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I purchased a CD-R/RW DVD-R/RW drive for my Sony laptop. The TEAC drive functions as a CD-R/RW properly using Easy CD Creator (ecdc ). It will not write a DVD-R using ecdc, it says I have the wrong media type. am using a DVD-R disk, could I be needing a DVD+R disk ?? What is the difference ?? Someone told me needed Nero 6. The DVD drive will not play DVD movies as well.
Thanks,
Garland
:o)

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Short, practical diagnosis and checklist for the TEAC combo described by — writes CDs with Easy CD Creator but refuses to burn DVDs and will not play movie DVDs. The problem is usually one of four things: the drive’s supported formats, the burning software/driver layer, bad or mismatched blank media, or missing/incorrect DVD-playback software or firmware.

  1. Confirm the exact drive model and firmware. On Windows open Device Manager (Start -> Run -> devmgmt.msc) and note the string under "DVD/CD-ROM drives", or read the drive sticker. Use the laptop or drive maker’s support page to verify which DVD formats the model actually supports and to get firmware updates. Flash only with the laptop on AC power and following the vendor instructions.

  2. Is the burning app seeing the drive and the blank correctly? Some editions of burning suites from that era require a DVD-capable edition or updated packet-writing/ASPI drivers. If the app reports “wrong media type” while the OS can still see the blank, test with a different, known-good brand blank and an alternative burning utility to isolate app versus hardware.

  3. Check the disc type and the file layout. The blank’s packaging or inner hub ring identifies “+R/−R” or “+RW/−RW”; only supported types will burn unless the drive explicitly supports both. For movie playback, insert a commercial DVD and use Explorer to see if a VIDEO_TS folder appears — if present the drive is reading the disc and playback is a software/decoder issue (region/CSS and an MPEG-2 decoder are required). If VIDEO_TS is not visible, the drive/firmware or the IDE/driver link may be at fault.

  4. Other useful checks: remove conflicting packet-writing drivers, reinstall the burning suite after updating device drivers, and, if compatibility with standalone players is required, investigate book-type/bitsetting on +R media (advanced). If the drive fails all read/write tests, contact Sony/TEAC support or consider replacement.

This ties into ’s point about verifying drive specs and firmware, and ’s note about confirming the burning software edition supports DVD media.

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What, exactly, are the specs of your burner. DVD+RW and DVD-RW are two different standards/technologies that are incompatible. I, for example, have a Sony DVD+RW drive. It will ONLY write to DVD+RW disks. It won't even write to DVD+R disks! (Nevermind DVD-R/W)

There are some new combo drives out that can handle both + and - R/RW.

As far as I am aware, the only difference is in the technology. Since writing to DVD's (4.7 gigs) is somewhat new, the technology hasn't been standardized yet and therefore multiple standards currently exist.

Member Avatar for Dani

Based on the e-mail you sent me with the specs of your burner, it only supports DVD-R and DVD-RW media. ECDC has always been a lil flaky when writing to DVDS ... I would try Nero and see if that works. Otherwise call up the manufacturer and ask them their recommended software. Technically, ECDC *should* work if your drive is properly configured.

Considering the drive will not play DVD movies either, it appears to be incorrectly configured as a DVD reader/writer. Make sure you're using the latest hardware firmware. Does Windows recognize it as a DVD drive?

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