DVD burner switching from - to + -- Ever heard of that?

[steveorino 7]

I purchased an ILO DVD burner last year from Wally World. It would play any video, but only burn -R and -RW. One day the DZ after recording 100s of videos it quit reading the media. I cleaned it with one of those cleaners that have brushes on DVDs.

It never recorded or recognized my -R media again. One day, I thought, what the hey, let's see if it will recognize a + disk. Someone had given me some +RW DVDs a while back. Low and behold it recorded on it. Today I went and bought some different -R DVDs and some +R DVDs. It still won't recognize the -R DVDS, but it recorded on the +R DVDS!

What happened????!!!

steveOrino

[The111 1]

I have a lot of experience burning CD's and DVD's. My guess is between the quality of the drive, and the quality of the media you are using, you have run into some crazy coincidences with read/write success/failure that makes it look as if what you've described is happening (when it's obviously not possible).

These days, quality media can be read in almost any drive. A quality drive can read/write to almost any media.

The first test I would do, in your situation, is take the media that will not be read by your drive, and try to read it with a different drive. That will shed some light on the situation.

What brand of media are you using?

EDIT: I searched for info on "ILO" DVD hardware (since I'd never heard of it) and couldn't find much... is this a standard IDE/SCSI burner, or is it one of these weird external standalone things (which I don't know much about)?

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[steveorino 7]

It is an ILO DVDR04 stand alone DVD burner (not a computer drive). I use SONY DVDs. We have three DVD burners at the DZ. The other two can use the media this one won't no longer read. I buy everything in bulk. I was about 1/2 way through the 100 stack of -R DVDs when it quit. We are still able to use the remainder of the -R DVDs on our other DVD burners. So, I'm sure it is not faulty media.

You say it is not possible, but I have proof. My ILO DVDR04 now burns +Rs and +RWs.

steveOrino

[The111 1]

Welp, I'm lost. For one, I don't know a thing about standalone drive. Two, you're using good media (good enough that that's not the problem). Three, in my eyes, based on my knowledge, what you describe is impossible.

Try the forums at cdfreaks.com. It is to disc burning what dropzone.com is to skydiving. You may find an answer there. I doubt you will here.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[steveorino 7]

Truthfully, it not a problem per say. I mean, it does burn DVDs. Just curious on how it could have happened.

steveOrino

[FeFe 0]

change the polarity of your powerplug and try again?
seriously - I've never heard of such thing happening
does the burner spec'ed to run both + and -?
what kind of cleaner did you use?
did you try to clean it once again?
curious...

[FeFe 0]

I think you ask a wrong question - it's not why does it start to record +R/RW, but why did it record -R/RW at all! - since according to the manufacturer site it works with +R/RW only

[steveorino 7]

Well, I'l be the ILO website does say that it records +R and +RW. Well, okay, how did it record over 150 (one and half spools) of -R??

This whole thing has me weirded out. I must be getting old. duh! Could it be? If it hadn't recorded at least 1/2 the spool I'd think I brain farted and just thought it recorded -R.


edited to ad +++++++++++++++++++++++

Now I'm thinking. It was this Summer I hired an editor -- he would take the videos home to edit. Maybe he had a -R +R recorder at home. (he was taking DVDs from the spool home with him) He was gone during the Christmas break and that is when i tried to edit with the -R DVDs. I guess I am senile. Dang! at 51 too!

steveOrino

[FeFe 0]

mind-messing is an essential part of editors' job description
glad you've figured it out

[The111 1]

Quote

I guess I am senile. Dang! at 51 too!

Come up with some more crazy problems for us to solve, it's fun!

www.WingsuitPhotos.com