Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases - Page 2

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Certain of my Brady Bunch discs are affected by this phenomenon. I noticed a few spots on a couple of them awhile back and just concluded that it was a manufacture quirk not affecting playback, but on inspecting the discs again now, I found the affected discs look worse.

In the old Alpha and Amaray cases, disc surfaces are elevated so as not to make contact with the case while in storage, but in these thinpak cases, the disc surfaces are in constant contact with the plastics of the case. Looks like chemical reactions are taking place. Why couldn't the companies have just stuck with the tried and true Amaray and Alpha cases and not left us with ticking time bombs in our collections?

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

After reading about this problem I checked out my DVD collection. All of the DVD's looked fine except season 4 of "Brady Bunch"- dreaded cloudiness appeared. I played one episode on the worst looking disc and it played fine. I'll be watching all the eps just to be safe and I tossed all the offending cases out. Thank God for this site-I'd hate to think what sort of mess I'd be looking at in a year or so!

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I just ordered some double slimline cases from a internet site called Shop4tech or something to that effect. Customers on the site are raving about these cases. They are $23/100. They have not arrived yet so I have not looked at them myself. They are black rather than clear, and I don't know who the manufacturer is.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Doug,

Thanks for the info on the DVD cases. I'm looking into getting some of these recently and that's a great price. For anyone else that's interested, here's the link to the site that Doug mentioned:

http://www.shop4tech.com/item2869.html

Regarding the "clouding" DVD issue: I just completed viewing the Hogan's Heroes S2 set after it's been on the shelf since Sept '05. I didn't have any viewing issues but after looking at the DVD's a few minutes ago I also see some "clouding" spots that have appeared. I don't remember seeing this when they arrived from Amazon. Disc 5 is the worst of my set but there weren't any picture issues when viewing the disc. Question is, will this condition worsen over time and will it ever cause any viewing problems? I may need more info before changing out all of the Scanavo cases in my collection.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Boy, this really is a distressing issue. I have yet to examine any of my sets for this dreaded condition, because none of the sets mentioned have yet even been opened. They have sat on my shelves since release day. When people say the the offending cases are "oily" does that mean the entire case even on the outside or just the inside near the discs. If it is only on the inside, it would lead me to believe that it may be defective discs causing the problems. If many or most of these thin-pak cases cause a chemical reaction over time, because of touching the discs, it may be the most prudent to remove every disc from every thin-pak in our collection and put them into albums, leaving the box and cases on the shelf for display purposes with a code in them as to what album the discs are now located in. I like others who have posted here have hundreds of TV on dvd sets and this would be a huge undertaking, and I hope that it does not come to that.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I may be wrong, but I believe the only solid documentation we have for mass disc failures across the board are with the infamous HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL Season 3 sets that Amazon.com was selling at a reduced price. These sets had a different UPC code from the original HGWT Season 3 sets, and they were housed in the oily Scanavo cases. People on another forum discussed this issue at length and the consensus was overwhelmingly clear: the discs from this set were cloudy and did not always work in every player (sometimes they would work, sometimes not), even after some attempts to clean them and such. The one constant was that every disc housed in a double slim-line case was clouded considerably. And the clincher was that disc 7 of this set, housed in a single disc slipcase not made by Scanavo, was never clouded. It was this situation that led to our current concerns about these cases.

But it looks like none of us here have actually reported discs that wouldn't play, although many of us are seeing the cloudiness on certain sets. The big question, of course, is whether or not the condition will worsen with time and if the condition will lead to the discs one day not working. And the second question, which we've broached here, is whether or not the issue is with the discs themselves, or the cases they are housed in. If we could get just one report about clouded discs that were NOT housed in Scanavo cases, we could pretty much definitively prove it was a bad batch of discs (probably from Paramount). Until we get that "evidence", the speculation will continue.

Gary "we need Charlie Chan to solve this mystery" O.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Well, after reading this yesterday I went home and checked my Brady Bunch sets. All of my sets are fine. No cloudiness or spots on the discs. However, it should be noted that only my season 4 and 5 were in the type of cases that has been mentioned. All of my other sets were in a generic two disc slim cases.

I do have replacement cases already so just to be safe, I may just switch them out.

I haven't checked my Wild Wild West sets yet but I will.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

After checking my cases last night, only season 4 of Brady Bunch, disc 2 had some cloudiness on the disc. I will start watching these ASAP to see that they are okay.

