Problems playing CD-RW discs

[Doug Kanter]

Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped into
my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only play in
my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5 years old),
nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years old), it
hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a fairly common
occurrence?

 

[someone]

Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years
old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a
fairly common occurrence?

Have you created your CD-RWs with the UDF format ?
If you use them as `ordinary` CDs the will work.
The advantage being that you can erase\ re-use them.
Ordinary CD players cannot read the UDF format, but your
computer can.

 

[Grumps]

Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when
popped into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs
will only play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD
player (about 5 years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in
the car unit (3 years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits
out the disc. Is this a fairly common occurrence?

Is it fairly common? I'm not sure, but it has certainly happened to me too.
CDRs work in all appliances, but CDRW will only work in PCs, some CD
players, and my DVD player; they will not work in the car CD player.

 

[Doug Kanter]

Have you created your CD-RWs with the UDF format ?
If you use them as `ordinary` CDs the will work.
The advantage being that you can erase\ re-use them.
Ordinary CD players cannot read the UDF format, but your
computer can.

This is the first I've heard of the UDF format. I checked Nero's glossary,
but haven't delved much into its preferences yet.

 

[kony]

Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped into
my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only play in
my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5 years old),
nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years old), it
hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a fairly common
occurrence?

Yes it is fairly common, CDRW discs use a different,
phase-change layer that is harder for a typical CD drive to
read unless it was specifically designed to do so. Often
the devices having such drives make specific mention of that
compatibility.

 

[someone]

This is the first I've heard of the UDF format. I checked Nero's glossary,
but haven't delved much into its preferences yet.

Go for it Doug. Universal Disk Format is what is used normally
with re-writeable disks.
In effect it creates very large `floppies` that can be used more than
once.
You put your files on one, you can add files, then if you want to
you can erase them, and use the disk again.
When you use a CD-R disk the session is closed, and you can`t
use the disk again

 

[Vanguard]

Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when popped
into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs will only
play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD player (about 5
years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in the car unit (3 years
old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits out the disc. Is this a
fairly common occurrence?

So just how EXACTLY did you get the files onto the CD-RWs? Did you simply
drag over the files into the CD drive in Explorer? That means the CD-RW
will use UDF (universal data format) which requires a reader and writer to
handle that format. Your CD players won't have that driver and won't
support that format.

When you were in Nero, what format did you specify when burning the files
onto the CD-RW? Did you close the session or leave it open (so you could
copy more files on the disc later)? Did you use Nero Express, and did you
select to cut a *music* CD (so you use the right format)? If you used Nero
(non-Express version), did you select to cut a *music* CD under the
scroll-list of formats in the New Compilation dialog?

 

[Doug Kanter]

Go for it Doug. Universal Disk Format is what is used normally
with re-writeable disks.
In effect it creates very large `floppies` that can be used more than
once.
You put your files on one, you can add files, then if you want to
you can erase them, and use the disk again.
When you use a CD-R disk the session is closed, and you can`t
use the disk again

That's my intention for data backups. For music, which I'd rather listen to
on the home or car stereos, it sounds like I'm out of luck.

 

[Doug Kanter]

So just how EXACTLY did you get the files onto the CD-RWs? Did you simply
drag over the files into the CD drive in Explorer? That means the CD-RW
will use UDF (universal data format) which requires a reader and writer to
handle that format. Your CD players won't have that driver and won't
support that format.

When you were in Nero, what format did you specify when burning the files
onto the CD-RW? Did you close the session or leave it open (so you could
copy more files on the disc later)? Did you use Nero Express, and did you
select to cut a *music* CD (so you use the right format)? If you used
Nero (non-Express version), did you select to cut a *music* CD under the
scroll-list of formats in the New Compilation dialog?

So far, I've only used the Nero SmartStart thing. Pointed to the music icon,
then the "Make Audio CD" option, which claims to "Create a regular audio CD
that plays in all CD players and on your PC". This is day #2 - it's as far
as I've gotten with the details of what's going on behind the "wizard"
screens (which I really hate).

