Viewing jpeg photos on DVD using CD-R's

tspencerj

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I have two questions about viewing jpegs on DVD players, using CD-R discs.

1. Why do some DVD players, which say that they do accept CD-R's, not play them. I have two friends that have Panasonic players, which both say that they accept CD-R's. However, it says something about 'depending on recording conditions'. My Philips CD-R's don't play on either Panasonics, but do play on my Cambridge Audio and on my friend's Woolworths cheapo player?

2. I sent a Philips CD-R disc to my Grandpa in the USA, to view photos on his DVD player. In the manual for his DVD player it says that 'some CD-R discs may be incompatible. When he tries to play my disc, it says on his TV screen, 'incompatible disc'. I phoned up the DVD player manufacturer, RCA, and they said that it's because blank CD-R's are region coded and my disc is from Europe. Is this true? Are blank discs region coded? If I get one sent to me from the USA and burn them here, will that work?
 
I dont think that's true, i think its a softwear issue. Are you burning them as data discs? If so they will not play, you need to make them svd's or use softwear like pinnacle or nero. If you're simply burning the jpegs on to disc and sending them on, then i think ( not 100% sure) that's your problem
 
There are two issues at stake (and a possible third in the case of an export to the USA):

1: Can the laser in the player read data off the disc? Many early DVDs were unable to do this. Recent ones are usually equipped to do so. Statements like CD-R compatible in player specs indicate this factor only.

2: What is a "CD"? Although the physical media may be the same, there are three basic formats that CDs are typically made (or recorded) in:

CDA (regular audio)
VCD (video CD)
Data: files and folders, just like on a floppy or hard disc.

Understanding this difference is important; you wouldn't expect that a CD containing some PC software, would do anything useful if fed into a table-top audio CD player, right?

Assuming the laser can read the data, are the contents in a format that the player's software can decode? Most (all?) DVD players can decode standard Video CD and standard Audio CD formats. However, once you move away from this to (say) data discs with MP3s, JPEGs, or extensions of the VCD format (XVCD, SVCD) then software ability in players is much more patchy. This is what is meant by "depending on recording conditions".

3: Finally, even if the disc was recorded as (say) a standard VCD - if this was done to PAL format, then it's quite possible that a US player is only able to reproduce NTSC video.
 
It sounds most likely that, although your Panasonic and RCA players can read cd-rs, they cannot read data discs. A disc with just jpegs on is just a cd rom.

Normally, if it can play them, the dvd player will have some kind of JPEG logo emblazened on the front.
 
gosh, thanks everyone, I am a little green when it comes to cd burning. I've only just got a burner and did not know about terms like vcd, data disc etc. Based on your advice, it sounds to me like the way to go is to make a vcd of the jpegs and make sure it is burnt in a NTSC format. Is this correct and if so, what software shall I buy? The only software I currently have is Adaptec easy cd 4. Also, when I burn music cd's in windows media player, the music is saved in wma. files and not cda. What software is the best to make hi fi compatible recordings?
 
OK, I'm on a steep learning curve. I bought Nero 6 and I can now make hi-compatible cd's.
 
Another thing to bear in mind - the slower you burn the CD, the better it should read with a poor laser. Avoid burning CDs at maximum supported write-rate and this should a) increase the expected lifetime of that burned CD and b) make it more readable by other drives.
 

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