The Hank Files - Recorded DVD Compatible with Other Players

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Friday, May 9, 2008
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Recorded DVD Compatible with Other Players

Question

Many find out that disks recorded on one video recorder can't be played back on another make. Hence. Those of us who are converting our ancient VHS tapes into DVDs on one machine, find out in time that they won't work on its replacement.

What should one look for when buying - say - a HDD/VHS/DVD player recorder? Just why is there not a common standard across all recorders?

Norman Speight
(normanspeight@onetel.com)

Answer

You need three things for broad compatibility.

DVD-R or DVD+R
MPEG-2 Compression
Finalized Disc

Chances are that you are using DVD-R or DVD+R discs, and most DVD recorders automatically or only use MPEG-2 compression. However, if a disc is not finalized, it cannot be played on other equipment.

Check the manual for your DVD recorder to learn how to finalize a disc.