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User profile for user: Ruben Cueto
Ruben Cueto Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Reading DVD Recorder Discs

Greetings,

My iBook G3 is a great little workhorse and I am hoping I can get more mileage out of it. Hopefully, this forum can set me straight!

I want to be able to play discs burned from a DVD recorder hooked up to my television on this iBook. The recorder we have is a cheapie TruTech DVD+RW. Much to my dismay however, the laptop isn't recognizing the burnt discs. It just spits them out. (My 17 inch Powerbook is doing the same, btw). The DVD players in my home read the burnt discs as well as a low end Compac laptop. Argh!

My questions are these:
Can the current DVD-ROM drive in my iBook (MATSHITADVD-ROM SR-8176) read burnt DVD+R discs or not?
Would the currently installed drive be able to read burnt DVD-R discs?
Do I need to purchase an external DVD drive for my iBook in order to read burnt discs? I'm hoping to avoid an external device if possible.
Would a new DVD-R recorder burn discs that are readable by the current drive? Would this be the cheaper route than buying an external DVD drive?

So many questions. I am thankful there are smart, helpful people out there that can set me straight.

Thanks in Advance,
Ruben


iBook G3 Dual USB Mac OS X (10.4.5) MATSHITADVD-ROM SR-8176

Posted on Mar 12, 2006 5:57 PM

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10 replies
User profile for user: Rod Hagen
Rod Hagen
User level: Level 7
32,000 points

Mar 13, 2006 4:02 AM in response to Ruben Cueto

Hi Ruben,

Are you "finishing" the discs in the DCD Recorder before you try to read them in the computers? You will need to do so. If the discs are "finished" then they should be readable.

Does the DVD player in your iBook play regular commercial "pressed" DVD's without problems?

It may be that you simply need to try a different brand of media. Once the disk has been burnt it USUALLY doesn't matter much whether they were burnt on DVD+R or -R. The actual brand of DVD disc can make more of a difference. Try some TDK's or Verbatims. they seem to work well in all of our DVD capable Macs.

Sometimes simply running a cleaning disc through the drive can make the world of difference too!

Before you go off buying different recorders or burners I would be inclined to test out the internal drive with some regular DVD's etc.


Cheers

Rod
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User profile for user: Ruben Cueto
Ruben Cueto Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Mar 13, 2006 9:12 PM in response to Ruben Cueto

Here's the latest,

I finalized the DVD in the recorder as was suggested. I tried it again on the G3 Dual USB iBook but it just spit the disc right back out (DVD+R). I tried my 17 inch G4 Powerbook but it also just spit the disc out. However, my nephew's cheapo Compac laptop read the disc beautifully. Frustrating!

Also, I tried the disc on my Pioneer DV-434 Progressive Scan Player in my living room. It read the disc but when I played it, there were two mirror images on the content on the screen. The screen image on the right had small color boxes running along the bottom. I have no clue.

Please don't tell me I need to buy a Compac!

Ruben

Dual USB G3 500 MHz iBook Mac OS X (10.4.5)
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User profile for user: Rod Hagen
Rod Hagen
User level: Level 7
32,000 points

Mar 14, 2006 4:03 PM in response to Ruben Cueto

What brand of DVD discs are you using?

Some brands use different coloured dyes etc which some brands of drive don't like.

Try a TDK or Verbatim disc , which generally work well with Macs, and see if this makes any difference.

(Have you tested yet whether regular commercial movie DVD's, or data discs, generally work ok in the two notebook drives?)

Cheers

Rod
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User profile for user: Rod Hagen
Rod Hagen
User level: Level 7
32,000 points

Mar 16, 2006 4:22 AM in response to Ruben Cueto

Hi Ruben,


All DVD-R's rely on some sort of recording "dye" , even if the colour isn't apparent to you. Different ones, use different types of dyes. They also have different forms of reflective coatings. Some work better in some drives than in others.


Memorex discs can actually come out of a variety of different factories. Some of these seem to be amongst the most problematic of all in Macs.

Head to http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia , type Memorex into the search field and hit return. You will see that while some Memorex discs fair quite well, others have pretty mediocre performance.

I think you should try a different brand of disc before assuming there is anything aactually wrong with your computer. There may be, of course, but disc incompatibility is so common that it is worth eliminating first.

For my part I've always found that TDK and Verbatim disks work well in all of my optical drives.

Cheers

Rod
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User profile for user: Ruben Cueto
Ruben Cueto Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Mar 18, 2006 7:34 PM in response to Rod Hagen

Here is the latest,

I bought some Verbatim DVD+R discs to try out. Again, using my cheapo TruTech DVD recorder I recorded a bit of broadcast TV. I finalized the disc after 5 minutes of recording, inserted the burnt disc into this iBook and again, the iBook spit the disc out.

I then inserted the burnt disc into my Pioneer DVD player hooked up to my television. It didn't spit the disc out but when I pressed "play" , the screen split into two vertical images of the recorded content. The right side of the screen has color boxes running along the bottom edge. The recorded images are clear but since it is essentially a split vertical screen, the images are compressed.

I am at my wit's end here. I am starting to believe that the root of my problems are the Tru-Tech recorder (cheapest one at Target). The recorder will play its burnt discs fine. They are also very well read by a 500 dollar Compac laptop. Any advice from anyone?

Ruben


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User profile for user: Rod Hagen
Rod Hagen
User level: Level 7
32,000 points

Mar 19, 2006 5:29 AM in response to Ruben Cueto

Hi again, Ruben,

I've just had a look at a few reviews for the TruTech, and I fear you may be right about it being the cause of your problems. Some people seem to get a "good one", but there are an awful lot of people who aren't happy with them, though most of the problems are not necessarily the same as yours.

See HERE and HERE for a couple of examples.

Good luck with it.

Rod
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User profile for user: Ruben Cueto
Ruben Cueto Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Mar 19, 2006 8:50 AM in response to Rod Hagen

You are not going to believe this.

I read the postings on the links Rod posted, specifically on how erratic TruTech DVD recorders are. As I was reading, I was resigned to the idea that my recorder was the culprit and that I'd have to go buy a new one.

Then I read that someone was using DVD-R media with the TruTech even though it is advertised as a DVD+ only burner. I thought, "What the ****" and tried a DVD-R and sure enough....SURE ENOUGH. That was it. I recorded some broadcast TV, finalized it, and my little jewel of an iBook accepted the disc and it looks great! No longer do I have to buy a new DVD recorder. No longer do I need to buy a new laptop or personal DVD player.

Let everyone know that while TruTech makes an inferior product, Apple puts out a superior product and that the helpful people in this forum are reflective of the quality of the Macintosh community. Thank you to all!

Ruben


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Reading DVD Recorder Discs

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