Blu Ray Rot
 

I know we have a DVD Rot thread in the other forum but here's one for Blu Ray.

* * *

Was reading on another forum today about people experiencing Blu Ray Rot on the Alien Anthology set. I went to examine mine and, sure enough, there's some with what looks like the coating pealing away. Popped them into my player and nearly all no longer load.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Shit, guess I should check mine when I get a chance. It's somewhere in storage.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I've also been reading about issues with The Hitchcock Masterpiece/Ultimate Collection as well as the Back to the Future set.

Worth noting that ALL of these are those packing that opt for glossey cardboard storage. Some are saying it has to do with the glue or whatever is used in coating eroding and corroding the discs. Though my Alien Set looks more like paint chipping (albetit on a much smaller scale)

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I have had FOX DVDs from TV sets go bad and I have had my share of 4K UHDs not playing correctly but never had a problem with a BD disc. Hopefully that stays.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Good thing I put my Alien Anthology blu-rays in regular keepcases.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I have the Alien Anthology set in the cardboard case, but I took my discs out of them and put them in a regular 6-disc case with a custom printed label.

I don't like the "sleeve" type cases because of their potential to scratch the discs. Anything that comes in one of those (DVD or blu-ray) gets taken out once and put in a regular case.

I might check my Alien Anthology blu-rays later.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I think most of these bad discs had more to do with that junk Mexican pressing plant.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

IIRC, some of the earlier Fox bluray titles were manufactured at CMC/Deluxe back in the mid-late 2000s. (Not entirely sure of the company's name).

It turns out an early batch of Lionsgate bluray titles which went bad, were also manufactured at CMC Deluxe.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

The only reliable Mexican cd/dvd/bluray/4Kbluray pressing plant, is the giant Technicolor facility in Guadalajara.

Discs manufactured there have IFPI sid code KK** (where ** are alphanumeric wild card characters), etched into the first transparent inner ring away from the center hole of the disc.

For more than a decade, Paramount, Warner, Disney, and Universal have manufactured their dvd/bluray discs at this Technicolor plant at Guadalajara. Sony started manufacturing their cd/dvd/bluray titles at this plant in 2018, after Sony closed down their decommission disc manufacturing operation in Terre Haute Indiana in early-mid 2018.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

After dumping CMC/Deluxe, Lionsgate had their dvd/bluray discs manufactured at Cinram/Technicolor's plant in Huntsville, Alabama. This plant had discs with IFPI sid code 2F** (where ** are alphanumeric wildcard characters).

Fox also later went to Cinram/Technicolor Huntsville for most of the 2010s decade to manufacture their bluray discs (and some dvds).

This Huntsville Alabama Technicolor plant was decommissioned sometime in 2020.

https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.co...-sold-for-39m/


I have no idea where Fox and Lionsgate manufacture their dvd/bluray/4Kbluray discs nowadays. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up also at Technicolor's giant Guadalajara Mexico plant.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Checked my Alien Anthology and Alfred Hitchcock sets and all discs look good. However, this is a good reminder, will buy some Blu-ray cases to store the discs in.

I do recall another set, maybe Universal Horror Collection, that had glue on the discs, basically ruined.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I had the same problem with three tries on the Universal Horror Collection. I ended getting the Best Buy exclusive and bought The Creature From The Black Lagoon separately.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Never hurts to throw the disc in a bowl and then pour boiling water over it. I have had some wonky discs and this almost always fixes them. Not exactly sure why.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I just checked my DVD Profiler, and it was the "Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection". Luckily I received (for my site) the "Universal Classic Monsters: 30 Film Collection" where each franchise was housed in Blu-ray cases. So I really don't need the other one anyway, but still that kind of packaging is ridiculous.

On that Alfred Hitchcock set, the glue had pretty much evaporated where the disc could pop up or down in those slots. Thankfully every disc looks fine, maybe some light scratches that should've effect playback.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Here's a few to avoid: Basic Instinct (2007? disc I think). I had to replace it with a UK disc, at least that one had a newer scan)., The Ninth Gate. Summer Hours (Criterion). I'm sure there are more. I've read The Way of the Gun goes rotten as well.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I had a few early Lion's Gate titles with the foil covers go bad from 2007 like Basic Instinct, First Blood, American Psycho, Reservoir Dogs etc. I bought the later Maple versions (at least here in Canada) and they seem to be fine.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Very useful information. I've never had a Blu-ray disc rot, but of course had a few flipper DVD-18s and many laserdiscs rot (the infamous Pioneer 95- and 96- pressing codes and the infamous 3M-pressed discs).

