Can anybody out there provide a DVD+R DL format disc brand/model that definitely works without issue with the Sony RDR-GX315? I found that 8x DVD-R Imation discs work OK for short recordings, but cause DISC ERR messages and an inability to finalize if filled almost to capacity. Yesterday I tried a Ridata DVD+R DL disc and got the same behavior. For recordings that use up less than half the disc capacity, they work OK - but fill the disk to near full, and I get a DISC ERR. I've found that Sony DVD-R discs work fine, but it doesn't appear that Sony offers DL format discs...
Verbatim supposedly makes excellent dual-layer DVDs, but they are more expensive. If they don't work, I doubt anything will. Imation is crap, so that may the problem.
Keep an eye out for sales at Best Buy and Office Max ... Lately they've been having sales on DL Verbatim discs 10 for $19.99 In my DL experience (75 or 80 burns/no coasters), Verbatim makes the very best DL discs with Ritek running a distant second
Thought this might amuse Sony chat rep trying to address problem "Problem: having trouble getting full recording time on DL media End Session user mike has entered room analyst Alexis_ has entered room Alexis_> Welcome to Sony Online Support. I will be glad to assist you. Alexis_> Hi Mike. mike> hi Alexis_> Can you please explain the issue in detail? Thank you mike> When I attempt to record to dl media, it looks like I am not gettingmuch more the 2/3 of the media before the machine saysthe diskis full Alexis_> Mike, please let me know the disc type you are trying to use with the recorder. mike> verbatim +rw dl mike> I misstyped the machine gives a disk err not full Alexis_> Are you getting the disc error message? mike> yes Alexis_> Please stay online while I check this information. Alexis_> Thank you for staying online. Alexis_> Mike, the DVD+RW dual layer discs will not work with the recorder, however the DVD+RW double layer will work. mike> I think you mean the dvd+r dl don't you? Alexis_> Please confirm that you are using the dual layer discs. mike> am using verbatim dvd+r dl. Alexis_> Are you facing the issue with all the discs? mike> Yes seems to be consistent have tried about 4 of them Alexis_> Please try to use a different disc type and check if it works normally. mike> normal dvd -r seems to be fine Alexis_> Mike, the DVD+R Dual layer discs are not compatible with this recorder. Alexis_> You will not be able to use these discs. mike> Page 28 of your manual under recordable and playable disks list dvd+r dl Alexis_> Mike, it is referring to the DVD+R DL (Double layer) discs. Alexis_> Since you are able to use the other discs normally, it seem that there is no issue with the recorder. mike> Your specification page on your web site for the rdr-gx315 says under key features "DVD+R Dual Layer recording and playback." also next line "compatible with +R double layer disks" http://esupport.sony.com/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=RDRGX315 Alexis_> I can understand your concern. However, the operations are not guaranteed when you use the dual layer discs. mike> Specification as posted on the web site are wrong? Alexis_> I am sorry for the delay. Alexis_> Mike, playback may not be compatible depending upon the recording conditions. mike> Sorry alexis but that doesn't tell me anything. Lets try another question. Are their any known problems with this machine and the dl mode as specified on the sony web site? Alexis_> Please refer to end of page number 2 of the specifications. mike> Alexis you and I both know that is boilerplate for sometimes it doesn't work. I am sure that is true. My question is under what conditions will it reliable write to DL media? mike> In other words I am typing to you to find out how to make it work. Alexis_> Have you recorded the video into the disc? mike> That is the problem. I have been trying to record to the disks Alexis_> Mike, it is not recommended to use the dual layer disc for recording, however, you may try to playback the pre recorded discs and the operations are not guaranteed. mike> That is not what the specifications say. I bought this unit based on the specification on the web site and when I received the unit the owner's manual also said it would record to dl media. I assume I can return the machine to sony as it does not do what sony claims? Alexis_> I can understand your frustration. mike> Well I will try another route to see if I can get some help. Alexis_> We will document your dissatisfaction with this product and can only hope that your faith in Sony products be restored. Alexis_> I truly wish I could have helped you. Since the operation is not guaranteed with the dual layer discs, we do not recommend you to use the discs for recording.
[ aic90 ] If you look, the Sony and many of the venders description also the fourms. I think you can read between the lines that this unit has a real problem dealing with recording to DL disks If Sony sells a recorder they say will record a DL disk, why don't they provide, sell, or recomend a workable disk. If it will not record to a Verbatim DL disk. You can figure that the recorder is a [I'll try to be nice] Bummer [ camsdawn ] You post on the Sony chat line is so right, Hp is the same and I'm sure rhat many others are just as bad. Sony sucks and their products are over priced. their support is for the birds.
I had one for two days & 4 coasters . I returned it & got the Pioneer DVR533H-S to just test it out.....so far no coasters, the only bummer is that it doesn't record to dvd+r/rw, but it does support dvd-r dl. They are just hard to get.
