An Extension of Software Player for Playing Finalizing-Failure DVD VR Discs

Abstract

DVD VR (video recording) is a logic format adopted by most home consumer DVD recorder machines to record real-time TV and multimedia content on DVD+R/RW or DVD-R/RW blank discs. However, DVD VR format can only be recognized and played by the DVD recorder itself. To achieve forward compatibility and play ability, the recorder provides a function called disc finalizing process which closes every tracks and sessions of a DVD VR disc and changes its logic format from DVD VR to DVD-video to make it playable on generic DVD-video compatible players. Unfortunately, disc finalizing process provided by DVD recorder is very unstable and unreliable due to various uncertain reasons. This unreliable finalizing process often and easily produces failure discs which are neither in correct DVD VR format nor in DVD-video format. Thus, these discs become unrecognized, and can no longer be played any more by any DVD players or recorders. This paper proposes an extension of software solution which is capable of reading and playing non-finalized or finalizing-failure DVD VR discs.