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

DVD defects - How often?

DVD Talk Talk about DVDs and Movies on DVD including Covers and Cases

DVD defects - How often?

Old 01-01-05, 02:34 PM
  #1  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
DVD defects - How often?

Scratches, scrapes, fingerprints, smudges, swirls, dark spots, discolorations... I'm sure we've all seen them from time to time on new DVDs. And it seems to me it happens far more often than it should.

I may not buy DVDs in the mass quantities some others around here do, but I feel like I've seen more than my fair share of messed up DVDs. Some of the ones I've found myself having to exchange:

Star Trek TOS Season 1
Final Countdown
Battlestar Galactica miniseries
Terminator 2
Quantum Leap Season 2

So how often do you come across physical defects on DVDs? And what's your threshold for deciding when a return or exchange is warranted? Is there a certain amount of things you are willing to live with? If it's cleanable, do you just clean it?
Old 01-01-05, 03:32 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: The True North!
Posts: 962
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've been having bad luck picking up used dvds lately. Normally I hardly ever have any problems.
Old 01-01-05, 03:55 PM
  #3  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Sonic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 19,353
Received 347 Likes on 247 Posts
Where i seem to have bad luck is when i pick up boxsets. For example 3 days ago I bought Matrix Limited Edition boxset...and ALL discs were scratched...had fingerprints etc. I could not believe it. It looked like it was returned to Warner or somethin lol

Anyways I exchanged it for a newer set and only one disc had multiple scratches. Luckily the first set had the better disc so i switched it. This seems to be a big problem for boxsets. If one disc is beatup in a boxset...you have to change all discs in that set. That sux.

I think machines have to be more careful in handling disc or whoever puts them in the cases.

-antonio
Old 01-01-05, 04:51 PM
  #4  
Banned
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,220
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
None that I can remember.
Old 01-01-05, 05:08 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Hero
 
TomOpus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 40,112
Received 1,286 Likes on 935 Posts
I've received some floaters in the mail with minor scratches. My player doesn't choke on scratches. If I buy used and there might be a smudge or two, I'll chean it.

It basically comes down to this:

If it plays fine, there's no problem.
Old 01-01-05, 05:08 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Pearland, TX
Posts: 4,042
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I've been having more problems with my DVDs recently. My threshold for exchanging/returning DVD is as follows... if a disc plays with minor pause or skips of a few seconds, then I don't return it. But if it hang, or skip over several minutes, or display with video pixelation problem, then I will definitely exchange it.

Some of the recent NEW DVDs I bought from online that I had to exchange:
1) Star Wars Trilogy (Disc 1 freezes on my DVD players; exchanged with FOX)
2) Without a Trace : Season 1 (Disc 1 Side B skips over 14 minutes of an episode; exchanged with amazon.com)
3) Babylon 5 : Season 2 (disc 2 skips for 1 minute; didn't exchange)
4) Sex and the City : Season 6 Part 1 (disc 1 scratched and skips; didn't exchange)
5) Road To Perdition (skips for several minutes in the diner scene; exchanged with Columbia House)

On the other hand, I didn't have any problem with my Lord of The Ring : Return of the King EE that some people have. And I didn't have any problem with Star Trek TOS Season 1 either.

