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My home CD/DVD player won't play rewritable CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD+RW discs that my PC's CD/DVD drive/writer can play

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CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive/writer problem: Home CD/DVD player won't play CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD+RW discs

I have a desktop PC that runs Windows XP Home Edition with the SP3 update installed and fully updated on 1GB of RAM memory. I have been burning music files to rewritable CD-RW and DVD-RW/DVD+RW discs. The files are written to the CDs/DVDs and play from the CD/DVD drive/writer, but won't lay from my home CD/DVD player - Sony DVP-NS77H/B 1080p Upscaling DVD Player - and the multi-CD player in my car. I have tried using the Acoustica CD Burner, Nero 5 and 7, Windows Media Player, and the Real Player CD Burning. The CD-RW/DVD-RW/DVD+RW discs are all new but are cheap at around £4.99 for a pack of five. Should I buy more expensive discs?

Answer

You should use brand-name (Verbatim, Maxell, Sony, Memorex, TDK, Hitachi, etc.) CD-R, DVD-R and DVD+R discs instead of CD-RW, DVD-R and DVD+R discs. The -RW and +RW standards are associated with several compatibility issues that don't trouble the -R and +R standards. CD-R and DVD-R/DVD+R discs that you burn files to are designed to replicate the way in which pressed CD's and DVDs function as closely as possible. As you should know, the music CDs and DVD movies that you buy in the shops are not burned, they are pressed like vinyl LPs are. However, -RW and +RW discs use different technology that makes them have a lower reflectivity and signal modulation than pressed CDs/DVDs and -R/+R discs. Consequently, many home and car CD/DVD players can't read them.

In any case, why use reusable -RW/+RW discs for music when the write-to-once -R/+R discs are much cheaper. Surely, if you want to play the music on your PC, home, and car players, you don't want to erase it. Check your DVD writer and your DVD player manufacturer's website for a list of compatible makes of disc.

If you use an -R/+R disc the DVD player reads it as a -ROM (pressed) disc. Compatible -R/+R discs can be purchased for about 50p each. Phase-change media -/+ RW discs cost more and cause more problems than they are worth. My Sony DVP-NS70H DVD player plays DVD -R, +R, +R bitsetting changed to -Rom, and +R DL bitsetting changed to -ROM. You can also try bitsetting the +R,-RW, and +RW discs so that the DVD player thinks that it is playing a pressed DVD (DVD-ROM disc). Apparently there is no need to bitset -R discs because they play like -ROM discs automatically,but if such a disc refuse to play, try bitsetting it.

You can use CD/DVD burning software to bitset. You can also use Nero to change the BitSet (also known as BookType). I have used Nero 7 Ultra successfully. There is currently no best bitsetting utility. Your CD/DVD-writing software either supports bitsetting or it doesn't.

BookType BitSetting FAQ How to Guide to set DVD+R/+R DL/RW to DVD-ROM - BitSetting DVD,BookType DVD,DVDDecrypter,NEC,Plextor,etc. -

http://www.k-probe.com/bitsetting-booktype-faq.php

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