How to Play Video on DVD Player?

[SYS]

I converted a video to MPEG2 and burnt it onto a DVD disk, but it's not playing on my Panasonic DVD player. What am I doing wrong here?

[osv]

not enough info...

did you use dvd authoring software to create the dvd before you burned it? what program?

[SYS]

not enough info...

did you use dvd authoring software to create the dvd before you burned it? what program?

I used the Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 11 for converting to MPEG2 files and then burned files onto DVD using whatever the program that came with Vista. I also tried using the Windows Media Player for burning, as well. Neither worked. Then it occurred to me that I forgot about Sonic program that was in my other laptop, so I'm burning another disk right now as I'm typing this. So, what are some of the well known DVD authoring softwares out there that I should get if Sonic doesn't work out? Thanks.

[Zepher]

Nero can do it as well as Proshow Gold.

I use Adobe Encore, but that is kinda pricey (comes bundled with Adobe Premiere).

[squashed]

VSO Convert to DVD works wonders.. Certain DVD players will not play "homemade" DVD's. Is the DVD player old?

[Kagemaru]

The DVDs need to be authored first.

[SYS]

Thanks for your responses. In the process of working on this project, my Dell laptop crashed for the first time with the following message in blue screen:

"Hardware Malfuntion
NMI: Parity check/Memory parity error
The system has halted."

Upon Googling, I found out that such crash with the same message is rampant with apparently no easily identified solution. In any case, I called the Dell Support earlier today, and they're going to send a dispatch with a new memory module. If this doesn't work, then a new mother board...

My Panasonic progressive scan DVD player is a few years old...

[DeCeccoNET]

FWIW if you authored the dvd as a UDF (universal disc format) you could ensure additional compatibility, but when creating dvds remember the following;

Older players are VERY picky about home-made dvds, if they will even play them at all.

DVD-R media is a slightly older format than the +R, and may give you better results on older players.

RW media has an even smaller compatibility rate (i would only use them for in-house transfers from my dvr to my computer or on tests on my own devices when i want to judge compression rates or test menus).

Brand of media WILL have an effect on compatibility as well. Also, when the media was created (think similar to a lens's date code) can also factor in. www.videohelp.com has come good information on this. I find that TDK and Reitek gives the most consistant results.

Burn speed WILL affect compatibility. If you want to garuntee that it will work with older players, you should not exceed 4x - 8x. Otherwise, memory hiccups in your system can clead to imperfections in the data being burned.

If this all seems daunting, it is. But once you get the hang of it, you should have good consistant results (but you should be aware that you can always get the ocassional tostar)