DVD saving failed due to an internal error

[mac_man]

I kept getting the error message "saving failed due to an internal error" and creating half burned DVDs. I unplugged the unit for a minute to force it to update the current software. This had no effect on correcting the error.

After reading though dozens of possible reasons, I concluded that the problem was probably a memory error. Creating the temporary files when burning a DVD can eat up a lot of space and the DVD burn unit does not seem to check if it has sufficient space before it starts the burn. One of the problems I have with the TiVo system is the lack of information they give us users about available memory.

I cleaned out enough of my saved programs to create at least twice as much space as the program I was going to record on a DVD. Next I fully deleted the files from the 'recovered file' space. (The recovered files still use up memory and the memory management for current version of the DVD record program does not recognize that they could be deleted if necessary.)

After creating this 'extra' memory space, my DVD recorder began working fine again.

This seems to be a chronic problem and I would like to hear from others who have also experienced this problem and their solutions, including if this one worked for them.


Here are some other suggestions from the TiVo forum t-214002

1. Consider forcing a hard drive scan (green screen) following the steps listed in the link above.
2. Only use brand name blank DVDs (TDK, Sony, Verbatim work well for me).
3. Only use DVD-RW until you have a number of successful burns
4. Try burning a different program (other than the one that results in a coaster)
5. Try burning a 30 minute program (or something other than a full disc)
6. Try deleting programs from your "Now Playing" list

another suggestion:

1--unplug your tivo for at least 5 minutes
2--reconnect your tivo to power and watch the lights above the HDD and DVD signs on teh front of the tivo
3--when the DVD light is on by itself and is red , hold the pause button
4--when the DVD and HDD lights come back on orange release the pause button and press the number 5 and then the number 7
5--wait a while and the tivo will continue to cycle through some starting up stuff, (hopefully) eventually the screen will turn green with the message that it is checking stuff

[rambler]

Maybe it was coincidence, but when I was burning a disc AND deleting other shows, or changing deletion dates on other shows, or even watching and fastforwarding thru shows, the burn would fail. So since then, I burn without making the tivo do anything else simultaneously.

[MrZarf]

I've recently had a similar problem --- had 3 consecutive failed attempts to burn a DVD. Can't say which of these 'fixed' the problem, but I've done the following:

1. Updated to the new software (8.3)
2. Restarted the box
3. Run a DVD Cleaning disc through the DVD drive (twice!)

All I know is that I'm now back to successfully burning DVDs.

[Mickeygre]

I think your DVD drive is going bad. Same happened to me. Running a cleaning disk semed to work for a while. Then it started to happen more and more frequently. I replaced original Drive (about 2 yrs old) and all was fine. New drive failed the same way after only about 5 months. (I Should have saved the warranty info) Replaced it again and all has been fine since.

[Chester_Lampwick]

Actually I hear all your comments, but I don't believe anyone has found the definitive answer.

I'd like better methodology.

Myth 1: Use a better quality disc.
False: Some programs will continue to fail using several types of DVD-R and DVD-RW.

Myth 2: Clear some HD space.
False: Some programs will not transfer to disc after clearing many hours of programming from the "Now Playing" and "Recently Deleted"

Myth 3: Cleaning the DVD drive.
Unsubstantiated: Seems to work for some people. But could be coinciding with disc quality or TiVo processing changes. Need to try with persistantly non-burnable programs.....

Myth 4: Software updates
Unsubstantiated.

[Chester_Lampwick]

Anyhow here's what I'd like to acertain:

1 - A gauge of system resources.
(a) - hard drive streams. There's always 2, sometimes 3. Input/recording, output/playback, and occasionally a third transfer to DVD
(b) - processing. MPEG encoder and decoder chips do most of the work here. The meager processor has to, index guide data (how do we know when it's busy with this), and schedule your programs, watch for conflicts, and whatever else. GUI interactions. Reordering season passes would surely choke the TiVo.

2 - evaluationg a recording. How can this be done? Some have copyright flags. Maybe some have macrovision in the video? Some un-burnable programs when transferred through the network to a PC can't be directshow dumped because the claim of Dolby Digital audio. I'm pretty sure that the TiVo can only record 2-channel stereo. What's up with that?


