How To Play Data Discs

[buffymad]

My brother has burned some music for me but on data discs so as to fit more on. He said I'd only be able to play it on a DVD player or laptop. Tried the DVD player - it just said wrong disc. Tried laptop, it whirred a bit like it was going to do something but then nothing. Tried again. This time it came up with Windows Media Player so I tried playing it through that. It said it couldn't read the disc or something like that.

Am I doing something wrong? I'd wrongly assumed I'd insert the disc and off it would go!

Plain English replies please, I might be able to use a laptop but am not very technical about it!!!

[Dizmo]

Did your brother check the disc in another device (CD player, DVD player etc) before handing it to you? If not then maybe it didn't finalise the disc correctly (it didn't burn correctly and won't work in any device).

If yes,

It could be that he has made the disc in a format unreadable by WMP (Windows Media Player) which would most certainly make it unusable in most DVD/CD devices.

Personally, I'd go with my first suggestion.

[SlackAlice]

What are the file types he put on the Disc and did he 'finalise' the disc.
Not all DVD players will play all file types.

[Dizmo]

Take it back to him and ask him to try and play the music on one of his players. If it doesn't work then it means that he's not burnt it correctly.

I could go all technical and ask you to access the drive (computer cd/dvd drive) whilst the disc is loaded and check to see what the file extension is however you asked for it in plain English. I'm assuming you mean 'no guru speak' :)

[Tuvok]

Assuming he's used Windows he may have burned it in the default setting which does not finalise the disk.

He should chose "mastered" option.

Also, not all dvd players can play all file formats. Most should be able to play mp3 files.

[buffymad]

Not sure if he checked it but will ask. He's music mad so assuming he knew what he was doing! File types? All I know is it's music!

Dizmo - got it in one! Wouldn't have a clue where to look to find things!! I was going to say geek speak but in the nicest possible way lol!

[Dizmo]

I've just re-read your OP.

'data discs' could be referring to DVD-R or DVD-RW. The chances are that he's just dropped them onto the disc as *.mp3's and not finalised the disc at all.

I'm surprised that your brother could do this to you, being a techy and music mad, he should of at least tested the cd/dvd beforehand.

Shoddy workmanship!

[SlackAlice]

^^^
your getting 'technical' again!

[buffymad]

I tried some of the other discs he did for me and hey presto, they worked. So perhaps it was just the first one I picked that he hadn't "finalised". Next question, even though I have iTunes open on my laptop, the dics opens up and plays through something else, Windows Media Player I'm assuming (a little box pops up with the play symbol etc). Does this mean I won't be able to copy anything into my iTunes library (which was the point of him doing the discs for me)?!