compatibility for DVD-RW not have they claimed 100% for DVD-R.

Both DVD-RW and DVD+RW have similar compatibility problems, they will work in 50-70 percent of players depending on the players age. DVD-R has better compatibility working in around 90% of currently available players. DVD+R is pretty much an unknown quantity sunce it's just out but I would guess compatinility in the long run will be on a par with DVD-R. It even states in Pioneer's literature that they don't guarantee compatibility with all players.

Your statement that DVD-RW is not DVD compatible is COMPLETELY WRONG. I have two Pioneer DVD Players and the discs work perfectly, they work in my Sony PS2, they work in my friends JVC player, they work in anothers Samsung player. In fact, they worked in at least half of the DVD players I have so far tried them in.

[nemethmik]

You are right! I apologize for my arrogant outburst against DVD-RW .
Read again, please, my totally rewritten post, and forget about what I wrote originally. Thank you that you guided me into the right direction.
Today I decided not to return the Pioneer drive, and I also keep my hypercheap DVD-RW disks, but I definitly return the ridiculously overpriced Pioneer ($17) and Sony ($14) DVD-RW discs.

[leebo]

Consider yourself lucky.
I have had ONE laptop sucessfully play a DVD-R. Every other laptop I have tried it on has failed.

As for -RW, I went to an electronics store about 6 months ago to find a set top that could play them. Out of about 20 or so players, ONE was able to play it!

[Eug]

Consider yourself lucky.
I have had ONE laptop sucessfully play a DVD-R. Every other laptop I have tried it on has failed.

As for -RW, I went to an electronics store about 6 months ago to find a set top that could play them. Out of about 20 or so players, ONE was able to play it!

DVD-R works fine in my iBook fortunately, and it works fine with my desktop Pioneer DVD-ROM drive too. I don't have a DVD-RW capable burner (mine's the DVD-RAM/-R from Panasonic) so I can't test that.

[HeeD]

DVD+RW data or video works on my Compaq Presario 715ca's DVD Combo drive only if I set compatibility to mode2. The drive is a Toshiba SD-R2102.

I wonder if it is possible to make some sort of compatibility mode for DVD-RW like they have done with DVD+RW ?!?

[CadetStimp]

Just FYI

I can successfully play a DVD-R (TDK media) in the following laptop drives:

HP DVD/CDRW combo f2107b (Toshiba SD-R2102)
HP DVD f2015a (Matshita 8175)