Last edited by mookiemeister; 01-01-05 at 05:11 PM.
Old 01-01-05, 06:04 PM
  #7  
Fok
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Fok's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Canada, BC
Posts: 6,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not too many, I usually give the case a shake to see if anything is lose before. The only one I had to exchange was Schindlers list due to a defect.
Old 01-01-05, 06:21 PM
  #8  
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Michigan
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great topic!!
I have had multiple problems with recent DVD's. More so in the last year or so.
I open my discs in the parking lot when I buy them to make sure that they're not defective.
If there's so much as a scratch or any under surface specks or "cat claw" like circle scratches, I take them right back inside for exchange. I know the people at my local Best Buy must think I'm crazy, but who cares? I'm not paying for messed up poor production quality discs.
I've also had many problems with DVD's ordered from online retailers as well. I send those back without a second thought for an exchange. If the replacement arrives scratched it goes back as well.
Why should I have to settle for a product that I just paid for and haven't even watched yet if it's defective right out of box?
As far finger prints go, This has become very common. I'm sick of it.
The dark coffee ring or dark glue marks make me very nervous as well. Could this be a problem later down the road? I see these all the time.
Also check out the TV boxsets released by Fox lately. Some of my discs appear to have jagged burn marks under the surface near the outer edges of the disc. This also scares me. Is the content of the disc not being processed correctly? Who knows?
I collected about 250 Laser Discs back in the 90's. More than half of them now have laser rot and can't be viewed. I fear this could happen with my much larger DVD collection.
I think it's time that DVD studios/companies get it together and improve the quality of their products before releasing them to the public. Run better performance tests and maybe start processing them back in the USA again.
Everytime that I purchase a box set or "loaded" special edition I fear for the worst. There just always seems to be problems in some way.
Sometimes I want to just stop spending my money on DVD's. That would be too hard to do though. I just wish I could buy a DVD and not have to worry about if it will play with out a glitch or not.
And just for laughs...After having to watch everything I purchase with a keen eye looking out for problems I have sometimes found myself watching broadcast/cable TV and the image will glitch and that sinking feeling of yet another defective DVD to return overcomes me for a momenet before I remember that this is TV not a DVD. Has anyone else ever had this happen to them.
DVD's are driving me mad!
Old 01-01-05, 06:26 PM
  #9  
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Some of you are having unusually cr-p loads of bad luck with disks! Maybe you guys should be checking your DVD players, ?!? Do you ever clean the laser??
Old 01-01-05, 06:32 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Falls Church, VA
Posts: 593
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've got bad luck with the bonus DVDs packaged with CDs. Just this weekend I found out my U2 bonus DVD froze and pixelated on the first minute of the documentary (tested on two players). Last year around Christmas time (or maybe the year before) I had the same thing happen on the bonus videos DVD for Aaliyah's Greatest Hits CD.
Old 01-01-05, 06:59 PM
  #11  
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Michigan
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Like I stated, most of my DVD defect problems are right out of the case/box.

Never the less, would anyone recommend a good DVD Laser cleaner. The one I have has brushes on it and after reading some of the above comments maybe I should try something else.

Thanks!
Old 01-01-05, 07:12 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: In a place without the cursed couch
Posts: 20,590
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
The only problem I've had in the last few months of buying, is the Matrix Limited set, when the first movie, has a broken hub. Nothing was scratched and I don't feel like dealing with a Columbia House return fiasco.
Old 01-01-05, 07:27 PM
  #13  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Never had a problem till last week, I own about 400+ collect them since 1998, Last week I bought Fight Club and the disc stops, than slowly goes frame by frame and than stops again right when Brad Pitt is about to crash the car with Edward norton and his buddies. That's it never had any other problems. The disc is brand new, no scratches or nothing. Also I got T2 2 years ago and on most of my dvd players except for my main sony, it freezes on the Layer switch, but my other Players are Minteks and Apex so maybe its just them, never returned still own the T2. So i dont consider that a problem. also back in 99 I bought the Armageddon first day it came out and I had a Pioneer DV-505 first generation and when I went into menu first and than chose play it got stuck on chapter 2 right where bruce is golfing into greenpeace boat, but then on The net it was reported that it does that in some players and just play movie right away and dont go to the menu and it will be fine. But now I'm going to go and check every disc on the Seasons 2 and 3 on 24 since i just bought them yesterday and have not checked them to make sure since I see a lot of boxsets problems
Old 01-01-05, 07:34 PM
  #14  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just checked mine 24 Seasons Everything seems fine with exception of Disc 4 of Season 3 is lightly scratched, also which reminds me that BTTF part 1 was loose when I ordered it from DVDempire and it got badly scratched, but no problems with playback whatsoever
Old 01-01-05, 07:45 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Everett,Washington
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ive also got a simalar thread going right now and just made another comment to.
Old 01-01-05, 07:46 PM
  #16  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,052
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I honestly can't recall one defective disc I've come across. I purchase both new and used dvds almost equally and besides the light smudges and/or minor scratches, I've never had a problem. I don't think I have ever seen any scratches or fingerprints on any sealed dvd I've purchased. But all the testimonials here so far do show early signs of a disturbing trend, and that does worry me a bit.
Old 01-01-05, 07:48 PM
  #17  
Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Out of 900 dvds Tru Calling disc 2 was my first defective dvd. I have a backlog of around 30 discs and Tru Calling wasn't going to get watched soon if it were not for my niece's insistence. I had no trouble exchanging it with Amazon but now am nervous to order anything that I cannot watch right away.
Old 01-01-05, 07:53 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: San Jose, California
Posts: 901
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've noticed this happening more and more... right around the time the studios started making all their DVDs in Mexico.
Old 01-01-05, 08:51 PM
  #19  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I was given the Matrix Box for Christmas, and just today got around to really going though it and I found out that I had TWO Burly Man Chronicles Discs, and no Matrix Revolutions: Revisited disc. So I'm going to go exchange it tomorrow.
Old 01-01-05, 09:54 PM
  #20  
DVD & Video Game Reviewer
 
