Member Avatar for Schmakt

I just burned a data DVD backup around 2.5 GB without an issue, and I'm able to burn data or audio CD's all day with no problem.

If, however, I try to burn a video DVD, the DVD burn completes successfully (no error messages from multiple software packages including Nero, AVS, et al), but the DVD will never play more than about 12 minutes.

If I look at the back of the DVD, I can clearly see an area where where it appears the laser simply skipped over while writing. The "blank" area is about 1/4" wide and begins just under a 1/4" in from the beginning of the writable area on the DVD.

This happens regardless of software or brand of DVD I use.

I also just used Windows (Vista) to drag&drop a bunch of files to a DVD (just over 4GB this time). While this worked before with the smaller file size, this time Windows was unable to close session (nothing ever happened), and the same "blank" area appeared on the DVD, thus making the backup useless.

I used to burn video DVD's on this machine relatively often, but I haven't done so in several months. I relatively recently formatted the drive; it has definitely not worked since then, but it maybe have breen broken prior to that.

Device Manager shows no problem; I've tried removing and reseating the drive (I'm using a Dell Latitude D820 laptop)... Attempted to run the Nero Info Tool, but it crashed (no error message)...

Anyone ever seen this before or have any troubleshooting ideas?
Thanks...

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Dani AI

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Brief summary and likely cause: has a reproducible visible blank band at the same radial position on every burned disc and authored video DVDs always stop after the same short interval, even though multiple authoring apps report a successful burn. suggested ISO-based burning, which was attempted with no improvement. When the same physical gap shows up across different media, brands and software, the most likely root cause is mechanical/optical (laser tracking, spindle or lens), not the file type or authoring package.

Why that points to hardware: a blank ring at a fixed distance from the inner hub usually means the pickup lost tracking at a particular angular/ radial position (worn spindle bearings, sticky tray hub, failing tracking actuator or a weak/contaminated laser). Software can still report “success” if the drive’s firmware doesn’t surface the write error to the application, which also explains the session-close failures.

Recommended diagnostic steps (ordered low-effort to higher-effort):

  • Clean the lens with a proper optical-lens cleaning disc (cheap, low risk).
  • Perform a very low-speed burn (4x or the lowest supported) and enable “Verify” to force read-back after writing.
  • Burn a small test file (50–200 MB) and read it back completely on a different machine or an external USB drive to isolate the writer from the reader.
  • Check Windows Event Viewer and IDE/SATA controller properties for I/O or DMA/PIO fallbacks; restore DMA if it slipped to PIO.
  • Update the drive firmware only from the laptop vendor and match the exact drive model; also update chipset drivers/BIOS if available.
  • If available, test with an inexpensive external USB burner—consistent failure only on the internal drive confirms hardware fault.
  • If the blank band persists at the same spot on multiple discs and a second burner reads them correctly only where written, replacement of the optical unit is the practical next step.

Cautions and context: lens cleaning and verify burns are safe first steps. Firmware updates and hardware swaps require correct model identification. For older laptops, an external USB DVD burner is often the quickest, low-cost workaround if internal replacement is undesirable.

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Member Avatar for kes166

What are you using to rip the DVD?

Member Avatar for Schmakt

I recorded my friends playing a concert, and I'm trying to burn the .dv file to the DVD. (have tried .mov and .mpg as well... .dv has worked fine in the past tho) Nero Burning Rom is the most recent software I've attempted to use.

Also have tried burning other concert videos, but they all have the same problem regardless of software, DVD, or source file. That plus the fact that the data DVD did the same thing makes me think it's an issue with the burner; I'm hoping that it might be software related instead of hardware, but I can't figure out my next step for troubleshooting

Member Avatar for kes166

I've only ever burned .ISO files, I've never worked with .DV's. Check the nero site, or call their support line to see if there are any known issues with burning .DV's ... You could also try converting the .DV to a .ISO and burn it through NERO as an ISO image. There are some applications, free and paid for, that will allow you to do that. DVDDecypter is another good program that is good at burning .iso files once you've converted the .dv file.

Member Avatar for Schmakt

I just tried that this afternoon actually... doesn't seem to be an issue with file type or software. The ISO appeared to successfully burn just like everything else but then also had that blank spot just like everything else. Naturally my warranty ran out 2 months ago - trying to avoid buying a new drive especially if it's a driver or OS issue

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