A problem with Philips DVD Recorder mod...

Please can you help me to solve a problem with my DVD recorder..I will try to explain the problem as best as I can..!
I switch the unit on and load a DVD which just comes on and starts playing a programme without any buttons on the remote being touched [the usual thing is for the disc to download then icons come up on screen to show what is on the disc, I select a icon and press 'play'...the selected programme then plays]...but then what happens I press .stop' on the remote, the disc stops playing but no icons come up on screento show how many recordings etc etc are already on the DVD disc, but they do appear on screen if I press 'Disc' on the remote...[.I never had to do this before]...if I then press 'Monitor' button on the remote nothing at all happens, so for instance I cant select 'Empty Title' and record a programme that is on TV..
However, if I press stop button on the remote, the icons will disappear but I can select TV by using the 'Monitor' button, but if I select 'Disc' and the icons show, I cant select 'Empty Title' I can only press 'Stop' which clears the tv screen!!then if I press 'Monitor' [to watch tv] and try recording on Empty Title a window comes up on screen telling me the disc has an incomprable format etc etc ...this cant be true as I have used such discs loads of times without any problems...please, can you advise me..thanks in anticipation...Phil W