Doctor Who: The Sixth Series - November 22, 2011 - Review

[Sun]

Thanks, Underworld. It's clear to me now that I have the faulty discs. Shame, since I thought that new stock being sold a year after the BBC first became aware of the problem and created the replacement program would no longer have the defective discs.

How should we package the discs when we send them to the BBC? Did you just stick them in one of those flat, cardboard "Media Mailer" envelopes? What information do we need to include with the discs (anything besides a name and return address?) Also, how fast is the turnaround? I'll be traveling between residences a bit this holiday season, and I want to know which address I should have them send the discs back to.

[Underworld54]

Originally Posted by Sun

Thanks, Underworld. It's clear to me now that I have the faulty discs. Shame, since I thought that new stock being sold a year after the BBC first became aware of the problem and created the replacement program would no longer have the defective discs.

How should we package the discs when we send them to the BBC? Did you just stick them in one of those flat, cardboard "Media Mailer" envelopes? What information do we need to include with the discs (anything besides a name and return address?) Also, how fast is the turnaround? I'll be traveling between residences a bit this holiday season, and I want to know which address I should have them send the discs back to.

I put my discs in a bubble mailer. Inside the package include your name and mailing address and telephone number. Turnaround time should be at or around two weeks. Remember to include all discs, if you only mail 4 discs they'll only send you 4 discs. Might as well do them all.

[PrestonXI]

Can this run of Doctor Who be watched out of context, or should I start with series one?

[slainery]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

Can this run of Doctor Who be watched out of context, or should I start with series one?

You can whether start from series one (with Nine) or series five (with Eleven) since Moffat refuses to acknowledge (almost) anything prior to his run.

I'd start with series one though - more Doctor Who the better!

[The Dark Shape]

Have you ever watched the show before? Series one's sort of brutal -- if I hadn't already been hooked by some of Steven Moffat's stuff, I wouldn't have gone past the fourth or fifth episode of S1.

It's your choice, but the first episode of series five is basically a soft reboot of the show, so it's very easy to jump in there. And the episodes are much, much better.

[CoopFilm]

Originally Posted by The Dark Shape

Have you ever watched the show before? Series one's sort of brutal -- if I hadn't already been hooked by some of Steven Moffat's stuff, I wouldn't have gone past the fourth or fifth episode of S1.

It's your choice, but the first episode of series five is basically a soft reboot of the show, so it's very easy to jump in there. And the episodes are much, much better.

Agreed, they're much better indeed.

[PrestonXI]

Just picked up series 5 and 6 Blus since they were relatively cheap on Amazon. It is not exactly the kind of show I normally watch, but the first episode was very cinematic and whimsical with an intersting plot. Plus, Amy is hot so I am going to give the show a shot and hope I get hooked.

[JamesKurtovich]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

Can this run of Doctor Who be watched out of context, or should I start with series one?

I suggest starting with series 1, but if you want to jump in quick, start with series 5.

[d514]

I have a general question about Doctor Who on Blu-ray: Apparently the show is shot at 25fps, so the UK Blu-rays are 1080i50. The US Blu-rays seem to be 1080i60. How were the episodes converted? Is there loss in quality? Are the episodes longer because the playback is slower? (50i/25p slowed down to 60i/24)

[Schfooge]

In case anyone in Canada was wondering, the whole replacement process went smoothly for me. I sent all six discs out on Dec 28, and got them back today (Jan 16). They were in white paper disc sleeves bound by an elastic, inside a bubble mailer, which was inside a Fed Ex box. The Amazon gift certificate was even for Amazon.ca (as opposed to Amazon.com).

[vsanch24]

I was going to post the below as a question as I couldn't find the answer in the thread. But I thought I should first check the TV's video processing setting and it was set to standard. I changed it to movie and 98% of the issues I outlined below were fixed. I figure this post should stay in case others have the same question.

************************************************

I just started watching my Series 6 blu-rays. I have had them on the shelf for about six months. But I am seeing real bad grain/snow-bleed-through in dark scenes during the Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut, and The Day of the Moon.

A good example is when they were all in the black bricked cube cell, there is like a halo circle of grain/snow-bleed-through in the upper-right quadrant.

Another example is in the caves under the warehouse in the Florida '69 scene where River finds the mechanical Tardis with the silence.

Are these some of the PQ issues being reported? I didn't see these specific episodes mentioned so that is why I posted this comment.

[Rizor]

Originally Posted by vsanch24

I was going to post the below as a question as I couldn't find the answer in the thread. But I thought I should first check the TV's video processing setting and it was set to standard. I changed it to movie and 98% of the issues I outlined below were fixed. I figure this post should stay in case others have the same question.

