I have a sony rdr-gxd455 dvd recorder. After formatting a disk, I could record programs, but then it gave me the error "the disk can neither be played or recorded". Could the drive be failing?

SOURCE: Can't record onto disc

press dub on your remote, it will open the menu choose your programme you want record then click on hdd to disc.

SOURCE: DVD Recorder Does Not Record

Yes, I agree. Dust on the lense will create this error as it did on mine. However, to save you a lot of tech fees or difficulty in dismantling the machine, just buy a can of AIR or Duster, etc. Open the DVD slide and "unplug" the unit from the wall. This will leave the door open. Lightly push the carrier back about halfway. Use a flashlight to look into the DVD and find the center area. Place the plastic tube on the air can in this area and blow it clean. Don't scrape or touch any of the mechanisms inside for safety. Plug it in and it should work if it is dust. This of course does mean that it will likely do it again and could use a 'good' cleaning as suggested above. But it is an easy quick fix. And if you are like me, I won't use it again for another six months.

SOURCE: Sony DVD RECORDER/PLAY WON'T PLAY

Dvd players are only made to last a couple of years(the laser goes bad).If you play scratched disc's it won't last that long.Hopefully you didn't pay alot for the player,and if you did then you can get the laser repaired but its expensive.I usually wait until the things go on sale and pick one up for 20 or 30 dollars.When the laser burns out after repeated use I just buy a new one because fixing them is more expensive and unless you want to continue having problems its easier to buy new.These guys that put alot of money in these units are just wasting their money.

SOURCE: I cant get new RDR-HXD990 DVD recorder to record to the harddrive

We sought assistance from someone in the neighbourhood and they were able to assist us with easier instructions than the long winded directions in the manual.

SOURCE: After recording the DVD player, wont play on any other player

You need to "finalize" the dvd you created - usually on the machine that you created it on. The SONY RDR-VX525 finishes recording, then you have to go to the system menu and follow the prompts to do the "finalize". As it's finalizing, it should the word finalize on the front panel display. It'll run about a minute or two and then just stop without telling you what it did. It should be ready to play on any dvd player.