Is there an online database of IFPI codes (and, by extension the plants where pressed) used on pressed Blu-ray media somewhere?

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

My BD of A Christmas Carol (1951 Alistair Simm) went bad. It won't even start.

This one:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...ff833f6770.jpg

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

There could be a chance of your BD player’s laserbeam being old age and weaken. Case in point, I tried to play Bad Lieutenant (OG of course, not the Nic Cage doo-doo fest) the other day and my primary player would not read at all, put in my backup player and it was smooth sailing.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I tried two players... My PC drive as well as my PS3. Neither have trouble with any other discs I've tried. Regardless, I'll try it in our 2nd PS3 and in our dedicated BD player, just to be sure.

I certainly don't see any visual damage.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

There's several unofficial ones, which google finds immdiately.

IFPI Codes
https://www.madonnadiscography.pl/articles/ifpi-codes
List of SID codes - Redump Wiki

Most of the entries correspond to disc pressing plants which no longer exist. Many were closed down over the past 15+ years since the great recession of the mid-late 2000s.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

The defective "bronzed" Criterion blurays, were ones manufactured at the Sonopress disc pressing plant in Weaverville, North Carolina. IIRC, cd/dvd/bluray discs manufactured at this Weaverville plant will have IFPI code 10** (where ** are alphanumeric wildcard chracters). This plant was decommissioned in early 2016.

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/...lost/76991114/

As far as I can figure out, the few other movie companies which used Sonopress Weaverville (such as some copies of "The Big Lebowski" by Universal) were typically production runs which the big movie companies were not able to schedule at Technicolor Mexico or Cinram's plants (ie. Huntsville AL -> IFPI 2F**, Olyphant PA -> IFPI 2U**, Toronto Canada -> IFPI 60**, etc ....). For whatever reasons (ie. previous inventory ran out, etc ...), the big movie companies farmed out a few production runs to Sonopress Weaverville.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

The Warner dvds/blurays with playback problems, were ones manufactures at Cinram's Olyphant Pennsylvania plant (IFPI 2U**) during the mid-late 2000s. It was decommissioned in early 2018, and the entire former campus went under the demolition wrecker's ball in 2020.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/15887...cords-facility
https://www.wnep.com/article/news/lo...4-a96f93b12d2b


The Cinram Toronto Canada (IFPI 60**) plant was closed down in 2014. (Cinram was bought up by Technicolor at the end of 2015 / early 2016).

https://www.thestar.com/business/201...f_toronto.html
https://www.plasticsnews.com/article...uring-business

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I'm not as familiar with cd/dvd/bluray pressing plants outside of america. The only ones I have encountered in the recent past, were discs manufactured in central europe.

IFPI 94** -> Sony DADC, Salzburg (Austria)
IFPI 97** -> Optimal Media Gmbh, Roebel/Mueritz (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Germany)
IFPI 07** -> BMG/Arvato, Guetersloh (North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany)

Out of these three large european pressing plants, I actively avoid buying any blurays manufactured by Optical Media Gmbh (IFPI 97**). They were responsible for manufacturing completely botched cd/dvd/bluray discs of various Beatles cd/dvd/bluray expanded album re-releases over the past several years. (Over the past year, I turned down three cd/bluray sets after I noticed the live concert bluray discs were manufactured by Optimal Media Gmbh).

Sony DADC in Salzberg Austria and BMG/Arvato in Guetersloh Germany, seems to be ok for now. (Over the past year or so, ViacomCBS has manufactured some of their american Paramount region1 dvds at BMG's Guetersloh Germany disc pressing plant).


Technicolor owns two non-american plants, which I haven't encountered in recent times: Poland and Australia.

https://www.technicolor.com/distribu...ring-locations
https://www.discogs.com/label/545129...olor-Australia

IFPI UG** -> Technicolor, Piaseczno (Masovia, Poland)
IFPI 46** -> Technicolor, Braeside (Victoria, Australia)


In terms of the tiny north american disc pressing plants, in recent times I have only encountered three:

IFPI L8** -> ADS, Plymouth Minnesota
IFPI ALJ** -> CD Manufacturing Inc., Santa Ana California
IFPI V5** -> Duplium, Toronto Canada

I have only come across blurays manufactured at CD Manufacturing Inc (IFPI ALJ**), mostly live concert bluray discs from tiny independent record labels. The quality control seems to be ok for now.