Well, those are the two that come to mind. Geniuses have at it....

[sledhed]

Made a number of coasters myself, for the first time in almost 2 years, no coasters before that... I think it is the latest update... will clear up the deleted list and see if that helps...

[sledhed]

Made a number of coasters myself, for the first time in almost 2 years, no coasters before that... I think it is the latest update... will clear up the deleted list and see if that helps...

It was a specific episode of a specific show causing this - no matter what media I used it failed due to internal error. Saving any other program still works fine. Is it a bad spot on disk? Any ideas? I marked it for non-deletion and will leave that episode alone for now... just in case...

[tivofanatic]

I have the Toshiba unit and have recently experienced problems burning DVDs. When I put a new blank DVD in the unit, there's an R after the DVD on the menu. If I try to burn the DVD, I get an error message to use a blank disc. Tried cleaning the recorder, different discs, restarting. Has anyone replaced the DVD burner for their Toshiba unit? Did you do it yourself?

[sledhed]

It was a specific episode of a specific show causing this - no matter what media I used it failed due to internal error. Saving any other program still works fine. Is it a bad spot on disk? Any ideas? I marked it for non-deletion and will leave that episode alone for now... just in case...
Ok, two more programs give me the same error - I do NOT delete them, figuring if it is sitting on a bad spot on disk that I don't want it in one of my other programs I record. So we are talking three specific programs now that will not record to DVD. Others, like season ending Lost tonight, record fine.

HELP! Ideas?

How do I invoke a scan of the disk? Is it dying anyway and just a matter of time before it goes kaput? If so, should I image it over to a new drive now?

[Chester_Lampwick]

I don't believe that it's a bad hard drive. This problem happens frequently enough not to be confined to a bad hard drive. You can't scan the disk in any fashion either.

Retry burning with a DVD-RW.

[sledhed]

I don't believe that it's a bad hard drive. This problem happens frequently enough not to be confined to a bad hard drive. You can't scan the disk in any fashion either.

Retry burning with a DVD-RW.
On the first "bad" show I tried three different media, from playo 16x to imation 8x and I think verbatim 8x media, then Maxell RW media. All failed. With the latest tv program that had the problem however, saving to dvd-rw worked...

while I do want to expand the hdd eventually, I did not want to have to do it "under the gun", I would rather do my research for the best hard drive for the application at the cheapest price and do it when I had spare time.

The reason I was thinking hard drive is this has not happened since we owned the RS-TX20 TiVo, which is almost two years now. Two years of basically continuous recording of video, so I was thinking hard drive. We have burned a lot of DVDs as well, but when the problem shows up on specific programs and not on others that points away from the dvd drive...

[jkovach]

When my HD started going bad, the first symptom was some programs wouldn't burn to DVD. Upon watching those same programs, I found a few seconds of pixelated video in each one. I burned everything I could to DVD, and didn't delete the programs that wouldn't burn. This went on for several months, and eventually more and more of the HD was bad and producing a few moments of pixelated video in each program. Replaced the HD and it's been fine ever since. I've had the Pioneer Tivo for several years now, and can't imagine being without it. I've burned 100s of DVDs.

On a related note, there was a time after replacing the HD that 2 one hr High quality programs kept producing coasters. Thinking my HD could be going again, and since the failure kept happening towards the end of the burning process, I assumed the 2nd program was the problem one. So I tried to burn just that program to DVD, and to my surprise it worked. Then I did the other program, and it worked too. Tried the 2 programs again, and ended up with another coaster... Tried the 2 programs one more time, but in reverse order - And it worked! Go figure.

[rjlawrencejr]

I would like to quickly say to all of you a huge thank you - especially mac_man. I had developed that ugly error the other day and I was beside myself trying to think of a solution since I didnt really need any new coasters to add to my china collection. I followed both sets of suggested instructions posted by mac_man and the problem was rectified. While it may be true there is no definitive solution, I can say that clearing our that cache of unwanted and maybe unnecessary recordings, as well as resetting my unit worked. So thanks again.