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

[PGW]

Originally Posted by BasiliskFang

Have there been any other non criterion films found to bronze?

Yes. There's a separate thread on WellGo USA discs.

[BasiliskFang]

OK. And lionsgate?

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by iceman

Moderator note: This seem to be isolated to one early replicator factory, please consolidate all affected titles in one thread with title and date ranges, thank you. Members with affected copies: please contact the studio for replacements.

Um, the Well Go USA BDs were identified as coming from another factory. Also, the problematic Lionsgate BDs don't bronze; they simply just stop playing.

[Crimson King]

Whats the chance of Criterion revealing the name replicator responsible for this debacle?

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

Um, the Well Go USA BDs were identified as coming from another factory. Also, the problematic Lionsgate BDs don't bronze; they simply just stop playing.

Too late now, all other threads have been merged into this one. Guess it's time to rename the thread title.

Originally Posted by Crimson King

Whats the chance of Criterion revealing the name replicator responsible for this debacle?

http://www.arvato.com/en/services/replication.html

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Too late now, all other threads have been merged into this one. Guess it's time to rename the thread title.

That would just muddy the waters.

Is it impossible to un-merge threads?

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

That would just muddy the waters.

Is it impossible to un-merge threads?

Basically as I understand it vBulletin software doesn't have an undo feature for merged threads. A mod/admin would have to individually select each post and move it to a different thread which would be tedious and not so precise. Given that there are some 1150+ posts I can't see that happening.

[BigManDeath]

Yeah, I don't think merging the threads was a good idea.

FWIW, I just checked all my Criterion and Well Go USA discs. Here is what I found:

SANJURO - slight bronzing around the outer edge, seems to play fine (this is from the YOJIMBO/SANJURO box set)

These two had light bronzing but seem to play fine:
BROTHERS FIVE
THE WEB OF DEATH

These discs had much more visible bronzing around the outer edge, but appear to play fine:

IP MAN 2
LEGEND OF THE FIST
SHAOLIN
THE STOOL PIGEON

One disc that will not load at all and has severe bronzing:

THE MAN FROM NOWHERE

I am going to contact Well Go USA, but I do not have high hopes that they will do anything (or even respond). I don't think I will be purchasing any more discs from them and will replace some of these with the Hong Kong or Korean blu-rays. This whole debacle just saddens me. At least Criterion is being somewhat responsible for this mess. I hope Well Go steps up, as they are one of the only US video labels licensing Asian cinema and providing good releases at good prices - but if I can't trust the actual discs to play in a couple of years (THE MAN FROM NOWHERE blu-ray was released in 2011) then I am not going to invest any more money in their products.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by BigManDeath

I am going to contact Well Go USA, but I do not have high hopes that they will do anything (or even respond). I don't think I will be purchasing any more discs from them and will replace some of these with the Hong Kong or Korean blu-rays. This whole debacle just saddens me. At least Criterion is being somewhat responsible for this mess. I hope Well Go steps up, as they are one of the only US video labels licensing Asian cinema and providing good releases at good prices - but if I can't trust the actual discs to play in a couple of years (THE MAN FROM NOWHERE blu-ray was released in 2011) then I am not going to invest any more money in their products.

They are a small company, and if Fry's can sell their movies for less than $3 and $5 on a regular basis, I'm guessing that the profit margins are either slim or non-existent. Thus, they might do what Lionsgate has done, which is just ignore us.

I bought some cheap titles two weekends ago, and those will be my last Well Go USA purchases as well.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by PietSchwan

Why not rename the thread to something more like "BDs that have bronzing/playback issues", and dump all the list of known bad/bronzed discs into the OP.

Lionsgate's defective BDs don't bronze.

[cakefactory]

Well, my copies of The Descent, Jacob's Ladder and Devil's Rejects all came back 100% good on nero discspeed. Can't find my disc of Basic Instinct at the moment though.

[bruceames]

How many posts did the Lionsgate thread have before it was merged here? I think the best option going forward would be to identify those posts to a mod (the ones that matter anyway) and get them moved over to the original Lionsgate thread. Then you could concentrate only on the bronzing discs in this one.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by bruceames.

How many posts did the Lionsgate thread have before it was merged here? I think the best option going forward would be to identify those posts to a mod (the ones that matter anyway) and get them moved over to the original Lionsgate thread. Then you could concentrate only on the bronzing discs in this one.

Clearly, past OPs lose interest in their own threads. They only want other members to help them with the titles that they have in their collections. I'm trying to highlight all affected discs.

[iceman]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

Um, the Well Go USA BDs were identified as coming from another factory. Also, the problematic Lionsgate BDs don't bronze; they simply just stop playing.

Well, multiple threads were started which were named as basically all titles from the studios were defect. I agree there seem to be an issue with some early Criterion pressings, but Lionsgate for example seems like speculation. We could start an alarming thread for each studio who has released a BD claiming there "might" be problems with some discs. If one or a few members have defect discs it's not a pattern, but if many members have the same problems with the same discs, then it's a pattern. So please stick to this thread and try to identify discs and dates that have a pattern of problems and not one faulty disc reported by one member.

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

Clearly, past OPs lose interest in their own threads. They only want other members to help them with the titles that they have in their collections. I'm trying to highlight all affected discs.

As I said, put your list in the thread. Then ask a mod to add a link to it in the OP, so that it's easy to find. That way all the LG discussion can continue there, even though you did not originate the thread. Maybe it's also possible to merge a post of yours that's earlier than the OP so that you can have the first post in the thread to update.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by iceman

Well, multiple threads were started which were named as basically all titles from the studios were defect. I agree there seem to be an issue with some early Criterion pressings, but Lionsgate for example seems like speculation. We could start an alarming thread for each studio who has released a BD claiming there "might" be problems with some discs. If one or a few members have defect discs it's not a pattern, but if many members have the same problems with the same discs, then it's a pattern. So please stick to this thread and try to identify discs and dates that have a pattern of problems and not one faulty disc reported by one member.

Those weren't. People reported problems with Lionsgate BDs across several threads.

The Well Go USA issue is not isolated to a few individuals here and there, and those discs came from another factory.

[tedopolous]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

The Well Go USA issue is not isolated to a few individuals here and there, and those discs came from another factory.

Well Go is clearly a pattern. Definitely agree these should have been separate. This thread a bit of a mess now if one is to look for comments on only one publisher.

[timothy ramzyk]

Originally Posted by bruceames.

How many posts did the Lionsgate thread have before it was merged here? I think the best option going forward would be to identify those posts to a mod (the ones that matter anyway) and get them moved over to the original Lionsgate thread. Then you could concentrate only on the bronzing discs in this one.

I agree. I have some of the Lionsgate titles I've watched in the last year with no problem at all. This could very well be a player software VS comparability issue for some.

I don't go for this whole "The sky is falling approach" to this. Bronzing is a clearly definable defect that you don't even have to play the disk to detect.

You're just going to get a lot of blanket statements about Blu-ray being an unstable medium due to people lumping everything into one inaccurate ball, and that impression will travel to non-tech forums.

[PGW]

Was the WellGo thread merged with this one? IF so, that would be silly, given that the title of this thread still reads "Some Early Criterion BDs That Might Have Playback Issues" - which doesn't exactly help people looking for information on WellGo discs that are turning brown.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by PGW

Was the WellGo thread merged with this one? IF so, that would be silly, given that the title of this thread still reads "Some Early Criterion BDs That Might Have Playback Issues" - which doesn't exactly help people looking for information on WellGo discs that are turning brown.

Yes, it was merged into this thread.