Amazon Steps Up: Places Warnings on Double Sided DVD's (1 Viewer)

Amazon has finally stepped up their game and has started updated their product listings for Double Sided DVD's. Magnum P.I., Columbo, Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica. Check out one of the listings:

http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Galactica-Complete-Lorne-Greene/dp/B00018LTDI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1263127419&sr=1-12

This is great news for consumers.

While it's nice they state they have double sided disc, I'm not sure I see how it does much good for the average consumer if they don't also explain that a higher incidence of playback issues are possible.

Even the best of double sided disc I've encountered (Such as The Waltons and Gilligan's Island which aren't known to be as problematic as things such as Universal's early double sided releases) still occasionally exhibit occasional issues in some of my players.

Would be nice to see a major retailer finally acknolwedge that a consumer is more likely to experience issues due to being double sided.

It's because some studios have had manufacturing problems that result in skipping or where the disk completely freezes and stops playing. If a customer doesn't want a double sided DVD, this allows them to make that decision.

But from what I saw of the warning it doesn't state anything about the possible difficulties in playback. The only people that would heed this warning are those that have already been bitten by the issue not those that may just be about to experience it for the first time after they make the purchase. This warning is just to stop complaints from buyers that think they are missing episodes because they didn't think to flip the disk.

Also, most people I've seen posting issues with double sided disk have issues with the combination of dual layer and double sided, and not just double sided. So if they post the overall content length and disk count (correctly) most should be able to infer which they are, but not all might do that.

So, yes it helps those already informed about the issues involved, but would be better served if they were more open about the issue, and just stated that DVD-18's may have playback issues in some players. That would be more upfront.

^Agreed. All the "warning" does is stop returns from people who are too dense to flip a disk to look for more episodes. In reading some of the product "reviews" it's sometimes frightning how many people just don't get this simple concept!

The majority of consumers are already distrustful of double sided DVD's so this is great news. Why do you think that double sided DVD's don't sell too well.

Originally Posted by kemcha

The majority of consumers are already distrustful of double sided DVD's so this is great news. Why do you think that double sided DVD's don't sell too well.

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Really? You must hang around a whole different crowd of consumers then I. Most I know don't have a clue what is in their collection regrading double sided disks, nor do they care or make any buying decisions regarding this approach. Just curious where you get the idea that the Majority of consumers are distrustful? While I will agree their is a loud contingent that is I would hardly view them as a majority of the consumers.

I too wish that warnings regarding possible playback issues were added to Amazon listings. Other than The Waltons, I don't purchase any double-sided discs any longer, since I have been bitten a few times by these types of discs. I've since stopped buying several series due to these issues.

Ockeghem, I think the problem is that they are too infrequent, which may be why they don't list them in the way you mention. Different consumers experience different problems with these double sided disks. Not only that, but different DVD players experience different problems with double sided disks.

I've purchased the Knight Rider, Magnum P.I., Dukes of Hazzard and while some members here have experienced skipping and "pausing" problems with the double sided disks, I haven't experienced any of these problems, with these sets that I have mentioned. However, I've experience problems with "The Pretender" DVD sets where-as others haven't experienced any problems.

I think it's a good thing that Amazon is making this step at identifying the sets that have double sided DVD's. I really think that's a step in the right direction. It also serves to allow Amazon's own consumers to decide on whether to buy it or not.

While I agree it doesn't specify to address double sided DVD playback problems, I do think that it's a good step by Amazon to identify which disks are double sided so that Amazon Customers can make that choice for themselves. But, I also think they cannot identify playback problems because different people have different experiences and these DVD's aren't 100% compatible with every DVD player out there.

Originally Posted by kemcha

Amazon has finally stepped up their game and has started updated their product listings for Double Sided DVD's. Magnum P.I., Columbo, Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica. Check out one of the listings:

http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Galactica-Complete-Lorne-Greene/dp/B00018LTDI/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1263127419&sr=1-12

This is great news for consumers.

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But the notice has nothing to do with errors, or difficulties of the disc.
Just a reminder that there are episodes on both sides.

Just what are you complaining about? Amazon doesn't have to inform customers about this and it sounds like you guys are being negative about this.

Instead of complaining about it, Amazon should be applauded for this step. Why? Because I don't see other retailers like Best Buy, Borders, Overstock or Barnes and Nobles doing this ... this is a good thing, guys, not a bad thing.

Not to mention that "skipping" errors and "disk pausing" doesn't exist. Studios continue to support the fact that these errors do not exist. The errors with "disk skipping" and "disk pausing" has to do with the hardware that plays them.

Your the only individual I see that continues to insist that these things aren't problematic.

In a very significant amount of DVD players, the fact is that these disc are susceptible to playback issues. I've only been able to eliminate them with high end players like my Playstation 3. Any midrange DVD player I've ever had that most consumers purchase has encountered issues with double sided DVD's from a variety of publishers.

We're annoyed that Amazon only put a notification that they're double sided and not a disclaimer warning consumers that they're more likely to encounter playback issues as a result of being double sided.

Because not all double sided DVD's have problems and it doesn't involve all double sided DVD's. Not only that, but, certain DVD manufactured DVD players do not play certain double sided DVD's. I stopped having problems with the playback issue with double sided DVD's when I purchased a Phillips DVD Player with DIVX playback.

The problem, Leo, is that everyone is equating double sided DVD's with playback problems and that's an unfair assertion. Instead of complimenting Amazon for placing a disclaimer that a particular DVD release is double sided, everyone is menstrating over the fact that they don't say they have playback problems.

Not everyone has playback problems with a particular season set that has these double sided DVD's.

