Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > DVD Discussions > HD Talk
Reload this Page >

Problems with "300" HD DVD

HD Talk The place to discuss Blu-ray, 4K and all other forms and formats of HD and HDTV.

Problems with "300" HD DVD

Old 08-02-07, 11:59 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 556
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Problems with "300" HD DVD? (was: More anti HD-DVD FUD from The Bits/Bill Hunt)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9&page=7&pp=30

Well, there are lots of people having problems with the 300 combo disk.
Old 08-03-07, 12:14 AM
  #2  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Reading, PA
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I just got back 2 HD-DVD combos from Universal yesteday after a month that were both defective. My copy of Hot Fuzz also froze at the end of the deleted scenes & I had to unplug the player (didn't watch the movie yet, so I don't know if it's okay or not), which also happens with Miami Vice if you pause the movie for more than a minute. The problem with the HD-DVD combos is very real, so to suggest it's just to make HD-DVD look bad is ridiculous. They do that just fine without help. I'm glad I got the BR version of 300.
Old 08-03-07, 12:53 AM
  #3  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,743
Received 2,677 Likes on 1,847 Posts
It shouldn't be surprising that combo discs are having problems. They're not that different from DVD-14s and DVD-18s, with the multiple layers spread over a two-sided disc.

I'm sorry, but the whole concept of combo discs is just a bad idea. They obviously run into the same manufacturing problems that DVD-18s do, and the whole reason of buying them (watch the DVD side now, watch the HD-DVD side when you get a HD-DVD player) would seem to be invalidated by the possibility that the HD side will be defective and you won't know it for months or years.
Old 08-03-07, 12:59 AM
  #4  
DVD Talk Legend
 
bunkaroo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago West Suburbs
Posts: 16,391
Received 201 Likes on 134 Posts
Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
It shouldn't be surprising that combo discs are having problems. They're not that different from DVD-14s and DVD-18s, with the multiple layers spread over a two-sided disc.

I'm sorry, but the whole concept of combo discs is just a bad idea. They obviously run into the same manufacturing problems that DVD-18s do, and the whole reason of buying them (watch the DVD side now, watch the HD-DVD side when you get a HD-DVD player) would seem to be invalidated by the possibility that the HD side will be defective and you won't know it for months or years.
Ding ding ding ding ding!!!!
Old 08-03-07, 01:05 AM
  #5  
DVD Talk Legend
 
bunkaroo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago West Suburbs
Posts: 16,391
Received 201 Likes on 134 Posts
Originally Posted by Rusty James
You can find a thread on AVS about people having problems with EVERY combo disk that's been released. But Children of Men and The Good Shepherd were genuinely problematic pressings: Considering how big of a title 300 is, the number of people reporting problems makes it clear there is no "real" problem with the disk.

Bill Hunt, being the veteran that he is, knows this. But he still chooses to run an item that implies there is a problem with the HD-DVD without backing it up with any actual data (no numbers of complaints, etc.) then follows it up with an equally vague item about how the 300 Blu-ray is selling out everywhere.

Sorry, but that is FUD, plain and simple. And I'm not bashing him or anyone about it. I'm just expressing my opinion, the way he expresses his.
While the Uni titles you mentioned definitely had widespread issues, I think with the WB combos, it's less pronounced, but definitely still there. I experienced faulty WB combos firsthand with The Matrix, and I have already read of people getting the same error from 300 as I was getting from Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions. And yes, I am very vigilant about firmware and almost always have it the first day it's available.

Either WB is pushing their yields too far, or they changed something for the worse wherever they replicate their movies.

Even if it's only like 10% of discs (as a current poll suggests on AVS), that's still a terrible failure rate.

The worst thing for me is, just like the DVD-18's Josh mentioned, discs of this design are known to be unreliable, and even if I get one that works, every time I watch a combo I'm quietly waiting for it to freeze. That just sucks.
Old 08-03-07, 08:12 AM
  #6  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
dan30oly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,750
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
I watched this on my 360 HD drive yesterday and it played perfectly.
Old 08-03-07, 08:19 AM
  #7  
DVD Talk Reviewer
 
Randy Miller III's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Posts: 4,717
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by dan30oly
I watched this on my 360 HD drive yesterday and it played perfectly.
Quiet, you!!!!
Old 08-03-07, 08:21 AM
  #8  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Midwest
Posts: 5,759
Received 21 Likes on 14 Posts
My HD-DVD of 300 played just fine on my Toshiba A2
Old 08-03-07, 09:42 AM
  #9  
DVD Talk Legend
 
stingermck's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Cobra Island
Posts: 17,112
Received 419 Likes on 286 Posts
Played fine on my A2, and friends 360
Old 08-03-07, 10:17 AM
  #10  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
JackBurton's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,057
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Mine plays flawlessly. Should I be concerned???
Old 08-03-07, 10:33 AM
  #11  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Columbia, MD, USA
Posts: 11,249
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
Hot Fuzz and 300 both played perfectly on my A2.
Old 08-03-07, 10:44 AM
  #12  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Shannon Nutt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 18,352
Received 323 Likes on 241 Posts
We're only one retailer (DVD Empire), so take this for what you will...but I'm unaware of any returns of the 300 HD DVD for defective reasons and we have PLENTY of Blu-ray versions left in stock.
Old 08-03-07, 11:21 AM
  #13  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,306
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
my copy froze at around the 56 minute mark and after a moment caught up with itself. I took it back to best buy and the guy in front of me was also returning a copy of it and said that his wouldn't play at all.