Shocking online conversation. You should send that to his supervisor so the idiot can be re-trained. The Sony GX300 cannot record to DVD dual-layer discs, but the selling point of the new GX315 is that it can RECORD to DVD+R dual layer discs. It doesn't take more than a few keystrokes to pull that info up on any of the 100s of websites, including Sony's. I smell $200 million class action lawsuit for false advertising for Sony. Take a look at your manual for the recommended brand/speed. My GX300 will not handle anything faster than 8X (or 4X for rewritables), but as far as I know, there's only one speed for D/Ls - 2.4X. D/Ls are still not reliable for burning. I've read so many stories here and elsewhere about people going through a bunch of them with failures. And at still $2 a piece, that is alot to throw away.
I purchased a Sony RDR-GX315 a few months ago and have been having similar problems. Here are some highlights: -Most of the TDK DVD+RW disks I have will not work at all. The unit gives an error message like: "This disk can neither be read or written to." -I've had uneven results with a spindle of 100 Memorex 16X DVD-R I bought. I always check them after finalizing in my old, old Toshiba DVD player to see if they'll play in other decks. I loan these to friends who say that sometimes they play and sometimes not. These always play in the Sony RDR-GX315, but sometimes I can't even read the created disk in my brand new Pioneer DVD burner, which is supposed to read all types of DVD formats. So the disks or the player seem to be 'flaky.' -I've tried some DL disks -- whatever Sony says will work. I think they are DVD+R DL One time it worked fine, another time I ended up with a coaster. I think the unit display read "Disk Error" when I tried to finalize it. A large investment in recording time and disk expense. -I record mainly from a cable box -- a Scientific Atlanta DVR. The quality appears to be good coming in, but the DVD recordings themselves seem to 'pulsate' between clear and blurry. I know this isn't a disk compatibility issue, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. -Sometimes, I record two titles on one disk -- one is okay and the other is unreadable. -I notice when I use DVD+R disks, the finalizing takes forever, like 10 minutes or so! Is this normal? My DVD-R disks take less than a minute to finalize. What I would really like to know if anyone else has similar problems and if so, if they have found a brand of disks that give a reliable result every time. One of these replies mentioned Verbatim being reliable. Any others? I haven't tried Verbatim yet. Thanks in advance for any help this forum can provide.
I just purchased the Sony RDR-GX315. -I want to record mainly from a cable box -- a Scientific Atlanta DVR. I have a HD TV Sanyo. I am using a surround sound receiver. (I would like to hear playback in surround) , I need to know how to hook it up to record from the cable box. and what is the optical audio input/output? I have one on the sony, on the cabe box, and on the TV. I have a monster optical cable, but don't know quite how to use it. I also have the s video cable and the red blue and green component cable. and the regular red, white and yellow audio and video cable. I can't figure it all out. PLEASE HELP. I'm not happy that the line 2 is in the front of the sony. I hear that the 300 had both in the back. Another thing, is the rdrgx315 going to stop copywrited recordings? hopefully, marsha
I just got this unit and it seems like a piece of junk. I am using 16x Verbatim DVD+R's. I burned one show that was about 45 miniutes long in HQ Record Mode, and it worked fine. I have tried 3 others in Standard Rec Mode (shows were just under 90 minutes, within the guidelines for Standard Rec Mode), and each time I got the "disc can neither be played or recorded" when all was said and done. ANd each time I used the same type/brand of disc. Is 16x not compatible with this unit?
Hello, I figured I should post an update to this thread since I started it: after three unsuccessful repair attempts, I have returned the unit to Sony for refund of the purchase price. Twice the unit was returned to me stating "no fault found." Anyway, to answer the question about 16X discs, apparently the unit does not support them. I addition to returning the unit for a refund of the purchase price, I sent a letter to Sony's main customer service center asking for a refund of the shipping costs I incurred for the first repair attempt. A couple of weeks later, I got a call from a customer service rep asking if any of the discs that failed in my unit were 16X discs. It seems that Sony knows that 16X discs are not supported by this model. Hope this helps...
Thanks for the follow up. I am new to this so forgive me if this is a dumb question. I bought new DVD-R's today that say 1x-16x. Will these work in a recorder that doesn't support 16x? Or since it says 1 "to" 16x, will they work?
Discs that are labeled 1x-16x use a different formula dye than the same brand discs labeled 1x-8x . . So I think that it's fair to assume that if your DVD Recorder doesn't like 16x discs that it certainly won't like the ones marked 1x-16x I've talked to several people who have the Sony recorders and they have installed LiteOn drives in them and they will use any speed disc successfully . . . you can test if a drive is compatible by pulling the Sony's cover and attaching the power and IDE cables to the LiteOn and fire them up . . the drives that are being used are the LiteOn 160P6S series . . Victor