ADS (IFPI L8**) is so far ok for audio cd discs, mostly from tiny independent record labels. Duplium (IFPI V5**) pressed discs aren't quite as good in terms of quality control, mostly released by small movie studios.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

With all that being said, in practice there is likely an issue of how much extra $$$$ a particular movie company is willing to pay for quality control of their dvd/bluray discs.

In recent times, I have noticed quality control can be erratic with some particular movie companies, even if their dvd/bluray discs are manufactured at Technicolor Mexico (IFPI KK**).

For example, I purchased several ShoutFactory released complete series sets where some of the discs were having playback problems on several dvd players (including computer dvd-r drives). I had to do more than one return/exchange, until I got a set with all the discs playable. (ShoutFactory typically manufacture their discs at Technicolor Mexico IFPI KK**). I don't know if this is just a recent fluke, or whether it is a systematic problem for many years with ShoutFactory.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

IIRC the Maple Pictures blurays released specifically for the canadian market, were manufactured at Sony DADC's Terre Haute Indiana pressing plant (IFPI QW**). This was before Maple Pictures was gobbled up by Alliance in late 2011.

The defective Lionsgate blurays released in america which went bad, were manufactured at cmca/deluxe in the mid-late 2000s.

Before Sony DADC Terre Haute closed down their cd/dvd/bluray disc manufacturing lines in late 2017, IFPI QW** was one of the more reliable cd/dvd/bluray disc manufacturing facilities in america.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

The second last "nail in the coffin" for cd/dvd/bluray/4Kbluray optics discs, will likely be once Technicolor Mexico (IFPI KK**) and one or both of the european Sony (IFPI 94**) and/or BMG (IFPI 07**) large disc pressing plants are closed down.


Once those ^ three pressing plants are closed, what is left over will be Japanese plants and some smaller disc pressing plants with questionable quality control practicies (ie. China, Taiwan, etc ...). These Japan disc manufacturing plants still around are (purportedly):

IFPI 40** -> JVC Kenwood Victor (Yokosuka, Japan)


IFPI 45** -> Sony DADC (Shizuoka, Japan)

https://www.nippon.com/en/behind/l10359/


IFPI 44** -> Memory-Tech (Tsukuba, Japan)

Memory-Tech appears to be only cd/dvd, but not bluray.

https://www.discogs.com/label/63066-Memory-Tech
https://www.memory-tech.co.jp/en/en_package




IFPI HH** and IFPI QK** -> Panasonic / AVC ?

So far the only widely released discs I have found with IFPI HH** or IFPI QK** are Nintendo Wii discs.



I haven't purchased enough Japanese manufactured discs to determine how good or bad they are in terms of quality control.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Japanese have by far the best quality control of any pressing plants in the world. It's almost an obsession for them.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Blu! Ro! No go! Blu! Ro! No go!
Blu! Ro! No go! Blu! Ro! No go!
They're rotting in the cardboard!
They're chipping in the center!
The coating is eroding!
The Blu-ray rot!
The glue has got them peeling!
The case has got them skipping!
The coating is corroding!
The Blu-ray rot!

Blu! Ro! No go!
No Back to the Future!
Alien! Antholo-no!
Hitchcock set, you won't see, no!
The pressing plants were terrible!
In USA and Mexico!
To one they took a wrecking ball!
The Blu-ray rot!
Hope it's not from Warner!
Lion's Gate's a goner!
Criterion wore bronzer!
The Blu-ray rot!

Blu! Ro! No go!
Basic Instinct bad now!
American Psycho no!
Universal Horror is a horror show!
Die-cut is a disgrace!
Scratch the disc and deface!
Get 'em in a keepcase!
The Blu-ray rot!
Player's in "no disc" mode!
Out of print and won't load!
Check the IFPI code!
The Blu-ray rot!
Blu! Ro! No go! Blu! Ro! No go!
Blu! Ro! No go! Blu! Ro! NO GO!



youtube.com/watch?v=EF-WSml4F-w

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

All of this technical information on which plants have already closed down is very disturbing, as it "proves" the nails are already on the coffin of pressed-disc releases. It seems like there are only two or three (quality) pressing plants left in the entire world. This disconcerting news sure doesn't seem to be disturbing very many, which makes it even worse for those who truly care about quality, preservation, and provenence of the films. This portends a future where films will truly be disposable rubbish, to be consumed for the moment, during the moment, only. A Belladonna of Sadness, to use the example of a very good Japanese film.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Never heard of it. Where can I stream it?

