Toshiba 3109 - Can't play VCD's

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Thanks to all for responding to my previous questions on VCD!

I was finally able to make a VCD. I used ATI AIW 128 to create MPEG1 files. Ran it through iFilmEdit for VCD Compatible files. Used Nero to burn the VCD. Initially, I used the MAXELL CDR media (Blue). My Toshiba 3109 did not recognize the disc. I then used CDRW (Silver) media for VCD. DVD player recognized the Disc as VCD, gave the number of tracks and the total time correct (45 minutes)in this case. All 9 tracks were displayed with time for each correctly. BUT the I can't play any of my tracks - NO sound and video and the counter doesn't move either for any of the tracks. I can jump from one track to another but can't play any tracks!

Has anybody experienced similar problem? What can be the cause and How can I fix this? My DVD player can play both VCD 1.1 and 2.0 files as per the specs! Thanks

-- Gurpreet Ahluwalia (gahluwal@hotmail.com), November 22, 1999

Answers

Nero is a good prog. But for some reasone VCD is not strong yet. Try Adaptec EZ CD creator 3x-4x. I had similar problem with Pioneer 525

-- (kisav@netscape.net), November 22, 1999.

Not all CDRW are created alike. Through trial and error, I have noticed that some CDRWs cannot be recognised by the player.

I have a Toshiba 2108 and I have seen the same problem. With the problem that you have, I have sometimes managed to overcome it by opening and closing the drawer a few times. I suspect that this is because of either:

1. The reflectivity is not good enough and so the player has problems starting 2. The reflectivity is not good so the player "assumes" that it is a second layer of DVD and tries unsuccessfully to read that.

One other thing that I tried was that to press play on the remote. The "play" icon would appear on the player LCD display and nothing would happen for 2-3 minutes, as if the player has trouble starting. The it starts. As I said before, it is all to do with the media. I live in Australia and we used to get these CDR branded "Datacell". Those were really good as the player would recognise the VCD right away. They are not manufactured anymore and so I have been trialing different CDR media with mixed success

Good luck and be sure to post to the forum if you manage to identify a suitable media

-- (sirzur@yahoo.com), November 22, 1999.


The trouble is in all probability with the player. You most likely made a true-blue VCD. But ALL Toshiba DVD players are known to fall firmly on the side of the kvetch where CD-Rs are concerned: sometimes they read them, sometimes they don't. Even when sticking with a known brand/type of CD-R you've tested a Toshiba player will grudgingly accept, even minute variations/differences in manufacture the next batch around will cause that Toshiba to be blind to it next time. Sincerely, unless that Toshiba really sports one-of-a-kind features, I suggest you sell it and get a recent-model Pioneer or Philips instead, essential anyway for anybody with a view to playing material on CD-Rs.

-- EMartinez (epmartinez@hotmail.com), November 24, 1999.

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