DVD Recorder... Disc won't finalize, what can I do? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Jimellow · 03-06-2007, 06:57 AM

Last week I recorded the World Superbike race at Losail, and when I attempted to finalize the disc (to make it playable on all DVD players), it hung/froze at the sub-menu screen. The freeze lasts seemingly "forever," as I've left it at the sub-menu/frozen screen for hours, only to come back and see it still there. A hard power off (pulling plug) seems to be the only way to temporarily unfreeze the player, and after that it works perfectly fine; but still doesn't allow me to finalize this specific disc.

The DVD plays perfectly well on my player and the one in our living room (same models), but without finalization, it won't play on any other DVD players.

The DVD Recorder make and model is Panasonic DMR-ES20. I've experienced this issue before, but this time it's a bigger concern as I actually would like to finalize and archive the race for future viewing. I am pretty certain it's a DVD player issue, but I do find it odd that the exact same issue occurs on both my player, and the one in the living room. They are identical, except one also has a VHS capability. The DVDs are made by Taiyo Yuden, and are generally reliable and of high quality, and thus I suspect it's the DVD player. I've also had this issue occur with other brands of DVDs.

Any help, feedback, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I realize my issue might be a bit specific, but perhaps others have experienced similar issues with their own DVD recorders, even if they aren't identical to mine.

Thanks!

DaveOrion · 03-06-2007, 10:24 AM

Those Taiyo Yuden discs are cheap, but not great quality. I used them in the past but had issues, so I changed to a more expensive but less troublesome disc. What burning software do you use??? Nero has a toolkit in its software package that can be helpful to analyze the disc. What about firmware updates for your burner??? Sorry, thats all I can think of, but I'm brain dead at the moment, coffee may help....

Heres a link to some firmware, make positive you select the correct one.http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...ge=DVDFirmware
This is a stand alone recorder, so the firmware is all I can think of. Do you have a DVD player on your PC?? If so you can check download.com for a disc analyzer.

Jimellow · 03-06-2007, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveMatrix

Those Taiyo Yuden discs are cheap, but not great quality. I used them in the past but had issues, so I changed to a more expensive but less troublesome disc. What burning software do you use??? Nero has a toolkit in its software package that can be helpful to analyze the disc. What about firmware updates for your burner??? Sorry, thats all I can think of, but I'm brain dead at the moment, coffee may help....

Heres a link to some firmware, make positive you select the correct one.http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...ge=DVDFirmware
This is a stand alone recorder, so the firmware is all I can think of. Do you have a DVD player on your PC?? If so you can check download.com for a disc analyzer.

Interesting.. I tended to have issues with the more common brands, and have yet to have a disc issue with a Taiyo Yuden disc. They weren't cheap either, and in fact were more expensive. I ultimately bought them on advice from someone that did DVD projects professionally and said he recommend, and used, them in his projects.

My PC is older and it does have a DVD drive, but it unfortunately does not work entirely. Sometimes I will put a DVD in and be able to see the start of footage, but usually it freezes up and is ultimately a failure.

The Panasonic support site has a "DMR-ES20P DVD Recorder Firmware Update" yet my device does not have a "P" at the end of the model number. Other than that, it's identical.

I just recorded the Superbike race at Philip Island and was able to finalize it without a hitch. I'd say that I am able to successfully finalize discs 20-30 times for every one that freezes, and the freeze has occurred regardless of the DVD brand.

Thanks for the response and suggestions. It would be great if I could analyze the DVD on my PC, but I suspect it won't even be recognized, as a result of my PC's DVD drive being only partly functional.

DaveOrion · 03-06-2007, 11:38 AM

I noticed your recorder didnt have a P at the end of the model number, so I'm not sure if I would use that firmware. I saw there was a support page at the same site, so I went there, typed in your model #, and nothing. So I went to the other drop down list and found a model 'K' and 'S'. It gets better.... I then went to software downloads for those models and only found the 'P' option, no K or S......Hmmmm.....maybe P covers all the DMR-ES20 models but I cant say for sure....They do have an 800 #, dont know if you wanna try that though, you'll probably get someone in India....1-800-211-PANA (7262) Good Luck!!!

I bought my Taiyo discs in bulk off the net, so I may have gotten a bad patch, who knows???

