A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Bishop's Wife -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[turtledove]

I'm in the UK and I pre-ordered the title but they were so efficient with the replacements that I still managed to get the corrected disc before Xmas day 2013.

 

[Dr Griffin]

And still after YEAR TWO. I finally bought this as it was on sale for $12.50, and yep it's got the defect. I have no hope of a replacement this late in the game.

I would appreciate if you would post your results on getting the replacement disc. Hard to believe, but looks like the old stock just stayed out there. I didn't get it the last 2 years because of this hassle. I was considering it this year, hoping there were corrected discs in the flow, which looks like is not the case at all.

 

[ChristophM]

Count me among the contented ones who had a defective disc and received a corrected replacement. I was needlessly worried for two reasons: I'd had the faulty one for quite a while without checking it, and being an international customer I was afraid of possible shipping cost (which I offered to bear). I am happy to report that I was wrong on both counts. They sent the replacement free of charge. Great service all around. Thank you very much Ms Bogard, and good show Warner Brothers!


Now I'm wondering whether I should turn to the same department concerning two faulty Warner Archive DVDs that I've received. Anyone here happen to know whether that concerns a different entity?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Count me among the contented ones who had a defective disc and received a corrected replacement. I was needlessly worried for two reasons: I'd had the faulty one for quite a while without checking it, and being an international customer I was afraid of possible shipping cost (which I offered to bear). I am happy to report that I was wrong on both counts. They sent the replacement free of charge. Great service all around. Thank you very much Ms Bogard, and good show Warner Brothers!


Now I'm wondering whether I should turn to the same department concerning two faulty Warner Archive DVDs that I've received. Anyone here happen to know whether that concerns a different entity?

Did you contact Ms. Bogard recently?


Many members who show up in this thread wonder if it's too late for them to get the replacement.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, based on what I've read here this blu-ray is still being sold in the defective edition all over the place and there is no way to tell if you purchase it if you are getting a corrected disc until you play it and discover it is defective. These were never pulled from the marketplace? Does Amazon have the corrected discs? They usually go to the trouble of pulling defective discs on their own and not putting the product back up for sale until they have received the corrected product.

 

[Dr Griffin]

If you read back a little bit, I think someone purchased it fairly recently and it was the defective disc. I don't know if there was ever even a recall. I too would like to know if I bought it now, can I still get the replacement.

 

[GlennF]

I would email Sheri Bongard in advance and ask her what happens if you get a defective disc. I bought mine a year after the fact from Amazon.ca and she replaced it and let me keep the old one so there was no cost to me.

 

[Mark-P]

Yes Amazon still has defective stock. Warner never issued a recall and I can understand their reasoning that they didn't want to eat all that cost when a majority of purchasers wouldn't know about or even notice the defect. They offered replacements for those who sought them out.

 

[ChristophM]

Did you contact Ms. Bogard recently?


Many members who show up in this thread wonder if it's too late for them to get the replacement.

My request was granted in late September 2015, less than three months ago. So Warner Brothers are definitely still on the ball regarding this issue, they're just not actively pursuing a recall. In my view that's a reasonable and pragmatic approach.


Last year a DVD from the outfit I work for had a similar glitch -- instead of the film's ending, earlier scenes from the film were repeated. The fault had not been present in the QC screener and we were terribly embarrassed when the flaw was brought to our attention on a forum. To this day we haven't found an explanation for where the error originated.
We had remastered discs pressed and replaced any defective ones free of charge. In our case this was very simple because the error was detected so soon that any faulty discs had been ordered through our website only (rather than through retailers, who received only the remastered discs).

 

[lark144]

Just so everyone knows, it's not just the glitch of the repetitive scene that's a problem on the uncorrected discs, but the visual quality is way under par; everything seems dark & undernourished, especially the scenes at night: there is an inordinate amount of black crush, & the whites seem pale & murky. Whereas the corrected disc is a sublime example of Gregg Toland's cinematographic genius: everything gleams, the buildings and people in the frame have amazing depth, the whites have a pearly glow while the blacks are rich and inky. So if it's possible to still get a replacement disc, that's what I would recommend.

 

[RMajidi]

[Just emailed Ms Bogard as follows - thanks for providing her email address, David. Shall post any response from her here, as others are clearly in the same boat]

Dear Ms Bogard,

Your contact details were shared by fellow members of Home Theater Forum regarding the Blu-ray of The Bishop's Wife.

I've wanted to buy this title for some time, but have been aware of a fault on the disc in distribution through retailers. I understand that these discs have not been recalled, but that corrected replacements are freely available upon application.

HTF members have been highly complimentary of your courteous service and assistance in providing disc replacements for this title, so I'm writing to seek your confirmation before I commit to a purchase through Amazon. Specifically, my concerns are as follows - and I see from recent postings on HTF that some others share these concerns:

Will Warner Home Video provide a replacement disc for international purchases? (I'm Australian)

Would proof of purchase be sufficient to seek a disc replacement - knowing that the discs in distribution are all faulty - or will I need to wait for the disc to arrive first (which takes several weeks from the US), confirm that it is faulty, and then seek a replacement?

