DVD won't read video discs

Mark Fuller

Posts: 620   +107
I have a HP Pavilion dv4 laptop and it won't read any video disks like the eagles or any that I have burned. I have already uninstalled the driver as wel as ran dxdiags. It has windows vista os 64 bit.
 
Won't read or won't play? Get VLC, put the DVD in, tell VLC to open the disk (should be File - Open.. Open Disk, then maybe choose Video_TS folder (I'm only unsure because I'm looking at VLC on a Mac right now)).
 
Won't play with vlc either, says iput cannot be opened so I'm assuming it will not read, I really think it has something to do with firmware.
 
I had this problem on my previous Toshiba and again on the Dell replacement.
After fighting with it for weeks, I threw up my hands and purchased a portable
DVD r/w device like Portable Super Multi Drive gp08lu30 by LG, but I notice it has been discontinued :sigh: You get the idea, if it's important to you, forget the onboard DVD/CD device and go external.

The feature that took me to the GP08LU30 was the low power drain on the USB allowing a single port connection instead of the 'Y' cable to use two connections.
My Dell has limited USB, so a single connection was mandatory.
 
Thanks for the information, I already have an external, so that wont be a problem. I went to the manufacturer's website to update the firmware and it gave me a nightmarish set of instructions to follow which did not work.
 
The external works fine, but I tried to flash the firmware for the drive just to see if I could get it to work. The drive will still play an audio cd but will still not play a dvd. Could it be that I've ruined the drive. I used the instructions on HP's website.
 
What did you use to burn them with? Most PC DVD players can read 8X DVD so behind 2X to 8X. But home DVD players with burners or writers are different that what is used in a PC.

Then again dual layer DVD and DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD DL. So many to worry about. I use to worry about them but not anymore. I know what to buy and what to use.

So I can share you the trouble. HP won't play certain media home made ones so you have to do it right. Try using 4X or 8X don't use higher burning speed disc.

Certain brands works better than others. HP would like you to buy their disc, but I don't think so. Maxell are good stay away from unknown disc brands. Memorex will work also as well as SONY.

Don't use DVD- on PC use DVD+ on the PC.
 
Still won't work with DVD+ or - or any brand of dvd. I'm still trying to flash the firmware and in the instructions is says to run the command prompt as administrator and type in CD C:\FLASH but it just says the system cannot find the path specified.
 
I can't seem to fiind hp dv4 laptop on hp's website.

from Wikipedia, however, this series of info came up:
dv4 can have intel or amd processors
may came with dvd+-r/rw dual layer (can read/write/rewrite dvd-r, dvd+r, dvd-rw, dvd+-rw, dual layer discs)
may came with lightscribe support.
may came with blue-ray ROM support.

I like the following blank dvd media brands as they are available locally and are cheap: Iomega, Kodak, Sony, HP.
depending on media brand, price is around 3-4 blank dvd-r/+r for around 1 $ u.s.
(at ~43 Philippine peso to 1 $).

certain video files may appear to be burned fine but when played, it will not play because they are copyrighted and you don't have the 'rights'.
if you own the original discs, you may create one back-up copy by using a dvd authoring software.
and you cannot DIRECTLY burn 1:1 an original DVD without using 'tricks' or a dvd authoring software.

I don't know the scope of copyright law in your area; may be others who have extensive dvd library who have 'converted/backed up/burned to dvd' can chip in.

(I backed up my original House tv series using handbrake on a single computer only.)
 
Does the player read pre-recorded DVD disc the type you buy with media on it? From my experience some players play everything and some don't. A lot of them have protection so if you make your own stuff it won't play in them. Sounds like either you have one of those type of players or the player not working correctly.
 
Also, internal dvd players can be set to play region-encoded media but this can only be changed up to 4x only.
check if someone has inadvertently changed this setting.
 
I flashed the firmware and I don't think that it has a region setting because maybe it is region free. Oh well, I'll just get a new drive.
 
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