Any solution to this computer problem?

[TSmithPage]

My employer recently "upgraded" the computer I use at work, swapping out my old computer for one that runs Windows 2000. Since the upgrade, none of my CDRs will play in my work computer, and I just discovered that the drive also refuses to recognize/play the Rolling Stones hybrid CDs. I usually play discs in Windows Media Player 7.0. Frankly, I don't understand why a newer upgraded computer won't play CDRs and SACD hybrids when an older computer would, and my office's administrator refuses to do anything to fix the problem because it's not "work related." So, are there any solutions to this irritation, or am I forever more condemned to playing (at work) only redbook CDs?:realmad:

[Joseph]

Todd,
Have you tried using the "old" cd player that's part of "accessories>entertainment>cd player located under programs?

[mandrake]

Originally posted by TSmithPage
My employer recently "upgraded" the computer I use at work, swapping out my old computer for one that runs Windows 2000. Since the upgrade, none of my CDRs will play in my work computer, and I just discovered that the drive also refuses to recognize/play the Rolling Stones hybrid CDs. I usually play discs in Windows Media Player 7.0. Frankly, I don't understand why a newer upgraded computer won't play CDRs and SACD hybrids when an older computer would, and my office's administrator refuses to do anything to fix the problem because it's not "work related." So, are there any solutions to this irritation, or am I forever more condemned to playing (at work) only redbook CDs?:realmad:

Looks like your boss has got a first generation DVD ROM drive. First generation DVD hardware won't read CD-R, because they only have a single 650 nm laser pickup, which cannot recognize wavelength-specific CD-R media. Most second-generation DVD-ROM drives will include a second, 780 laser, and will be able to read CD-R.

[mcow1]

Never mind

[Sckott]

Stones Hybrid SACDS, as well as most any other Hybrid SACD:

DVD Rom drives will NOT play hybrid SACD discs. There's a reason for that. The DVD rom dirve will try and access the SACD layer, which is in large a DVD format, and since there is an illegal TOC on the disc to employ copy protection schemes, the drive will NOT read the disc or bother with the CD layer.

If you took that disc and put it into a normal CD ROM Drive, the Hybrid disc should play, Redbook only of course. As far as CDRs not playing, some older drives will not read CDRs, and some drives after lots of milage have been known to stop reading CDRs.

Todd,
Have you tried using the "old" cd player that's part of "accessories>entertainment>cd player located under programs?

If using a DVD Rom drive, try as you may, the drive will lock under a DVD read mode, and you cannot, under any circumstances, read the Redbook layer of Hybrid SACD discs. Only one disc you can, and so far, that's the MFSL of Blues In Borbit by Duke Ellington. Still, you cannot access the Redbook layer of a CD using a DVD ROM drive once it has locked into the SACD one (DVD).

Again, this is a simple protection scheme that allows the SACD layer NOT to be copied. SOny has made sure of this. Otherwize, the files can easilly be transferred/ripped to the HD, but at 6-8 gigs at a time.

We've talked about this on other threads..... I forgot which ones..

[Grant]

Sckott, I just checked. My PlexCombo DVD drive will play the Stones hybrid SACD disc with the Windows player, Cool Edit, and Sound Forge, all running on Windows 2000.

[Sckott]

The only reason that's happening is because that's a combo drive, and in a hardware driven manner, it looks and uses redbook discs/CD Rom first.

With a DVD Rom drive, alone, it's main task is to read the DVD layer 1st, and will act like that's all there is. I'm assuming your combo drive writes CDR?

If your drive was hardware driven to read DVD as a priority, it would not except CDR discs, unwritten.

Addendum: The version or type of operating system means nothing. This problem can be duplicated on even Linux, Mac. Hardware reports the error to the operating system.