Early Blu-rays that may have playback issues (Criterion, Well Go USA, etc.)

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by JJ

Yeah, I upgraded Cloverfield to the UHD and just ordered the most recent releases for FaceOff and Spiderwick.

Glad it's only a few early releases. Hope I don't find anymore.

Yeah it's very frustrating for sure. I've heard The Hunt for Red October is another Paramount title that has had issues as well but mine is still fine. The only advantage I had with rebuying Face/Off is that I got the awesome steelbook release. I'm not a steelbook guy per se but that is one sweet steelbook!

[Shahran Sunny Audit]

My following dual layered discs have developed playback issues, due to disc bronzing.

JFK (Warner - Region A)
Hot Fuzz (Universal - Region A)
Grapes of Wrath (Fox - Region A)
Thelma and Louise (MGM - Region A)
Stalag 17 (Warner - Region A)
Green Mile (Warner - Region A)

Started checking my other dual layered discs...and noticed around 200 of them have the same disc bronzing issue. All of them are Region A discs that came in the ELITE cases, with the recycling logo cut out. Haven't checked them all yet but outlook isn't looking good.

Feeling well gutted as I kept them in excellent condition. My other 1500 discs (which were bought from UK stores) have no disc bronzing and were kept in the same room.

Might be worth double checking your discs (that came in ELITE cases).

[PeterTHX]

Problem is that a lot of discs appeared "bronze" when they were brand new.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Problem is that a lot of discs appeared "bronze" when they were brand new.

Indeed. I have a fair number of them that all continue to work fine despite having "bronzed" over a decade ago.

[Leeon0]

It's possible that the "bronzing" being referred to is merely the unique hue of the reflective surface of the disc and may not be an indication of a defect. Not all Blu-ray discs look the same when you look at the playback side. I've noticed that some are highly reflective, others foggier, some bright silver, and others slightly amber (even brand-new releases). I've also seen what I would consider true bronzing, which is more of a brownish hue (that develops over time).

[neo_reloaded]

There is no way every dual-layer Blu-ray in an Elite case is bronzing. Some discs are more see-through and appear lighter in color when put in front of a lighting source, especially artificial light. Some cases do 'out-gas,' but that can be wiped away with a microfiber cloth. If people call every Blu-ray that looks different "bronzed," the term will lose all meaning.

[goodstuff]

After all these years found one of my discs unplayable, Speed, which doing a quick search here seems to be a known issue. It was purchased back when it came out in 2006. Just bought the 20th anniversary edition for $8.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by Shahran Sunny Audit

My following dual layered discs have developed playback issues, due to disc bronzing.

JFK (Warner - Region A)
Hot Fuzz (Universal - Region A)
Grapes of Wrath (Fox - Region A)
Thelma and Louise (MGM - Region A)
Stalag 17 (Warner - Region A)
Green Mile (Warner - Region A)

Started checking my other dual layered discs...and noticed around 200 of them have the same disc bronzing issue. All of them are Region A discs that came in the ELITE cases, with the recycling logo cut out. Haven't checked them all yet but outlook isn't looking good.

Feeling well gutted as I kept them in excellent condition. My other 1500 discs (which were bought from UK stores) have no disc bronzing and were kept in the same room.

Might be worth double checking your discs (that came in ELITE cases).

I doubt Viva Elite cases have anything to do with bronzing. What about all the pre-2010 Criterion discs that have all failed? None of them came in a Viva Elite case.

This has something to do with studios being CHEAP and trying to cut corners on physical media. Just look at their use of eco cases and cheap, poor quality paper for cover art and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that their quality control when it comes to actual disc pressing is s***. They probably figure that the people who buy the discs won't care after if the disc is unplayable after a few years anyway.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

I watched my Lionsgate copy of Frailty tonight and around the hour and twenty minute mark there was a slight freeze but the film kept playing after that. Disc is in mint condition. I think it's on it's way out so I just ordered another one to be on the safe side.

[Aunt Peg]

I've posted this on the Danton thread but its worth posting here as well.

I believe my Danton from Gaumont is in the process of dying. The inner circle is dark brown, other than that the disc looks fine.

It played fine in my Panasonic player but would not play in either of my Sony players - just just the Gaumont introduction then nothing.

I'd like to think its a Sony/Gaumont mismatch but it will just be a matter of time before Danton will not play in my Panasonic or any other player.

I will need to check other Gaumont discs

[Aunt Peg]

Have been reading through much of this thread today with dismay.

I'll never purchase another French disc again frankly and I am going to check everything I have.

Firstly I'm not bothering with the Malle's because I've ordered an English set as a back-up.

I checked my La Nuit de Varennes on two machines and its dead. I can only hope for a US or UK release. Needles to say it was a QOL disc.

I must have about 50 or so French Blu Ray discs so I'm going to watch all of them over the next few months. I have seen all of the films before but mainly at the cinema so I need to get around to actually watching the discs.

