[shuggyo]

I have a Panasonic DMR-E50 DVD recorder that has worked fine for four years – it has always played the discs I have recorded on it without a problem. I recently started burning 24-96, DTS 5.1 and DVD-A music onto DVDs on my desk computer, a Dell XPS-400 with Windows XP and Philips DVD+/- 8801 recorder. I found that anything I record on the computer with a blank DVD-R disc will not play on the Panasonic – I get the error message, “this disc cannot be played in this region.”

It doesn’t matter what type of files or what software I use. The software I’ve been using is mainly DVD Decrypter or Audio DVD Creator. On Decrypter, I have tried recording discs all-region and Region 1 only, to no avail. The files burned are ones typically found from ripping a DVD (VOB, IFO, BUP) or from an ISO file, or audio files such as WAV or FLAC for the 24-96 recordings.

The Panasonic has no problem playing CD-ROM discs burned from the computer.

The DVD discs I’ve recorded do play on my old (about 10 years) Sony DVD player, but it cannot process DTS or 24-96 signals, which the Panasonic can. The discs also play on my computer, but it also cannot process DTS or 24-96 signals (I can tell the discs are playing if they have video or, if they’re only music, from the progress bar).

Does the Panasonic have some built-in detector of music and video recorded on computers from blank DVDs that won’t allow their playback? Could the Philips recorder add some kind of region setting during DVD recording? That is the only thing I can think of so far, since the problems occur with different recording software and the music-only files don’t have region settings involved with them

I’ve had no luck finding a solution through Google and various forum searches.

[Gavtech]

Welcome to the forum.

I'm not entirely clear what kind of discs you are producing... but at its simplest, the E50 does not support any of the kinds of discs you are mentioning.

The ONLY kind of DVD disc supported is DVD Video.

The machine does not actually handle 5.1 either but passes it through for decoding in an external unit.

The other disc support is for standard audio CD ... Video CD and MP3 CD.

[RAB67]

Well, the manual says "This unit can play MP3 files recorded on CD-R/RW with a computer." and it means just that. It will playback mp3 files from a CD-R or CD-RW but not a DVD. Irritating but true (I've an EH50).

Regarding the DVDs, if you have burnt them properly from a ISO file they should work - there is no jiggery-pokery in a Panasonic to prevent you making your own disks. Interesting that the Sony plays them ok.

Are they all on the same disk brand?

Can you borrow a DVD-R video off a friend and see if that plays?

[shuggyo]

Gavtech: The blank recording discs are DVD Video - the 24-96, etc. info was just to indicate what type of audio signal formats were being burned onto the discs. The bottom line is something is triggering a region code on the Panasonic that won't allow my computer-recorded DVDs to play on it.
RAB67: The only types of blank discs I have used is Memorex - I do not have a problem with them when I play discs on the Panasonic recorded on the Panasonic. I will see if I can find someone with another brand I can try out. But, it still wouldn't explain why it triggers a region code error message. Thanks for both your inputs.

[Gavtech]

Originally Posted by shuggyo

Gavtech: The blank recording discs are DVD Video - the 24-96, etc. info was just to indicate what type of audio signal formats were being burned onto the discs. The bottom line is something is triggering a region code on the Panasonic that won't allow my computer-recorded DVDs to play on it.

It's possible that the message is being misleading.

For example, some Panasonic models [ Not this one As far as I know ] in certain territories are capable of playing DVD-A whilst the same models for other territories cannot, so the software may be designed to trigger the 'region' message under such circumstances... suggesting it is a regional restriction issue - when it isn't really.

Have you an information tool such as 'Nero Info tool' that you can interrogate the problem discs and verify that they are region 0... which should be playable.

Incidentally - what make of burner do you have in the PC?
LG burners seem prone to producing problems of various types when it comes to moving material between devices.

[shuggyo]

DVD Decrypter shows the following on one of the discs I checked:

Region: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 - RCE Protection: No
Copyright Protection System Type: No

I just noticed while checking this info that Decrypter, under General Settings, only has the options to select Regions 1-8 under the RCE Protection Region setting. There is nothing to indicate a "0 region" setting. However, it is set to Region 1. My burner is a Philips DVD+/- 8801.

I don't think Decrypter would be the problem, however, because the same problem occurs using Audio DVD Creator, which has only been used to burn .wav or .flac files that would not contain region information.

[Hal_loe]

Hi

As far as I'm aware, NO PC DVD-Video writing software can set a DVD Regional code on a disc. It is only available on pressed DVD-Video discs.

What software have you used to master and burn this disc with?

[shuggyo]

I have only used DVD Decrypter for DVD video files, such as ISOs, or Audio DVD Creator for music files. I have the same region error message pop up on the Panasonic with discs burned using both software.

[shuggyo]

Wonder of wonders! I found the solution to the problem - it was the Sony DVD-R blank discs I was recording with. I mistakenly thought I was using Memorex discs, which I normally use, but I forgot that I had received a pack of Sony DVD-Rs for Christmas and that is what I had been recording on. Yesterday, I bought some Memorex DVD-Rs, used them to record the two sets of files that I was having problems with - one on DVD Decrypter software and another on Audio DVD Creator - and both play fine on my Panasonic DMR-E50.
This does bring up a big question, however: Why would DVDs recorded on a computer with blank Sony DVD-R discs cause them to trigger a region error on a Panasonic DMR-E50 and not play?
On the good side, it sure is nice finally hearing Bob Marley with 24-96 audio and Mahler's Ninth Symphony in DTS 5.1 Surround!

[Gavtech]

I'm pleased to hear you have it sorted... but yes it does beg the question of what is going on.

Can you give us as much information about these Sony discs as possible to see if we can figure out what is going on.

if you don't have an info tool [ to see who made them for one thing ] then Google DVD info tool and see if you can find a trial so you can examine the disc.

[RAB67]

Decrypter gives you info about the disk.