I just bought a still sealed boxed set of the `90's Outer Limits episodes for Xmas and, so far, I'm only just starting season 3. So far, a number of the 15 discs I've watched, have very minor scuffs or scratches on them, most likely from shipping. One was bouncing around loose in the case! Quite a few of those compromised discs have trouble playing! I find this to be quite strange because I've been told as far back as the early `90's that CD's and DVD's can get very scratched up and still play with no problems! In fact, I've got two of them here that I bought used that are QUITE scratched up but they play perfectly fine without any problems!! I've had others that I found on the street that look like someone used them to skate across the floor on and THEY play perfectly fine!! Anyway, if that's the case, why do these with only a tiny scratch or scuff give me so much shit when I'm trying to play them?
Yesterday, I started watching the first disc in season 3. This disc has NO flaws on it at all!! But, when I got to the second episode om it, I couldn't even watch the last 12:00!! I gave up on trying to watch it on the laptop and tried to watch it up here on this computer. I thought MAYBE the laser on the laptop is starting to die! Well, I put it into the DVD drive up here, which has only been used for maybe a couple dozen hours and I STILL couldn't play it!! I decided to try to copy it to hard drive and THAT took over 25:00 because it was having trouble!! I FINALLY got it copied all the way, after, at one point, the computer said it was having trouble reading the disc and wanted to know if I wanted to continue!
After MUCH screwing around, I FINALLY got to watch the last 12:00!!
A few hours ago, I tried watching episode 3 on that disc. THAT started giving me shit about 15:00 in!! I got tired of it and switched to disc 2!!
Anyway, I seem to be having the same problem with a number of other BRAND NEW DVD's!! WHY??
About 15 years ago, I bought the gold collection of Warner Brothers cartoons and have watched the entire set at least twice since then without issue. I pulled them out to watch them again about a year ago only to find that at least one of the discs in the set is ERASING ITSELF!! It'll play SOME of the cartoons on it but, after about half an hour or so, the disc is blank!! WHY?? I tried to copy it to hard drive but, it'd only let me go to the point where the disc stopped playing and said there's nothing else on the disc!!
Last summer, I bought several packs of blank CD-RW's of which I used a number of to burn Woodstock, when I finally got it all edited together! Quite a few of them refused to let me burn stuff to them!!! From what I can tell, it was mostly the ones on the outer "edges" of those packs! There were 10 in a pack so, it was mostly the outer 2 or 3 on each end that were giving me shit. In some cases, if I erased them, first (yeah, I had to erase blank, never before used CD's!!), I could actually burn onto them but, there's still a stack of about a dozen that won't let me do anything with them! WHY?? My theory is that, as those were facing the outer edges of the box they were shipped in, it might've had something to do with some kind of scanner used at the Post Office!!
Why ME??
I've run into issues too from time to time. I think quality control is at fault. I certainly avoid buying clamshells with "floaters" (DVD, BD, CD, doesn't matter) even if it's the last copy in the store because they almost always end up being scratched and my player misbehaves. But ordering online ... you don't know what you'll get, though the DVD I got in the mail once that was in a crushed case with actual tire tread marks on it (it arrived in a zip-loc bag, broken box and all, with a note of apology from the post office) for some reason still managed to play OK.
I couldn't get the DVD of Possessor to play after returning it, second copy skipped. I wonder if it's designed for obsolescence.
About 20 years ago, I bought all three sets of the Addams family t.v. series and they all played fine except for one episode, I forget the title but it featured cousin Itt. I returned and got another copy. same issue on the same episode. I returned it and got my money back in hopes that a future shipment wouldn't have that issue. Months later, I bought another copy, same issue, same episode! I took it back and still don't have a copy of that set! I asked some people online if they had any problems with it and they said they never had an issue!! Is it me or do I have exclusive rights to all the bad luck??
CD's and DVD's are so mass produced, that they are thiner and more prone to errors than say disc's of 10 years ago. The Now That's What I call Music series here In the UK, Is a great example of that. From the First one up to around 35. They are all fine. But from 36 up to 111. You only need a fingerprint or a bit of Diust or a Scuff. And they become unplayable. As for Recordible disc's, We always said, If you get about 95 or more out of 100 You have done well. Hope this helps. I had a Letter In my last Promo CD, saying they are no longer going to be sending Physical Media out as there Is no more call for It. This was from all My Promo companies. I have to Stream or Download the tracks or films from now on. Death to the CD and DVD as we knew them. H.
Sometimes it's better to have 2 DVD players, One will play ...the other won't. I've found out it's not always the disc. Same with CDs.
That doesn't seem to matter with me. In most cases, no matter which machine I play them on, I have problems. I have 5 computer-related disc players and at least 3 dvd players/recorders hooked up to the t.v. and none of them make a difference.
CD players DO make a difference, sometimes. It seems like the crappier they are, the more they''re able to play the CD. Kinda like the crappy ones just don't care if the disc is screwed up!! You could run a power sander over the playing surface and it'll STILL play without issue! Whereas the more expensive ones have programming or designs that allow them to be really picky about what they'll play. If it even THINKS there's a microscopic spec of dust on it, it'll refuse to play it!!
I haven't had playback problems with DVDs (considering I purchased most them of at thrift shops), but I found the first LaserDisc I attempted, on a previously-owned Pioneer LD player, is unplayable (a Pioneer demo). No other problems so far.
I haven't had playback problems with DVDs (considering I purchased most them of at thrift shops), but I found the first LaserDisc I attempted, on a previously-owned Pioneer LD player, is unplayable (a Pioneer demo). No other problems so far.
Sometimes it's better to have 2 DVD players, One will play ...the other won't. I've found out it's not always the disc. Same with CDs.
I have six dvd players, and Five Blu-Ray players. Vintage to high end. All do different jobs and play all kinds of disc's most won't. Plus some play USB sticks and large hardrives. Where some won't. All are region hacked free. H.
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Yes I've had problems with some new DVD sets. Obviously production problems.
My built-in laptop player is dying too.
Otherwise I suppose discs may only have a lifespan around ten years. Seems to apply to all memory. What a bummer. Only Verbatim with AZO dye is archival, good for a hundred years.