I'm using CloneDVD 2.8.5.1 with a BenQ 1640 (latest firmware) and my DVD+R DL discs won't play in my standalone DVD player (CyberHome 300).

The DL discs will play in my computer, but not in the player.

The player can play single layer DVD+R discs, but not the DL ones, which is strange since I thought they were basically the same.

Bitsetting is set to make both DVD+R and DVD+R DL show up as DVDROM, so that's not the problem.

The media is Memorex 2.4X DVD+R DL, but I don't think the media is the problem since the discs will play in my computer just fine.

What do you guys think is going on? The DVD player is a total cheapo model ($40 at Best Buy), so it could just have a problem reading the DL discs. Does anyone know which DVD player models work well with +R DL media? Is there anything else that could be causing this? Any thoughts on the matter are much appreciated.

Thanks!

@ elstevedore,

Welcome to the Forum.

If you do a forum search concerning Memorex 2.4X DVD+R DL you will find many dissatisfied users. Then general consensus is the Memorex 2.4X DVD+R DL is problematic and should be avoided.

How have checked and actually determined that in fact your bit setting worked correctly and the recorded DVD+R DL media is actually bit set to DVD-ROM

Just because your copied DVD Movie plays in your computer is not an indication that the DVD is recorded with out errors. It is expected that media recorded in DVD Burner will play in that DVD Burner that recorded it.

You state that DVD+R DL media is just like DVD+R media. That is totally wrong. They are manufacture in an entirely different manner and have different characteristics.

How old is your stand-alone desktop play back device? Do you understand that DVD+R DL media is a brand new item and if your stand alone desk top play back device was built before the release of DVD+R DL media your desk top play back device will not understand what DVD+R DL media is and fail to play that type of media. Even some brand new desktop play back devices sold today will not play DVD+R DL media. Suggest that you check the owner’s manual on your desktop play back device and check to see if it is suppose play DVD+R DL media.


Suggest visiting VideoHelp (http://www.videohelp.com) and do research on what stand-alone desktop player meets your needs.

Best Regards,
bjkg

Nope, turns out it was the cheapo DVD player that can't handle DL discs. I just took some of my Burned DVD +R DL discs to Best Buy and tried them out on a Sony DVD player and they loaded up fine. I think I will switch to Verbatim DL media from now on though, several of the Memorex DL discs have failed to burn. Thanks for the reply.

@ elstevedore,

Thanks for the courtesy of retuning to the Forum and informing Forum Members of the status of your problem.

Glad to hear that you were able to determine to cause of your problem.

Best Regards,
bjkg

elstevedore,
By all means use the Verbatim disks and avoid the Memorex.
It's interesting to learn that the cheap Cyberhome 300 didn't play the DL disks althogh burned at DVD-Rom if in fact the burned disk did display that by using CDSpeed or DVDInfopro utilities to check. One would think the stand alone would recognize it as DVD-Rom even though dual layer.

I have read on other postings that in regards to DL disks, some stand alones will just not play them.
I haven't looked at stand alones in a while. I'm wondering if in stores such as Best Buy, they normally indicate what media the units play on a little sign below the unit, if the newer ones now indicate compatible with DL media. I'll have to check on my next visit.

My stand alone is 16 months old now and I don't believe DL disks were available then, the manual makes no mention of being compatible with DL media.
That being said, it had no trouble playing back the 1 DL Verbatim disk I burned so far as DVD-Rom.

Can you please check and verify with either of the two programs I mentioned, that your DL copies indicate burned at DVD-Rom.

I think a more accurate test should be attempted before ruling out the Cyberhome player. Try burning a Verbatim DL+ disk and verify it burned DVD-Rom and try playing that in the Cyberhome. If it doesn't play and you intend to use DL media then buy yourself a new player. Take one of your disks with you and try it in several players and find the best deal you can.

If I may ask - why are you using CloneDVD to duplicate discs if you are using Dual Layer media? The MOST COMPATIBLE method currently is to do an ISO READ followed by an ISO WRITE in DVD Decrypter.

This is not a hack on CloneDVD, just a "why use the wrong tool" sort of thing.

Kindly explain, I'm curious to know, how using your suggested method will make the disk more compatible?

I don't think compatibility with players will be an issue for too much longer. Even in the camp of the original DVD industry standard of -R, everyone is scrambling to provide bitsetting. I read the resurection of the DVD Standards Commitee will be holding meetings coming up this spring and that they stand a good chance of reaching an accord on bitsetting that will be compatible on all existing players. The product classifications of +R and -R may just fall by the wayside in favor of a yet unnamed burnable ROM standard.