Some further sets in my collection with the Scanavo cases are:

Ren & Stimpy
Alien Nation (TV Series - 20th Century Fox)
Alien Nation (Movie Collection)

You may want to check these if you have them.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

This is wonderful. As if we didn't have enough crappy DVD manufacturing issues to worry about, now we have to worry about the CASES...

How does one know that one has a Scanavo case? Is the name embossed in the plastic?

Are any of the Mission: Impossible sets affected?

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Yes. Mine are embossed on the inside.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

When Hogan's Heroes Season 2 was new and I got it the day it was released in 05 the marks were not noticable enough for me to send them back to Amazon. I ussually send any box sets back to amazon that are not perfect regardless if the discs play alright or not. The discs were able to scan into my computer for backup copies using dvdshrink. Now the discs in season 2 are horribly scarred and are way beyond any couldy issue as my pictures posted yesterday clearly show and will not scan using dvd shrink. Until yesterday the discs have not been out of the cases since the day they were released in 05 when I made up backup copies for them in 05. The next thing I am going to do is run a Nero scan disc for errors on the marked discs and compare them to scans of the discs in season 2 with no marks. Discs 2 and 5 for Hogan's heroes season 2 are perfect and flawless. Discs 1, 3, and 4 are horribly marred with what looks like the disc deteriating and not a cloudiness issue. When I first took them out of the case yesterday, I could see a very faint oil outline of the same patterns on the case it's self that have now disappeared on the case since yesterday.

I do not make backup copies of all my tvshows on dvd but Hogan's Heroes is my favorite number 1 show of all time and I did make copies of those so that I could view the backup's and keep the originals prestine in the case, which did not happen.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Danmel,

It almost sounds like from what you are saying that it may be more of a disc issue than a case issue. Is that your suspicion? If you took the disc out and the oily feeling on the case went a way; it sounds like a disc issue unless it is the reaction of the disc with the plastic of the case. I'm going to look at a few of my sets tonight to see what is going on with them.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I am almost sure that it is a chemical reaction between the discs and the cases. I think someone posted on one of the threads that they put all of their discs in a cd slip case directly after buying the sets and that they were all fine. This will be the case for me from now on.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I think everyone needs to take a deep breath because this thread seems to have turned into a panic. I can understand people being worried but this problem is related to a very small number of sets (and that assumes that the problem does originate with the cases).

If your case isn't oily, it doesn't seem like you have anymore to worry about then you do with any of your other DVDs.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

My disc 7 has very bad circular striations. It's pretty much as bad as the other 6. Disc 5 & 6 don't even load up anymore.

My Scanavo cases don't feel oily at all either.

When i got my HG-WT Season 3 set (1/9/2006), all the discs were examined and played fine. This is a check i do for all my discs, as DVDPacific have a window of about 10 - 15 days in which defective items may be returned for an exchange. As i said, all discs in this set 'were' fine.

I've checked all the other titles i have which use Scanavo cases, and everything is ok. It just seems to be, for me anyway, Have Gun Will Travel S3.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I finally opened my HGWT Season 3 last night, and some of the discs are indeed in pretty bad shape except for #7 which is pristine. I however did play disc six all the way through without a glitch, and it was the worst looking disc of the lot. My cases were not in the least bit oily. If I had to guess the problem is totally with the discs themselves. The case seems to be totally normal.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I think it's definitely a case problem. Disc contacts with case, and chemical reaction occurs. I found an incipient instance of the same effect occurring on disc 7 of Mission Impossible S2. Another disc with the clear plastic Scanavo case. Should have trusted my instincts and chucked the cases for superior Alphas, though being sick of sleeveless cases on my shelf and unwilling to spend on bulk Alpha case order, I opted to hold off.

Scanavo cases have always been rubbish anyway in my experience. Network DVD in R2 uses the Scanavo 3-disc case steadfastly, and extracting discs are a royal pain.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Buggering hell, I just checked my Dempsey And Makepeace sets (from Network) and they are indeed Scanavo cases! Great...

Then again the episodes were butchered before they even came close to a plastic case so...

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Any film sets with these? I believe the Jerry Lewis boxset was in thin cases and from Paramount.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I have the vol 1 of Martin and Lewis (the black and white years) and it does not use slim cases but is in one of those open folding cases. Not sure about Vol 2 as that is the later color movies and I don't own that set. I think that the Martin and Lewis set may be the only Paramount movies I own as all the other paramount movies I own are released by Universial. I never had a problem with ANY Universial disc going bad or not playing and I own nearly every 30-40's movie box set released by them. The DVD-18's are a none issue with me as I own a hundred of them and everyone plays perfect and is able to be ripped to the hard drive perfectly. That problem seems to more a dvd player compatability issue with dvd-18's more so than anything else. I would recommend a good high quality Sony player for people have trouble playing dvd-18's.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Sorry to sound ingnorant but what the hell is disk rot and what causes it?