************************************************

I just started watching my Series 6 blu-rays. I have had them on the shelf for about six months. But I am seeing real bad grain/snow-bleed-through in dark scenes during the Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut, and The Day of the Moon.

A good example is when they were all in the black bricked cube cell, there is like a halo circle of grain/snow-bleed-through in the upper-right quadrant.

Another example is in the caves under the warehouse in the Florida '69 scene where River finds the mechanical Tardis with the silence.

Are these some of the PQ issues being reported? I didn't see these specific episodes mentioned so that is why I posted this comment.

There was an exchange program with BBC video in place for S6. The instructions are probably a few pages back. The issue was with bands of extra noisiness during some scenes. I exchanged mine, but honestly, I didn't notice the problem unless I set the brightness and sharpness of my TV all the way up.

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by vsanch24

I was going to post the below as a question as I couldn't find the answer in the thread. But I thought I should first check the TV's video processing setting and it was set to standard. I changed it to movie and 98% of the issues I outlined below were fixed. I figure this post should stay in case others have the same question.

************************************************

I just started watching my Series 6 blu-rays. I have had them on the shelf for about six months. But I am seeing real bad grain/snow-bleed-through in dark scenes during the Christmas Carol, The Impossible Astronaut, and The Day of the Moon.

A good example is when they were all in the black bricked cube cell, there is like a halo circle of grain/snow-bleed-through in the upper-right quadrant.

Another example is in the caves under the warehouse in the Florida '69 scene where River finds the mechanical Tardis with the silence.

Are these some of the PQ issues being reported? I didn't see these specific episodes mentioned so that is why I posted this comment.

Most of the existing store inventory has the problems you cite, that is why a replacement program was initiated. Read the thread and you will get your answers. As per the course, most of the original, bad pressings still exist at the retail level. Often the bad stock won't be recalled for an issue of this type. You need to follow the replacement program. Amazon was still sending out bad copies as late as this Christmas season.

[legolars]

So, it's nearly a year and a half since release. Do the sets still have the problem? I really want to buy this set. How noticeable is the problem on an average screensize?

[KilloWertz]

What are the numbers on the discs around the data ring for the defective ones and then the fixed ones? I have forgotten about this for a while after my first attempt to have somebody check it on their discs but never did.

I suppose the safest way would be just to do the replacement program, but maybe I got lucky and actually got the corrected discs already.

[Jason One]

I can report another successful exchange experience. I mailed all six discs to the Burbank PO box on April 12, and received my new discs on April 23. I recorded all of the old and new disc matrix numbers. All are different, so they definitely replaced every disc.

I would encourage everyone to take advantage of this replacement offer. There doesn't seem to be much general awareness of the problem with this release, nor of the exchange program.

For reference, here are my disc matrix numbers:

Old Discs

Disc 1

Outer: (473103) 7000047880.1 01E 030001
Inner: (473104) 7000047880.1 01E 020001

Disc 2

Outer: (473105) 7000047881.1 02E 010001
Inner: (473106) 7000047881.1 03E 020001

Disc 3

Outer: (473107) 7000047882.1 01E 030001
Inner: (473108) 7000047882.1 01E 040001

Disc 4

Outer: (473109) 7000047883.1 02E 020001
Inner: (473110) 7000047883.1 03E 020001

Disc 5

Outer: (473111) 7000047884.1 01E 030001
Inner: (473112) 7000047884.1 02E 010001

Disc 6

Outer: (473113) 7000047885.1 01E 020001
Inner: (473114) 7000047885.1 02E 030001

New Discs

Disc 1

Outer: 1675752_D35E.C0C6.C8D9.PA01
Inner: 1675752_D35E.C0C6.C8D9.PB01

Disc 2

Outer: 1675871_976B.0B67.7CB7.PA01
Inner: 1675871_976B.0B67.7CB7.PB01

Disc 3

Outer: 1675945_A4D5.8632.3AD3.PA02
Inner: 1675945_A4D5.8632.3AD3.PB01

Disc 4

Outer: 1675970_056F.C584.2268 OA01
Inner: 1675970_056F.C584.2268 OB01

Disc 5

Outer: 1675988_3A7D.AC7F.8A16.PA01
Inner: 1675988_3A7D.AC7F.8A16.PB01

Disc 6

Outer: 1675994_901B.8C63.E1C6 OA01
Inner: 1675994_901B.8C63.E1C6 OB01