The DVD portion will nor open to allow insertion of a DVD either for recording or playing?

Well...there's a slight chance that your dvd got jammed or stuck inside thus it doesn't allow you to eject or use it.Here's a link to solve your jammed dvd Hope it helps :D

Never force it, just use the remote.
If it won't stay in, unplug the unit and wait a while.
I think we get viruses from the TV signal which might be temporary (hopefully).

It may be dust built up and you have to get a DVD insert that's made especially for cleaning the inside of the player

With most dvd/vcr combo units there is separate wiring. When I use my emerson combo unit I have it wired that I have to be on different inputs on my tv to view a dvd and a vhs. On some units the vcr portion is wired via a regular cable line, while the dvd portion is wired with the yellow, red, and white component cable. Try inserting a dvd and scrolling through your tv inputs until you find the picture or check your wiring to ensure nothing has come loose. If that has no result you could try wiring it differently if possible to eliminate that as a possibility.

This could be because the session on the disc is not closed. Computers and many of today’s recorders as well, allows you to keep the session open on a disc in order to be able to continue adding more information on CD-R or DVD-R discs, but leaving it open doesn’t allow you to play it on just any other player.
Insert the DVD into your computer then right click the drive and select "Close Session" ( if the option is available, then test it again.

This is a work-around rather than a solution. We put an audio CD in the tray and after closing the tray the unit begins to play the music. After waiting a few seconds we open the tray and quickly substitute a DVD and it loads OK. We had also tried cleaning the player to no avail. The CD approach is a pain but it does allow us to play DVDs. Jim

after i insert the disk, after a minute, it spits it back out

When a DVD player starts doing that, it either needs to be cleaned, or something is going wrong with the DVD mechanism inside of it. You can purchase DVD lens cleaner from any large retail store that has an electronics section. However, if you clean it and the problem persists, it will likely be cheaper to replace the unit rather than trying to have it repaired unless you're under warranty in which case any repair or exchange will be covered by said warranty. If you call the manufacturer they will give you your full range of options.

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make sure that when trying to format dvd's you are using the bottom portion of the controls. i know it sounds silly, but the center arrows are for dvd playing and control....ff...rw....play, and the lower controls are more functional.
i'm not sure, but if you put in a blank dvd-r disk, it will allow you to format after going to the "setup" then using the lower arrow moving the selection over DVD. format is allowed in that selection. If you have already recorded on the DVD-R i don't believe it allows you to format, it only allows you to edit or finish.
i'm not sure how the dvd-rw works as i haven't used one in a long time. in theory, you should be able to format a DVD-rw.
hope it helps.

Check lower portion of remote, you will notice a button having 3 command modes. set it on DVD2 and operate dvd recorder with remote.