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,

Ramin

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Yes, this is the key. I think this is a great holiday film and recently purchased it, however I have not opened it yet. I bought it at a local retailer and now I think I will return it and maybe once we know what is going on purchase it from Amazon. Cary Grant is, as usual, fantastic in this as is David Niven. I had held off picking this up thinking that the bad stock on this would be gone and new proper discs would have been sent out. I do not think it is a wise choice to only offer replacement discs to those who request them without pulling the defective stock. I would have thought to best represent their product and the care and time they put into it that they would want the corrected discs on the market rather than the defective ones.


I also don't think it is fair to Ms. Bogard that she is left holding the bag to clean up this mess. Why should she have to deal with loads of emails now years after the release and the studio being well aware of the issues? This just seems like a bad way to go. Once they were aware of the issue I think the defective discs should have been pulled, replaced with corrected stock, and then it could have been left to those that bought the defective discs to request replacements. I think it is sort of lousy to just leave a bunch of defective stock out there and expect people to buy it, find the problem, then go hunting for a replacement and Ms, Bogard having to be the one that solves everybody's issues. That is unfair to her and the customers.

 

[turtledove]

The faulty version has a white disc - the corrected one is a shiny disc ( at least it was in my case)

 

[larryKR]

I was going to purchase The Bishop's Wife two years ago until I read about the defect here on this forum. If I buy it now I'm still going to receive the defective Blu-ray and I don't want the hassle of getting the corrected disc, so no sale for me. Too bad it's a good movie.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I think that Warner Home Video will replace any defective Blu-Rays of "The Bishop's Wife" that are floating around out there, and that Sherri Bogard will make it fast and simple for everyone. She's good. However, though the glitch is a particularly silly and obvious one, it is so brief that if you turned away for a second you would miss it, like I must have the first time. In the meanwhile, you can enjoy what is in every other way the finest existing transfer of a wonderful Cary Grant/Loretta Young/David Niven/Monty Woolley Christmas movie.

 

[RMajidi]

Sherri Bogard kindly replied as follows:

Thank you for your email, and I would be more than happy to help you with this issue.


Yes, we will replace internationally (will need your full address and telephone number).

Yes, you will need to wait to receive the disc, confirm if it is the incorrect one before I would send you the replacement.


I hope that this helps in answering your questions. I look forward to hearing back from you. I do want to inform you that our offices will be closed beginning December 24th and we will be returning on January 4th.


Kind regards,
Sherri

My order has now been placed.
Sherri's advice to check the disc first to ensure it is faulty seems to suggest that replacement discs are also in circulation through distributors.


Summary of Steps
Buy The Bishop's Wife on Blu-ray: http://www.amazon.com/Bishops-Wife-BD-Blu-ray-Various/dp/B00DW475CC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450832538&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bishop%27s+wife+blu+ray
Once the disc arrives, check for the fault at 29:48
If the fault exists:
Request replacement: [email protected]
Provide your Name, Address and Phone No.
Wish Ms Bogard happiness and health
Bask

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sherri Bogard should be in consideration for someone's "Person of the Year" consideration.


Maybe the HTF should start a new tradition!

 

[JoeDoakes]

I watched this again recently and what struck me was one of my favorite scenes--that with the Robert Mitchell Boys Choir (choir rehearsal) (). In this scene, Cary Grant/Dudley (an angel), directs a boys choir in a Christmas hymn O Sing to God. What struck me about this scene is how, without any special effects, the staging and music alone conveys to the viewer that they are witnessing a miracle. The performance is simply transcendent. The Robert Mitch Boys Choir appeared in a number of films from Hollywood's classic period, but never was it more perfect than here.

 

[Timothy E]

I purchased The Bishop's Wife some time ago. When I began watching it recently, I was disappointed to find that I had one of the defective discs.


I contacted Ms. Bogard by e-mail to explain my situation. She responded to my e-mail confirming that a replacement disc was sent out. Within a few days after, I received the replacement disc with a nice letter from Ms. Bogard.


Kudos to Sherri Bogard and Warner Home Video for their excellent customer service!

 

[Mike Frezon]

I purchased The Bishop's Wife some time ago. When I began watching it recently, I was disappointed to find that I had one of the defective discs.


I contacted Ms. Bogard by e-mail to explain my situation. She responded to my e-mail confirming that a replacement disc was sent out. Within a few days after, I received the replacement disc with a nice letter from Ms. Bogard.


Kudos to Sherri Bogard and Warner Home Video for their excellent customer service!

Obviously, Sherri is trying--in the remaining hours of 2015--to pad support for her nomination as "Person of the Year!"


I ditto those kudos for that kind of personal--and efficient--and friendly--customer service.