That is the whole bloody problem with the question of "which software booktypes best". One or the other does well with this drive/firmware but not others. Then people start thinking that there is something wrong with their software because they have a drive or firmware version that doesn't work with it. Which leads to them either switching software or having to buy another drive or obtain hacked firmware. Manufacturers of drives with their accompaying firmware and manufacturers of players and also the media makers are not on the same page as far as an industry standard for booktyping to ROM.

Peace may be at hand because all the damn facist suits would rather be getting ready for WW III in the high-def market. As the poor consumer I reckon I can avoid any collateral damage by not jumping into that for at least 3-5 years. I'm real happy with the quality of 480 lpi played on in progressive scan mode on a current HDTV. The hell with them! They will have to keep producing regular DVD's for at least that long to cover their bleeding transition!

Best regards
Whisperer

It just does. Read these forums a bit and you'll soon discover that the accepted "best practice" for burning dual-layer discs is to do ISO->READ, ISO->WRITE with DVD Decrypter.

The reason is, that the layer break position will be transferred 1:1 with DVDDecrypter. CloneDVD doesn't do this 1:1, because it is designed to alter the contents (remove stupid trailers with the famous CloneDVD "nothing", etc.)
However, I am very confident that elstevedore's problems were caused by Memorex media together with the cheapo player, and not because CloneDVD was used.

I agree. I just wanted to let him know that he was ... spending extra time that wasn't necessary.

@Gurm and Tru
Thanks for the information, I'm not big on DL, still too expensive and have only burned one thus far. I have little knowledge on it. I'll do some reading on it to learn more.

I'm glad I came across this thread. I just burned my first DL+ and it didn't play in either of my stand alone players, one of them a new Oppo. I copied it using DVDClone and AnyDVD and burned it on a Memorex DL+ disc. Now I know to avoid the Memorex discs and to just use DVDDecrypter to do an ISO rip/burn. Otherwise, I think DVDClone2 is great. I haven't had any problems with copied discs whereas some discs burned with DVDShrink (R +/-) froze or didn't work. Thanks guys.

What on earth is DVDClone? Yet another rip-off of CloneDVD?

@elstevedore

I have almost all CyberHome DVD players, especially the older ones. I also have a (German) CH-DVD 400, which, I think, is fairly similar, if no identical, to the internationally sold CH-DVD 300. And they ALL play Verbatim DVD+R DL booktyped as DVD-ROM pretty well.

So I don't think it's your cheapo whom to blame. I think it's all about that Memorex media.

Hello Folks,

Expanding on Forum Members Gurm / itzbinnice / Tru conversation concerning using DVD Decrypter ISO->Read, ISO->Write mode for burning data to DVD+R DL media.

Lightning UK (DVD Decrypter author) released a software program titled ImgBurn, which is a CD/DVD image-burning program based on the DVD Decrypter burning engine. According to Lightning UK ImgBurn will try its very best to burn your DVD-Video double layer images using the layer break you've specified in the IFO files. Below is the official link to the ImgBurn.

http://imgburn.com/

Maybe possibly using the ImgBurn might be easer than using DVD Decrypter to burn ISO images. I believe that was Lightning UK intensions when he wrote his ImgBurn program.

Best Regards,
bjkg

bjkg,
I had insatlled that a while back and it appeared as a very light version of Decrypter so I uninstalled.
If you use Decrypter configured with AnyDVD you still have the functionality of Decrypter and an up to date Arcos protection remover.

I've little experience burning ISO's, I still want to research before I attempt to burn the DL's as ISO's so I don't screw up the 2.00 disks, I'm a bit cheap you know.

Well, avoiding Memorex discs probably is enough.

That was god of you to informM1uffy that your CyberHome player accepts DL media.

Folks, it been repeated a thousand times, if you want to avoid aggravation
USE ONLY QUALTY MEDIA.

Hello Everyone.

I was just reading some of the posts about the DL Media won't burn, and I figured I would throw my 2 cents in. I could not get my first 2 DL disks to play for nothing in my HTS. It would play in my computer, but nothing else. I have a Memorex 16X DL internal drive, and as we all know that's a re-badged Lite-On. I have the latest firmware installed and all the latest versions of DVDDecrypter, CloneDVD, AnyDVD and DVDShrink.

I got to looking around on LiteOns website and they have a small freeware program called Booktype. This works with my Memorex firmware and allows me to change the Booktype to DVD-ROM. The way I do it is I create an ISO Image with Decrypter, then I put in my Verbatim DL blank disk open up Booktype set it to DVD-ROM. I then go back in DVD Decrypter and select ISO write. It sees my blank disk like it should, I burn it and and works perfect in any DVD player I've tried it in from 3 year old units to brand new ones.

