Battlestar Galactic: Season One HD DVD Packaging Woes (1 Viewer)

[Paul Arnette]

Well, it would seem that my run of bad luck continues with HD DVD box sets, the latest disaster: Battlestar Galactic: Season One.

While the octagonal inner packaging is a neat nod to the show, it ultimately feels cheap, but these disc hubs have to be seen to be believed. These rubber glue-like hubs are incredibly difficult to deal with. Not only does the insert stick to one of them and remove a bit of the graphics when detached, but you have to pull the disc so hard you think you're going to break it just to get it to release. But that isn't the worst part...

Five of the six disc included in this set were severely scratched.

I've mentioned this before, and I will say it again. The quality control difference I have experienced with Blu-ray Discs vs. HD DVD is the only reason I still have a format preference anymore. It is just sad how many times I have been let down by HD DVD in this regard. I honest to God wish I was making this up, but I can't believe I am the only one having these issues.

 

[Shawn.F]

I gotta agree: the packaging on this set is awful, so much so that I am tempted just to take the discs out and put them in jewel cases on my shelf. I don't get it: Heroes gets a sturdy box and hubs to house that set's discs in, and BSG gets the cheap end of the stick.

On the plus side, however, the eps look and sound really nice.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Shawn, were your discs scratched at all? I couldn't believe five out of six of mine were. And I'm not talking fine, hair-line scratches either. I'm talking deep, curved gouges like it occurred during the manufacturing process. If I can cobble together a decent set, I may be going the jewel case route myself.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

So I guess the moral of the story is while cool themed packaging may look cool on paper it doesn't work well in the real world. I have never had a scratched HD DVD (or BD) that has come in a standard case, so I think it is less manufactuing and more packaging (or loading the discs into the packaging).

 

[Shawn.F]

Hi Paul,

Discs three and four had scratches on them. I did play a little bit of disc one and watched '33' last night with no problems, although I will say when I loaded disc one on my friend's Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, it took quite some time to load. I Haven't played the scratched discs yet and I'm not sure when I'll have a chance, so here's hoping they don't fraak things up in regards to playback.

 

[Paul Arnette]

If mine weren't so deep, I would tend to agree. However, I'm having a hard time seeing how even twisting the discs onto these outrageous hubs could put a groove that deep into them. Although they are tangential, so maybe you are right, but the packaging underneath shows no sign of wear. Honestly, I hope you're wrong, as it is going to make finding unscratched disc very difficult.

In looking at the Battlestar Galactica: Season One Reviews thread on AVS, it would appear that the problem is not an isolated one. :frowning:

 

[Paul_Scott]

very sorry to hear about the packaging.
mine is coming in today. I've never been a big fan of novelty packaging, and I'm even less so now with HDMs.

You were right on the money when you singled out Close Encounters as a great representation of Bd. A Simple, functional but heavy duty case, with beautiful graphics.
Is that really too much to ask anymore?
Just leave the kiddie shit behind and give us solid and functional.

 

[Jaxon's Dad]

That's unfortunate about the packaging woes. Very rarely do unique/interesting/pretty things serve any practical purpose.

 

[Sam Posten]

Weird I didnt even know this was coming out, Uni didnt offer it to me, will have to look into that!

Sam

 

[Paul_Scott]

Mine just came in.
All the discs are scratched, with a couple only having light ones, but discs 3 and 5 have what look to be fairly deep tangential scratches.
I'm just guessing, but I expect it will be impossible to compile a 'mint' set of these- because it is clear to me that the cases are not the source of the problem here. And as posts here and AVS show, the problem is widespread.
I'm going to watch the mini series first, and then I guess I will have to skip around and check out the worst looking discs first. This is royally annoying as I don't like to be rushed with multi disc sets like this, but if I don't I'm going to be SOL getting it resolved.
Always appreciated when a studio makes my entertainment a chore :rolleyes

As far as the hubs, WTF were they thinking? I think this packaging trumps the suckiness of Star Treks by a good margin- at least you can access the discs easy enough in that set. Ironically, the easiest way to get the discs off these ridiculous hubs is to twist them back and forth rather than trying to pull on them. They are sitting off the surface so twisting them shouldn't add any more scratches.

Wow did they Frak this up.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Paul, I'm sorry to hear your set was a mess, but at least you all know I'm not some crazy, anal perfectionist. Well, at least you know I'm not making this up anyway.


Never in my life would I have imagined I would agree with such a statement and so soon too. :frowning:

 

[Don May Jr]

Sigh...


I just got mine a few minutes ago and opened it. Firstly, the packaging is TERRIBLE... not quite as bad as ALIEN QUADRILOGY, but close...

Second, three of the six discs in my set are scratched. 1, 2 & 6 are OK... 3, 4 and 5 have curved scratches that actually would follow the path of the laser as the disc spins. Marvelous... :frowning:

 

[ReggieW]

Perhaps it's time to make it loud & clear that we want better packaging with these HD box-set releases. As expensive as these sets are, there's just no real excuse for this. I don't care if they employ novelty packaging or not, just as long as the discs are properly secured so they won't scratch. I've yet to pick this up yet, but then again, I'm still waiting for my Trek set to arrive.

Hopefully that arrives safe and "secure."

 

[Paul Arnette]

Well, I'm doing what I can Reggie. BTW, I know you weren't singling me out, I just thought it was a beautiful segway to mention that I just finished e-mailing Bill Hunt about this issue in the hopes he'll get it in front of the right people at Universal.

 

[ReggieW]

He should use his contacts at CBS/Paramount as well.

These sets simply cost too much coin for this issue.

 

[justinslot]

Jeez. I feel like I should maybe take this off my Christmas list.

This is the same company that produced that beautiful Heroes set, right?

 

[Shawn.F]

It definitely is, Justin. :frowning:

I played one of the discs that was scratched in my set, disc five, and it played fine.

 

[Britton]

Has anyone had any problem with the Dolby TrueHD track for the first regular season episode, 33? At the very beginning of the recap I just hear "On Battlestar Galactica", but when I listen to the Dolby Digital Plus track I heard the full line of dialogue "Previously on Battlestar Galactica".

 

[Shawn.F]

Just checked the TrueHD track on '33'. The full "Previously on..." is there.

 

[RickER]

This is one of the biggest things i have to bitch about as well. I hate TV boxsets just because of the shear number of discs that can be botched. I yelled loud about my Twin Peaks set, it had 10 scratched discs! The replacement set had 3 or 4. I dont own it. I wont pay good money for less than mint...ever! Especially if it costs $50 to $100!