Already getting a bit tired of burning coasters. I know it's not the 5005's fault but I can't play back anything I've burned on either the trusty ol' (3 years) Daewoo 5800 in my home setup, or the Cyberhome mini-DVD (CH-DVD300) I bought just a year ago to lug around with an LCD projector to off-site meetings. Both have been pretty bulletproof with any kind of media, DVD based or otherwise.

The Daewoo doesn't want to know DVD+RWs at all and locks up when it starts to play DVD+Rs, the Cyberhome presents a directory listing much like it does when I insert a CD-R of .jpgs or .mp3s, rather than the thumbnails or text listing I've gotten used to seeing from recorded disks.

The only DVD player I have that has taken all comers from the 5005 thus far is the one built into an Akai TV/VCR/DVD combo that we just bought a month ago for the bedroom.

So, OK, perhaps it is time for me to upgrade the other two decks. But what should I be looking for when I go shopping? Do I need to look for players that specifically support, what is it, this DVD_VR format?

Try upgrading the firmware in your 5005 first to 1098, and the drive firmware update too. Supposed to address compatibility issues. It fixed my inability to use any DVD+RW recorded discs in stand-alone machines and my PC.

Already at 1098, did it Wednesday. It didn't make any difference.

More perplexing news, I loaned a DVD+R that wouldn't play for me to a girl at work and she reports it plays fine in all 3 of her players - a JVC XV NP-1 that's fairly new, a Panny combo with DVD & VHS, and a positively ancient Panny A100 that probably dates to the last Millenium (1999)!!!

Gonna loan the same DVD out to some other folk in the office and chums. It will at least bolster confidence of being able to loan the DVDs I make without getting a bunch a whining and complaing back the following day.