Re: Self-written DVD+Rs that cannot be read...

[Bill Davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>]

Hugo van der Merwe wrote:

I would highly suggest trying to read the DVD's under another OS.  There is 
a Linux kernel bug regarding reading CD/DVD media related to the 
read-ahead cache.
    

Thanks, not the case though. I know people had problems in WindowsXP
with the DVDs I wrote, as well as checking the files myself - I run into
bad files as soon as 1/3 into the DVD. (Assuming files were added in
sorted order.) dd can fail quite soon as well.

BTW, I've noticed dd dumps being smaller than the original .iso - but
still all the files are fine (mount and diff -r gives "perfect
verification"). This being on CDs. I've not yet successfully verified 
any DVD. 7 out of 7 checked were bad, and I handed out another 8 which I 
therefore assume are possibly all bad.

I think I will try Verbatim's DVD-R (might that help?), then possibly
another brand, then I'll be looking for another DVD writer. (I have a
"BTC" writer - cheap cheap. Suppose I might paying for my stinginess
now.)
  

Maybe... I have a Pioneer DVR-104 in this system, and a Lit-On LDW-451S in the one next to it, both of which have produced about a hundred backup data disks using cheap DVD-R media of various kinds, as well as a few hundred data CDs and maybe 8-10 audio CD.

Other than the fact that I can't find the right media and incantation to burn a DVD which plays in a non-computer, I have no complaints. Someday someone will write a decent documentation on the DVD process instead of on one programs to do one thing which may not be what you want. Since that's not why I got the hardware it's an annoyance not to be able to take DVD presentations with me, but if it ever becomes a requirement before such documentation is written, I'll get a Mac.

I doubt that this is a problem with cheap hardware, but if the firmware is up to date it might be.

-- 
bill davidsen <davidsen@tmr.com>
  CTO TMR Associates, Inc
  Doing interesting things with small computers since 1979