I've burned 6 so far and all work perfectly. DVD Decrypter lets you change the booktype as well for some drives. I also agree that there should be one standard across the board as far as blank media goes. It gets crazy with all this DVD+R / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+R DL / DVD this and DVD that enough! One standard blank media that will work and play in all drives.

Viper66

@ Viper66,

Perchance are you aware that with the OmiPatcher tool (available at CD Freaks Lite-On Forum) you are able to patch your DVD Burner firmware for AutoBitsetting. AutoBitsetting means that automatically when you burn DVD+R Media the firmware will automatically burn to DVD+R media to DVD-ROM without any user action intervention required. Most Lite-On firmwares which can be used on your Memorex DVD Burner available at the CD Freaks Lite-On DVD Forum (http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=44) allowing patching to AutoBitsetting. Patching your DVD Burner firmware for AutoBitsetting is a lot easer than having to use a BookType Utility each time you want to burn DVD+R to DVD-ROM.

Best Regards,
bjkg

bjkg
I've been researching to buy the BenQ because I'm tired of staying loyal to Pioneer when, with each new drive release, they don't seem to realize that default booktyping is a serious consumer need. And I see too many problem posts for the latest Lite-On burner and of course their OEM customer Sony.

My question to bjkg: You mean one cannot just set the BenQ booktyping utility to finalize the burn as ROM by default and just stay that way permanantely? One has to set it for each use?

BTW: My need for reliable booktyping will have to work with CloneDVD which is my software of choice. Maybe the next release of CloneDVD could include a feature such as, when you choose output size, you would see a submenu that defaults CloneDVD to the the bitsetting requirements for various popular burners choices.

Thanks
Whisperer

@ Whisperer1,

There is no uniform industry standard for bit setting DVD+R to DVD-ROM. Each DVD Burner Manufacture uses different methodology through firmware to set bit sitting DVD-R media to DVD-ROM. I know for a fact that both NEC and Lite-On DVD Burner firmware can be patch to auto bit setting. I am unaware of the capabilities of other DVD Burner manufactures. If you are interested in obtaining information on the BenQ auto bit setting capabilities suggest visiting The CD Freaks BenQ DVD Burner Forum (http://club.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=92) and inquire there.

Either Olli or the knowledgeable Forum Member Tru has explained that each DVD Burner Manufacture uses different methodology through firmware to set bit sitting DVD-R media to DVD-ROM. It was stated that because of this fact it would be extremely difficult to write a software program that will be enable to auto bit setting DVD-R To DVD-ROM for all various DVD Burners into the CloneDVD program.

Best Regards,
bjkg

@bjkg

Thanks for the info and the link, I'm going to go check that out. As they say "Chance favors the prepared mind". I like to explore all options, and have a backup plan for my backup plan. Like I said, I've done 7 so far now and all work perfectly. It may be a slight hassle to change it that way , but I'm just glad I found a way to use those DL disks I purchased.

At least I don't feel like I wasted my money on them now. Oh, if anybody else checks this forum out I was able to backup Star Wars III and bewitched using the method I described before. Now I don't have to worry about my original getting damaged in the car, or being thrown in and out of my brief case at work.

Anyway Thanks again bjkg Time to go check that out.

see ya on my next post.

Viper66

Hi. I don't have an answer but I do have some more information. I've tried to copy several of my movie titles onto DVD+R DL disks and what I've found is that some of them work and some of them don't. I back up my DVD's so that the kids don't scratch the originals. I copied my Star Wars III, IV, and V and they play on all of my players but I can't seem to get Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka, or Hellboy to work on my home player or in my van. They do work on my computer and in my other car that has an after market Kenwood DVD player.

I tried those that didn't work with several different burning software (Nero, Gear, Ulead) and none of them worked. I tried on DVD+R DL(Fuji and Verbatim) and DVD-R DL(Verbatim) (Yes this is getting expensive).

The gear burning software had an interesting setting that I'm wondering if it has something to do with it. It told me to make sure that the split between layer 1 and layer 2 was set correctly. You can set the split location with this software but I don't have the foggiest idea how to calculate where to do it. It's setting is in 32K blocks. What I'm thinking is that maybe one of the VOB's or some other file is getting split between layers and that's messing up my player.

I'm going to buy a Sony player, I hear they have the best compatability with all kinds of disks. This doesn't help me in the Van where I'm stuck with what the car company has put in and where I need this the most.

Let me know if you figure out anything. Getting very frustrated. I've probably spent more on these blank disks then I would have just buying a few copies of each movie when they get scratched.