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

[Torrente]

Originally Posted by AllieFox

I've only just begin on my rot checking project. I seem to be having a 50-50 failure rate going off the titles in the OP so far. My Punisher BD is bad. I tried really hard using a flashlight and magnifying glass to read mint marks.

All of the numbers are mirror image making it a chore to read. My bad Punisher BD says:

M5 019152.1.A VD08 and 4 tiny numbers LY01 somewhere else.

I can find no other letters or numbers on the inner rings whatsoever. Same with other Lionsgate discs I've checked. The OP says to look for "IFPI" which I have not yet seen on any discs. I don't know how to decode these numbers from the OP and I can't find anything useful with my online search besides a list of SID codes all starting with "IFPI".

Any help or pointers to useful BD mint mark threads would be appreciated. Otherwise I'm not going to be able to share info on the mint marks of my bad discs.

TheIFPI code is the most important to get to know where the disc was pressed and maybe find a pattern...


(thanks to bluraydefectueux.com for the picture)

[AllieFox]

Originally Posted by Torrente

TheIFPI code is the most important to get to know where the disc was pressed and maybe find a pattern...

(thanks to bluraydefectueux.com for the picture)

Thanks for the post and picture. The problem is that none of my BD discs look anything like this. I'm obviously looking at the bottom data side because the top side is artwork.

I'm no good at any type of photography, least of all anything close up, so I doubt I could take a useful picture of what I see other than it doesn't look anything like this picture.

To see anything I have to shine a flashlight and then move the magnifying glass up/down until the letters come in focus. Unlike all the pictures I've seen, the letters on my discs are always backwards (mirror image) and very hard to read. I still only see 1 ring of mint marks and there are no IFPI letters on any disc I've checked (over a dozen now). So I remain stumped. Does it take blacklight or UV or some magical lighting source to make the other numbers visible?

My latest discovered Lionsgate deaths (still maintaining a roughly 50% death rate):
The Eye
Frailty
Haunting in Connecticut
King of New York
The Ninth Gate
Wallace and Gromit Complete Collection

[Torrente]

No problem.

It's engraved inside the little piece of plastic in the center of every Blu-ray discs.
It's so little and so difficult to spot that you'll need a direct light and probably a magnifying glass to spot it, yes.
And it should be 3 letters and 1 number or most probably 2 letters and 2 numbers.

As it's clear plastic, you can look for it with the data side up or the artwork up. It doesn't matter as long as you can spot it and it's not backwards, of course.

[AllieFox]

Originally Posted by Torrente

No problem.

It's engraved inside the little piece of plastic in the center of every Blu-ray discs.
It's so little and so difficult to spot that you'll need a direct light and probably a magnifying glass to spot it, yes.
And it should be 3 letters and 1 number or most probably 2 letters and 2 numbers.

As it's clear plastic, you can look for it with the data side up or the artwork up. It doesn't matter as long as you can spot it and it's not backwards, of course.

Thanks. With your additional info I was finally able to find some IFPI numbers. They are on the innermost plastic ring and visible from either side, as you said. However, the IFPI numbers look nothing like the pictures I've seen (such as the one above). They are etched and not inked so you can only see them when you hold the flashlight at a very specific angle. Even now there are some BDs I still can't see the IFPI numbers. IFPI numbers are what I'd call semi invisible and non-trivial to see. I need to get a brighter flashlight.

[Vilya]

To my surprise my blu-ray of The Punisher played fine and the back-up went smoothly.

The Eye played without any issues and I was able to back it up also.

[AllieFox]

Originally Posted by Vilya

To my surprise my blu-ray of The Punisher played fine and the back-up went smoothly.

The Eye played without any issues and I was able to back it up also.

You are luckier than I am. I'm mad having bought all those BDs I listed as rotted and effectively no longer owning that which I paid for. Did you check the almost invisible mint marks to see if your still working BDs are not "IFPI 2F29"? The bad ones whose mint mark I could read, which are only a few since these marks are so hard to see, were all this mint mark.

Out of curiosity, having only read the first page and latter pages, has anyone encountered any rotted BDs after 2013 with other mint marks? Are there any known bad BDs from roughly the last decade, such as Disney, Ghibli, Universal, Warner, Paramount, Dreamworks, etc. BDs?

It's one thing to know I have a lot of old bad Lionsgate and some Fox BDs. It would be nice to know that my entire collection isn't mass infested with rot. It makes me not want to buy any more BDs until I find evidence that studios aren't still selling rotting discs and leaving owners of bad discs "in the lurch" as Lionsgate has.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by AllieFox

You are luckier than I am. I'm mad having bought all those BDs I listed as rotted and effectively no longer owning that which I paid for. Did you check the almost invisible mint marks to see if your still working BDs are not "IFPI 2F29"? The bad ones whose mint mark I could read, which are only a few since these marks are so hard to see, were all this mint mark.

Out of curiosity, having only read the first page and latter pages, has anyone encountered any rotted BDs after 2013 with other mint marks? Are there any known bad BDs from roughly the last decade, such as Disney, Ghibli, Universal, Warner, Paramount, Dreamworks, etc. BDs?

It's one thing to know I have a lot of old bad Lionsgate and some Fox BDs. It would be nice to know that my entire collection isn't mass infested with rot. It makes me not want to buy any more BDs until I find evidence that studios aren't still selling rotting discs and leaving owners of bad discs "in the lurch" as Lionsgate has.

I have not looked to find the nearly invisible inner codes, but all of the discs that I have backed up were released around 2006-2008 and purchased soon thereafter. I have been checking the ones that you have mentioned and I still have 3 more to check today.

