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Dead DVD Titles!

post #1 of 60
12/2/04 at 6:21am
Thread Starter 
I read a recent thread that People have had problems playing back certain dvd's after not using them for quite a time. Mainly Universal's R1 Apollo 13 CE.
There are reports of people saying that they have no scratches or marks on their discs and their dvd players wont play them back.

I thought I would start a thread deditacted to this problem. If there already is a thread, I apologise.

My machine will not play back

A Night No Remember Criterion Edition
Apollo 13 CE R1

So, obviously Universal titles are renowned for this problem.
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post #2 of 60
12/2/04 at 9:08am
Wow! You won't believe what happened to me just the other day. The Thing died. No, not my player - the Universal movie! I just haven't done anything about it yet.

Earlier this year, my copy of 'The Jackel' crapped out on me too. I had to email them twice, but after that I just sent it back to them and they sent me a new one. Apparently, they had a bad pressing on some titles, which they fixed by releasing it again the following year.

Gotta look that one up.

Glenn
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post #3 of 60
12/2/04 at 9:27am
I mentioned this before, but my Psycho and Vertigo DVDs that I bought in 1998 will no longer play. And a co-worker told me that her original Carlito's Way disc has the same exact problem .
It seems most of the problem titles were from Universal
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post #4 of 60
12/2/04 at 10:14am
I've had 4 titles in my collection stop working over the last couple years. 2001, Heathers SE, Psycho(1960), and The Pianist. The latter two were Universal titles and Heathers was due to a bad pressing by Anchor Bay.

I hope this isn't a widespread problem with Universal DVDs since I own quite a few of their discs. Does anyone have their contact information?
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post #5 of 60
12/2/04 at 2:12pm
The first DVD I ever bought was "Daylight" from Universal when their discs were still being made in Japan, and it still plays fine. The only disc I had die on me was Halloween 4, which played fine when new but a year later lost its gold color and would no longer read. It was a dual-layer disc made by Crest National.
"Kentucky Fried Movie" is another title famous for rotting, but I bought that the first week it was out and it's still fine.
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post #6 of 60
12/2/04 at 2:16pm
hmm, I have Psycho but I bought it in 2002. Think it has the smae problem or will it in another four years?

DVDs were supposed to last FOREVER, consarnit!
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post #7 of 60
12/2/04 at 8:07pm
Universal had some bad programmers/machines, or whatever, that has caused a lot of their 1997 releases to just die out. You should make sure that you have a '97 release and not a later one if you are going to contact them. This is from the Digital Bits:
Universal Studios Home Video
70 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
(818) 777-4400

Web site: http://homevideo.universalstudios.com/
E-mail (form on site): http://www.universalstudios.com/home...gi?email_id=10

The last time I emailed them and got an address to send the disk to. They sent back the 'newer' model. Explain that it is a '97 release, and that you have heard of this happening before.

Glenn
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post #8 of 60
12/7/04 at 4:10pm
My "The Thing (Collector's Edition)" won't play in any of my players, so I called the number that Glenn posted and was transferred around finally to the guy in charge of DVD's, Rene. He wasn't in, so I left my phone number and a short message. Eddie from Customer Relations called back
(972-293-5903) and gave me instructions on who to mail the disc back and give a brief description of the problem. Since I bought it when it first came out, they said only new or recent purchases would they send a pre-paid mailer.
Since it was in 1997 or 1998 when I bought it, I could understand their reasoning. Anyway, he said it would probably take 4-6 weeks, and if I haven't received it by then, to give him a call at the phone number. He was pleasant hopefully I will receive a disc that works. My "Apollo 13" and "Psycho" discs that I bought in 1997 or 1998 still work though. Go figure. Hopes this helps if you are going to try and get a working disc.
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post #9 of 60
12/7/04 at 4:36pm
Nice, Terry! I have yet to call them about my copy of 'The Thing'.

Anyway, just get a 6" x 9" envelope. The ones I get have the bubbles inside. It makes for a really tight fit but it works! Then just 5 regular stamps on it.

Of course, then you wait!

Glenn
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post #10 of 60
12/7/04 at 7:01pm
I have talked with eddie a few times from the universal costomer service.. he is a really good guy..I would recommend talking with him if you have a problem or whatever.

JACOB
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post #11 of 60
1/26/05 at 7:09pm
I just received my fixed copy of "The Thing" in the mail today, and it plays fine. Took over 6 weeks, but Universal replaced it and I am pleased that they took care of me. It was the original release since I don't care that much about special features to upgrade to the new 2 disc set.
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post #12 of 60
1/26/05 at 11:26pm
why do the discs stop working?
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post #13 of 60
1/27/05 at 5:04am
My Criterion Collection dvd of Federico Fellini's
AMARCORD doesn't run anymore. I have tried it on 4 different players, and i don't see any damage to the disk.

