[gadget_uk]

I have a Samsung dvd-SH893M DVD Recorder and when I try to copy to DVD, the machine freezes at 98% and won't go any further. It seems to format blank discs ok.

Watching DVDs is fine.

Any help would be good.

Thanks in advance.

[Chasing Shadows]

DVD recorders burn to disc from the outside in - and a faulty lens can fail to burn to the very inside section of the discs. So, if you are trying to archive a two-hour recording at SP quality, which pretty much fills up a standard 4.7Gb disc, it bombs out at 98% (about 118 minutes) because the laser can't reach the very inside of the recordable section on the disc.

Try archiving slightly less than the maximum capability of the disc - if it is managing to write 118 minutes before dropping out, see whether it manages to archive (say) a 110 minute movie to disc no problem. If this works, the answer is to archive slightly less than what the machine indicates it can fit on a disc at any one time.

The reason it plays discs fine is because a different laser is used for reading and for writing - obviously the laser used for reading the discs still works fine.

[webbie]

I'm pretty sure they burn from the inside to the outside - lots of my burnt disks you can see the unused area at the outside of the disk. The reason you're disks fail could be that nearer the outside of the disk the higher the writing speed for a constant speed disk and the disk is not of high enough quality for this higher speed to work. I'd try a different disk first - try a JVC branded disk as these are made using a Taiyo Yuden dye and are very good.

[webbie]

Also, before burning the disk, the recorder writes on a test area near the middle of the disk so it can adjust the power of the laser, so I'm pretty sure your laser can reach the middle of the disk ok. It may not reach the outer edge though, so you could try as Chasing Shadows suggests and try not to reach the outer edge of the disk.

[Chasing Shadows]

Quote:

Originally Posted by webbie

I'm pretty sure they burn from the inside to the outside

Thanks webbie.

Sod's law says I'd get it the wrong way round.

[chrisjr]

Point is, regardless of which way the laser moves (and it is inside out ) and having separate lasers for reading and writing, the lasers are all carried on the same slider mechanism.

Which means that any mechanical problem preventing the write laser reaching the outer edge of the disk will also prevent the read laser getting there.

I would think that by the time it gets to 98% chances are most of the data has been written to disk anyway and it would be doing something like writing the table of contents and finalising the disk. So possibly these final tasks are failing for whatever reason.

That would be easily proven if it happens regardless of the duration of the recording.

[pavier]

As chrisjr suggested, try burning just a short program, perhaps 20 minutes worth, to disc and see if it still fails. If it still fails to complete then the problem does not lie with the physical position of the laser or lens along the disc as the data will only have been written close to the centre.
Also as suggested try a different batch/brand of disc. I always check the label and avoid discs made in India as I've had so many problems with these over the years irrespective of brand.

May be worth trying a dvd lens cleaner, especially if the recorder is in a dusty/smokey environment.
Also, do you hear any vibration or judder from the mechanism during a burn? This would suggest a worn or dirty spindle rubber ring not gripping the disc adequately.

If the pitch (sound) rises and falls constantly during a burn of a continuous long program this indicates the burner is struggling to write or read the data due most likely to a bad disc or dirty lens/laser. I can usually tell from the pitch within the first minute of a burn starting if it's a bad disc about to fail.