Sports Night DVD problems?
 

I was watching Sports Night today and in episode 4, it locked up and wouldn't play about 10 seconds of the episode. I have to skip by that part of the disc to see the rest of the episode. The discs are brand new (picked up 2/2/05) and have no dust, scratches or fingerprints. I plan to return it of course and have until Friday to do so, but I was wondering if these DVDs have known issues or if I just got unlucky. I'll probably re-watch all of the episodes on the new set when I get it, just to be safe, but it would be helpful to know if this is something I should try to get through the set fast to check all the discs or if this is just bad luck.

And Das, I'm not sure exactly what your rules are or how they work, so I apoligize in advance is my post forces you to watch the whole series again. :p

You would probably get more responses if you posted this in the DVD Talk section, which is probably the best forum for this.

:lol: I'm currently penning an addendum that threads moved to DVD Talk do <i>not</i> count! Sadly, I fear my power to resist is weak. That yellow box with the obnoxiously placed barcode calls my name ...

das

I don't see a way to move the thread. I guess it's a job for the mods? I just thought that since it's a TV show, that most fans would be here. But go ahead and move it if it will help get me more replies.

I'm enjoying it, but my wife wants to watch it too. She doesn't want me to move on without her, but we never seem to find the time to watch it. That's why we're watching episode four after having it for four weeks. I'm hoping we'll (she'll) really get into it soon so we can start watching it a little more regularly. I wasn't too sure about the first couple episodes, but after seeing #'s 3 & 4 it's starting to get really good.

My aunt went through 3 "Sports Night" dvd sets before she finally gave up. Her problems were similar to what you're describing. She uses a Samsung combo unit, and when we discovered the dvds played fine on my Sony, we decided it must be a weird compatibility issue with the Samsung.

I haven't watched it with my new Sony, but on my old JVC it played fine. I think though the DVDs have some kind of subtitling problem though, but not major.

My problems were getting the discs to start playing. They'd freeze up on the FBI warning screens or before. It takes a little button pushing (stop, play, chapter skip, menu), and different combinations for different discs, but I can watch them all. I'd return them, but I bought the set used, and since I can watch them with a little work, I'm keeping them.

We watched it and had no problem.

The only problem with the set I've run into is there aren't enough episodes.

I didn't have a problem with my copy either. It was a great series that ended much too soon.

Yeah, I noticed that my set has the same problem....

I have no problem with not enough episodes. I'm a first time viewer who's only up to episode 4. :banana:

I don't suspect the player. It's less than a year old and has played literally everything I've thrown at it.

Anyway, it sounds like I should closely monitor the new set when I get it. As a backup, it's a Buena Vista title and I've had excellant luck with them in the past when I had to return a disc. It was such a good experience I almost wanted to return more. :) So even if I don't get through it in 30 days, I'm confident they'll take care of me (though it's obviously much easier to return it to Fry's if I have to).

SportsNight DVD problems
 

I've noticed that my copies (given as a gift, bought through Amazon.com) have jitter in many cuts between camera angles in many scenes of many episodes and that overall the overwhelming majority of the footage looks very grainy.

The glamour shot footage of New York City - the shots of the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the building where SportsNight is ostensibly headquartered *and* any other miscellaneous shots such as the brief shot of the intersection at the Loews Hotel just before Dana confronts Gordon at lunch about the affair he had with Sally - those are *crystal clear*.

The footage of all other scenes (e.g. the actual show itself, everything outside of the glamour shots of the city) is all noticeably grainy.

I haven't had any problems viewing any of the episodes - nothing freezing or anything serious like that; just that the jitter when many camera angles change within scenes gets annoying after awhile... and it's disappointing that the footage itself is very grainy.

Is this just my copy?

-Chuck