Wharfedale dvd recorder producing unplayable/unviewable disc

thor

I have been recording tv onto a dvd-r/w disc but find that although it can play on the recorder that made it, other players cannot. Some discs work and some don't but I need to watch it on this other player. It does load it but is unable to play the programme when I click on it. The dvd recorder is the cheap wharfedale one that argos were selling for about 40 quid and it usually produces vob files which I can convert to mpg and burn onto another dvd r/w.
Unfortunately I cannot see any files on this disc at all when I look it in using my Winxp pc. It just looks empty. Does anyone know why this is? Whenever I have looked at other dvds with vobs on them it has never been a problem. My comp is set to see all files so why doesn't it?

jje_2

Common that certain brands of DVD are better with some recorders than others .
The dye on the disc is often the relevant factor .
When burning discs for play on DVD player or on a recorder stick with the top brands . Also run a dvd cleaning disc every so often to get any bits of fluff off the lazer lens .
Good brands
Ritek Traxdata Ridata Arrita Apple Verbatim Tayo Yudon
Most with MCC Dye or most made in Japan.
poor discs Princo Leadata CMC/SLC dyes

jje

Conor_3

If it's playing the discs it records and you can't see, then the discs aren't the issue. It is possible to master a disc and have the files appear hidden but still be fully accessible. I'd go into the menu and see what writing options there are.

Chances are it's using a proprietry packet writing codec and unless you install the same on the PC, you won't be able to see any files. It's the same for any RW CD/DVD written with proprietry packet writing protocols on a PC.

barjam_2

just a thought, did you finalize the disc after you recorded onto it we had problems with a dvd once and it turned out we hadn't finalized it

thor

Conor wrote: »

If it's playing the discs it records and you can't see, then the discs aren't the issue. It is possible to master a disc and have the files appear hidden but still be fully accessible. I'd go into the menu and see what writing options there are.

Chances are it's using a proprietry packet writing codec and unless you install the same on the PC, you won't be able to see any files. It's the same for any RW CD/DVD written with proprietry packet writing protocols on a PC.

The discs which can't be played by other players are the ones which do not appear to have files BUT the discs which are playable elsewhere can be viewed on a computer to revel that the vobs. In both instances the discs are playable by the original recording recorder. So I don't think it is writing a codec thing.

thor

barjam wrote: »

just a thought, did you finalize the disc after you recorded onto it we had problems with a dvd once and it turned out we hadn't finalized it

I think I tried it on another disc but it did not work. My manual(which is awfully useless) also states that rewriteable discs do not need to be finalized but I'm going to try it again anyway.
I'm starting to think my inital suspicions as posted by jje may be the real anwser. Never had these problems with good old VHS.