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The Problem with Defective Box Sets (1 Viewer)

Dave Scarpa

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Well basically is that there are too many disks. I just was watching my Galactica set when I found a bad Break Up Pixalization on Disk 2. Tried two players and the same result. Now it's gotta go back and I have to begin the Ship back and long wait hassle. I'm lucky up to this point not have had this problem , or have I?

Problem is I'm sure I like many others have scads of TV product Lining our shelves. Smallville, Multiple DS9 sets, Honeymooners, Dead Zone, 24 the list goes on. Who know how many could be potentially damaged. But that's the problem when you have too much to watch or open to check for that matter.

Hopefully this time I can blame it on the typically bad universal quality control.
 

Mitch Stevens

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Apr 27, 2002
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I agree completely. And the worst part is, that it's these mega-boxed sets that have the most problems.

I got Six Feet Under (4-Disc set) and I watched it all the way through. Disc 2 had a problem. It would freeze, and pixalate and I had to return the entire set. When I got a new set back, I watched it all the way through AGAIN (only because I had to make sure it worked properly) and this time disc 4 paused and pixalated! :angry: So I had to return the set AGAIN! Upon receiving a brand new set the THIRD time, I had to watch the entire season AGAIN and this time the 3rd disc gave me problems! By this point, I was so furious, I just kept the defective set! I still own it, and I don't want to go through the trouble of finding a perfect set :angry: :angry: :angry: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

Same exact thing happened with the Oz: (Season 2) boxed set, as well. I had to return it 2 times to find one that played perfectly!

The WORST part about this, is not returning the defetive sets, and getting a new one, the problem is WATCHING the new set ALL OVER AGAIN just to find out if there is something wrong with it or not! These TV shows boxed sets are EXTREMELY long, especially if you've got a huge boxed-set like Buffy/Angel etc.

I had the same problem with Buffy Season 4. I started watching the DVDs all the way through, but when I got to disc 5 (almost towards the end) it was defective! :angry: So there I go, back to Best Buy to get a new one. And I had to watch the entire 20 HOUR season AGAIN to make sure that it played perfectly!

I swear that studios should at least let you exchange the defective discs. Most of these sets only have 1 or 2 discs that are defetive, but yet, they make you replace the entire set, and the new set might have another 1 or 2 discs that are defective as well!

My worst nightmare is going to be the Alien Quadrilogy (9-Disc set). Let's say we go through each and every single DVD and watch every theatrical cut, every extended cut, every extra, and then get to disc 8 or 9 and find out that they are defective. Can you imagain how horrible it'll be replacing the set, and having to watch over 60 hours of material ALL OVER AGAIN just to make sure that the set is not defective?
 

Mark Cappelletty

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The problem with returning box sets -- particularly from retail stores -- to the same location is that sometimes you get a bad batch and most of the boxes there are plagued with the problem. That's what happened with my "X-Files Season Seven" discs. I had to find another store to take them back.

Plus, I ALWAYS scan through my discs to check if there is any pixiliation or freezing just after I get them. It's not always foolproof, but it helps. And do it right away, particularly with box sets! You don't want to be the guy the CSR at Best Buy rips into when you show up with a box set the day after the 30-day return policy is up.
 

Jake Johnson

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I've done pretty good so far. Indiana Jones colllection, Die Hard collection, and 3 MST3K box sets. All no problems. Hope my Alien Quadrilogy is another perfect set.
 

John Watson

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I share that worry about long sets.

Add the "its for a Christmas gift" to the problem, the set may not be looked at for months :frowning:

There definitely should be a way to replace individual disks.
 

Tom_Bechet

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May 20, 2002
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@Edward,
No that`s the whole problem. If Studios would just supply the retailers with single discs in those slim amarays. then when you have a problemw ith disc 2 they will send you disc 2 only. It will be a lot cheaper for both of us and a hell of a lot easier for us.

But that would be common sense though. Plus I guess eome retailers might profit from this by selling just the single discs as well (studio could supply them without covers though that might prevent them).
 

Ric Easton

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Forget the christmas gift scenario. I've got plenty that I have bought myself, that I haven't gotten too yet. (Homicide 1st and 2nd season, Wiseguy, X-Files seasons 5,6,7, B5 Season 3 and DS9 seasons 4 and 5.

I guess I need more free time!

I can't imagine trying to return any of these months later, without a reciept. Then, I never thought of the fact that I would have to watch the whole thing again to make sure the set is fine.

Ric
 

John Watson

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I'll bet lots of people "tolerate" a few glitches in multiple disk sets, so the producers and retailers don't need to cater to a very large finicky public, and won't bother to make it easy for us. :frowning:
 

Dave Scarpa

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Yep looks like I opened up a whold Can "O" Worms with my thread but it's a legitimit problem. These box sets are not cheap and we should have to accept defective product just because we buy alot of product. That should make the studio's happy to help the customer who supports them well. Maybe a "TV on DVD Conference" problem or one that maybe Gord Lacey can help us out with. Gord you out there?
 

