DVDS failing in a installed DVD player

[Gearley]

We recently had to get the DVD player in our van replaced because it was acting up (spitting out DVDs and the power button not working correctly) The tech said the reason we were having issues was because we were using burned DVDS (burned from DVD Fab with pretty much default settings) We have used the burned DVDs for a few months now and only recently have been having issues so that is why we had it replaced. Has anyone ever heard of that, or have any suggestions on how to prevent this? I really don't want to use the original DVDs in our van.

[maineman]

Bummer...replacing the car player can't be cheap.

I don't buy what the tech said, particularly since the burned discs had been working just fine up until recently.
Could a constant freezing, locking up, forced shutdown etc., of the player cause a mechanical failure? Sure, is this what happened?
But again, it was working just fine until recently.

When a player reads a disc...it reads it or not. The fact that the disc was burned vs. pressed doesn't matter.
Now, if one of the kids had gum stuck to the disc (or some other such material....), this is another matter.

[maineman]

Sorry, I didn't respond to your future troubleshooting.
Car players tend to be quite finicky
Use top quality media. This is really your best insurance policy

[Gearley]

Thanks

Thanks for your help. Do you have any recomendations on what brands of DVDs would be best? Also, if the + or -R makes a difference?

[refreshen]

I have always had sucess with verbatim + R for purpose as you represent. The digital movie reel verbatim's work best in portable players in my opinion as would be the case in a van dvd player. Good luck finding the reel style still any + R Verbatim set at 1/2 speed while writing with fab should be cool.
Hope this helps

[GregiBoy]

The tech said the reason we were having issues was because we were using burned DVDS

This is absolute B/S !!!!

[maineman]

I've never had a vehicle with a dvd player...didn't exist way back then...
For my my kids it was audio cassettes and then a VHS player rigged up in the van by yours truly...

As stated by refreshen, verbatim has always been a reliable choice, but some inferior stuff is out there now.
Be certain to look for the AZO Dye label/logo on the spindle.
This is the good stuff.

Taiyo Yuden is the best blank media available, bar none, but available only online for most of the planet
and there's no such thing as TY DL media.
If your using DL media, purchase
Verbatim +R DL (MIS = made in Singapore). The MII (made in India) isn't a bad #2 choice,
but look on the spindle wrapper for the manufacturer's locale and try for the MIS verbs.

Also, be certain to bitset (booktype) the +R DVD to DVD-ROM.
This will confer the greatest overall compatibility for burned media and optimize your chances for success.

Good luck and let us know how you make out

//Edit
Sorry I forgot to mention.
I recall some posts years back that spoke to clone mode having the best playability in vehicle players.
I don't know if this is reliable info or even relevant with today's hardware and discs.
It also could've been spcific to the navigation discs.

[Gearley]

Cool, thanks guys. I am using Verbatim -R's at the moment. I will try and lower the burn speed and hope for the best. Thanks to everyone for your inputs.

[AGJ]

You should find out what type of media the van dvd player can play. check the user manual for that. I would as well use DVD+R and booktype to DVD-Rom like maineman mentioned as that will trick the dvd player into thinking it the original DVD