Problem with Neflix? (1 Viewer)

[Eddie L]

I posted this on the Studio and Manufacturer board, but think it may be more appropriate here:
Just watched the rental "The Aviator", from Netflix. This had to be one of the poorest transfers we have ever seen. Everyone complained about the same thing "what's with the lines across the lips, on all of the actors?" Not only that but wavy lines throughout scenes plus fuzzy scenes. I put in another movie, knowing the quality, and great picture. Switched it to DVI to check HD, and of course even greater picture. Then I looked at the disc label afterwards and it said "For Rental Only....Not For Resale". Does anyone know if Neflix is sending out cheap copies just for their rental program? I emailed them and here was their response, so far,
"............Due to the overwhelming number of great ideas
we get from customers such as yourself,
we cannot reply to every customer individually.
However, all comments and suggestions are forwarded
to the appropriate departments for review and consideration......."
If this is what they do, I'm definitely canceling my subscription. We just started with them.
Thanks for any input, or if you could put me on another track, please let me know.
Ed

 

[Jefferson Morris]

Netflix rents the same discs you can buy in retail stores. One can only assume you got a defective copy.

It should also be noted, however, that Scorsese mimics a number of different historical film stocks over the course of the movie, most notably two-strip technicolor, which gave people's lips a purplish or bluish appearance in the early scenes. That doesn't sound exactly like the phenomenon you described, but FWIW...

--Jefferson Morris

 

[Ray H]

I know companies like Warner send out "Rental Only" discs to Netflix and other rental companies. They're supposed to be more durable. I haven't seen any evidence that Netflix rents out "cheap" discs. They only rent what the studio gives them.

If it helps, I rented The Aviator from them and I thought it looked fine. The rental disc was a DVD-9 and featured all the audio options and features of the retail version.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Netflix probably buys the discs at a discount under a contract that prevents them from later selling the used discs (as Blockbuster and other b&m renters often do.) Stamping the discs that way helps the studios enforce the contract.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Eddie L]

OK, thanks guys
I don't feel this was the same disc that you could buy, since it said rental only not for resale, printed right on the disc label. Not a sticker, not hand written but actually printed on the label, as part of it.
No problems with colors on the screen. As a matter of fact they were very vibrant. Don't know what kind of disc I got from them, Ray. Didn't check the audio options as my receiver directly went to DTS when the disc was loaded. I do know the only "special feature" that was on the disc was audio commentary by Scorsese. I actually thought there were too many cheesy special effects, for one of his films. I especially found the "fire" engulfing Hughes body to be particularly fakey.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I just watched the Netflix rental disc of "The Aviator". It looked gorgeous upscaled to 1080i via HDMI on my 53" CRT-RPTV. None of the "fuzzies" "wavies" or "lines across the lips of the actors" [

 

[Eddie L]

I'm on a mission now. Will have to see it again with a rental from Blockbuster. It's definitely worth seeing again, and a few of my friends missed the show last night. My wife wants to buy a copy (not a copy, copy...you know what I mean) but first I need to find out what the deal is.
Yea the blue tinted peas were something! I loved the set decoration throughout the whole movie. It was spectacular how he recreated that art deco look. Beautiful! Excellent soundtrack, too.

 

[Eddie L]

Let me just add this, and I'll get off. This is only the 3rd movie rented from Netflix. The others being "Kinsey" and "Master & Commander". I don't believe either of those had the "rental only..not for resale" printed on the label, and both had very good pictures. "Shrek 2" is on the way, so we'll see after that. Thanks again, everyone.
Ed

 

[Jack Briggs]

Eddie, no multiple posts on the same topic. If you've posted somewhere inappropriately, contact a moderator to have the post moved. The other thread will be closed.

 

[Eddie L]

oops, sorry
will do

 

[Chris_Morris]

Netflix gets the "Rental Only" discs from the manufacturer. They are the exact same disc as you would buy in the store, just with a different screen printing. Part of it is to keep people from setting up an account, renting discs, claiming them as lost (Netflix gives a grace "leeway" of 5 lost discs per account), printing cover art and reselling them.

The durability factor comes in with DVD-18 discs. Some studios send them as separate discs. Example: A-Team Season 2 was a 3 dual-sided disc set, but the Netflix rentals (sent by the studio by agreement) were 6 single sided discs. That is to cut back on easier to damage dual-sided discs.

 

[Michael Reuben]

That too was the wrong forum, because Netflix is neither a studio nor a manufacturer. All the Netflix threads are in the Retail and Wholesale Vendor forum, where there are already several threads on this very topic:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=232428
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=205757

I'm moving this thread to join them.

M.

 

[Jonathan_Clarke]

I've never had any problem with NetFlix and I've been a member for three years now. In fact I've bought a few discs after renting them through NetFlix and never saw a difference.

I haven't seen the Aviator yet but it sounds like you might have an issue with the transfer.

 

[Ray H]

It depends on what studio the DVD is from. I believe Warners, New Line and maybe Anchor Bay are studios that rent out discs with the gray label "For Rental Only....Not For Resale". Other studios just rent out their regular discs with artwork.

What I meant earlier was that while they are rental discs, they feature the exact same contents as the retail discs and are authored from the same source. The only difference is the disc labels.

 

[MichaelZee]

I just rented it from netflixs and i did not notice this .. must be a bad dvd