I recently had my JVC VHS / DVDR combi unit die on me (I think the DVD laser packed in). So I have replaced it with the Sony RDRGX350B DVD Recorder - which seems fine for playing DVDs and for future Camcorder to DVD transfers.

I have a big problem though - on checking back through my existing DVDs created on the JVC I have discovered that I failed to finalise 3 of them. They won't play on the Sony, or a Wharfedale, or on my PC.

So, please can someone help me with ways I could try to save the precious family memories that are on these DVDs. I've done a bit of searching but I quickly get lost with some of the lingo. I've managed to create an image (I think, it's created some .iqb and .iqr files) of the disc on my PC using ISObuster but still can't view the content and don't know what to do next.

Can someone please explain - in simple terms - things I could try?

[ramjet]

you need to find somebody with the same recorders that the disks were made on , and finalise them on those recorders , then you can import onto a pc and do as you wish with them

its the lack of finalisation causing the problems

[jockeymaster]

Originally Posted by SEB_WW

I recently had my JVC VHS / DVDR combi unit die on me (I think the DVD laser packed in). So I have replaced it with the Sony RDRGX350B DVD Recorder - which seems fine for playing DVDs and for future Camcorder to DVD transfers.

I have a big problem though - on checking back through my existing DVDs created on the JVC I have discovered that I failed to finalise 3 of them. They won't play on the Sony, or a Wharfedale, or on my PC.

So, please can someone help me with ways I could try to save the precious family memories that are on these DVDs. I've done a bit of searching but I quickly get lost with some of the lingo. I've managed to create an image (I think, it's created some .iqb and .iqr files) of the disc on my PC using ISObuster but still can't view the content and don't know what to do next.

Can someone please explain - in simple terms - things I could try?

You are definately using one of the best tools for the job, namely ISObuster. No I'm not the author of ISObuster or anything, but I used it myself last year.

My sister-in-law went on a trip to Kenya & took a Hitachi camcoder with her - it takes the smaller 8cm DVD disks. Strangely you need mains power to finalise the disks, so she had to wait until she came back to do that. The camcorder just plain refused to finalise some of the disks.

I think you probably have an unregistered version of ISObuster which just shows you what it can do short of actually recovering the data. I must have tried dozens of different PC applications, but ISObuster was the only one to cut the mustard.

What about Nero? I've read elsewhere this may be able to help?

[ROYOLD]

As ramjet says. You need somebody local with a JVC dvd recorder who will finalize them for you. Maybe a local store. Might be a big search - JVC dvd recorders are few and far between these days.

[jockeymaster]

ISObuster will read unfinalised disks. I know from experience with a Hitachi mini-DVD based camcorder.

I spent about a week trying all sorts of different things as my sister-in-law was desperate to get her footage back from her once in a lifetime trip to Kenya.

It worked for me. Honestly. I don't have any Hitachi equipment or Hitachi DVD drive in my PC - it's a Pioneer DVD drive.

Understand your reluctance to shell out cash if you can do it for free. If you can do it on a PC without ISObuster then you'r a better man than me.

[Jim Pixel]

Do you know anyone with a Panasonic recorder as JVC and Panasonic both belong to one parent company - Matsushita I think, so they may share lots of similarities and technologies...

Just because you didn't finalise your discs, doesn't mean it wont play on any other machine. It just "may" have problems. I have played quite a few of my unfinalised DVD's done on either my Panasonic or my Sony recorders on each other and on friends units but have also had some of them failed to read too... If you do find a unit that will play them and it has a HDD, try to copy all of it to that HDD and then try to finalise yours and then burn off from that recorder and don't forget to finalise that disc...

Originally Posted by Jim Pixel

Do you know anyone with a Panasonic recorder as JVC and Panasonic both belong to one parent company - Matsushita I think, so they may share lots of similarities and technologies...

Just because you didn't finalise your discs, doesn't mean it wont play on any other machine. It just "may" have problems. I have played quite a few of my unfinalised DVD's done on either my Panasonic or my Sony recorders on each other and on friends units but have also had some of them failed to read too... If you do find a unit that will play them and it has a HDD, try to copy all of it to that HDD and then try to finalise yours and then burn off from that recorder and don't forget to finalise that disc...

Do you know what - my Dad bought a Panasonic DVD/HDD recorder recently. I tried one of my problem discs in it last night - and I was delighted to discover it seemed like it would play it! Didn't have time to investigate further so will have to pop round again at the weekend and try what you suggest. Fingers crossed! Will report back when done - might be useful info for others.

[Gavtech]

Originally Posted by SEB_WW

Do you know what - my Dad bought a Panasonic DVD/HDD recorder recently. I tried one of my problem discs in it last night - and I was delighted to discover it seemed like it would play it! Didn't have time to investigate further so will have to pop round again at the weekend and try what you suggest. Fingers crossed! Will report back when done - might be useful info for others.

As it plays it is very likely that it will be finaliseable too... but if not, it would be possible to copy the material to the HDD and then make a fresh disc copy from there which can be finalised.

It will probably have to be real time, but try first, [ Ignore any indicators which say it is possible or not ] to see if it will high speed copy [ because that is lossless] - Use Functions/ to others/ Advanced copy and choose High Speed copy in the options.

If you cannot high speed copy then you'll have no option but to real time copy.

Hopefully you will be able to finalise and so problem solved

Good luck.

[RBJTech]

If you can read the disc in a PC and see .VOB files - then you can remaster the disc youself easy enough. If you see the .vob files and all other methods fail then give me a shout and we can have a go at re-creating the .IFO file from tools such as IFOEDIT.

Well, I have good news to report - I have saved all 3 discs! Very pleased and relieved!

I took them to my Dads Panasonic DMREX88. First I tried copying to HDD, but it wouldn't let me select high speed copy, just real time copy. So, I crossed my fingers, hoped for the best and went straight to finalise disc. Voila! Problem sorted.

As stated by someone above, the Panasonic does indeed contain Matsushita tecnology, same as JVC.

[Gavtech]

Originally Posted by SEB_WW

Well, I have good news to report - I have saved all 3 discs! Very pleased and relieved!

I took them to my Dads Panasonic Panasonic DMREX88. First I tried copying to HDD, but it wouldn't let me select high speed copy, just real time copy. So, I crossed my fingers, hoped for the best and went straight to finalise disc. Voila! Problem sorted.

As stated by someone above, the Panasonic does indeed contain Matsushita tecnology, same as JVC.

Did you not try to finalise the original discs on the Panasonic?

There is good reason for wanting to know if it is possible.

This specific question crops up often because JVC machines of a certain vintage, have a particular tendency to a stock fault failure so we regularly get JVC users looking to finalise discs.
It would be helpful to know if it can be done on a Panasonic.

Originally Posted by Gavtech

Did you not try to finalise the original discs on the Panasonic?

There is good reason for wanting to know if it is possible.

This specific question crops up often because JVC machines of a certain vintage, have a particular tendency to a stock fault failure so we regularly get JVC users looking to finalise discs.
It would be helpful to know if it can be done on a Panasonic.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough - finalising the original discs was precisely what I did, as I didn't have time to do real time copy - and I was feeling brave!

So to clarify - I had unfinalised DVD-R discs originally recorded on a JVC recorder that I was able to finalise on a Panasonic.