DVR 633 fails to initalize when burning to DVD

[Howardlan]

Until recently, I have had no problems copying from the HDD to the DVD using a Pioneer DVR 633H. I am using the same brand of DVD-Rs. The copy process begins and information is physically written to the DVD. It appears the failure occurs when the burning process is nearing completion, as though the table of contents or some other info is not written to the disk. Any thoughts?

[wabjxo]

Wow, could be lots of things:

1. Dirty laser lens. Might need $8 lens cleaning disc (Wal-Mart, hanging above blank DVDs).

2. Same "brand" of disc might be made by someone else now, or just for specific batches, and they're not as good as previous batches... and you got one of those batches. Need disc media identifier program in computer to know for sure. Could compare media ID (MID) of current discs with ones that worked OK before.

3. DVD disc drive is getting "weak." Each burn uses a Power Calibration of 15 tests before buring starts, and it tests at various stages of the burn. Disc may not be good enough to burn all the way thru, or power is insufficient at the end of burn, or... lots of things. PC tests are done in a PCA area of the disc, and test results are noted in a Record Management Area (RMA), both of which are cumulative on -R and +R...if one of these fills up with repeated insertions of the disc, won't burn. Etc., etc.

I'd vote for #1 or #2 first, with #1 easiest to test, unless you already have a disc ID program on your computer (or you or a friend has a Philips DVDR3575, which has a disc utility that reads the MID).

[Howardlan]

Thanks. I will try # 1 first.

I am using Verbatim DVD-R and the problem started while using blanks from the same spindle of 50 blank DVD-R's, so I would think that wouldn't be an issue. BTW, I forgot to mention this. I can burn a DVD by recording directly to the DVD and it will finalize and be perfectly OK. The problem arises when I go from the HDD to DVD path. No problem when I record directly to the blank DVD-R.

[wabjxo]

Since you can make direct recordings to DVD OK, prob. NOT a dirty lens?

Also, since you're using Verbatim (good) discs, prob. not that either?

Now, it's sounding more like your HDD may be too "full" or something like that, i.e., it doesn't have enough space to maintain what it needs while it buffers and writes large files to the DVD???

Due to the age of the 633, it also could just need "Optimizing"...have you ever done that (or, as an alternative, just deleted everything from the HDD so it has the full capacity to write to and store stuff it needs to make copies, etc.)???

[Howardlan]

No I have never Optimized the hard drive. I do have a lot of short clips of 2 minutes or less ( maybe 200 events) but I will check on the amount of hard disk space that is available. Is the Optimize feature discribed in the manuel?

Thanks!

[wabjxo]

Yes, page 105, but it's simply Disc Edit > Optimize HDD. It could take some time, so do it when you won't need the machine for awhile. Takes less time if you have less files on the HDD (less objects to move).

Lots of little clips and editing could be part of your problem...esp. if the HDD is pretty full... so it's worth doing, I think.