DVD Recording Confusion

[Scunner]

I just wondered if anyone had any ideas on some DVDs I have recorded which I don't seem to quite comprehend []

The main thing is I recorded some home video tapes mainly of the kids (miniDV) onto DVD, which I had to do on my DVD player/Recorder under the telly. This is because my video camera lost its firewire ability. So the only way to get things off the tapes was to connect the video camera to the DVD recorder (using camcorders composite red/white/yellow lead) pressing play and at roughly the same time pressing record on the recorder.

That all went very well, good quality in fact. Problem is, I can only play the DVDs in the recorder that recorded them. I have other DVD players, a Sony Blu-Ray player and various computers and not one can play any of the disks.

Here's the most confusing bit - I know the DVDs have data on (the videos) - I can play them in the original recorder, I can see the data ring with my eyes on the disk, but even my home PC reports it as a blank DVD. Windows properties shows a blank disk but reports used = 0 bytes, free = 0 bytes - it can't be both surely. They are all finalised and work fantastically well in the original recorder but I don't really want to have that for the rest of my life.

I got my vids off the camera tapes and onto DVD so I'm well chuffed, just wondered if anyone knew if I went wrong somewhere?

Cheers!

[heather07]

Haven't a clue[?]sorry

There is a camera shop at the bottom of the High St who do things with DVDs.  Might be worth asking them.  If it can't be fixed they might be able to save them another way so you don't lose them.

[Jim Fraser]

Possibly the DVDs were not "finalised" on the original recorder. I had the same prob with one, after recording it auto finalised but half the time would not play in any other machine.
Cured the problem by getting a new one.

[Steve (redding43)]

Yep, I agree with the last comment - have they been finalised

[IanK]

Scunner,
as per the other comments - even though you said they were all finalised, it's worth double checking this. One other point to check is that there are many different DVD types such as +R, -R, +RW, -RW etc and not all players/recorders support all types.
Ian

[tinkerman]

I have e-mailed lance for you, hopefully he will have encountered this problem and have the answer for you.

Andy(helpful member)