DVD Playing Compatibility Issues

Motion Picture Studio Produced (Pressed)

Industry Standard (Burned)

Can I play recordings on my DVD player?
In general: yes. The DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW format was designed to be compatible with existing DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM, VCD, SVCD, or CD-R, MP3 drives.

It shares as much characteristics of the DVD Video formats as possible (both on a physical level, as well as on a logical file/video level). However, there are a number of factors that affect compatibility. By it's nature, a recordable disc has a slightly lower laser reflection than its factory-pressed cousins. This will confuse some players as they try to initialize a particular disc. Another factor is related to the identification of a recorded disc. When a player checks the disc-type field that is stored on each DVD disc and finds that it's not a "read-only" or pressed DVD, it might have troubles playing it. Luckily, both issues only come across with a minority of players and drives.

Change of design by player/drive manufacturer
It is known that manufacturers of DVD-Video players and DVD-ROM drives change the internals of their devices from time to time, without actually changing the type number indication. This is for example the case when the manufacturer switches to a different supplier of DVD read units, but when the actual "features" or "specifications" of the device do not change. Since such a "small" change does not mean a change in operation or functionality to the average customer, they do not mention it, but it might be the reason that some production runs of this device works  with DVD-RW or DVD-R, DVD+R and DVD+RW VCD, SVCD, MP3, or CD-R media and others wont. Again, there is no (easy) way for us to identify this.

Make sure a player/drive will play DVD-R/-RW  or DVD+R/+RW, VCD, SVCD, MP3, or CD-R media.
Take the DVD or CD that was commercially created (Burning) to a commercial retail outlet play it on a unit and make sure it works before purchasing the unit. I recommend
(Bjorn’s Audio Video 210-828-3237) as they have a wide range to select from.

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Last modified: December 19, 2007