Dvd/vcr recorder/magnavox get error code e4 54043e02 says cant record on disk. using same disk as in past!

I'm on my second Magnavox MWR20V6 recorder in less than a year. I've made close to 1,000 DVDs, mostly dubbing from homemade videos of TV shows, but it's not been easy. They have some finicky quirks that aren't mentioned in the manual.

The second Magnavox I got worked far better than the first, and really has been pretty satisfactory. The first one (which finally just died) never had decent tracking, even when I was copying a video tape I'd made on the same machine to DVD!

I got the error e4 54043e02 on both machines. I'd be using the exact same brand and type of DVD that I'd used for hundreds of other times, but I'd get a new spindle of DVDs and few or none of them could be formatted, and were unusable.

I think the problem might be with the DVDs. I have tried all the brands I could find. I first tried Maxell, as recommended in the manual. They worked fine (both -RW and +RW) until one day they just quit working for me. The worst were the ones that had CPRM printed on the DVDs around the inner hub, but I couldn't find any way to tell (before buying them and opening the package) which disks were this type because the label on the package was identical to the Maxell DVDs that worked. I contacted the company and sent them all the DVD numbers and error codes but they didn't tell me anything. It seems to be some kind of company secret.

Then I tried Memorex DVD+RW 4x and they worked very reliably-- until the last pack I got. I'm getting the e4 54043e02 error again!!! I emailed the company but haven't heard back yet, due to the holiday weekend.

So my big complaint is that I can't find ANY DVDs to use for recording. What I've seen so far on the internet gives me the idea that blank DVDs are kinda junky or unreliable in general, also that it's a VERY good idea to keep those old video tapes, which might end up lasting far longer that DVDs anyway. I'd hoped to get rid of the old VHS tapes due to the storage space needed for them, but it looks like I won't be. Unless I can find good DVDs, I'll just go back to VHS recording.

Incidentally, Memorex gives me the impression that they'll refund my purchase price, while Maxell had no interest in making a refund!!

Also I think the DVD-R give fewer problems, but I use +RW for nearly all my recording because I like to edit them. I'd suggest trying a DVD-R if you get desperate.

My solution may be to never buy this companies products again as I have been having the same issue and since the machine is not been used much and since the disks worked before it really ticks me off. The suggestion noted to my issue recently really didn't seem to be valid due my above statted time period of no problems then sudden isses tends to show me poor quality of equipment by manufaturer.