I recently purchased a Sony RDR GX315 DVD recorder and was using it to view my Sony camcorder mini (8 cm) DVD discs which I recorded on my Sony DCR-DVD 203. I was having no problem with any except for one which started to make some really unpleasant, ratchety type sounds when I placed it on the tray in the recorder. I tried to eject the disc immediately with the eject button but it didn't eject for about 1 minute. Now when I try to play the disc on the recorder I get the message "this disc can not be played or recorded" and the worst part is on my camcorder I get the message "disc error - remove disc". The only thing I can think of is that the disc may not have been placed exactly in the mini recess in the tray when I loaded it. This disc has some valuable, irreplaceable video from my recent trip to Spain and I am obviously angry and upset if I have lost all on this disc - I did view the contents of this disc on my camcorder, the Sony DVD recorder and an older Sanyo DVD player previously so I know that the disc was fine before I placed it into the Sony machine for a second time. I have emailed Sony with a sharp message also, but hoped that someone here might be able to guide me in what to do next. Is my disc erased, damaged or what and how can I have it checked out? Is this a problem which has occurred in the past with mini DVD discs in DVD players or recorders? Is there a danger in using the trays on recorders or players for mini DVD discs - I know that I'm scared about using them in the future or is it only Sony that has this problem? How could the disc be erased without any warning or why didn't it eject the disc as soon as it sensed misalignment if that was the problem? Help someone please, I really want to retrieve my video from the trip. Thanks.
It is a +RW disc which doesn't require finalizing to play but I do think that I finalized it like all the others. However, since it wasn't filled, I may not have finalized it, I just can't remember. By looking at the surface of the disk, I don't see any obvious markings which would indicate physical damage. Is there any way to test it on some type of equipment?
David, I own an "ancient" iMac, vintage 1999 with no burner nor tray for anything but CDs. I guess what you're telling me is that I have lost my precious video which I cannot replace unless I go back to Barcelona, Spain (fat chance). I really cannot believe that these machines which are considered to be so "hi tech" can ruin something so easily simply by a human error of not centering the disc in precisely the right spot. I would have thought that the machine would have ejected the disc instantaneously sensing that it wasn't in the right exact spot rather than destroying it. Ironic, since I bought the DVD recorder only to update my old videotapes and store my new camcorder discs on something more "durable" and reliable. I guess I got duped by the marketing of these new so-called "better" technological products. I really do appreciate your attempts to help but I think I'm getting the impression that I've lost what I wanted to save thanks to "modernism".
I doubt that the disc was erased. You would have a better chance of finding out with a PC. Try going to someplace that sells computers and they'll probably let you check it and see if there's anything on the disc. It will have to be a computer that has DVD software on it. I have the resources to check and copy the disc if you want to send it to me.