topic Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs ! in Home Cinema, Projectors & Players

Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:20:34 GMT

Hello could anyone help please. I have 2 DVD recorders RDR -DC 100 one of which I have had from new and the other I have just bought still boxed from new. Both are functioning normally in most areas but neither recognise blank dvds which I am attempting to use to record on. I am using the type recommended in the handbook. Both recorders go through the process of loading and this appears on the tv screen. Both make intermittent noises in the loading area but eventually state “no disc”. It seems strange both machines are acting identically. Could anyone suggest a solution. Many thanks.Barry

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

royabrown2 — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:17:56 GMT

@Barrykeith

Might the discs need formatting on the recorder before you can use them?

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/4261/42614771M.pdf#page81

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:30:01 GMT

Many thanks for your reply and enclosed information. I have gone to System Menu and selected Disc Set Up. On scrolling across I am given 2 options the first being Disc Information which is in faded letters and I cannot access. The second option is Hdd formatting given my used space as 1 hour and 2 minutes and remaining 54 hours and 39 minutes. As stated in my previous post I have 2 identical machines both with the same problem and I have my doubts that I have set up the machines correctly. Any disc on which I have recorded on previously or unused spins for some time in the player and then the message No disc appears. Any further help would be appreciated. Thank you.Barry

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

royabrown2 — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 18:46:49 GMT

@Barrykeith

You are pressing DVD to move away from the HDD, and placing the disc face down? (Page 54)

Those instructions do say that DVDs made on other equipment may not respond to that menu.

But what you describe seeing implies it’s looking at the HDD, and not any mounted disc. Possibly because some mode needs switching to look at the mounted disc, or possibly because the device doesn’t see it, and moves on to look at the HDD instead.

I assume the device is intended to be able to play commercial prerecorded DVDs?

Have you tried any? Can it?

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 06:43:19 GMT

Hello and many thanks for your continued help. I have tried commercially produced dvds (and others recorded on this machine many years ago) making sure they are loaded the correct way up with the same result. TV screen shows DVD selected followed by “loading” and after some time the “no disc” message appears. Both machines give the same result and I have concerns that I have made a basic error somewhere to cause this problem. Any further help would be appreciated. Thank you.Barry

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

royabrown2 — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 09:41:41 GMT

@Barrykeith

Hard to know what error you might have made, though this device has a very strange manual that does not seem to get to grips with how the thing might actually be used.

Have you tried a commercial disc the ‘wrong’ way up, see what it says?

My Sony BluRay player has a long think after such an insertion of a commercial DVD, and then says ‘Disc is not playable’, plus some other gubbins about it perhaps not being finalised.

The disc and the player remain unharmed by the experiment 😛

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 13:32:56 GMT

If a commercially recorded disc will not load then it suggests an issue with the machine. Try a couple of such discs first.

Blank discs can be problematic and I've had Philips and TDK brand discs literally 'rot' away as the reflective layer deteriorates, deterioration that is easy to see if the disc is held up to the light. Verbatim blanks have been 100% reliable.

As mentioned, if it will not read a commercial disc you have problems. What about CD's? (assuming it is designed to play those as well)

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 14:30:11 GMT

Hello and many thanks for the most recent answers. I have now tried CDs, commercially recorded DVDs right way up and otherwise but continue to get “loading “and then “no disc “

prompts. My son in law did have partial success this morning as he bought one of his own blank DVDs and did at least get to the “Format Disc” prompt but then the machine failed to format the disc. It’s very strange that this situation is evident on both identical machines one of which I have had for a long time but has been unused for a while and another identical machine which had never been unpacked from the original box. I have obviously thought about the optical eye requiring cleaning but of course my disc cleaning dvd will not work either. I do not feel technically competent to partially dismantle the machine to clean. Your continued help would be appreciated.Kind regards,

Barry

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 17:35:41 GMT

Given both machines are behaving the same is odd but perhaps also coincidental.

A clean of the lens might be worth trying and given you saying that you did at least just once get to the 'Format' stage and then it failed would keep that theory at the top of list.

My other thought was that it might be a loading issue such as a slipping belt whereby the mechanism doesn't quite complete the loading cycle. Don't attempt to stall the drawer but it should feel as if it has enough 'power' if you gently try and hold it back as it moves. A slipping belt would show as the drawer having no power and being able to be stopped very easily. You would also hear the loading motor carry on running as the belt slips.

Once you reached a 'Format' screen that does suggest loading was successful.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 15:38:44 GMT

Hello,many thanks for your latest suggestion on the problem with both these machines. I have tested them both by opening the dvd drawers and when touched during closing they both exhibit strong resistance,so I don’t think the belts are the problem. I know it could be coincidental they both have the same problem. Would there be a type of blank dvd which is currently available in UK which is generally acceptable for most DVD recorders (bearing in mind some machines have a maximum recording speed (not sure what the speed is for this machine). Any further help would be appreciated. Kind regards,Barry.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 17:11:49 GMT

The most reliable blank media I have used is Verbatim brand.

You need to look at what is recommended for your machine as regards - or + type (DVD-RW or DVD+RW). These should be available from many sources but check out CPC (Part of Farnell Group). All the different types in all the different pack sizes.

DVDs - Blank, DVD-R, DVD-RW & More | CPC (farnell.com)

Just an example of a few:

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

royabrown2 — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 21:28:00 GMT

@Barrykeith

Will they play a commercial CD?

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 05:19:49 GMT

Thanks for your message. Neither machine will load and play a commercial CD.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:48:11 GMT

Is 'CD' a valid format those recorders? Check the user manual and see if they are listed as a valid format. If they are and it will not play them then there is a problem.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

royabrown2 — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:56:46 GMT

@Mooly01 @Barrykeith

I did, before asking.

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/4261/42614771M.pdf#page61

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:55:46 GMT

That is conclusive then.

I'm going to say then that there is nothing lost in giving the lens a clean. You have two non functional machines, I don't think there is anything to lose really although I fully appreciate that may be outside your comfort zone.

Typically it would involve removal of the top cover and then a 'cover' that is part of the DVD drive. If you do look then be sure to disconnect from the mains first.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:53:45 GMT

Hello and thank you for your latest post. I have had a look and it appears that 5 screws hold on the outer cover. I may take this off,after of course unplugging from the mains,from the machine which I have had for some time. I’m not sure the new machine which has only just been taken out of the box is likely to require the optical eye cleaning. Thank you for your help to date. kind regards, Barry

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 17:25:38 GMT

It is certainly odd to have both seemingly the same and yet if both refuse to play a known good commercially available CD (so not a CDR or CDRW recorded elsewhere) then you have to just take each one as being faulty.

Is the 'new' machine NOS (new old stock) and genuinely unused?

If the tray is clean and dust free when you eject it then that suggests that the lens should be essentially clean as well. One exception to that could be if any 'bloom' or film has developed on the lens but that seems a bit tenuous tbh.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Barrykeith — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:07:43 GMT

Hello and thanks for the latest post. The “new” machine was new old stock.it was still boxed with all cables and remote still wrapped. The trays do not show any particular signs of dust.

I have not yet decided to dismantle either machine to see if cleaning us required. The main reason we have these machines is to record TV programmes for later viewing but not necessarily to record to DVD.

Re: Help please with DVD Recorder RDR-DC100 not recognising discs !

Mooly01 — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:40:16 GMT

OK, that's fair enough. It really is very much a mystery at this point and a search of possible issues doesn't turn much up... i.e. this doesn't seem to crop up as a common issue.