Use the best cables you can for connections. Video cables from (lowest to highest quality are), RF, composite, S-Video, Component. Which cables you use will be determined by the types of outputs and inputs on the DVD Recorder and the TV. That's all I can offer as far as the machine problem you may need to take it in for service or replace it..

DVD recorders and DVD Burners both create DVDs buy "burning" via a laser to a blank DVD disk. However, A DVD recorder typically refers to a standalone unit that resembles and functions very much like a VCR. All DVD recorders can record from any analog video source (most can also record video from digital camcorders via firewire). Like a VCR, DVD recorders all have AV inputs as well as onboard TV tuner for recording TV shows. DVD Recorders come in several configurations: Standalone, DVD Recorder/VCR Combo, or DVD Recorder/Hard Drive combo units. Might work then you have a pc without a burner, sound like the laser in the DVD recorder mey be bad that's what recognizes the disks

Have you used Windows Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer) to see the contents of your hard drive? It will show you the contents of a USB device, a DVD, a CD. Like the table of contents in a book. I find it very handy and have mine set on Details rather than Icons. As owbist said, if you put the DVD in your DVD drawer a window will pop up and View All Files is usually highlighted. Just click on that and a new window will show a listing of what is on the DVD. You can double-click on any file for it to be opened by your default picture-viewing program. If it doesn't work you may have a lower capacity CD drawer. Did it work?

It might be as simple as the stop button being a bit dusty and not making contact... Back before cd writers had buffers I often had disks crap out on me at the end of writing, but soon learned the disks were sometimes ok but not 'closed' or 'finalised' - if you have a computer with dvd writing software, you may find you can put the disk in and finalise it using the computer dvd writer. Not a perfect solution, but a workaround. Otherwise I guess it's the new machine. They don't do rf in/out anymore? Your mode of operation (vcr to dvd recorder) would be better using component or at least composite connections, rather than rf since the path is thus: Component video (assuming that's the internal native format) converted to rf (tv/radio signals) out of one machine, into the recorder's rf, convert back to component video. Lots of quality issues.