Can I save a DVD-R that won't Finalize ?
 

I have been using a Sony RDR-VX515 and on multiple occasions have had a disc which won't finalize. Of course, we can still watch the disc on the machine BUT that machine won't last forever. We need to save the material since the source content is now gone, so does anyone have any suggestions? I can't believe that if a disc contains content that it has to be lost just because it can't be finalized to play in other devices.

I really think you'll get more help in this forum.

Have you tried the disc in another player?
I thought that DVD-R's finalized automatically, and couldn't be watched, if they didn't.
DVD+R's are usually the ones you have to finalize, in a stand alone DVD Recorder. They'll play in the recorder, but not other players, if they're not finalized.
That's the way I understood it. Am I wrong about this?

Yes, you are wrong about that. DVD-R still generally needs to be finalized to be played in a different player. But an unfinalized one can be played in the player that made it.

This may be stating the obvious, but how I would handle it from here is to invest in a second recorder (I have found that the Circuit Cities around here have been selling the last generation Panasonic recorder out of box for just under $100) and dubbing the disc onto that one.

PS....how long have you had your recorder and how long have you been having this problem? How often do you record? What kind of blank media are you using? My wife bought me a Cyberhome DVD recorder for X-Mas that worked for about 2 months (if I used compatable blank discs, which were hard to find), at which point it just completely stopped formatting or finalizing any discs. I have two Panasonics that Ive had the last month or two and have yet to have a problem.