I purchesed a Sony S550D DVD player tonight and I seem to be having a problem getting it to play VCDs that I made myself. Does anyone have suggestions as to what to try? Possibly different media (I'm using generic silver/blue) or software other than EasyCD Creator Deluxe? Thanks...

-- Steve (golfer@wnol.net), July 20, 1999

Answers

Different Media. I have the 500D...the best results I get, are on TDK or Sony. Don't use generic cdrs.

-- Don (rico_1@webtv.net), July 20, 1999.

Thanks... Someone in another message suggested Memorex silver/silver CD-RWs. I've got an HP CD-RW here that seems to be silver/silver so I'm going to give that a try... I won't toast any more blanks that way either. :)

-Steve

-- Steve (golfer@wnol.net), July 20, 1999.

It seems as if the HP didn't work quite right. I got a C:13:00 error which means that the disc is dirty. Time to start looking for alternate media still, I guess...

-Steve

-- Steve (golfer@wnol.net), July 21, 1999.

This is sort of an odd addition to things. I tried (just as a test) recopying the test video cd I was using to the same HP CD-RW. This time it worked... Tried it one more time, it didn't. Odd... Also, I got one of the CDR-Outlet Silver on Silver CDs and tried copying my test VCD (which plays fine on it's own) onto it, no go. If anyone has any suggestions as to specifically what media to use for this player, please suggest away. I'll try out everything that people suggest and see how it goes. (Side note, I'm copying discs with CDRWIN and writing my own with EasyCD Creator)

-Steve

-- Steve (golfer@wnol.net), July 21, 1999.

Well, after a bunch of reading of newsgroups and some testing with both audio and vcd CD-Rs I've come to the conclusion that the Sony DVP-S550D will not play any type of CD-R or CD-RW reliably. I'm going to go downstairs and package it up, and hopefully return it tomorrow and exchange it for somthing else. Now to make a couple of discs to bring as a test...

-Steve

-- Steve (golfer@wnol.net), July 21, 1999.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that Sony removed the cdr/vcd playback on the new 550D. The older version 500D, is one of the best ones on the market, that is if any still exist.

-- Don (rico_1@webtv.net), July 22, 1999.

I am using adaptec Video CD creator and get message stating "cd created successfully" with memorex silver cd's and Smart and Friendly CDR-W and trying to play them on my Sony S570D player with crap results! I have burned 10 VCD's to no avail. I have tried the dual disk Toshiba DVD player as well. I am taking them both back and which DVD player can I buy for under 450.00?? Please help!!?? I only got 1 of 10 to play on my pc. I am making "white book" mpeg's. Can anyone confirm that the Sony S550D DVD does not play CDR's and can it be assumed that the S570D does not either? I wanted the 6 speaker outs from this model. Thanks.

-- john (inalla76@hotmail.com), August 01, 1999.

I have Sony DVD S550D and it doesn't play any blue or silver Video CD's. I am very dissapointed and you know what really sucks... Sony released a software called PictureGear v 3.0 which allows you to make or convert your movies from your DV Camera into MPEG movies. Now that I have all that I can use it because the damn DVD player doesn't let me to do so.

-- Rob (bzyk2@aol.com), January 06, 2000.

My Sony is going back today for the Pioneer 525. I am a stickler for sound though and have read it has inferior quality, this troubles me.

-- Jeffrey (jpascone@dnai.com), February 26, 2000.

And here I thought I was going goofy. I have been trying to create my own Video CDs as i have the 550D. I'm using EZ Cd creater 4.0 deluxe, I make my movie, burn it to disk, test it out on the PC and works fine. Stick in the 550D and the dreaded "No Disk" error message appears. Thanks everyone for this forum, I'm on the phone with Sony to ask why advertisement says the 550D plays Video CD and it does not work??

I tried Silver, Blue, Gold, Sony, TDK, Imation and combinations thereof of CD-R Media. None worked.

-- Chris B. (cino@home.com), July 10, 2000.

Just got off the phone with Sony. This is straight from the Horse's mouth:

"None of Sony's newer DVD players will play Video CDs made on CD-R media. Only commercial grade movies will work. The difference is not in the media but at the angle which the data is written onto the DVD."

This means the 550D as well as any current model I presume.

"If you wish to share movies that you edited on your Sony PC that were captured using your Sony Digital Camera then make sure your Sony PC has a video out plug and connect that to your Sony VCR. Then play the movie and record it to your VCR tape"

At this point my jaw hit the floor...I'm going to go through all this Digital medium just to end up on a plain VHS tape. I'm sure George Lucas agrees with this, Mr. Anti-DVD himself.

I truly thought the next words were going to be: "And for best results use Sony Brand VHS tapes"

Hey Sony, whatever happended to "Expanding your Creativity". It just got squashed. Oh am I upset.....

-- Chris B, (cino@home.com), July 10, 2000.

Houston, we have liftoff...

In short, you can play homemade Video CDs in the 550D. The trick is to use CD-RW media. I'm no techie, but it has to do with angles, reflectance, and diffusion of laser pickups. The setup I'm using:

Software: Adaptec EZ CD Creater Deluxe 4.0 Burner: Philips PCW800 series (8x4x32) Media: Great Quality brand CD-RW (Available at Fry's Electronics in the States)

I tested three different movies on CD-RW media and they all worked. If anyone has had success with any other maker of CD-RW let me know!!

P.S. Sony still claims that no CD-R media will work in any newer model 550D but will not respond to questions about CD-RW media. hhmmmmm, I wonder why????

-- Chris B. (cino@home.com), July 11, 2000.

I really wish you guys would UTILIZE the previous posts (aka ARCHIVES). This subject has been answered over and over and over and over again. All I will say further on this matter is that the brand of media (Maxell, Sony, Memorex, etc etc etc) doesn't mean SQUAT! It is not the brandname you use that determines whether or not it can be read by you DVD player. It is the laser itself IN THE DVD PLAYER!

Many DVD players WILL NOT play BURNED VCDs on CD-R disks. Period, no ifs, ands, or buts. Some of those same players WILL PLAY BURNED VCDs on CD-RW disks. IF you have a DUAL-LASER DVD player, it WILL PLAY VCDs on BOTH CD-R and CD-RW.

I suggest that anyone looking for more information on why your DVD player won't play CD-R based VCDs, LOOK IN THE ARCHIVES!

"The answer is out there...."

-- Rhe Peat (knot@home.net), July 12, 2000.

Update... Since I made that original post I've gotten a Yamaha 8X SCSI CD-RW drive. Just today I tried copying a Forrest Gump VCD (original) to the Yamaha CD-RW disc that comes with the drive and it worked fine, first try. No reinserting the disc to spin it up and down a few times, it just worked. The CD-RW media itself is a sort of darkish grey. If I find other brands that work well, I'll be sure to post about them...

-- Steve (golfer@wnol.net), July 13, 2000.

I am using Memorex CD-RW media and has no problems playing VCDs. NO luck with CD-R's.

-- Shree Gayam (SGAYAM@HOTMAIL.COM), July 26, 2000.