re-using dvd-rw's

hi all

im using dvd shrink and nero 7 currently and having problems whatsoever burning onto my TY DVD-Rs. I have been toying with -RW's and doing my editing on them, then copying over to my -Rs. after the first use of my RW, i used the nero tool to erase the DVD. now neither my computer or my stand alone recorder will acknowledge the DVD-RW. what else do i need to do?? is there a "re-format" tool with nero?? any help would be appreciated. thanks.

sampson

 

You don't have to separately erase to re-use. When I use a RW just before the final burn Nero asks to erase.

Try ImgBurn to see if you can get your RW working again.

 

I'm not using nero to burn...i am using a stand alone recorder, record a show, i use dvdshrink to "trim" the start and the stop...then write the editted version to a dvd-r.

the only time i use nero (other than with dvdshrink) was to erase the -rw so that i can record another show with my stand alone. i will try imgburn, though.

sampson

 

You should just use your standalone DVD Recorder to erase the disc. You could try going threw explorer and right click on the DVDRW drive (while your DVDRW disc is in it of course) and see if you can format it that way.

 

You didn't say it was a stand alone. Let it do it.

 

Rewritable discs have less difference between the amount of reflected laser light than DVD+/-R discs to distinguish digital ones and zeros. If the erase pattern of one drive with its tracking and laser light pattern differs from the tracking and light pattern of a second drive, eventually the contrast difference between the patterns on a rewritable disc will not be great enough for either drive to read the disc. It's best for rewritable media to erase and record them on a single drive rather than several drives. Try a full erase on the stand-alone recorder and stick with that drive for writing and erasure. If that doesn't work, you will have to toss out the DVD-RW discs (or try a third drive of a different brand to see if that drive "averages" the differences enough to allow use by the stand-alone recorder.)

 

DVD RWs are for learning. What you learn is they go bad and cost to much.LOL!

 

more info:

one piece of info i forgot to mention is that my stand alone is pre-set to automatically "finalize" the disc after recording. is it possible that my -rw is finalized and therefore un-recordable?

i agree...rw's are a pain in the butt....but now i started this venture with the -rw's and i refuse to be stopped by it! (unless theres just no other way).

sampson

 

Ditto what bbmayo said--use your stand alone recorder to erase your RWs.

On my stand alone recorder, it does not finalize RWs, only -Rs and +Rs. After recording a TV movie on my stand alone recorder, I tweak it with Shrink and burn with Nero as you do. When I am finished I put the RW back in the stand alone recorder and hit the "set-up" button and navigate to the erase disk function. As possibly with your situation, my stand alone recorder does not recognize a disk erase done by my computer. Check the instruction manual on your stand alone recorder and find where in the set up menu your disk erase is and try that. You should be able to re-record on your RW many times as I have done...

 

thank you guys for your help...i feel like such a 'tard.

i FINALLY found the option to "erase disc" on my stand alone. i used that...was able to record another show and edit with 'shrink. thanks for pointing this option out to me.

sampson

 

Glad you got it sorted out.
Happy Burning!!!!