Warner DVD's not working thread - watch to make sure they still play (1 Viewer)

[TheSteig]

I just felt like posting this to make other collectors aware or if anyone else had the same playback problems.

The past year and a half I have had several Warner DVDs start to freeze at different chapters - mostly toward the middle and goes on ranging from one to two chapters to the end of the movie. This is a list of titles that I had issues with

Sadie Mckee - this was a pain to replace because at the time it was only available in the Joan Crawford Volume II set. I wound up buying the entire Volume since it didnt have its own DVD case.

Executive Suite - replaced with the same DVD - part of the Barbara Stanwyck set but had its own DVD case

Johnny Angel - Warner Archive MOD DVD did not play at all - had to replace it

I Love You Again - part of the William Powell/Myrna Loy set. Havent replaced it yet because it would require buying the entire volume again. Like the Crawford II set, it's a gate-fold packaging and does not have it's own case.


Ive only had this problem with the Warner discs, maybe its the age of the DVD ? I dont know what the deal is. I store them the same as my other DVDs and box sets.

Anyway, just an awareness post - maybe others have had issues with Warner DVD releases as well ?

 

[classicmovieguy]

My old DVD of "Critics Choice" froze up halfway through - not even using the remote or going straight to the end did anything. Not a big loss as I also had it in the Lucille Ball Collection.

I also had quite a bad run with Warner Archive discs in the last year or so, including the Jean Harlow Collection, "Looking for Love" and "Bitter Sweet".

On a sidenote - I haven't had ANY issues with the pressed Warner discs since the plants moved to Mexico. The only discs that froze or played up for me (many over the years) were when Warners manufactured their discs in the States.

 

[TheSteig]

I have the Jean Harlow Drama set I better take a look at that one soon - I might have to check a lot more of them now. I just dont get why this happens :/

Glad its not "just me" it shouldnt happen at all

 

[Radioman970]

Captains Courageous last night by chance. watched the whole disc and all played right. some weeks back I watched the whole disc Captain Blood and all played. I think that one is even a flippers. still, worried... too many problems with those bad cases for many of my disc. I thought these were safe.

 

[Robin9]

I watched Executive Suite from the Barbara Stanwyck box set a few weeks ago, and it played without problems. The only disc issued by Warners I've had go wrong was On An Island With You from the first Esther Williams box set.

 

[Thomas T]

Yes, I've had a few Warners pressed discs go bad. Only a couple of weeks ago, The Great Ziegfeld froze up just after the intermission. I tried it on another player just to be sure and it froze up there too. I had Evelyn Prentice from the Powell & Loy set freeze up toward the end and Strike Up the Band from the Garland & Rooney box set went bad too, Curiously with all the warnings about MOD discs (especially at the beginning), I've never had a Warner Archives MOD disc go bad on me.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Pretty sure all the discs that people are reporting here as freezing up were manufactured BEFORE the plants moved to Mexico. Honestly, it's the best thing that Warner ever did. Quality of the Warner discs is so much better now.

 

[Jimbo64]

My DVD of "Reflections in a Golden Eye" stopped playing a few years ago

 

[jcroy]

IIRC, Warner manufactured their dvd discs at Cinram's plant in Olyphant, Pennsylvania until 2010. But in 2010, Warner changed to Thomson/Technicolor's Mexico plant.

The Olyphant, Pennsylvania Cinram plant had IFPI facility codes 2U** and (I think) also 2F**

The Thomson/Technicolor plant in Guadalajara, Mexico had IFPI facility codes KK**


In my experience, I have come across the most defective dvd discs manufactured by Cinram's Olyphant, Pennsylvania facility with IFPI facility code 2U** and 2F**, and also IFPI facility code 60**

(IIRC, IFPI facility code 60** is the former Cinram facility in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, which now appears to be closed).



For a long time, Fox and Lionsgate were also Cinram's big customers.

 

[classicmovieguy]

That makes sense to me, jcroy. I've had a few discs from the Canadian plant over the years (none of those have/had any issues), but I routinely had problems with Warner discs from the Olyphant plant.

 

[WhiteBoxerBoys]

I just put my copy of "Sadie McKee" in last night (from the offical box set) and was so disappointed when it stopped playing at chapter 16. I also have a problem with my MOD copy of "June Bride." Does Warners offer replacements of defective discs? I've had them quite a while.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I just put my copy of "Sadie McKee" in last night (from the offical box set) and was so disappointed when it stopped playing at chapter 16. I also have a problem with my MOD copy of "June Bride." Does Warners offer replacements of defective discs? I've had them quite a while.

That Joan Crawford set went OOP a while ago. WAC just reissued all those titles as MODs, so your best solution for "Sadie McKee" is to buy it again separately.

 

[TheSteig]

Sadie McKee was the same problem title for me on that set. Now I do have the MOD of that one and the others that I liked on that set.

 

[Radioman970]

watched Mister Roberts from the Fonda set over the weekend. ran perfect. the menu told me to turn the disc over for some nifty extras. it has a label. WB practical joke?

 

[classicmovieguy]

watched Mister Roberts from the Fonda set over the weekend. ran perfect. the menu told me to turn the disc over for some nifty extras. it has a label. WB practical joke?

Probably a hold-over from when that disc was originally sold separately (as a flipper). When those old flipper disc releases are re-packaged in boxsets, they don't re-do the menus.

 

[Radioman970]

Probably a hold-over from when that disc was originally sold separately (as a flipper). When those old flipper disc releases are re-packaged in boxsets, they don't re-do the menus.

you know, they even listed the extras on the back of the case?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I went to play my copy of WB's Dinner at Eight (1933) DVD tonight.

Nada. I get to the menu...but when I select "Play Movie" or go to "Select Chapter", I cannot get the movie to play. I CAN, however, go to the special features section and play the trailer--ironically.

I think this might be the first time this has happened to me. I hear, though, that it happens to most guys at one time or another right?!? I'm not alone in this??

 

[B-ROLL]

I went to play my copy of WB's Dinner at Eight (1933) DVD tonight.

Nada. I get to the menu...but when I select "Play Movie" or go to "Select Chapter", I cannot get the movie to play. I CAN, however, go to the special features section and play the trailer--ironically.

I think this might be the first time this has happened to me. I hear, though, that it happens to most guys at one time or another right?!? I'm not alone in this??

Now you've got me worried ... was yours in the Classic Comedies set ?

It looks like the cheapest way to get a new copy would be to buy this set

 

[TheSteig]

Hopefully this wont happen with their blu rays !

 

[Mike Frezon]

Now you've got me worried ... was yours in the Classic Comedies set ?

No, Bryan. It was the single-disc stand-alone release. That's the cover art I posted.

But in many instances, these are the same discs in the multi-disc compilation releases...