I checked the disc for the same time code and it seemed to be fine. i need to run the entire movie again
Old 08-03-07, 11:22 AM
  #14  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have about 40 HD DVDs and have watched them repeatedly on my 360. I have not had any problems whatsoever with any film.
Old 08-03-07, 01:19 PM
  #15  
DVD Talk Legend
 
bunkaroo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago West Suburbs
Posts: 16,391
Received 201 Likes on 134 Posts
Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
We're only one retailer (DVD Empire), so take this for what you will...but I'm unaware of any returns of the 300 HD DVD for defective reasons and we have PLENTY of Blu-ray versions left in stock.
Just curious - but wouldn't it be too soon for an online retailer to get a return of an item that was just delivered this week?

While I don't think it's front page news, user posts at AVS show that there certainly is an issue with a small percentage of these discs. It's not on the scale of Children of Men, but it is there.
Old 08-03-07, 03:37 PM
  #16  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Shannon Nutt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 18,352
Received 323 Likes on 241 Posts
Originally Posted by bunkaroo
Just curious - but wouldn't it be too soon for an online retailer to get a return of an item that was just delivered this week?
True, and we may yet still...I'm just reporting that I'm not aware of any so far - including any customers complaints via e-mail or phone call. I think if there is a problem, it's much, much more minor than Hunt would have us think. In other words, no more serious than any other major release on any format (including Blu-ray)...there's always a few bad apples in a major release like 300.

And the stock issue about Blu-ray 300 is totally bogus. Stores may be short, but there's no shortage on Warner's end, I can tell you that.
Old 08-03-07, 03:45 PM
  #17  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 19,320
Received 872 Likes on 643 Posts
Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
And the stock issue about Blu-ray 300 is totally bogus. Stores may be short, but there's no shortage on Warner's end, I can tell you that.
I agree with you there. I think stores just didn't order enough. After work on Tues I went to Target to pick it up and they were out of both the BD and HD-DVD versions. The guy said I should have gotten there sooner...I went (literally) across the street to Walmart and they had about 15 copies on BD.
Old 08-03-07, 04:29 PM
  #18  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Mr. Cinema's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 18,044
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
No excuse if Target didn't order enough. They actually had 300 on sale, advertised for $24.99. I got my copy there. They had one slot for the BD, which contained about 7 copies of the movie.
Old 08-03-07, 04:38 PM
  #19  
DVD Talk Reviewer
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: NY
Posts: 3,364
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I'll have to watch the HD version when I get home from my vacation but I'm quite confident I'll have no issues. I'll keep you posted, none-the-less.
Old 08-03-07, 04:45 PM
  #20  
DVD Talk Legend
 
asianxcore's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: California
Posts: 20,200
Received 360 Likes on 303 Posts
I guess I've gotten way lucky with the combo releases.

I have 5 of the HD-DVD combo releases and have not had a problem with any of them (including 300). Then again I haven't watched my Hot Fuzz HD-DVD yet, so I shouldn't jinx myself

I guess it all depends on your store, regarding Target stocking 300. I went to my local Target at 8am on release day and they had maybe 20+ copies of 300 on BD but only 6-8 copies on HD-DVD.
Old 08-03-07, 05:01 PM
  #21  
DVD Talk Hero
 
slop101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 43,859
Received 439 Likes on 307 Posts
I sampled the 300 PIP/blue-screen feature on the HDdvd. It's pretty cool, and not a single hiccup on my 360's drive.

But I put in the Hot Fuzz HD-dvd, and after the Universal logo, I got an error message saying that the content is unplayable... Worried, I took out the disc, looked at it, and saw a nasty pubic hair on the disc. I brushed off, and the disc played just fine.
Old 08-03-07, 05:08 PM
  #22  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Mopower's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: The Janitor's closet in Kinnick Stadium
Posts: 15,725
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by slop101
But I put in the Hot Fuzz HD-dvd, and after the Universal logo, I got an error message saying that the content is unplayable... Worried, I took out the disc, looked at it, and saw a nasty pubic hair on the disc. I brushed off, and the disc played just fine.

You probably could have just said hair. But now we all know what you were doing before you put the movie in.
Old 08-03-07, 05:45 PM
  #23  
DVD Talk Legend
 
bunkaroo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chicago West Suburbs
Posts: 16,391
Received 201 Likes on 134 Posts
Originally Posted by Mopower
You probably could have just said hair. But now we all know what you were doing before you put the movie in.
Hot Fuzz indeed!
Old 08-03-07, 05:54 PM
  #24  
DVD Talk Hero
 
slop101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: So. Cal.
Posts: 43,859
Received 439 Likes on 307 Posts
Well, I do love the movie, and it's a really stacked disc...
Old 08-03-07, 09:04 PM
  #25  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Or was it the sweaty Spartans that you were watching?

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.