How do I know if my DVD player will play these?

[Nanny Fine]

Dumb dumb question, I know, I'm sorry.

I just got a set of DVD's in the mail - 1st ones I've ever traded for and I dont know if my DVD player will play them. How do I find out?

My DVD player is a GE1106P.

Now if by chance they DO play how do I transfer them to tape if someone wants them?

And if they dont' play and somewhere down the line I have to get a new DVD player that will play them (that will be a while though :( ) how do I know what kind to buy that WILL play them?

Sorry for all the dumb questions.

[debwalsh]

Ask the person who created them if they are DVD-R or DVD+R and what media (brand) they used. Then go to www.vcdhelp.com and do a search on your DVD player to find out what media is compatible. The site features reviews and reports by users rather than manufacturer hype, so it is extremely useful. Region hacks are also available on the site, and also extremely useful.

I've found that homemade DVDs don't contain macrovision or other protection, so I've been able to copy to tape by hooking the DVD player up to the VCR using the Line In connection. In fact, I've started copying my older, more precious material to disc in order to be able to copy it to tape for other people without degrading the tape any further.

Hope this helps!

[dlemond]

According to the specs it should play DVD-R.
Though the reviews of this player say it tends to freeze a lot.
You should consider buying a new player- there are cheap good ones that play every format. We are talking under $75 here.

Anyway here is a link to your player at amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000523XI/qid=1080231173/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl23/102-2272720-6012114?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

[lazygrae]

Just put a disc into your player and see. It will not damage your player if the disc is unplayable in it. If no success, take the discs with you when you go to buy your next player, test at the shop, and buy one that does play them.

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by dlemond
According to the specs it should play DVD-R.
Though the reviews of this player say it tends to freeze a lot.
You should consider buying a new player- there are cheap good ones that play every format. We are talking under $75 here.

Anyway here is a link to your player at amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000523XI/qid=1080231173/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl23/102-2272720-6012114?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846


How would I know what player to buy?

I will buy it at Walmart if/when I do since my mom can get a discount for me there.

As for taping it from DVD to VHS I hook it up just like I would a VCR to VCR?

How do I know if the DVD is DVD R or not? I'll email the person I got them from and ask them.

I want a DVD recorder really bad.

[dlemond]

Look at a player like this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000CEJUO/qid=1080231703/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-2272720-6012114?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

Look for features like this and a brand name you recognize and read reviews on the net.

This player does pretty much everything and it is Panasonic and under $70.00

As far as hooking it up for recording, I'm pretty sure it is just like a VCR.

[DetectiveGriffin]

Nanny, i always refer people who want to trade with me to this place

vcdhelp (http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=&cdr=1&cdrw=1&dvdr=1&dvdrw=1&dvdplusr=1&dvdplusrw=1&dvdram=1&vcd=1&svcd=1&cvd=1&Search=Search&country=US&orderby=Rating&Submit2=Search)

you can look under the name of a specific player, or you can search for players that play certain types of formats. really nice.

[Nanny Fine]

According to that site it should play them so I hopefully will find out for sure tonight.

Thanks for everyone's help.

[Nanny Fine]

The DVD's are DVD-R

What is the difference between the + and the - ?

Anyhow I''ll know later tonight if it works or not. :)

[cp32]

Buy an apex run around 48-58.00
I have the apex ad 1500 plays everything including PAL disc.
Only formats it wont play are divx & svcd.

cant go wrong with those machines.

most players will play minus.

transfering to Vhs

1: rca plugs

2 : hook up your video & audio plug into the OUTPUTS of the DVD player.

3 : Take the other end plug it into the INPUTS of the vcr.

press play and whala! Your all set to record dvds. If there is no macrovision .

[Nanny Fine]

Okay my GE works!

I'm watching the Dukes Of Hazzard!

This is COOL!

Thanks guys for your help!

[nannyfan]

I agree with cp32 about the APEX dvd players...they play anything you stick into them with the 2 exceptions she mentioned and they are cheap! I bought one 2 Christmas' ago at WalMart for $29.00 and it works wayyyy better than the expensive JVC home theater system that was $400+! The JVC is so picky it hardly plays anything other than retail dvds. I've also owned other JVC products that were less than stellar in performance - a tv & a vcr. Actually, they both worked fine for the short time they worked. I'll never buy another JVC product again. Can't go wrong with APEX dvd players - they are cheap and my 12-yr old daughter uses her APEX dvd player around the clock - she plays her cds in it, too - with no problems. Another good brand that I've recently purchased is GoVideo. We bought a portable dvd player for my daughter because of all the travelling we will be doing back and forth to the island. I scoured the internet for reviews on brands and any user comments I could find and the GoVideo portable dvd players all had good reviews. Then I went to Best Buy, Sears, etc., and looked at the picture quality of them all and for the money, GoVideo won hands down. The only down side to portable dvd players (with the viewing screen) is the batteries are expensive and you only get 2-3 hours of viewing time - depending on the size of the screen of your player. The 5" screen gets 3-4 and the 7" widescreen gets 2-3 hours. Replacement batteries are expensive, too. But, like the APEX player - it plays vcds, cds, and any home made dvd she has fed it! :wave:

[DetectiveGriffin]

Once i was able to modify my apex ad1500 to region free and macrovision free, i wanted another - but alas, it was too late!
I really love that spunky little thing!

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by DetectiveGriffin
Once i was able to modify my apex ad1500 to region free and macrovision free, i wanted another - but alas, it was too late!
I really love that spunky little thing!

What do you mean it was too late? Did Apex do something where you could no longer modify the 1500?

[Dogma66603]

Wait, you want to record a DVD onto a VHS?

[DetectiveGriffin]

I mean it was too late to buy another, they quit making them. Now Im waiting for the next big thing. Since i have a large collection of vcds, plus my store bought region 2 dvds, i dont want to lose the ability to polay them should my apex die. I did get a different brand cheapie for the other room and it can play all that stuff, but not as well as the apex. It gets audio and video out of line whenever you "fast forward" or "rewind" a vcd. errr

[Agent 13]

There are quite a few of the Apex 1500's listed on eBay. Would all of these DVD players play without macrovisioning problems?

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by Dogma66603
Wait, you want to record a DVD onto a VHS?

If someone wanted a copy of something I had on DVD yes I Would want to tape it onto a VHS.

[DetectiveGriffin]

Originally posted by Agent 13
There are quite a few of the Apex 1500's listed on eBay. Would all of these DVD players play without macrovisioning problems?

They should break macrovision just fine. Im skiddish about buying stuff bigger than a bread box on ebay, so i havent bothered with there, but if you're looking for one, thats where you'll find it.

I copy dvds to tape all the time, so that we can have a copy upstairs and one downstairs, you know. its great.

[TVJedi]

Speaking of worry about a disc screwing up your DVD player..

Funny story.. I was making VCDs a couple years ago and one in particular did not burn right (even though my burning program said "burn successful"). When I put it in my Panasonic RP91 DVD player, the glitch on the disc caused the drive tray to completely lock. It was impossible to mechanically eject the disc. After calls to Panasonic advising me to send the DVD player out for repair, 5 days later (right when I was about to ship out the DVD player) I finally got an e-mail reply from Panasonic online-tech support telling me the disc somehow triggered the "secret in-store demo disc lock". He said this is used in retail stores so that people do not steal the demo DVDs out of their players. Anyhow he provided the necessary button presses on the unit and remote control to unlock the tray and remove the disc. Luckily I have not created any of these automatic-tray-locking discs since. *sigh of relief* I imagine whatever happened is super rare, so don't worry. You're trading DVDs, not VCDs. :)