HD-DVDs won't play

[kfbkfb]

Since I couldn't find a "www.hd-dvd.com" forum, I thought I ask this here:

I have a Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD/DVD player, I unpacked it again recently as I plan to use it in my basement surround sound system.

I tried 2 of my (previously played perfectly) HD-DVDs, the intro (announcing that it is an HD-DVD) plays, then an error code appears and playback stops.

(my HD-A1 plays DVDs fine)

I've never updated my HD-A1.

Any ideas as to why it starts to play and then stops?


Kirk Bayne

[Region_unlocked]

What discs are you trying to play and how recently had you tried to play them prior?

[TheMGR]

Are these Warner titles? If so, many HD-DVDs from Warner are known to be unplayable. I've got around 160 titles and though it's been a while since I've watched any of them, the only ones I've ever had a problem with are Warner titles. In some cases they've physically rotted to the extent that you can see it on the playing surface (for example, the Blade Runner box set). Some of them won't load or play at all, and others will load and play only to crap out later with an error code. This has never happened with any of my Paramount or Universal titles or the ones from any studio other than WB. And all of this started years ago so it's likely any Warner discs you own that won't play now have been unplayable for a long long time. Just some very shoddy quality control from that studio I guess.

[HarcourtMudd]

Originally Posted by TheMGR

....it's likely any Warner discs you own that won't play now have been unplayable for a long long time.

On the flip side, if it is a Warner title that hasn't failed by now, it probably won't... The only titles I have noted to fail were Warner titles as well (most of my Warner titles have been replaced by BDs or UHD BDs and since placed in storage - I would not be surprised if most - if not all - are now coasters)

[TheMGR]

Originally Posted by HarcourtMudd

On the flip side, if it is a Warner title that hasn't failed by now, it probably won't...

On some of them, the flip side is a DVD lol. Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

But yes, good point. I remain hopeful that some of my Warner discs still play. I too have replaced most of the ones that failed with BDs. Wasn't so easy to do that with the complete Blade Runner set, since I didn't realize that ALL the HD discs in the set had gone bad until the BD version with all 5 cuts was long out of print, but...I got lucky and found one, thank goodness. Now I just need to track down a BD copy of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Yeah right.

[TheMGR]

And FURTHERMORE...lol...

This might not help, in fact it probably won't, but one thing you COULD try which at one time many years ago did allow me to successfully watch a couple of discs that were giving me error codes, is to empty your player's Persistent Storage. But again, I make no guarantees.

I also swear I once read some stuff online that suggested you can literally drop defective HD-DVDs into boiling water for a while and they might actually play after that, but I've never tried it.

[kfbkfb]

Checked a few more of my HD-DVDs, Scary Movie 4 and Hustle & Flow play, tried disc 1 of Blade Runner - error (looks like I have to go thru my small collection and rebuy several, hopefully on Blu-ray).

IIRC, one selling point for MFRs of HD-DVD discs was that they could be made in DVD factories, maybe that has something to do with the HD-DVD "laser rot" problem.


Kirk Bayne

[rdodolak]

What is the error message?

[kfbkfb]

Blade Runner - Final Cut

Can not play the disc.
Error code : 0x4014c000

Got 15 more HD-DVDs to check (5 others I got free w/2 other Toshiba HD-D3 players, don't care if they play now or not).

Will post here when I finish the check.


Kirk Bayne

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by kfbkfb

Blade Runner - Final Cut

Can not play the disc.
Error code : 0x4014c000

Got 15 more HD-DVDs to check (5 others I got free w/2 other Toshiba HD-A3 players, don't care if they play now or not).

Will post here when I finish the check.


Kirk Bayne

Did these discs play before? Try updating the firmware. The Toshiba site no longer provides the firmware, but you can find ISOs here:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/off...s-here.849747/

[kfbkfb]

Yes, all of them played fine, I bought the HD-A1 in 2007-06 (75% off), but bought most of my HD-DVDs after Toshiba announced the phase out of HD-DVD

Thanks for the link for Toshiba updates, I'll probably post tomorrow about which HD-DVDs no longer play.