I did check three other Gaumont discs and they played fine: Death in a French Garden, Police & Conversation Piece but I could only find QOL on Death in a French Garden. For the life of me I couldn't find QOL on the other two discs.

Two questions:

1) Are Studiocanal discs effected by this? - I didn't read any mention of them;

2) Are DVDs effected?

[eddyw78]

I have a few discs mostly from Warner or Fox which refuse to play although I think it is more down to my 10 year Panasonic as they will load on my sons PS4 which is rather annoying. I do find it strange that these few discs refuse to load on my player but most do. Surely if the player had issues nothing would work.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by eddyw78

I have a few discs mostly from Warner or Fox which refuse to play although I think it is more down to my 10 year Panasonic as they will load on my sons PS4 which is rather annoying. I do find it strange that these few discs refuse to load on my player but most do. Surely if the player had issues nothing would work.

I've had a couple Fox titles go bad on me but no Warner titles yet (knock on wood). It does sound very similar to disc rot though. I've seen disc rotted Lionsgate titles still work on another player so it's hard to say. The Warner discs are throwing it off for me.

[eddyw78]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

I've had a couple Fox titles go bad on me but no Warner titles yet (knock on wood). It does sound very similar to disc rot though. I've seen disc rotted Lionsgate titles still work on another player so it's hard to say. The Warner discs are throwing it off for me.

It could just as easily be my player getting long in the tooth. The Warner titles that I know of are Gremlins and The Omega Man. All the discs that don’t work look fine visually. I have had no problems with any of my Criterion titles even the ones which are known to have gone bad. The only two which are a little erratic in whether or not they’ll work are The Blob which won’t load and Le Cercle Rouge which freezes and pixelates halfway through.

[surfinhank]

Found a few more today, both were completely bronze with a few of those tiny white spots, but I watched them all the way through and had no problems.... at least I got one watch out of them:

Ladybugs (Lionsgate)
Lady in the Water (WB)

[Aunt Peg]

My Gaumont Blu Ray of Robert Bresson's A Man Escaped is dead. Like my Blu Rays of Danton (nearly dead) and La Nuit de Varennes (dead), they were all pressed in 2010.

I've ordered the UK Artificial Eye version.

I had a look at my Eric Rohmer box set and the Blu Ray's I checked all had that darkening brown in the inner ring but played fine. Of course nothing may happen to them and in a worst case scenario also included in the box set are DVDs.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

Have been reading through much of this thread today with dismay.

I'll never purchase another French disc again frankly and I am going to check everything I have.

I've adopted a strict policy when it comes to French blu rays. I only buy them if:

1. It's a movie that I REALLY like and
2. If it isn't available in any other country

The same goes for French UHDs.

But I wish it was this simple and this problem was exclusive to French discs. Then I would be happy, apart from a few titles that are only available in France.

My OOP French release of Paris, Texas went bad (checked on multiple players), but it was easy to replace.

French discs are definitely the most problematic on a country-by-country basis, but unfortunately this is becoming a wide-spread problem and a few years from now, a large part of our blu ray collections might be nothing more than a bunch of plastic coasters.

I've noticed that Fox discs are being increasingly mentioned in this thread. I would like to add another name that I haven't seen in this thread: Patton (the remastered release without DNR). My copy developed playback problems and had brownish color near the inner ring.

2019 has been quite a breakthrough year for me in this area. Prior to this year, I've never had a single disc go bad, but now I've found two.

[Aunt Peg]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

I
French discs are definitely the most problematic on a country-by-country basis, but unfortunately this is becoming a wide-spread problem and a few years from now, a large part of our blu ray collections might be nothing more than a bunch of plastic coasters.

I have this concern too. And to be frank if the failure of Blu Rays from everywhere rises in the next few years I will abandon purchasing anymore. I'll rely on streaming and whatever is left of my collection.

So far my Blu Ray failure rate is 3 (all French).

DVD's Gimmie Shelter (Criterion) Long Weekend (Australian) & 14 Warners (2006-2009) and two Warners box sets (2006-2009) and my French Some Came Running.

Also makes we wonder if I should hold on to any DVDs I upgrade to Blu Ray - just in case.

[logboy]

i catalogued all that i have a couple of years ago. checking everything made me see discs very differently. just a physical means of delivery. different pros and cons with choice, but as likely to disappear as digital downloads. now working my way through, getting rid of everything but (i hope) the relative few i would probably find it too hard, expensive or unlikely to find again.

[eddyw78]

Originally Posted by logboy

i catalogued all that i have a couple of years ago. checking everything made me see discs very differently. just a physical means of delivery. different pros and cons with choice, but as likely to disappear as digital downloads. now working my way through, getting rid of everything but (i hope) the relative few i would probably find it too hard, expensive or unlikely to find again.

I wish I could do the same but unfortunately I find it very hard to part with anything which is why I have a collection which continues to get bigger and bigger. Another that refused to load was Close Encounters. I can get as far as the main menu but once you have chosen the cut you want and press play nothing happens.