Dragon Fly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Tax-achusettes
Posts: 2,406
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I got shrek 2 the weekend after it came out at Best Buy brought it home and it wouldn't play half way through the movie. I tried it on three different dvd players too and there was this weird warping look to a portion of the disc. Thankfully they took it back and gave me a working one.
Old 01-01-05, 09:58 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: San Jose, California
Posts: 901
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Ojam
I was given the Matrix Box for Christmas, and just today got around to really going though it and I found out that I had TWO Burly Man Chronicles Discs, and no Matrix Revolutions: Revisited disc. So I'm going to go exchange it tomorrow.
Similar thing happened to me a few times. Like last week I pop open my new Dr. Strangelove and lo and behold I got two disc 2s. Got it from Costco but they don't have it anymore. I have no idea what to do.
Old 01-01-05, 10:36 PM
  #22  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Sonic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 19,353
Received 347 Likes on 247 Posts
Maybe with Blu Ray...the discs are inside those cartridges to prevent scratches dust etc
Old 01-01-05, 10:53 PM
  #23  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Physical problems like scratches and smudges are a big reason I'm hesitant when buying DVDs online. If there's a problem, it's always much easier to return/exchange to a brick-and-mortar store. I've only bought online a few times, when I know I'm getting a hell of a deal, and fortunately so far no problems.

But deal or not, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to buy a boxset online, given my experience.

Even if a disc may seem to play with a minor defect, I'm worried that eventually it won't play. And isn't having movies for the long haul part of the attraction of the DVD format?
Old 01-02-05, 02:02 AM
  #24  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Plano, TX
Posts: 1,149
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've had three scratched discs (that were bad enough to cause a problem) out of about 300 I've purchased over the years. They were all discs in FOX television shows (2 Buffy and 1 Angel), and two were floaters. One was still seated properly, but I saw the scratch when I removed it (and the disc froze up when I attempted to play it). I exchanged them with no problems.

Other than that, I've never had a problem.
Old 01-02-05, 02:15 AM
  #25  
Guest
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here's the latest for me...

I bought Star Trek Generations today to replace my old VHS. The first disc with the movie has a few very fine scratch marks in one area toward the outer edge of the disc. I just watched the movie and it played fine, no problems that I noticed.

So do I keep it, or exchange it? Of course, I could exchange it and wind up with a disc in worse shape. But are little scratches that aren't a problem now become a problem later???

How I wish there was better quality control.

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.