Recordable dvd player.

[netibiza]

This may be silly and self-explanatory, but If I buy a recordable dvd, will it also play other recorded dvds i.e from the internet as It doesn't say divx.

[davyjo1]

yes as long as it has been finalized.

[netibiza]

Huh?? what does that mean?

[pauln90]

Look at the spec of the DVD recorder you intend to buy.
If it states it will play Divx then you are ok
Not all DVD recorders will play Divx recordings.

[davyjo1]

a disc recorded on any recorder, will play back
on almost all machines, as long as the disc is finalized,
( as i refered to above )
to finalize a disc bring up the disc menu on screen it
will give several options, just select finalize from these.
but make sure you have all you want to record on the disc
as once it is finalized it can not be edited.

[netibiza]

Thank you both - I think I understand it now.

[Hammer]

First, some assumptions about your question. 1 - you are talking about a standalone dvd recorder that plugs into the tv. 2 - by 'other recorded dvds' you mean files taken from your pc

divx is a format commonly used on PCs because you can make the files very small without losing much quality.

Most standalone DVD players do not take this format (if they do, they will say they do).

So your question has 2 answers.
1. It will play DVDs recorded on another DVD recorder, or from your PC in DVD format.
2. It won't play other file types (such as divx) unless you convert them to DVD format first. Note that this does not mean simply burning the divx file onto a blank DVD, but converting from divx to DVD, then burning to DVD.

[netibiza]

Oh confusion!!! Basically I want to get rid of my dvd/video recorder and replace it with a standalone dvd recorder, so I can still record from the TV. I don't have the knowlege to record from pc but my friends can (plus pirate dvds). I want to be able to play these. So I would have thought that any dvd that could record, would be able to play pirate dvds (no lectures please) and downloaded ones? Is it that simple? I want to order one from Argos as they are at least 200� cheaper than buying over here in Ibiza. The one I want says mp3, dvdrw everything but not divx, one the other hand I have already bought a portable from Argos which doesn't say divx and it plays them all. Hence my confusion.

[Hammer]

Pirate DVDs - no problem.

Downloaded films - no problem if they're in the right format. If they work in your current player they should be fine.

(downloaded films come in many formats, mostly divx and vcd (video cd). divx probably won't work but vcd probably will. Your friends probably know this already if they already give you stuff that works. Presumably they don't give you divx stuff).

[netibiza]

Yes I think svcd was mention!

[Hammer]

I have a DVD recorder myself, and if I was to consider downloading films, I would make sure that they were in vcd format (or svcd, or kvcd, or any other variation), then I would have no problems watching them, apparently, but of course that would be illegal ;-)

[netibiza]

Thank you very much Hammer and everyone else.