I've copied some programmes from HDD to Blu-Ray disc and have discovered they wont play back on my Sony Blu-Ray (sound system) player.
They play back OK on a Panasonic player and also on an LG player.
I've written to Panasonic who seem reluctant to reply, and was thinking of writing to Sony since discovering they play OK on an LG player
Anyone thoughts?

You haven't said what type of disc your using. are the discs re, in which case they should play as long as the sony recognises that type of disc, if they'er writable then they have to be finalized. You will have to check that the sony recognises the type of disc your using
Dave

They are Panasonic BD-RE 25GB rewritable.
I have not been able to find 'Finalize Disc' - only 'Protect' in the menus, which I did.
However I would have thought if it played in a LG or Panasonic they should be OK in a Sony

Did you copy a DR mode recording from the bw780? The playback of DR mode recordings is not universal. may the Sony is not able to play them, but your other machines can.

if you get the bw780 to convert to an HG mode recording on the BDR, or similar, will that recording work on the Sony?

You'll have to check that the sony will play be discs, these can't be finalized which is why some units won't play them, also as pzboyz says check that the sony will play the type of recording on the disc.
Dave

You seem to be right. I was copying at High Speed
I copied using XP mode (we don't get High Def until next week), and it plays on the Sony
It does take 8 times as long tho' to copy
.
I'll report back next week
Thanks

You can convert the recording on the recorder, but it takes the program length to reencode, I normally do it overnight when the units asleep then it will copy in high speed as normal. To reencode, in library highlight the program, press option then edit, then dr file conversion. This then gives you a selection of recording modes to convert to, if using a ram or dvd and you want to record in high speed use sp normal quality. then select during standby and the next time you open up your unit it should have been converted.
Dave

As it's all done in real time, I'll just copy direct to the Blu-Ray disc.
However one thing I have notice is how much BIGGER these converted files are.
Using high speed 11 hours was 21.5GB, whilst on HG 2 hours is 12.9GB

It is truly amazing what you find in the user guide and the panasonic website. In HG mode, you get 4h onto a 25GB BDR, in HL mode you would get 12h but the quality may be visibily lower. Only you can decide the importance of how portable or playable the BDR is on other machines vs the number of hours stored on each BDR you have.

'User guide' what's that then?
My point was that going down in quality should not lead to a file over four times larger.

You should probably try getting the BW780 to convert the same program a few times to those different HG>>HL modes and watch them before saying the quality has dropped.

Way ahead of you - started last night

Will be very interested to hear what you have to say about the picture quality you see, i.e. noticeable artefacts, when you watch from your normal viewing distance.

What is the make/model/size of TV you have and what is your normal viewing distance? At what distance are those artefacts not viewable?

I actually dont have a BW780/880 right now, just very keen to know what you find as it is something which is high on my list of potential purchases.

We have a Sony KDL-40HX803 and sit about 8 feet from the screen.
I haven't seen the 'original' file o my TV yet, but was very impressed on a friends 40" Sony.
Comparing the HG and HL, HG is acceptable whilst HL is full of compression artifacts (swarming insects when there's motion)
He's on a liner at the moment, so I can compare when he gets back.
As we don't have HD yet I copy the original file and convert using MPEG Video Wizard which does a good job AND I can add chapters as the BW780 does not have an auto-chapters facility.
Also I must mention the EPG which is my opinion the worst I have ever seen - see P19 of manual
I'll do more tests next week when we go HD....

This is unavoidable if going from HD to SD. as they use different compression systems.

HD is transmitted and archived in MPEG4.

SD and anything going onto a DVD must be in MPEG2 compression which is much less 'efficient' at discarding data in comparison to MPEG4 so files will be bigger.

It's legacy and unavoidable.

Understood, but everything I copied is SD in DR mode
We don't HD until the 13th

I've had a DMR-BWT800 since Xmas, but hadn't archived anything off of it, until the HDD got a bit full. Only just beginning to realise it's not as simple as it seems.
I put roughly 11 hours of BBC HD programs onto a 25 GB TDK BD-R in DR mode. I was only expecting to be able to put about 6 hours onto the disk.
It plays back fine on the Panasonic PVR, but on a relatively new Sony VAIO, which has a blu-ray burner too, using Coral WinDVD BD. The picture looks pretty good to me but I can't find any audio at all.
My PS3, sees the disk & the titles, but refuses to play the video, with a 80029945 error. Tonight I'll try converting to one of the other HD recording modes tonight. I don't see any point in trying the HG mode.
If a 500 GB drive can hold 129 hours in DR mode, but only 78 in HG or 117 in HX, then pehaps this explains WillS is seening such large files. Maybe DR mode makes more use of VBR than the other recording modes. I might just try the same sample video in various recording modes, onto the same disk & see how they look & sound on my PC & PS3.

You HAVE to convert from DR to HX,HE, HL or HM or below (see page 124 of manual) to get the disc to play back on anything other than another Panasonic recorder.
There are some Panasonic Blu-Ray players which will work.
The difference between DR, HG and HE are barely noticible.

Even SD DR has to be converted to SP, LP, EP
These are best done 'in standby'

FYI with programmes other than BBC, the conversion will erase the DR
If you press the info button it tells you one copy only

I'd suggest you try copying something onto all the mode and see what you thing.
Not the Test Card btw! You have to pick something with motion in it

WillS

You can finalise the Blu ray disc in the settings of blu ray disc management of the main menu where you get to the rest of the units settings, long as you have the blu ray disc in the machine already.

Note that finalising Bluray in this machine is not required for compatibility elsewhere as was the norm with DVD.

Finalising is provided only as an option to prevent further editing or recording.

...or erasing!!!