Once a disc has been loaded onto my DVD recorder/player when I attempt to play it sometimes it does but sometimes it says "disc empty". Later on it sometimes does play the contents of the disc.

SOURCE: DVD Camcorder appears to have erased disc mid record!

I am having the same problem, have lost a lot of recordings because of it, i am told by samsung it needs repair, which i will have to pay for, i am very upset.

SOURCE: Samsung 3650 dvd/vcr player loading problem

Sorry, no suggestion other than don't buy Samsung. That's my conclusion after owning the same model. It worked fine for a while, but now won't load any DVD... usually. Sometimes it will play one, but more often it won't. Mine tries to load ("Loading") for a long time, I hear the DVD spinning, then ultimately the screen displays "This disc cannot be played" or something to that effect.

SOURCE: JVC XV-THA5R multi-region DVD player - fault recognising a disc in and playing

I too have this same problem on my current DVD player, AND strangely enough I had the same problem on my previous player.
Previous player was made multi region and was a Sony S660 (I think that was the model number).
My current DVD player is a Denon and was £550! It is also made multi region and has the same problems! I don't get it!

SOURCE: dvd will not record

Hi and welcome to FixYa,

Initially, try to clean the lens using a CD disc cleaner. Additionally, verify that your blanks are either DVD-R or DVD-RW.

Pls post back result(s). Good luck and Thank you for using FixYa.

SOURCE: dvd "unknown disc" message coming up

When Your DVD shows "LOADING" for quite some time and then if shows "UNKNOWN DISC" or "NO DISC", Open the cover of your DVD Player, Remove the flap over the disc by opening the screws. Remember that you are not keeping your eyes perpendicular to the lens. Now take Colin liquid in an ear buds and rub over the lens. Now with dry end of the bud, rinse it and make it dry. Keep the disc in the space provided for. Put on the Flap over the disc. And try to run it. I hope this would work fine.