Help with Memorex DVD burner problem

[RachelErica]

Whenever I go to burn my video files to a blank DVD with my Memorex DVD burner using the program Nero 7 (software came with the DVD burner), it goes all the way through with the transcoding and burning process, (which usually takes 2-6 hours) and when it's done burning, it says it has burned successfully. But when I go to test it out in a DVD player, the DVD player says "disc error" like it does when there's a blank disc in it. I tried it in a different DVD player and it did the exact same thing. Then when I assume that it just didn't burn on the disc because I must've done something wrong, I try to use the disc that I assume is still empty, to burn again, but then after the transcoding process is done, it says I need to insert a blank disc. So somehow the DVD players can't read the disc, but the DVD burner says the disc isn't blank. I've tried burning the same video files several different times, and it does the same thing every time. Only once I got it to burn a DVD that the DVD players could read and it used different video files. When the DVD player could read it, the video files I burned were WMV format, and the times when it couldn't read it, the video files were AVI format. That's the only difference I can think of. Could the fact that it's AVI format be the problem? Or do u think my DVD burner is just defective? I'd try to convert them to wmv and burn it again, but I'm afraid to ruin another recordable disc and wait 2-6 hours just to find out that wasn't the problem. I'd like to have another opinion before I do that. If anyone thinks they know what the problem could be, please don't hesitate to tell me.

[NooNoo]

Welcome to Windrivers Rachel Erica

As you have discovered there are many formats for video... even AVI is only a file extension, one AVI may not be the same as another.

On top of that you have 4 different DVD formats
+R
-R
+RW
-RW

RW's are useful in that they can be erased and reburned a few times...but it depends on your DVD player as to whether it can play them. Most players have a few gotchas when it comes to what burned media they will actually play.

So what make and model is your DVD player?
And how did you create these AVI files - are they from a camcorder?

Edit, forgot about Dual Layer... so what DVD media are you using?

[RachelErica]

Welcome to Windrivers Rachel Erica

As you have discovered there are many formats for video... even AVI is only a file extension, one AVI may not be the same as another.

On top of that you have 4 different DVD formats
+R
-R
+RW
-RW

RW's are useful in that they can be erased and reburned a few times...but it depends on your DVD player as to whether it can play them. Most players have a few gotchas when it comes to what burned media they will actually play.

So what make and model is your DVD player?
And how did you create these AVI files - are they from a camcorder?

Edit, forgot about Dual Layer... so what DVD media are you using?

My DVD burner is made by Memorex and I have two DVD players, one is made by Magnavox and the other is Zenith, and my recordable DVDs are DVD+R. And I didn't actually create the AVI files, I downloaded the files using DVDVideoSoft Free Youtube download, which lets me download videos from youtube and the program automatically saves them as AVI files.

[NooNoo]

OK, what are the model numbers of the DVD players and the DVD burner please?
Need to check what they can or cannot read/use... who makes the DVD+R as well?

Have you tried videosofts DVD converter? According to their instructions you use the downloader to create MP4 files, then use the DVD converter to create DVD files - it appears to burn as well.

[RachelErica]

OK, what are the model numbers of the DVD players and the DVD burner please?
Need to check what they can or cannot read/use... who makes the DVD+R as well?

Have you tried videosofts DVD converter? According to their instructions you use the downloader to create MP4 files, then use the DVD converter to create DVD files - it appears to burn as well.

I'm not sure which is the model number, but I found two numbers on the bottom of the DVD burner; one says "Part# 3202 3223" and the other says "Serial No. S/N: 7461004247" and I don't know if this helps any, but it says it was also manufactured in 2007. The Magnavox DVD player model no. is DP100MW8B and the Zenith DVD player's is ZPA-314. The DVD+Rs are made by Maxell and there was another DVD+R that came with the DVD burner that was made by Memorex.

No, I've never tried VideoSofts DVD converter. I use Nero 7. I might try that though. The only reason I'm hesitant is b/c I'm down to only 3 empty DVD+Rs left and my mom wanted me to save some for her so she could burn some of our pictures to them incase something happens to our computer. Even though I can buy more later...

[NooNoo]

In that case you can burn the nero transcoded video to the image recorder and then using the virtual drive that Nero provides, play it on the pc. I would say that Nero transcoding has lots of problems.

Burn the pictures first - you can get an awful lot of pictures on a DVD. Then if there is a disk left try with the videosoft dvd converter. Otherwise, get some more DVDs later. Backing up the PC is far more important since the videos you want are already backed up on Youtube!

Oh forgot to say, the Magnavox is a picky player. It will do +r and -r, but the disks must be finalised (no multisession - choose disk at once, not track at once). The Zenith will do +r and -r and +rw and -rw, so the trick would be to buy a few rw disks so that if they don't work you can wipe and try again on the zenith, then when you get one that works, you can copy it to +r for the magnavox.

[slgrieb]

RachelErica, your problems would be typical of issues I've experienced with the last couple of versions of Nero Vision and their transcoding modules. There are some alternatives, and you can download a trial version of Nero 9 and see if it works better for you. Recordable media is pretty cheap, and you shouldn't be afraid experiment a bit. I currently use Roxio EasyMedia Creator 10 (last year's version of the software) and I like it very much.

[RachelErica]

In that case you can burn the nero transcoded video to the image recorder and then using the virtual drive that Nero provides, play it on the pc. I would say that Nero transcoding has lots of problems.

Burn the pictures first - you can get an awful lot of pictures on a DVD. Then if there is a disk left try with the videosoft dvd converter. Otherwise, get some more DVDs later. Backing up the PC is far more important since the videos you want are already backed up on Youtube!

Oh forgot to say, the Magnavox is a picky player. It will do +r and -r, but the disks must be finalised (no multisession - choose disk at once, not track at once). The Zenith will do +r and -r and +rw and -rw, so the trick would be to buy a few rw disks so that if they don't work you can wipe and try again on the zenith, then when you get one that works, you can copy it to +r for the magnavox.

Okay, thanks.

[RachelErica]

RachelErica, your problems would be typical of issues I've experienced with the last couple of versions of Nero Vision and their transcoding modules. There are some alternatives, and you can download a trial version of Nero 9 and see if it works better for you. Recordable media is pretty cheap, and you shouldn't be afraid experiment a bit. I currently use Roxio EasyMedia Creator 10 (last year's version of the software) and I like it very much.

Thanks. I'll be sure to try a different program than Nero 7.

[xpuser357]

Nero 8 vision software works for me