When I release a disc title, I play it on a test-bed of 15 set-top players. Generally if it flies well on most of them, I am willing to release that to a client as a "good" disc.

Now after that, if the client comes back and says their one and only set-top player is not working - depending on the client relationship I buy them a replacement player that does work and say "go ahead and use the disc provided."

Older posting but might be relevent

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/Forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=22&MessageID=203281

> "So, question is - are there known issues with Architect Pro and certain DVD/Blu-ray players? Or, is it something else, like a codec issue I'm not aware of?"

If you used AC3 there isn't a codec issue. Most DVD authoring apps use boilerplate scripts [as does DVDA], & that boilerplate is most always included on every layout it creates -- features are then turned on/off by use of variables. I haven't had any prob. with DVDA DVDs in recent Toshiba players, but DVDA's scripting is a bit different than some others -- if you wanted to eliminate the scripting for a test DVD, use the free version of Muxman which uses the barest minimum of scripting possible.

That said, you posted: "when I went to put disc with same program in a HP laptop at a conference it wouldn't recognize the disc". To me that would indicate a disc problem -- the player or drive has to recognize it as a video DVD before it can read the scripts & stuff in the 1st place. If it can't read the disc, DVDA scripts &/or the video can't be the problem. That's where most of the suggestions folks have posted come in.

videoITguy brings up another very good point -- DVD players are cheap, & I don't necessarily mean the price. They almost universally use cheap drive mechanisms that fail, not to mention those that suffer user abuse. Strictly my own opinion, many brands/models really scrimp on the electronics too -- while there are certainly many exceptions, I don't expect a lifespan over 3 years or so.

thanks for all the quick feedback! I do indeed use Verbatim DVDs as well as Blu-rays (having made more than a few coasters with Memorex). I will be sure to double check the burn speed and adjust accordingly and will try a different burner - as luck would have it, I have a surplus external burner that happens to be a Toshiba! I appreciate knowing that DVD players are not what they used to be - I did tell the client that his player was probably an old player. He was shocked and told me, "I've only had it for six years!" Right. Good to know. I moved on quickly and offered a replacement disc. I will also follow the other link and double check to make sure I rendered the audio track on its own.