DVD-R Iincopatability?

Rsjm80, we still need to know whether the discs are playable on the LG unit they were recorded on. If they are then it should certainly be possible to transfer the video to another device even if you have to connect the LG unit to another recorder. I have a DVD recorder that, in addition to the SP/LP/XP length options, includes a flexible (I think it's designated FR) mode that basically matches the compression to the length of the program being recorded. This uses the entire DVD while ensuring the best quality possible. The instruction warn that using this mode may make the DVD unplayable on other equipment.

Rsjm80, Any idea what models the Sanyo and RCA units you tried it on are? I looked at the specs on your LG and, similar to my Toshiba, it reads and writes just about every format under the sun (except BluRay). I still think, if worst comes to worst, you should be able to hook the outputs from your machine to the inputs of another recorder and dub the disc so you don't lose your recording. As you probably don't have another recorder handy, you may have to find a service that does this. Many camera stores used to do this but they're a dying breed.

I think in order to rip the discs they will have to be recognized by the computer. The OP mentioned that Windows 7 and 8 didn't recognize the discs but it's unclear to me whether this was a hardware issue or a software issue. If the problem is Windows Media Player and not the drive, I find that the Windows program VLC (VideoLAN) can play almost anything. It would be very unusual for any computer DVD drive to not recognize a DVD-R disc. They've been around for a long time.

Rsjm80, After browsing through the manual (thanks for the link Jea48), I don't see any reason why the disc you recorded and finalized shouldn't be a "standard" DVD playable in other machines. The manual even states that at one point. Also, it doesn't appear that the non-standard recording length I mentioned above is even an option on your machine.

One thing I thought of while reading through the manual - if the program you recorded is that valuable to you, you can always use your machine to dub it to VHS. I know this is not optimal because of the loss of some quality but at least you would have the program. I'm also sure that you can find a service to create a DVD from the tape.

Dick

Rsjm80, Frankly I'm baffled. This really should be straightforward. Maybe in the early days of DVD recording you might expect to find some drives that supported either +R or -R but not both but we are far removed from the early days and I've not seen a drive in many years that didn't support both. Best of luck in any case. Dick

"For example, finalizing isn't always the same thing for all formats."

Except that the manual that was linked above clearly states on page 23 that discs recorded on the unit should be playable on regular DVD machines.

From the manual:

Finalize
Finalizing ‘fixes’ the recordings in place so that the disc can be played on a regular DVD player or computer equipped with a suitable DVD-ROM drive. Finalizing a Video mode disc creates a menu screen for navigating the disc. This is accessed by pressing DISC MENU/LIST or TITLE.

Yeah. I've never used a dual layer disc so I'm not sure how they would act.