Problems playing CD-RW discs

Doug Kanter wrote:
> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when
> popped into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs
> will only play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD
> player (about 5 years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in
> the car unit (3 years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits
> out the disc. Is this a fairly common occurrence?

Is it fairly common? I'm not sure, but it has certainly happened to me too.
CDRs work in all appliances, but CDRW will only work in PCs, some CD
players, and my DVD player; they will not work in the car CD player.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"Doug Kanter" <ancientangler DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:FEARf.2749$kg.2509@news02.roc.ny...
> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
> into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
> play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
> years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years
> old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a
> fairly common occurrence?


So just how EXACTLY did you get the files onto the CD-RWs? Did you simply
drag over the files into the CD drive in Explorer? That means the CD-RW
will use UDF (universal data format) which requires a reader and writer to
handle that format. Your CD players won't have that driver and won't
support that format.

When you were in Nero, what format did you specify when burning the files
onto the CD-RW? Did you close the session or leave it open (so you could
copy more files on the disc later)? Did you use Nero Express, and did you
select to cut a *music* CD (so you use the right format)? If you used Nero
(non-Express version), did you select to cut a *music* CD under the
scroll-list of formats in the New Compilation dialog?

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 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"someone" <Binary.TakeThisOut@Fog.com> wrote in message
news:68BRf.1375$qH2.1100@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
>
> "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:FEARf.2749$kg.2509@news02.roc.ny...
>> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
>> into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
>> play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
>> years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3
>> years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is
>> this a fairly common occurrence?
> Have you created your CD-RWs with the UDF format ?
> If you use them as `ordinary` CDs the will work.
> The advantage being that you can erase\ re-use them.
> Ordinary CD players cannot read the UDF format, but your
> computer can.
>

This is the first I've heard of the UDF format. I checked Nero's glossary,
but haven't delved much into its preferences yet.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 14:58:42 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
<ancientangler.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped into
>my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only play in
>my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5 years old),
>nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years old), it
>hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a fairly common
>occurrence?
>


Yes it is fairly common, CDRW discs use a different,
phase-change layer that is harder for a typical CD drive to
read unless it was specifically designed to do so. Often
the devices having such drives make specific mention of that
compatibility.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"Doug Kanter" <ancientangler DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5mBRf.2753$kg.43@news02.roc.ny...
>
> "someone" <Binary DeleteThis @Fog.com> wrote in message
> news:68BRf.1375$qH2.1100@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
>>
>> "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:FEARf.2749$kg.2509@news02.roc.ny...
>>> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
>>> into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
>>> play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
>>> years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3
>>> years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is
>>> this a fairly common occurrence?
>> Have you created your CD-RWs with the UDF format ?
>> If you use them as `ordinary` CDs the will work.
>> The advantage being that you can erase\ re-use them.
>> Ordinary CD players cannot read the UDF format, but your
>> computer can.
>>
>
> This is the first I've heard of the UDF format. I checked Nero's glossary,
> but haven't delved much into its preferences yet.
Go for it Doug. Universal Disk Format is what is used normally
with re-writeable disks.
In effect it creates very large `floppies` that can be used more than
once.
You put your files on one, you can add files, then if you want to
you can erase them, and use the disk again.
When you use a CD-R disk the session is closed, and you can`t
use the disk again

--
bw..OJ
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"someone" <Binary.DeleteThis@Fog.com> wrote in message
news:q4CRf.7266$GN1.5957@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
>
> "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:5mBRf.2753$kg.43@news02.roc.ny...
>>
>> "someone" <Binary.DeleteThis@Fog.com> wrote in message
>> news:68BRf.1375$qH2.1100@newsfe4-win.ntli.net...
>>>
>>> "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:FEARf.2749$kg.2509@news02.roc.ny...
>>>> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
>>>> into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
>>>> play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
>>>> years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3
>>>> years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is
>>>> this a fairly common occurrence?
>>> Have you created your CD-RWs with the UDF format ?
>>> If you use them as `ordinary` CDs the will work.
>>> The advantage being that you can erase\ re-use them.
>>> Ordinary CD players cannot read the UDF format, but your
>>> computer can.
>>>
>>
>> This is the first I've heard of the UDF format. I checked Nero's
>> glossary, but haven't delved much into its preferences yet.
> Go for it Doug. Universal Disk Format is what is used normally
> with re-writeable disks.
> In effect it creates very large `floppies` that can be used more than
> once.
> You put your files on one, you can add files, then if you want to
> you can erase them, and use the disk again.
> When you use a CD-R disk the session is closed, and you can`t
> use the disk again
>
> --
> bw..OJ
>

That's my intention for data backups. For music, which I'd rather listen to
on the home or car stereos, it sounds like I'm out of luck.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"Vanguard" <vanguard.news RemoveThis @yahooNIX.com> wrote in message
news:dv6r1i$9oa$1@emma.aioe.org...
> "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:FEARf.2749$kg.2509@news02.roc.ny...
>> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
>> into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
>> play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
>> years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3
>> years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is
>> this a fairly common occurrence?
>
>
> So just how EXACTLY did you get the files onto the CD-RWs? Did you simply
> drag over the files into the CD drive in Explorer? That means the CD-RW
> will use UDF (universal data format) which requires a reader and writer to
> handle that format. Your CD players won't have that driver and won't
> support that format.
>
> When you were in Nero, what format did you specify when burning the files
> onto the CD-RW? Did you close the session or leave it open (so you could
> copy more files on the disc later)? Did you use Nero Express, and did you
> select to cut a *music* CD (so you use the right format)? If you used
> Nero (non-Express version), did you select to cut a *music* CD under the
> scroll-list of formats in the New Compilation dialog?


