Why doesn't disc X work in player Y?
The DVD-Video standard has not changed substantially since it was finalized in 1996, but many players don't properly support it. Discs have become more complex as authoring tools improve, so recent discs often uncover engineering flaws in players. Some discs behave strangely or won't play at all in certain players. In some cases, manufacturers can fix the problem with an upgrade to the player.
In other cases, disc producers need to reauthor the title to correct an authoring problem or to work around a player defect. Problems can also occur because of damaged or defective discs or because of a defective player.
If you have problems playing a disc, try the following:
1. Try the disc in a different player.
2. Try a different copy of the disc. If the problem doesn't recur, it indicates that your first copy was probably damaged or defective. If more than one copy of the disc has problems in more than one player, it may be a misauthored disc. Contact the distributor or the studio about getting a corrected disc.
3. If it's a recordable disc (R/RW), your player might not be able to read it.
For other DVD and home theater problems, try Doc DVD or DVD Digest's Tech Support Zone. For troubleshooting DVD on computers, see Why do I have problems playing DVDs on my computer?.