Michael Hall

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I just had to chime in on this, since I've had the same type of problem that Mitch described in his post. The most recent was with (only) a two disc set, the "Red Dragon" DE set, that I had to replace three times, through the mail, before I got a copy that worked. As much as I loved the film, it got really tedious watching all of the stuff on those discs over and over, hoping that nothing would go wrong.

With the "Alien" box set coming out, I've rethought my initial plan to order it online. Even though it never happened to me (thankfully) with Fox's TV sets (Buffy, Angel, and the Simpsons), I know that a lot of people had problems with floaters, and since the "Alien" set is 9 discs, I simply don't want to risk going through the USPS back and forth should something go wrong. And this goes for disc defects as well; I certainly don't want to have to mail and remail this thing (whether they're paying for the shipping or not-I always feel guilty anyway) countless times if one disc is messed up. It would be really nice if Fox (and other studios for that matter) had a telephone line that you could call should any discs be defective.

And, like I said in reference to "Red Dragon": even if you are the most die-hard fan of a particular multi-disc box set's contents, watching the same thing over and over is going to get really old.
 

Ian_H

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I have never had a problem with Best Buy or Borders allowing me to replace ONLY the problem disc in a multiple disc set. I had the 6th disc on one of my X-Files sets not work in any of my three players and BB let me just swap out the one disc. That way I don't have to watch the whole damn thing again to make sure its ok.

-Ian
 

Andrew Bunk

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I've made a habit of watching my box sets within 30 days of purchase because of stuff like this. In fact, last night I had disc 2 of my Sopranos Season 4 set freeze up, presumably around the layer change (it was the very end of the second of four episodes on the disc). This was on my Philips player. Put it in my Pioneer player and did not have a problem. Thankfully the few small glitches I've had with my box sets at best only manifest themselves on one player. Another examples, one of my Buffy Season 3 discs would not go past a certain point on my DVD-ROM drive (again, presumably the layer change), but on my players at home it was OK.

The only disc I've had to exchange recently was disc 3 of the Shield Season 1. Seeing as I have over 70 sets, I guess I'm lucky.
 

Ralph Summa

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I had a problem with disc 1 in The Sopranos season 1 and disc 2 in The Sopranos season 2. Both sets were gifts and I tried to return them but without a receipt I was screwed and I was well beyond the return period by the time I found the problems. Season 1 started 4 episodes in Season two problem started 24 minutes into disc 2 and never recovered for the rest of the episode. I thought the discs might be dirty but they was spotless.
 

Joe6pack99

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Lets not even talk about Buffy and Angel box sets GRRR! Also 24 season 1 had a bad disc along with Alias and CSI box set 2 ugh.
 

Chad E

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I have never had a problem with Best Buy or Borders allowing me to replace ONLY the problem disc in a multiple disc set.
Future Shop allows me to just exchange the defective disc on a multi-disk set. They've got to send a set back anyway. I give them the defective disc, they open a new set and give me the corresponding replacement. It probably works out better for them in the long run anyway... reduces the chances that I'll come back in a few days and say "Now disc 3 doesn't work, can I exchange it again?" I didn't realize this practice wasn't stardard--if that's the case, then I've really got to give :emoji_thumbsup: to FS's customer service!

Of course, I do almost all my purchases at B&Ms... having to exchange the set through the mail as described above would be a real pain.

Unfortunately, it seems I have to exchange discs from a set more frequently these days. :frowning: The incidences of getting a scratched disc in one of these sets seem to be increasing. And as mentioned by others, I've got a stack of TV boxed sets that I haven't got through... and I'm well over the 30-day limit on them. :frowning:

But yeah, it would be a great idea for studios to offer a single-disc mail-in replacement program for defects, rather than having to go through the retailers at all.
 

Gary Seven

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I have never had a problem with Best Buy or Borders allowing me to replace ONLY the problem disc in a multiple disc set.
Let me add another voice to this suggestion. I only buy box sets when they are on sale at stores or available at Costco. If there is a defective disc, I always exchange that one disc. Through mail order you cannot do this (that I'm aware of) so the few dollars I MAY save is not worth the lack of ability to return a potentially defective disc.

I suggest to those that buy box sets to consider your return options when deciding a place of purchase.
 

Casey Trowbridg

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I've had pretty good luck, although after reading Mitch's post I'm paranoid about the alien set. The only set I had a problem with was the 2 disc Spin City Volume 1 set.
 

EricCr

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Apr 4, 2001
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Amazon will let you just trade the bad discs. They will ship you a replacement set next day or 2 day air and you can then pick and choose the discs you want to keep and then ship the bad set back. They give you 30 days from the day the replacement ships to return the old one and they pay for shipping the replacment to you and bad set back to them. I've done this several times and it works out well.
 

Craig Robertson

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May 12, 1999
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the last disc in one of my X-Files sets had a big blob of glue on it, looks like maybe the stuff that was used to glue the box together. since i had purchased it online (and my wife and i wanted to watch the episodes "now, damn it"), i attempted to "repair" the disc myself. i got the glue off and ended up with a watchable disc, but it is ug-leee. i pretty much stick to b&m's for box sets nowadays.
 

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