Several early Criterion blu-rays released around 2010-2011 have failed, but unlike Lionsgate, Criterion will replace them if you write to them at mulvaney@criterion.com

[almo89]

I just recently found out about this bronzing disc rotting issue. So I went through some of my Hong Kong blu ray discs first since it was the smaller part of my collection. I was shocked at how high the failure was. I tested using a Ps5 as my blu ray player and also a PC blu ray drive. Majority of the discs in that picture don't load at all. The Well Go USA ones can play, but have distorted images and skipping. Now I'm dreading having to check the rest of my collection.

[poisonmail]

The only early-ish LGF titles I have are Open Water and Winter’s Bone; I bought them fairly recently but both were used copies. I just checked and they played through fine. Although I find myself wondering why I thought upgrading Open Water was a sensible idea, it looks hilariously bad.

[CrimsonLegionVMCXIX]

Originally Posted by almo89

I just recently found out about this bronzing disc rotting issue. So I went through some of my Hong Kong blu ray discs first since it was the smaller part of my collection. I was shocked at how high the failure was. I tested using a Ps5 as my blu ray player and also a PC blu ray drive. Majority of the discs in that picture don't load at all. The Well Go USA ones can play, but have distorted images and skipping. Now I'm dreading having to check the rest of my collection.

It's a shame too, because a lot of those companies simply aren't around anymore or the discs are OOP. Essentially, shit out of luck. I have been buying some old HK blu rays from 2009 - 2011, that period seems to have the highest failure rate, as some used a plant in Taiwan that had a history of bad discs. Some of my Taiwanese blurays no longer work. Which WellGo titles give you issues? I haven't had any yet and I have titles from 2011 or so.

[almo89]

Originally Posted by CrimsonLegionVMCXIX

It's a shame too, because a lot of those companies simply aren't around anymore or the discs are OOP. Essentially, shit out of luck. I have been buying some old HK blu rays from 2009 - 2011, that period seems to have the highest failure rate, as some used a plant in Taiwan that had a history of bad discs. Some of my Taiwanese blurays no longer work. Which WellGo titles give you issues? I haven't had any yet and I have titles from 2011 or so.

I know it's such a shame. Pretty much SOL for most of them. I don't even know if WellGo is still replacing these discs so many years later. The WellGo titles I have are Brothers Five, Heroic Ones and Delightful Forest. In another thread, I saw that there was a google sheet of all the HK blu ray titles that are affected. I went it backed up what I could. Most on that sheet that I owned were completely dead. Once I get my server setup, Im going to slowly back up my whole collection. You just never know.

[RYJAPE21]

I must’ve been fortunate, as my first releases of The Simpsons Movie and Martha Marcy May Marlene still play fine on multiple players.

The only BDs that I encountered playback issues with are Silent Hill (French release) and Avatar (original release, 2008?); both of those stopped working entirely.

[jt839]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but older printings of this disc are incredibly prone to disc bronzing. If you have it, check if bvdl is printed on the back of the disc's ring to ensure if you have the reprinted disc.

[4Dblu]

I jus played Pacific Rim in my LG player and it froze and the video went BlackWTH, this never happened b4. I stopped it and cleaned disc again at the same spot. Chapter 11it will not go pass this spot.

So, i popped it in my Oppo and played without a hiccup
And sometimes watching movies the sound will cut out for like 3 seconds and keeps playing like nothing happened...It happens with all my players like its some kind of Transition is happening with the sound. i dt kw if i should upgrade to a 2.1 HDMI cable... I read i'm not alone some other Ppl hav this same problem..

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by jt839

Not sure if it's been mentioned but older printings of this disc are incredibly prone to disc bronzing. If you have it, check if bvdl is printed on the back of the disc's ring to ensure if you have the reprinted disc.

Ughhh!!!

I bought Something Wild years ago, just watched it for the first time, and had no issues. I assume that means I'm safe?

(Deciphering numbers - or anything - on the back of a disc seems nearly impossible - for me, at least. Is there a trick to it?)

When was the reprint, do you know? Amazon lists the release date as May 10th, 2011. I bought it toward the end of 2012.

[jt839]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

Ughhh!!!

I bought Something Wild years ago, just watched it for the first time, and had no issues. I assume that means I'm safe?

(Deciphering numbers - or anything - on the back of a disc seems nearly impossible - for me, at least. Is there a trick to it?)

When was the reprint, do you know? Amazon lists the release date as May 10th, 2011. I bought it toward the end of 2012.

I have no clue when the reprint was but I can give you a picture of my disc's ring (which is the reprint) to show you where bvdl should be located.

[TheHistorian]

Originally Posted by jt839

Not sure if it's been mentioned but older printings of this disc are incredibly prone to disc bronzing. If you have it, check if bvdl is printed on the back of the disc's ring to ensure if you have the reprinted disc.

Unlike some other items discussed in this thread, getting a replacement for a defective disc, from Criterion, will not be a problem.

[jephdood]

Just stumbled across this thread and wow.. day ruined. Any studios cooperative with replacements? Or are we SOL.

[iaragorn1]

Originally Posted by jephdood

Just stumbled across this thread and wow.. day ruined. Any studios cooperative with replacements?

Criterion. Email them and they will respond.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by jephdood

Just stumbled across this thread and wow.. day ruined. Any studios cooperative with replacements? Or are we SOL.

This thread is always a joy to visit.

Criterion is great about replacements. Warner Bros. used to be good about it, but not so much anymore. Lionsgate and Disney will do nothing for you, but the latter will wish you a magical day.