ITsVISTA KB-Link: KB931698

When you try to use DVD-Rs or DVD-RWs interchangeably, a consumer electronics DVD player or DVD recorder may be incompatible with the DVD drive in a Windows Vista-based computer

Consider the following scenarios:

You try to use a DVD-R or a DVD-RW that was recorded on a Windows Vista-based computer in a consumer electronics DVD player or in a consumer electronics DVD recorder.
You try to use a DVD-R or a DVD-RW that was recorded on a consumer electronics DVD recorder in a Windows Vista-based computer.

In these scenarios, you may experience issues. These issues may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Windows Vista does not recognize a DVD-R or DVD-RW that you format on a consumer electronics DVD recorder.
A consumer electronics DVD player or a consumer electronics DVD recorder does not recognize a DVD-R or DVD-RW that you format on the Windows Vista-based computer.
Windows Vista can read a DVD-RW that you record on a consumer electronics DVD recorder, but Windows Vista cannot write to the DVD-RW.
You cannot play a DVD-R or a DVD-RW on a consumer electronics DVD player if you format that DVD on a Windows Vista-based computer.
A consumer electronics DVD recorder cannot record on a DVD-R or a DVD-RW that you format on a Windows Vista-based computer.

For more information on this issue, including potential causes, workarounds, and resolutions, see: Microsoft KB Article KB931698.