BluRay reader/writer.

A forum to share ideas and opinions on the equipment and technical aspects of film, video and AV making.
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

wanting to be able to make a compilation on a bluray disc as I can on DVD (which could include a Bluray film tho' obviously at a lower quaity) I was advised to get a Pioneer BDR-209EBK, had it installed and started on the project. OK with the DVDs but the Pioneer did not recognise a member's home made bluray, seeing it as a blank disc.
What make/model should have installed, please? Or will no comparable deck do what I want?
Peter Copestake
User avatar
TimStannard
Posts: 1220
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by TimStannard »

Peter, I have that very same BluRay re-writer (in fact it's the second one I've had - the other is in my "spare" PC. I've never had any issue reading Blurays from members of Staines or other clubs (I've never actually tried a commecrcial BluRay in it [EDIT: I have now and the PC reads it although I don't have any software capable of playing it!]). This model has been recommended for years and so it's unlikely to be a problem with the model.

This leaves several possibilities:
1. There's a problem with the driver or Windows recognising it properly (My WIndows 10 recognises the drive as a PIONEER BD-RW BDR-209M - I get to this information from Device Manager - therse are several ways to get ther, but typing "Device Manager" in the search box seems the most efficient)
2. Actually Windows recognises the drive/disk OK but the software you are using doesn't - you didn't tell us where the message about "blank disc" is displayed.
3. (Most likely IMO) The disk has not been burned correctly.
4. Your particular drive is faulty.

I'd start by checking out the problematic BluRay on another system.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

Thanks, Tim, but do your answers correlate with my brief statement "DVDs OK"? I used it to copy files from three or four DVDs to computer which did recognise it when installed. As for 3, are there different formats for home made Blurays? These discs play on two different Sony players to our club projector and our home TV.
The 'blank disc' message comes up on the computer's screen as recognition of the contents of the E drive.
The same computer recognised the disc on an LG DVD reader/writer and I was able to get the files into D drive by dragging -it wouldn't do it by 'copy' - and made a playable DVD.
Faulty drive or odd format bluray? I'll ask suppliers tomorrow. Unfortunately club member is away so can't ask him what burner he uses.
Will let this forum know what the outcome is.
Peter Copestake
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

Further to above his burner is a Liteon, don't know model but it is a few years old.
Peter Copestake
User avatar
TimStannard
Posts: 1220
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by TimStannard »

Hi Peter. Yes, each of my suggestions could also correlate with your statement about DVDs. Apart from the fact that they use the similar technology to read and write, they are not the same. (For a start DVDs use red laser light and BluRays use blue) so it is quite feasible that a DVD will be recognised when a BluRay isn't (and this could be for any of the reasons mentioned above).

Your exellent diagnosis so far appears to eliminate 2 and 3.

I'm somewhat confused by your statement "The same computer recognised the disc on an LG DVD reader/writer" If the disc is a BluRay, a DVD reader should not be able to read it!

Assuming that was a typo, my next steps would be (1) uninstall the BluRay writer in Device manager and re-install, and then update the firmware.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

Explanation Found. The computer is using Windows XP which doesn't cope with Bluray. Our* fault for not reading specs properly, which say Win 7 & 8.
* = usually very helpful neighbour. I said "hadn't you better make sure computer is up to it?"
XP runs my old progammes adequately.
Sorry for wasting your time, Tim
Peter Copestake
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

"If the disc is a BluRay, a DVD reader should not be able to read it!" It's a mystery. As far as I remember it 'saw' the files on the disc, it wouldn't copy them, but I dragged them to the folder on my D (video) drive and Nero put them onto a DVD, along with others, which plays perfectly. My graduate computer engineer grandson, who pointed out the XP solution, has just reinstalled the LG and it does not now see anything on the disc. I have looked for another disc from the same source of the same film and cannot find one but that may mean I've given it back to him. I am afraid that at 86 it's all a bit too much and I may have misrembered something. I can only apologise again.
Peter Copestake
User avatar
TimStannard
Posts: 1220
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by TimStannard »

Peter Copestake wrote: Mon May 06, 2019 4:32 pm Sorry for wasting your time, Tim
Absolutely not a waste of time, Peter. I missed out one of the possible causes (my fault for assuming you were running a more recent version of Windows)
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
tom hardwick
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:59 am

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by tom hardwick »

And anyway, my Windows XP machine reads and writes Blu-rays using its LG drive, so XP isn't the problem.
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

What model LG, Tom? Perhaps Pioneer was the wrong make to use.
Peter Copestake
tom hardwick
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:59 am

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by tom hardwick »

No idea, it was built into the pc case by DVC 9 years ago or so.
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

For some reason, probably because I didn't click submit, my last post hasn't apppeared. It said that the Pioneer deck installed on our domestic PC, using Windows 7 SP1, plays a Bluray disc but the computer shows the disc as having a capacity of 13.2 GB of which 13.2 GB is free which seems to me to say 'blank disc' as plainly as the XP computer did. I don't understand this but I am sure one of you will do! Is the deck faulty?
Peter Copestake
User avatar
TimStannard
Posts: 1220
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:20 pm
Location: Surrey

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by TimStannard »

It seems possible. At this stage I'd take it up with Pioneer or your supplier.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
tom hardwick
Posts: 914
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:59 am

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by tom hardwick »

Even stranger as a blank BD is 25GB or 50GB as a double layer.
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: BluRay reader/writer.

Post by Peter Copestake »

I'll do that Tim.
There's 62 minutes of films on it. If it hasn't been finalised would there be 13 GB left free? But in that case it wouldn't play on computer or player would it, Tom?
Peter Copestake
Post Reply