So far, I've only used the Nero SmartStart thing. Pointed to the music icon,
then the "Make Audio CD" option, which claims to "Create a regular audio CD
that plays in all CD players and on your PC". This is day #2 - it's as far
as I've gotten with the details of what's going on behind the "wizard"
screens (which I really hate).
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

CD-RW are notoriously fussy about where they can be replayed. Frequently
they will only work in the recorder machine that wrote them. Common
problem.

--
DaveW

----------------
"Doug Kanter" <ancientangler.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:FEARf.2749$kg.2509@news02.roc.ny...
> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
> into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
> play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
> years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years
> old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a
> fairly common occurrence?
>
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:25:09 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
<ancientangler.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:


>> When you were in Nero, what format did you specify when burning the files
>> onto the CD-RW? Did you close the session or leave it open (so you could
>> copy more files on the disc later)? Did you use Nero Express, and did you
>> select to cut a *music* CD (so you use the right format)? If you used
>> Nero (non-Express version), did you select to cut a *music* CD under the
>> scroll-list of formats in the New Compilation dialog?
>
>
>So far, I've only used the Nero SmartStart thing. Pointed to the music icon,
>then the "Make Audio CD" option, which claims to "Create a regular audio CD
>that plays in all CD players and on your PC". This is day #2 - it's as far
>as I've gotten with the details of what's going on behind the "wizard"
>screens (which I really hate).
>


So you aren't using UDF, it is only a matter of it being a
CDRW (Or rarely a specific brand of discs) preventing use in
some players.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"kony" <spam.TakeThisOut@spam.com> wrote in message
news:pe2f121r9pel3dg81epcqq9a70dq1r2lnp@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:25:09 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
> <ancientangler.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>> When you were in Nero, what format did you specify when burning the
>>> files
>>> onto the CD-RW? Did you close the session or leave it open (so you
>>> could
>>> copy more files on the disc later)? Did you use Nero Express, and did
>>> you
>>> select to cut a *music* CD (so you use the right format)? If you used
>>> Nero (non-Express version), did you select to cut a *music* CD under the
>>> scroll-list of formats in the New Compilation dialog?
>>
>>
>>So far, I've only used the Nero SmartStart thing. Pointed to the music
>>icon,
>>then the "Make Audio CD" option, which claims to "Create a regular audio
>>CD
>>that plays in all CD players and on your PC". This is day #2 - it's as
>>far
>>as I've gotten with the details of what's going on behind the "wizard"
>>screens (which I really hate).
>>
>
>
> So you aren't using UDF, it is only a matter of it being a
> CDRW (Or rarely a specific brand of discs) preventing use in
> some players.

Oh well. My only purpose in using them for music was in occasional
situations where I'm not sure I'm going to like certain music after
listening to it on a real stereo. I hate wasting the regular CDRs.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs 

"~misfit~" <misfit61nz RemoveThis @yahooo.co.nz> wrote in message
news:4427bfae$1@news2.actrix.gen.nz...
> Doug Kanter wrote:
>> Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when
>> popped into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs
>> will only play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD
>> player (about 5 years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in
>> the car unit (3 years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits
>> out the disc. Is this a fairly common occurrence?
>
> The answer lies in something called the 'reflectivity index'.
>
> Pressed CDs reflect the light from the laser reading mechanism in a stereo
> or car CD palyer quite well, they are very reflective, around 90%.
>
> CD-Rs are nearly as good, typically having a reflectivity index of up to
> 80%.
>
> However, CD-RWs, because of the nature of the dye layer and how they work,
> have a comparitively low refectivity index, typically 60%.
>
> That means that only 60% of the light emmited from the read laser is
> reflected back to the sensor. Modern computer drives are designed to read
> CD-RWs and some consumer electronics CD players are too. They simply have
> a more powerful laser and a laser power calibration system built in that
> test-reads from the CD on insertion and makes the laser as 'bright' as it
> needs to be for relaible reading.
>
> Unless a home or car stereo states that it reads CD-RWs then don't rely on
> it. You may get lucky but often you won't.
>
> HTH
> --
> ~Shaun~
>

Thanks, Shaun. Good explanation. Fortunately, my need to play CD-RWs in some
machines is minimal. I've reduced the question to the low-medium curiosity
level.
 >> Stay informed about: Problems playing CD-RW discs