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Interesting about the DVD18's. I had problems with Knight Rider, Abbott & Costello and Ma & Pa Kettle. I tried hese on a Sony (this model no longer works now), a Phillips, a Pioneer, a Sony PS2, a Panasonic (imported GameCube/DVD player with mirror, no longer working) and my computer and they did not work.

The Martin & Lewis were in digipacks but the solo Jerry Lewis films as collected in a boxset had double thin packs. I have my DVDs in sleeves now and they seem ok but I would be worried about these if they were in the case. Should a separate thread be created on the film board?

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

I checked my Andy Griffith Show dvds with the Scanavo cases (as far as I can tell, Seasons 3-8 out of the entire eight volumes) and (knock on wood), they appear fine. However, I checked S1 of Image's Dick Van Dyke Show, and all five discs had the oily/waxy stains on the playback side mentioned in this thread. These were single-disc NexPak cases. I had no playback issue (only had time to see if it loaded up properly), but these stains were on the disc. I'm dreading looking at the discs in the other four sets. Question: Does flipping the DVD during storage offer a viable solution? These slimpacks are very slim, and appears to be just as tight a fit.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

For what it's worth I watched all of "Brady Bunch" season 4 which used Scanavo cases and had the cloudiness problem-all eps played fine. Hopefully other people with the same problem will have similar luck because nobody wants to buy the same stuff over again when there are plenty of other shows needing to be bought

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

For what it's worth I watched all of season 4 of "Brady Bunch" (which came in Scanavo cases and had the cloudiness problem). All eps played well. Hopefully most people with this problem will be as lucky. I just hope that now that I've tossed those cases the cloudiness problem doesn't worsen.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

It will be interesting to see in five to ten years whether any of these discs will still play. In the scheme of things, DVD technology is really not that old. How do we know if the composition of these things will stand the test of time. Until I see some definite proof, I'm unfortunately in the camp that thinks that it is the discs themselves that are decomposing and that it has little or nothing to do with the cases. I think that some of the companies that manufacture these discs have used some shoddy materials or cut corners in some way and the discs are starting to rot or decompose. If these discs are manufactured in China, that could be part of the problem.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

So at this point it seems we have no real consensus on what the problem is. I think a good case can be made for both ideas (disc vs. casing). I'd still like to get a few more samples in to compare all this to. But the good news is that in most circumstances the discs are still playing.

Gary "I guess the obvious concern would have to be about them playing down the road a year or more from now" O.

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Ok I think I know what your talking about now, and I honestly dont think it the cases themselves but the packaging and shipping packing. Two sets NCIS s4 and Wild Wild west s3, same style plastic dvd case , but NCIS set had zero arms of the plastic center broken , WWW s3 all the plastic centers on all six disk had broken center spinal arms. Difference? WWW s3 has a noticeable tighter card board outer slip case, in fact its a bear to get any one of the three case out of the card board slip case, the NCIS set the individual case slip out rather easily. Plus I think there stuffing way to many dvd set into the shipping boxes coming up for Mexico (were most dvds are assemble these day) cause allot of crush damage to the cases and dvd's themselves. I got s2 of Have Gun Will Travel , beside a really appalling decline in the video transfer quality between s1 and s2 (s2 some of the night scenses are so grainy there almost unwatchable) there was noticeable evidence of crush damage to the set and again a insanely over tight card board slip case. I serious think it studios cutting coroners on packaging and shipping that causing the vast majority of the damage to dvd sets. Thats my two cents

Re: Disc problems with TV shows on DVD sets using Scanavo cases

Your theory might work if it were not for the fact that the Hogan's heroes sets were near perfect when they arrived to me as I pre-ordered each one when it came out. The boxes sat on the shelf without ever being moved or touched for 2 years and now are are a horrid mess with paste like spots all over them that looks to be the plastic from the dvd decaying. I can assure you that this is not a matter of the dvd's moving around in the cases. Just leave your Wild Wild West dvd's in the cases for another two years and see if anything happens to the discs. Wild Wild West came out a long time after Hogan's Heroe's season 2 and hasn't had enough time for the chemical reaction to take place yet but be patient on it and leave them sit around for a couple of more years.