Kirk Bayne

[kfbkfb]

Tried all of my "problem" HD-DVDs all (except 2) played fine on my newer HD-D3. looks like a software update is needed for my older HD-A1.


Kirk Bayne

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by kfbkfb

Tried all of my "problem" HD-DVDs all (except 2) played fine on my newer HD-D3. looks like a software update is needed for my older HD-A1.


Kirk Bayne

I thought there was a v4.0 release, but it's now hard to find with Toshiba removing the firmware from their site. Here's a mirror with the 4.0 files.

http://www.mirrorsite.net/files/tosh...d/toshiba.com/

[bruceames]

I have an extensive HD DVD collection and tested my Warner titles a few months ago. About 10% of them wouldn't play. Most of it was because have a freeze at the layer break point.

However the failure rate hasn't changed since I previously tested them several years before.

So as mentioned above if a disc plays now it will likely always play. But keep in mind you have to consider the age of the player as well.

It will be interesting to see how the HD DVD players hold up in 20 or 30 years, although I might not be around then or care LOL.

[LaserKen]

Originally Posted by bruceames

I have an extensive HD DVD collection and tested my Warner titles a few months ago. About 10% of them wouldn't play. Most of it was because have a freeze at the layer break point.

However the failure rate hasn't changed since I previously tested them several years before.

So as mentioned above if a disc plays now it will likely always play. But keep in mind you have to consider the age of the player as well.

It will be interesting to see how the HD DVD players hold up in 20 or 30 years, although I might not be around then or care LOL.

I wish/hope you are right. Just dropped my copy of 'A Christmas Story' in -- have watched it every year for a decade.... it freezes on the WB logo. Have several other machines and will see if I get a different result. I have had a bunch of WB HD-DVDs that were bad, but none that all of a sudden *went* bad. Ugh.

UPDATE: Second machine, it stalled, started again, and failed. Uh boy.

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by LaserKen

I wish/hope you are right. Just dropped by copy of 'A Christmas Story' in -- have watched it every year for a decade.... it freezes on the WB logo. Have several other machines and will see if I get a different result. I have had a bunch of WB HD-DVDs that were bad, but none that all of a sudden *went* bad. Ugh.

in my experience the Toshiba players are more finicky. I have the LG BH200 hooked up as well, and it will play some discs that won't play in the XA2. But sometimes you just have to chalk it up to the player, that it doesn't read as well as it used to

[bruceames]

Another thing to consider is many HD DVD's in circulation today were sold well after they were made and put in storage areas where they were subject to high humidity and heat and rendered them unplayable. So if you buy a bunch of Warner titles today, especially new, you will have a much higher failure rate then if you bought them from a private collector who kept them in a climate controlled area

[plissken99]

I got the Xbox HD DVD drive to rip my discs to a hard drive about 5 years ago.. I’d say I managed to save 70% of the movies I had, the rest were too rotten to rip. Gave my XA1 player and still good discs to a buddy, he tossed it and the movies a couple years ago because most wouldn’t play anymore.

[8traxrule]

I bought nearly every HD-DVD title brand new and sealed on clearance before I realized this was a problem. Warner's manufacturing plant at the time was awful- several regular DVDs from that time that were made there have gone bad also (several of the Tales From the Crypt discs for example.) There was no problem with "humidity" or storage of the discs, the manufacturing plant was just bad, and that's especially sad coming from Warner which was largely responsible for launching the DVD format in the first place.

The same plant also made some of the Eagle Vision, Rhino and Magnolia HD-DVD titles so those have also gone bad. Technicolor in Mexico made the other studios' discs, despite some of their US DVDs from that time having some problems the HD-DVDs have mostly been problem-free.

[R3P0]

Simple solution upgrade to Blu-Ray