K
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post #14 of 60
1/27/05 at 5:43am
I watched Apollo 13 about 6 months ago after not seeing it for about 2 or 3 years and it played fine.
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post #15 of 60
1/27/05 at 2:08pm
Jason it has to do with the glue that holds the two layers together. Sometimes it just dries up and wears out.
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post #16 of 60
1/27/05 at 3:17pm
My copy of Stakeout died, played at least twice before with no problems. Now isn't recognised by any dvd player

All my old Universal titles still play and hopefully stay that way

I also have a couple of discs that play in dvd-rom drives but not in dvd players. Maybe because they need the better error correction
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post #17 of 60
1/28/05 at 10:53pm
Just discovered that my copy of Satan in High Heels (from Something Weird Video) no longer plays. I tried it in my desktop computer, my laptop computer, and my DVD player to no avail.
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post #18 of 60
1/29/05 at 1:28pm
My copy of the first Spy Kids just won't work, but I had it about 4 months before even putting it in. Figure they won't do anything about it now.

Mike
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post #19 of 60
1/29/05 at 1:40pm
Interesting thread...gotta check out my copies of any discs that are mentioned as possible candidates.

Last year my copy of Carlito's Way stopped playing in any of my players (since I was wanting to upgrade to the new release I just trashed the old one and picked up the new one)...a few days ago I caught a few minutes of Casino on t.v. which made me want to watch the dvd later that evening...this disc also would not play in any of my players.

Thanks for the info in getting replacements
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post #20 of 60
1/30/05 at 6:34pm
I have had about 4 or 5 titles stop working for me. Heathers, Kentucky Fried Movie, Blues Brothers and a Hammer movie title that escapes my mind. I also have heard that L.A. Confidential will go bad on you.
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post #21 of 60
6/29/05 at 6:39pm
Along with the aforementioned Universal titles (Apollo 13, The Thing) that went dead, just last week I tested Elite's Lady in White since I read on www.davisdvd.com that MGM would be releasing a new version on 9/20 (or I hope it's a new version and not another movie with the same title; there are a few other movies with the same title). It wouldn't play in my DVD player, my portable player, and my DVD-ROM drive.

My original Yes: Live at the House of Blues also went dead.
-
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post #22 of 60
6/30/05 at 5:42am
same title new mgm release kieth.
i saw the add in home media retaling.

maybe the op could update the first post of this thread with a list of effected titles.

ryan youstill around.
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post #23 of 60
6/30/05 at 9:02am
My Vertigo (orange cover) disc would not play at all in my DVD player (just read 'disc error'). My Lone Star DVD played until about 2-3 minutes after the layer change and then glitched and froze. Universal and WB (respectively) replaced the discs after I sent the old ones in for them to test.

After that I began watching all of my older discs from the point on the disc just right before the layer change until about halfway across the disc on the second layer (my Sony dvd player as a menu graphic that indicates where the laser is located on the disc) to determine if there are any errors. Using this method my other old discs have checked out okay including problem discs: LA Confidential, Tremors, Pyscho, and The Thing.

Question for people having problems with the original Universal The Thing disc. What type of error was it - did the disc just not play at all or did the movie freeze up at some point? Please describe.
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post #24 of 60
6/30/05 at 9:31am
Another question: If the glue that holds the layers together is the problem - will the error always manifest itself at the outer edge of the DVD? So if the disc is an dual layered disc that plays from the hub to the outer edge - that is where the problem with the disc be found (like my Lone Star DVD glitch described above)?
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post #25 of 60
6/30/05 at 10:10am
Quote:
DVDs were supposed to last FOREVER, consarnit!


They will -- excepting for manufacturing defects (and assuming that they are cared for properly).

Quote:
why do the discs stop working?


Again, occasionally, there will be a bad manufacturing run (or just plain poor QC) that results in some discs being bad from the factory - it may just take some time for the defect to show up. There is nothing inherent to DVD itself that results in "rot" (a misnomer to start with), and if a properly manufactured disc is cared for/stored properly (i.e. not used as a coaster, do not buff with sandpaper, not stored above a space heater, etc), it will outlast it's owner.
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post #26 of 60
6/30/05 at 4:28pm
Evil Dead
Evil Dead II
Day Of the Dead
Night Of The Living Dead
Dawn Of The Dead
Dead Alive
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post #27 of 60
6/30/05 at 4:33pm
There's always one Joker in the bunch...
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post #28 of 60
6/30/05 at 5:08pm
I have several seasons of X-Files and I have had the problem of the picture freezing up. For example season 2 (the episode "Aubrey." I have also had problems with the Lone Gunmen, presumably the same manufacturer for X-Files.

I have read someplace that there are certain protocols that DVD manufacturers are to adhere to but sometimes they don't. The result is that some players which are less forgiving have problems (such as Toshibas).

John
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post #29 of 60
7/5/05 at 10:48am
JohnEF

Any idea where you read that information???
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post #30 of 60
7/10/05 at 1:21am
Doctor Who Tomb of the Cybermen, I know it is TV but if you want a complete list, it starts but gets choppy and disc error, freezes up the player and almost won't come out, nothing else does this, nothing I've viewed in the last few years.
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