Will Studio's Ever Learn that We Hate Double Sided Disks (1 Viewer)

[Stephen Wight]

I don't have any sets with double sided discs,but,from reading these posts,I'm wondering if I should buy Hill Street Blues,next week,or not.

 

[LaurenceGarvey]

Flip discs don't bother me a whit.

 

[John*Wells]

I dislike them as well. How can you be assured when you turn them over that the disc won't be damaged when you even slightly touch it ??

 

[Gord Lacey]

I think I've mastered the "edge-hold, flip" technique involved in taking a disc out of the player and flipping it without touching the surface. Here's how I do it:

-Right finger in disc hole
-Turn right hand so disc is horizonal
-Grab edges with left hand
-Rotate left hand so the disc is horizontal
-Place in DVD player

Hope that helps

I can't say that *I* have ever damaged a double-sided disc, but I've received some that were scratched. There's also no way I'd lend one out.....wait....I don't lend any DVDs...

Gord

 

[Dax P]

I've only ever experienced troubles with WB's ER two-sided discs (much prefer the six-disc sets they're doing now- the packaging's inconvenient, but I haven't come across any broken hubs on them yet), but I'm dreading what I'll 'someday' discover going through all of the two-sided Universals I've read so many horror stories about (the Monster Legacy releases, Miami Vice, Magnum PI, Quantum Leap, Northern Exposure, Alfred Hitchcock Presents...).

No problems (so far- knock wood) with Fox's double-sideds- Bob Newhart Show Season 1 all played just fine...

Lil' worried about the early seasons of WB's West Wing...

 

[Michael Rogers]

double sided discs I don't mind too much....


AS LONG AS THEY PLAY, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS!

 

[Lynda-Marie]

The main reason I dislike double sided disks is because there is no clear indication, on ANY double sided disk I have ever bought, which side is which. I find it highly annoying, but I don't think the average studio/manufacturer gives a rip, based on their propensity to produce more of the stupid things.

 

[ElijahS]

The only time I've ever had a problem with double-sided discs was with The Rockford Files, and that was only with my portable DVD player and my laptop's DVD player (the other two I tried the disc on worked just fine, go figure). I don't like them, but I'm careful with mine, and like Gord, I don't lend any of my discs out to ANY person.

 

[Dan*T]

I hate the double sided disks as much as the next guy. They're a pain to handle, and they just plain look ugly.

I didn't really believe all the horror stories about the Universal sets. I have Miami Vice 1&2, Magnum 1&2, Rockford Files, Murder She Wrote Season 1, all with no problems.
But now, I am on my 3RD Murder She Wrote Season 2.
I've taken two back, in hope that the one I just got tonight will work properly. The first set I got,only one side of one disk would play properly. Not impressed with the quality of this set.

 

[Harry-N]

Double sided discs like ones in the TIME TUNNEL set are easy to identify which side you're looking at. The one with the colored ring is the "A" side. The one with no colored ring is the "B" side.

The only double-sided disc I've had a problem with is the movie SCHINDLER'S LIST. I've no problem with the effort to get up and flip the disc in the middle of the movie - that doesn't bother me at all. But my disc gets to the "girl in the red coat" scene and pixellates/freezes up.

Harry

 

[greg_t]

I don't mind double sided discs at all. Of course, those of us from the laserdisc days were already used to them.

 

[Mark Talmadge]

Problems with double disks aren't the manufacturer it's the studios who decide what type of disks they want their sets on so it's the studios who are to blame. It's cheaper top them to make and I guess they look at the overall problem versus the cost of manufacturing the disks.

 

[Phyll]

I know this is a little off the subject but speaking of double sided discs does anyone have a recommendation for what dvd players are best at playing Universal discs? And how long does a dvd player last? I mean I have had my vcr for 12 years now and it shows no sign of slowing down. I have a 6 disc changer and it seems I have to open and close the player alot when playing double sided discs. I am sure there is way more wear and tear on the discs this way but maybe not. And by the way, just how durable and lasting are dvds? Sometimes when I am trying to retrieve the discs out of the holder it seems as though they might snap or break. And I am very careful. The other day I brought home Dallas the 4th season and the first disc didn't even look like it would play. There was a strange silver dusting on the disc. I mean that is the disc that reveals who shot JR. It did work but I was skeptical. And by the way if you have problems with a Universal disc send it back to the company. It takes two months but they will get you a replacement that is guareenteed to work and you are letting them know that there really is a manufacturing problem. I purchased three dvd sets from Univeral in Dec and didn't have any problems. I did have problems with Adam-12 and Alfred Hitchcock Presents(very tiny glitch on the first ep) The strange thing about this one is that it plays fine on my very old first generation Sony dvd single disc player. Adam-12 wouldn't play on any of my dvd players. So i mailed it in and they sent me a new copy that works just fine. I did have to wait two months though. But if anyone has dvd player recommendations please let us know which ones really don't have any problems. I have an Onkyo 702 six disc changer and I have problems but only with Universal discs. Which I think is kinda strange. I mean I could have a klunker for a player but I really don't think so. Maybe dvd players were designed to play movies and not tv shows or something. But yes-mark me down as one who hates double sided dvds. UGH!!!!!!!! You would think with all the titles now double sided that dvd manufacturers would make a changer that flips them. Right now there is not one on the market that I know of. I know Sony had one a few years ago and Pioneer possibly but I cannot find one now that flips the disc.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

From a DVD Talk Review of Hill Street Blues

"Hill Street Blues is presented full frame. The picture quality ranges from good to poor depending on the episodes. There is color fluctuation during some episodes, with the overall quality markedly changing, often times become exceptionally dark. Likewise, certain scenes and certain episodes show signs of video masters that have not been properly cared for. But the worst part of the video presentation comes in the authoring. The 17 episodes of the show are packed on to three, two-sided discs. On several occasions, during multiple episodes, there were problems with minor blips, skips and image pixelization. This didn't happen with every episode, but it does happen with several, and appears to occur during chapter changes. Given the quality of the show, the image transfer and picture quality is disappointing."


I think on Principle and facing the fact we may not see a season two I'll pass on rewarding Fox for deciding to follow Universal's Dubious practices. Wow this really does not bode well for Voyage to the bottom of the sea.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Just a Head's Up Netflix will have Hill Street Blues available as a 6 Disk set on DVD9's

 

[James Reader]

Yeah, well the UK ER disc are still DVD18s AND packaged like that.

 

[Jeff_HR]

If this release turns out as bad as it sounds, I'll not buy any furhter seasons of "Hill Street Blues" if they are released in the same manner. I'll keep S1.