Jimellow · 03-10-2007, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveMatrix

I noticed your recorder didnt have a P at the end of the model number, so I'm not sure if I would use that firmware. I saw there was a support page at the same site, so I went there, typed in your model #, and nothing. So I went to the other drop down list and found a model 'K' and 'S'. It gets better.... I then went to software downloads for those models and only found the 'P' option, no K or S......Hmmmm.....maybe P covers all the DMR-ES20 models but I cant say for sure....They do have an 800 #, dont know if you wanna try that though, you'll probably get someone in India....1-800-211-PANA (7262) Good Luck!!!

I bought my Taiyo discs in bulk off the net, so I may have gotten a bad patch, who knows???

Thanks for your efforts and investigation.

Instead of updating the firmware with a version that may or may not be compatible, I think I will just sit tight and deal with it. I've recorded and finalized without issue recently, and while I'm sure it will freeze at some point in the future, I suspect it's something I'd rather deal with than risk breaking the player by installing firmware that I have no idea how to remove.

I do appreciate your efforts though. You've done more research into this than I have myself.

03-06-2007, 06:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jimellow Junkie	DVD Recorder... Disc won't finalize, what can I do? Last week I recorded the World Superbike race at Losail, and when I attempted to finalize the disc (to make it playable on all DVD players), it hung/froze at the sub-menu screen. The freeze lasts seemingly "forever," as I've left it at the sub-menu/frozen screen for hours, only to come back and see it still there. A hard power off (pulling plug) seems to be the only way to temporarily unfreeze the player, and after that it works perfectly fine; but still doesn't allow me to finalize this specific disc. The DVD plays perfectly well on my player and the one in our living room (same models), but without finalization, it won't play on any other DVD players. The DVD Recorder make and model is Panasonic DMR-ES20. I've experienced this issue before, but this time it's a bigger concern as I actually would like to finalize and archive the race for future viewing. I am pretty certain it's a DVD player issue, but I do find it odd that the exact same issue occurs on both my player, and the one in the living room. They are identical, except one also has a VHS capability. The DVDs are made by Taiyo Yuden, and are generally reliable and of high quality, and thus I suspect it's the DVD player. I've also had this issue occur with other brands of DVDs. Any help, feedback, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I realize my issue might be a bit specific, but perhaps others have experienced similar issues with their own DVD recorders, even if they aren't identical to mine. Thanks! __________________ Desperation is no excuse for lowering one's standards.

03-06-2007, 10:24 AM	#2 (permalink)
DaveOrion Playing With Fire Location: Disaster Area	Those Taiyo Yuden discs are cheap, but not great quality. I used them in the past but had issues, so I changed to a more expensive but less troublesome disc. What burning software do you use??? Nero has a toolkit in its software package that can be helpful to analyze the disc. What about firmware updates for your burner??? Sorry, thats all I can think of, but I'm brain dead at the moment, coffee may help.... Heres a link to some firmware, make positive you select the correct one.http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...ge=DVDFirmware This is a stand alone recorder, so the firmware is all I can think of. Do you have a DVD player on your PC?? If so you can check download.com for a disc analyzer. __________________ *Syriana...have you ever tried liquid MDMA?....Liquid MDMA? No....Arash, when you wanna do this?.....After prayer... Last edited by DaveOrion; 03-06-2007 at 10:34 AM.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost*

03-06-2007, 11:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
DaveOrion Playing With Fire Location: Disaster Area	I noticed your recorder didnt have a P at the end of the model number, so I'm not sure if I would use that firmware. I saw there was a support page at the same site, so I went there, typed in your model #, and nothing. So I went to the other drop down list and found a model 'K' and 'S'. It gets better.... I then went to software downloads for those models and only found the 'P' option, no K or S......Hmmmm.....maybe P covers all the DMR-ES20 models but I cant say for sure....They do have an 800 #, dont know if you wanna try that though, you'll probably get someone in India....1-800-211-PANA (7262) Good Luck!!! I bought my Taiyo discs in bulk off the net, so I may have gotten a bad patch, who knows??? __________________ *Syriana*...have you ever tried liquid MDMA?....Liquid MDMA? No....Arash, when you wanna do this?.....After prayer...