 

[DaveW]

CD-RW are notoriously fussy about where they can be replayed. Frequently
they will only work in the recorder machine that wrote them. Common
problem.

 

[kony]

So far, I've only used the Nero SmartStart thing. Pointed to the music icon,
then the "Make Audio CD" option, which claims to "Create a regular audio CD
that plays in all CD players and on your PC". This is day #2 - it's as far
as I've gotten with the details of what's going on behind the "wizard"
screens (which I really hate).

So you aren't using UDF, it is only a matter of it being a
CDRW (Or rarely a specific brand of discs) preventing use in
some players.

 

[Doug Kanter]

So you aren't using UDF, it is only a matter of it being a
CDRW (Or rarely a specific brand of discs) preventing use in
some players.

Oh well. My only purpose in using them for music was in occasional
situations where I'm not sure I'm going to like certain music after
listening to it on a real stereo. I hate wasting the regular CDRs.

 

[Grinder]

Oh well. My only purpose in using them for music was in occasional
situations where I'm not sure I'm going to like certain music after
listening to it on a real stereo. I hate wasting the regular CDRs.

You can always use the cast-offs to build yourself a throne:
http://stupidco.com.nyud.net:8090/aol_throne_finished.html

 

[~misfit~]

Minor thing: I just started burning CDs. The CDRs work fine when
popped into my computer, home stereo or car stereo. But, CD-RW discs
will only play in my computer. When I insert them in the home CD
player (about 5 years old), nothing happens at all. When inserted in
the car unit (3 years old), it hunts around for tracks and then spits
out the disc. Is this a fairly common occurrence?

The answer lies in something called the 'reflectivity index'.

Pressed CDs reflect the light from the laser reading mechanism in a stereo
or car CD palyer quite well, they are very reflective, around 90%.

CD-Rs are nearly as good, typically having a reflectivity index of up to
80%.

However, CD-RWs, because of the nature of the dye layer and how they work,
have a comparitively low refectivity index, typically 60%.

That means that only 60% of the light emmited from the read laser is
reflected back to the sensor. Modern computer drives are designed to read
CD-RWs and some consumer electronics CD players are too. They simply have a
more powerful laser and a laser power calibration system built in that
test-reads from the CD on insertion and makes the laser as 'bright' as it
needs to be for relaible reading.

Unless a home or car stereo states that it reads CD-RWs then don't rely on
it. You may get lucky but often you won't.

HTH

 

[Doug Kanter]

The answer lies in something called the 'reflectivity index'.

Pressed CDs reflect the light from the laser reading mechanism in a stereo
or car CD palyer quite well, they are very reflective, around 90%.

CD-Rs are nearly as good, typically having a reflectivity index of up to
80%.

However, CD-RWs, because of the nature of the dye layer and how they work,
have a comparitively low refectivity index, typically 60%.

That means that only 60% of the light emmited from the read laser is
reflected back to the sensor. Modern computer drives are designed to read
CD-RWs and some consumer electronics CD players are too. They simply have
a more powerful laser and a laser power calibration system built in that
test-reads from the CD on insertion and makes the laser as 'bright' as it
needs to be for relaible reading.

Unless a home or car stereo states that it reads CD-RWs then don't rely on
it. You may get lucky but often you won't.

HTH

Thanks, Shaun. Good explanation. Fortunately, my need to play CD-RWs in some
machines is minimal. I've reduced the question to the low-medium curiosity
level.

 

[~misfit~]

Thanks, Shaun. Good explanation. Fortunately, my need to play CD-RWs
in some machines is minimal. I've reduced the question to the
low-medium curiosity level.

Well, I'm pleased to have been able to satisfy your curiosity. I don't check
this group that often (So many groups, so little time. <g>) so, knowing it
was a relatively old post, didn't know of you'd see my reply. I'm pleased
you did and that I didn't write it in vain.

Cheers,