I've been having a problem recording DVD's for a few weeks now. Here is the problem:

-I put in a Sony brand DVD+R, it loads and formats fine.
-I set the timer and let it start recording, it works fine.
-After a random amount of time of recording (could be a few seconds or 15 minutes) the DVD-tray opens, DISC ERR is shown on the recorder, and the unit shuts off. The DVD is completely useless after this, it doesn't work in any player or recorder. These exact brand of DVD's worked without any problems just a month ago.

Has anyone heard of anything like this before? I've searched the depths of the internet looking for anything close to this and have found nothing. Any help would be appreciated. I may just have to buy a new recorder, but I would really like to avoid this since mine is not even a year old.

Thanks

Could be Copy-Once (CO) protection that just started on or about Sep 1 2008... and it's IN THE COMMERCIALS!

If you see a rec stoppage at or right after a commercial or movie trailer or similar non-program event, you'll have to either have a HDD unit or a VR-mode disc (-RAM or VR-formatted -R/RW). These can record a program with CO protection, which allows an original recordings on one of those media, but then can't make other copies from it (basically).

If your unit doesn't have a HDD, see if the manual mentions VR mode. If VR is possible in your recorder, it'll prob. have a disc format option to create/format std discs in VR-mode rather than the "normal" video-mode. If it can rec -RAM discs, those'll capture the original program at least.

Hmm, I strictly just record motorsports races. No shows or movies or anything like that, and I was able to record anything just a few weeks ago. It seems to just stop recording at any time, usually not during a commercial.

The unit doesn't have HDD but does have VR mode, though I have tried that and had the same issues.

The Sony 555 is known to sort of crash-and-burn after awhile: it may simply be dying. The other possibility is your media: Sony made great media until recently, now a lot of it fails to burn and recorders spit 'em out like poison. Casual users find this really hard to believe, but almost all the blank media available in stores now is designed for PC burning: it just fouls and dies if used in the average DVD recorder. Recorders vastly prefer a slower grade of media, 8x instead of the 16x in stores. You can find good 8x media online, try Taiyo Yuden (TY) Premium or Verbatim DataLife. Switching to one of these solves almost any "my recorder won't burn" issue: if your Sony won't burn on premium 8x discs, its on its way to the repair shop.