external usb dvd-rw burner won't read movies

[khonsu7]

Hi,

I have a usb 2.0 16x external DVD-RW burner that only seems to read a movie dvd if it is a standard full-frame dvd. Every other format doesn't even show up in the my computer section. All hardware requirements have been met and I'm running windows XP sp2. Is there something i'm missing here?

[confus-ed]

Hi khonsu7, welcome to wd forums.

So that sounds like some player/CODEC issue, and nothing wrong with any hardware, just some s/w settings somewheres ..

What are you using to play it with ? & have you tried any alternative players & or updated codecs ? (if you are using wmp its supposed to go update itself, but its not very good, with more 'unusual' stuff) perhaps try One of the K-lite packs ? (http://home.hccnet.nl/h.edskes/mirror.htm) which have alternative player software & a decoder codec for practically every video format known :).

[khonsu7]

I've used several players to try to read the disk, wmp, windvd, and one of the ones that came with the dvd player. But I am confused. Even if it was a codec issue, I should still be able to browse the disk without playing it, right? Because I can't even do that since it's not reading the disk at all. Like I said it only seems to allow me to explore/play standard/full frame dvds.

[confus-ed]

..Even if it was a codec issue, I should still be able to browse the disk without playing it, right? Because I can't even do that since it's not reading the disk at all. Like I said it only seems to allow me to explore/play standard/full frame dvds.

Ahhh right ... communication issues !

Ok I'd better figure out what the hell you mean then by "standard full-frame dvd" ? - as I thought you were meaning that widescreen & such wouldn't work - what I suspect you mean is that a commercial or 'pressed' cd will work, but any written by the writer itself won't ? (what about 'data' only disks?)

[khonsu7]

No actually commercially pressed and regular dvd's work, along with data dvds. To test it, I put a whole collection of dvd movies in the drive and it seemed like the only ones it played were the ones stamped standard full frame.

[confus-ed]

Well I'm completely confus-ed now :rolleyes: .. the only thing I can think you mean is the aspect ratio, (widescreen vs 4:3), that might present problems for actually watching it, but it should make no difference whatsoever whilst 'exploring'.

Tell me/us just what model drive then, & lets see if that makes matters any clearer...

[leezer3]

Hiya,
It sounds to me as if you're drive can't read Dual Layer disks. If you have a DL data disk lying around, then I'd test that and see what it does.

Cheers

-Leezer-