Frequently Asked Questions
      Show Part Numbers

Q: Why, after recording to DVD+R or DVD+RW media with the Gateway DVD recorder, am I unable to play the media in other DVD players?

A: Finalization is the only way to make “Write Once media” (DVD+R and DVD-R) readable for other DVD-ROM drives or Standard DVD players.

Note: When using "Re-writable media" (DVD+RW), for the media to be read by a different DVD drive, that drive must have the ability to read DVD+RW media and conform to the DVD+RW specifications.

DVD+R Media

Note: Finalization of DVD+R discs writes file system data (UDF and ISO bridge) and lead-in/lead-out content onto the disc. When DVD+R media is recorded in the Gateway DVD Recorder, the media must be finalized before it can be read by other DVD Players. This includes DVD drives in computers.

  1. Power on the Gateway DVD Recorder.

  2. Place the DVD+R media in the recorder.

  3. On the Gateway DVD Recorder remote control, press the Disc Tools button.

  4. On the Disc Tools menu, press the remote control's arrow buttons to highlight Finalize, and then press the remote control's Enter button.
    View Picture

  5. The process to finalize the media runs.

  6. You are informed when the process is completed.
    View Picture

DVD+RW Media

The Gateway AR 230 DVD recorder does not finalize DVD+ RW media. File system data is written into the disc during the first formatting and any time it is modified. The lead-in/lead-out content is written while background formatting is stopping. For the media to be read by a different DVD drive, that drive must have the ability to read DVD+RW media and conform to the DVD+RW specifications.