Oh, and Leo, they aren't problematic. If the problem were widespread, then Amazon would simply remove them from being sold on their website. Retailers do not generally sell defective merchandise when they are aware that they are defective and Amazon removes said product from their website when they are aware that it's defective.

I agree it is not all double-sided disks. I generally only see references to it with DVD-18's and not all of them. I have as of yet not experienced the problem (not that I may not ever) and so I won't try to say for certainty which do and which do not.

Kemcha, as you state if it affected the majority of people you would think they would remove it from their website. But since it obviously does affect some (I would think enough) as is reported in their own feedback sections, you would think they would include that in the warning. That is why many here feel this warning has no "teeth" to it. Their warning does nothing to help a first time buyer or someone that can't read between the lines. Does it help a little, sure, but it could have gone a step futher in many of our opinions. And of all the sellers, Amazon would be the one I would hope to take the extra step.

Also, I like Amazon but they do straddle a gray line at times. I recall a HGWT set being sold once extremely cheaply while other related sets maintained normal pricing. Many jumped on this deal only to find out over after a while the disks turned cloudy and stopped playing. Many posted feedback here and on Amazon. Those disks continued to be sold through Amazon way after people complained of the issue. Based on how it all occurred, it sure appeared like someone new what was going on and wanted to get rid of the stock.

Someone can correct me if I errored in the description of the HGWT problem. but that is how I remember it.

I haven't had a single problem with any of my many Dallas dvd sets...not a one. However, "The Big Valley" season one was hell to play, let me tell you. I honestly have more trouble with BluRays than with dvd-18s. But this is just a case of amazon covering their hide, because lots of dvd-18s have playback problems; go filter through this forum, you'll see. Amazon did the same thing a couple years ago when they started warning that dvds are prone to slipping out of their packaging during shipping, and therefore getting scratched up. This did happen to me with one tv show and they replaced it immediately. Amazon is probably more aware of disc problems than anybody, because they sell everything, and they get to hear all the many complaints. I wish they'd get a little tougher on dvd manufacturers about these issues...it's clear to everyone which kinds of discs and which kinds of packaging are prone to the most problems.

That's all that I'm saying, Smith and Ethan. My point in this is that this problem doesn't affect all double sided DVD's and that this is a good thing that Amazon is going. They post in the listing that the DVD or the DVD set contains double sided DVD's and that allows their customer to make the choice on whether they want to buy it.

Where-as, some of the members who have posted in this topic seem to have a negative view on this, I look at the positive aspect on Amazon doing this. From Amazon's view, they don't really need to post that information at all but are doing that as a service for their customers.

Originally Posted by Ethan Riley

I wish they'd get a little tougher on dvd manufacturers about these issues...it's clear to everyone which kinds of discs and which kinds of packaging are prone to the most problems.

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Ethan,

Yes, this would be a very good thing IMO (getting tougher on the manufacturers and with regard to the packaging). And I'd also add that the boxes that some of these items are shipped in cause problems some of the time.

Side note: Has anyone ever had a skipping or freezing problem with single-sided discs? I have not. I'd be interested to hear if these problems exist at all with single-sided discs.

True, Amazon is posting something, and something is better then nothing. Like I say, I think I'd be more positive about it if they posted a warning on what I think is the more frustrating issue for the consumer, which is disks not playing at all or not after a period of time then someone forgetting to play the other side of a disk. One is a major problem while the other is easily remedied. Especially since neither affects everybody.

At first I was going to reference how BR disks always come with a warning about playing issues as a reference as to how things should be done. Then after thinking about it, the BR disk makers are putting all the blame on the players not on the disks themselves. I guess the moral is that warnings come easy when you are going to defelect all blame.

As for shipping, I've had some of my worst experiences with B&N and Borders where they use oversize boxes, put the DVDs on the bottom and some folded up paper across the top. Nothing on the sides or to prevent the cases from bouncing all around from side to side. In my experience DD and some others will use smaller packaging to at least limit the amount of banging around on the inside.

I will give extra credit to Amazon in being better about how they ship then most. When Amazon is at their best, they will shrink wrap the DVD containers to a cardboard base that just fits the box causing the least issues. However, this isn't consistent and I've never taken the time to see if this is more evident from certain warehouses or not.

As for issues with manufacturing packaging, there doesn't seem to be any other explanation to me other then that the marketing department doesn't spend anytime listening to consumer feedback (or very little), or just doesn't care. Especially, with full series collection. The number one priority seems to be "looks" first and functionality last. You would think by now someone would have come up with the perfect case design that is compact, protects the disk, and allows for easy removal and putting back.

Originally Posted by kemcha

Just what are you complaining about? Amazon doesn't have to inform customers about this and it sounds like you guys are being negative about this.

Instead of complaining about it, Amazon should be applauded for this step. Why? Because I don't see other retailers like Best Buy, Borders, Overstock or Barnes and Nobles doing this ... this is a good thing, guys, not a bad thing.

Not to mention that "skipping" errors and "disk pausing" doesn't exist. Studios continue to support the fact that these errors do not exist. The errors with "disk skipping" and "disk pausing" has to do with the hardware that plays them.

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Like I said it isn't a "warning", it's a "notice" to inform consumers the set contains double sided discs.

I don't think this notice will hinder casual consumers from buying sets of shows they like.
If it were in fact a warning, then that would actually hurt sales of a product Amazon sells. Why would they want to do that?

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

Side note: Has anyone ever had a skipping or freezing problem with single-sided discs? I have not. I'd be interested to hear if these problems exist at all with single-sided discs.

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I've never had a problem with a single sided disc either but I'm sure that it happens.