Player freezes on Dual-Layer DVD+R's... any ideas?

Some DVDs are dual layer, some are double sided, some are double sided and dual layer. You must be sure you are using the correct media and that your drive can program it. Most store-bought DVD movies are dual layer, and if you try to copy them onto a regular DVD, then you will only copy about half of the movie.

Well all DVD+R mean that when you finish copying files to the disk, the disk will lock itself and not allow any more files to be burned onto that DVD. The reason why you can'f fit your movie onto the disk is because the movie file may be bigger than the amount the DVD disk can hold. Just because the time of the movie is less than what the DVD can hold, doesn't mean its going to fit. Take for example a Blue ray movie, it may only be 120 minutes long but the file of the movie can be over 2 GB of space.

It sounds as if your DVD player is having trouble switching to the 2nd layer of the Dual layer DVD. If the DVD player is older, it may not even support dual layer DVD's. If it is a more recent model (less than a few years old), then the lense may need cleaning. You can try blowing the compressed air into the slot where the DVD goes (DVD removed, tray out if it is a tray model) or an inexpensive DVD lense cleaner you can find at most retailers (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.). The second layer requires a different focus on the lense and has to penetrate a little deeper into the DVD so it will be problematic if there is any dust or foreign objects on the lense.

All players tend to do that. If it is however doing it too long, you could try cleaning the lens with a comercial cleaner.

It depends upon what type of data you want to copy onto a CD or DVD.
If you want to copy and play music in a CD player then it needs to be on a CD disc.
If you want to copy and play movie DVDs in a DVD player then it needs to be on a DVD disc.
If you want to backup data files then it can be on either CD or DVD discs (depending upon the amount of data to be stored on the disc - CD holds 700 Mb, single layer DVD holds 4.7 Gb, and dual layer DVD holds 8.5 Gb of data).
A DVD player can read both CDs and DVDs, but a CD player cannot read DVD discs.

depends what format your burnt files are......divx,vob,wmv,dvd ???

the size of the movie in terms of gb?
may be after writing first layer of the dvd, while going to 2nd layer problem starts

it might be that you are playing a dual layer dvd in the player. The player needs to focus on the second layer of the movie, and that might be why the dvd freezes. Leave it there for a while and the dvd should continue if it is this situation.

Many commercial films are written to what's known as dual-layer DVD discs, which are like two DVDs sandwiched together. Movie studios try to pack as much cool stuff as they can onto a DVD, so by the time you add movie trailers, documentaries, and other special features, the amount of space necessary far exceeds the 4.7GB capacity of a regular DVD disc. Using a dual-layer disc expands the capacity to 9.4GB, which is enough to hold the movie and many extras, depending on how long the film is. What you seem to be experiencing is a problem related to the DVD player changing layers (when it must adjust the focus of the laser to read the second layer of the disc), which is usually indicated by a brief pause during playback. In the early days of DVD, many players had difficulty during the layer change, which could cause the DVD player to lock up during playback. In other cases, a badly formatted or damaged disc could be the culprit, so you should check the condition of the DVDs that are giving you problems. Since you mentioned that sometimes they work, your problem could stem from a scratch or a fingerprint. But, if the condition of the DVD is flawless, you may have to consider getting your DVD player repaired, replaced, or exchanged (since you mentioned it was new). Since it is a portable DVD player, you may want to try running the DVD player when it is plugged into an AC receptacle. This will at least rule out any relationship to the battery, though a remote possibility. But, portable devices do strange things when its battery is low. Many commercial films are written to what's known as dual-layer DVD discs, which are like two DVDs sandwiched together. Movie studios try to pack as much cool stuff as they can onto a DVD, so by the time you add movie trailers, documentaries, and other special features, the amount of space necessary far exceeds the 4.7GB capacity of a regular DVD disc. Using a dual-layer disc expands the capacity to 9.4GB, which is enough to hold the movie and many extras, depending on how long the film is. What you seem to be experiencing is a problem related to the DVD player changing layers (when it must adjust the focus of the laser to read the second layer of the disc), which is usually indicated by a brief pause during playback. In the early days of DVD, many players had difficulty during the layer change, which could cause the DVD player to lock up during playback. In other cases, a badly formatted or damaged disc could be the culprit, so you should check the condition of the DVDs that are giving you problems. Since you mentioned that sometimes they work, your problem could stem from a scratch or a fingerprint. But, if the condition of the DVD is flawless, you may have to consider getting your DVD player repaired, replaced, or exchanged (since you mentioned it was new). Since it is a portable DVD player, you may want to try running the DVD player when it is plugged into an AC receptacle. This will at least rule out any relationship to the battery, though a remote possibility. But, portable devices do strange things when its battery is low.

any commercial films are written to what's known as dual-layer DVD discs, which are like two DVDs sandwiched together. Movie studios try to pack as much cool stuff as they can onto a DVD, so by the time you add movie trailers, documentaries, and other special features, the amount of space necessary far exceeds the 4.7GB capacity of a regular DVD disc. Using a dual-layer disc expands the capacity to 9.4GB, which is enough to hold the movie and many extras, depending on how long the film is. What you seem to be experiencing is a problem related to the DVD player changing layers (when it must adjust the focus of the laser to read the second layer of the disc), which is usually indicated by a brief pause during playback. In the early days of DVD, many players had difficulty during the layer change, which could cause the DVD player to lock up during playback. In other cases, a badly formatted or damaged disc could be the culprit, so you should check the condition of the DVDs that are giving you problems. Since you mentioned that sometimes they work, your problem could stem from a scratch or a fingerprint. But, if the condition of the DVD is flawless, you may have to consider getting your DVD player repaired, replaced, or exchanged (since you mentioned it was new). Since it is a portable DVD player, you may want to try running the DVD player when it is plugged into an AC receptacle. This will at least rule out any relationship to the battery, though a remote possibility. But, portable devices do strange things when its battery is low. Many commercial films are written to what's known as dual-layer DVD discs, which are like two DVDs sandwiched together. Movie studios try to pack as much cool stuff as they can onto a DVD, so by the time you add movie trailers, documentaries, and other special features, the amount of space necessary far exceeds the 4.7GB capacity of a regular DVD disc. Using a dual-layer disc expands the capacity to 9.4GB, which is enough to hold the movie and many extras, depending on how long the film is. What you seem to be experiencing is a problem related to the DVD player changing layers (when it must adjust the focus of the laser to read the second layer of the disc), which is usually indicated by a brief pause during playback. In the early days of DVD, many players had difficulty during the layer change, which could cause the DVD player to lock up during playback. In other cases, a badly formatted or damaged disc could be the culprit, so you should check the condition of the DVDs that are giving you problems. Since you mentioned that sometimes they work, your problem could stem from a scratch or a fingerprint. But, if the condition of the DVD is flawless, you may have to consider getting your DVD player repaired, replaced, or exchanged (since you mentioned it was new). Since it is a portable DVD player, you may want to try running the DVD player when it is plugged into an AC receptacle. This will at least rule out any relationship to the battery, though a remote possibility. But, portable devices do strange things when its battery is low.