...
...

I KID!
I KID!!!!!!

PS: You're totally right, though. I had been thinking physical media was dead in the water when the rise of streaming started but seems 4k, at least for the moment, has kept some things afloat but there is no longer a shop in my city that sells it. I am left to Amazon.

The recent episode of South Park called The Streaming Wars was a funny commentary on this (kinda').

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

There is a long history of pressed optical disc manufacturing plants opening and closing down since the late 1970s. The hardcore folks who seem to document a lot of this information, hang out at discogs.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

This may sound really stupid, but I'll mention it anyways.

One semi-reliable indicator I watch to track which smaller disc manufacturing plants are reliable / unreliable, is to see which plants are used by the smaller independent record companies.

In practice, I've found that smaller independent record companies will contract out their cd/dvd/bluray disc manufacturing to less reliable plants (or lower costs). This pattern has been so consistent in various musical niches of interest to me, that I simply do not trust the dvd / bluray disc quality control of such releases. The few dvd (or bluray) releases I am willing to purchase from such indie record companies, is if I can figure out that the disc is a single-sided single-layer disc (ie. 5 gigabytes or less for dvd, or 25 gigabytes or less for bluray).

Too many bad experiences with single-sided two-layer dvd discs (ie. 4.25 to 8.5 gigabytes) released by indie record companies.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

I mostly agree. Outside of a couple premium labels, indies usually were forced to go with smaller, less reliable manufacturers since the major studios monopolized the larger manufacturers.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

(On a similar notion).

I use to think this was the case for stuff manufactured in Germany. Over the years I came to the realization that this "belief" is completely erroneous.

In practice, this might still be the case for stuff manufactured in the former West Germany.

In contrast, this is not always the case for stuff manufactured in the former East Germany. The states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt. It variedly wildly from excellent to outright garbage. The former East German states did not go to West German standards.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Yep, I had the OG release of the The Descent go bad. IIRC, that one had a special audio track or something that made it special? I picked up another one from Goodwill for $1.99 and it worked fine.

I guess there is probably a master list of known issues somewhere.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

What would be examples of premium independent record companies, with decent disc quality control in recent times ?

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Before they went under, Audio Fidelity. In companies still around, Intervention Records.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

Spotted this post in the DVD Rot thread that referenced a BR. For those that have this disc might be worth checking your copy.

Re: Blu Ray Rot
 

So, I've found that Blu-rays that were pressed at Technicolor Camarillo, California, between about 2006-2009 with a Mould SID code of IFPI 2TB4, have an extremely high failure rate. I have yet to find a 2TB4 disc in my collection that hasn't failed. The Camarillo plant shut down in late 2008 or early 2009 probably, and I've found defective 2TB4 Blu-rays with street dates from Sept. 2006 through Jan. 2009. So I think that means that every Blu-ray that was ever pressed at that plant using the 2TB4 mould is suspect.

In my collection, I've found that it's mostly Paramount discs. I've identified the following potentially problematic discs, either from my own collection or from multiple user reports per title over several forums:

Clear and Present Danger
Cloverfield
Face/Off
Flags of Our Fathers (Disc 1 only)
The Hunt for Red October (first issue only - red cover)
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Patriot Games
Sleepy Hollow
The Sum of All Fears
The Untouchables
Zodiac (Disc 2 only)
2007 DTS-HD Master Audio Presentation Disc
DTS Blu-ray Demonstration Disc 14

There are probably more. If you're checking your discs for defects, make sure you have a first issue disc from 2006-2009. Many of these titles have been reissued later over the years. The Mould SID code should be IFPI 2TB4. Large print runs or repressings may have been pressed on multiple moulds or at different plants. The Mould SID is etched into the inner-most ring of the disc on the label side. (If the SID code you find is "IFPI L***", you're looking at the Mastering SID (the wrong code), not the Mould SID.) "TECHNICOLOR/CA" should also be etched into the ring, on the opposite end of the circle from the Mould SID code.

I think the problems can also develop over a really long time. For example, when I first heard a few years ago that Flags of Our Fathers could be problematic, I checked my copy, and it was fine. Today, it is unplayable. When I first found in 2020 that my Face/Off disc had problems, it would still play the first 2/3 of the movie before freezing. By the time I got around to replacing it in 2022, it was no longer readable at all.