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

[zeze]

Originally Posted by Crimson King

Well Go should have its own thread IMO

I agree. The Criterion discussion is monopolizing this thread. It is no point in even trying to discuss the Well Go titles as it will get lost in the Criterion talk.

The threads should really get separated like they were before.

[AgentOrange]

Can the OP be more clearly updated with which ones are the "bad" codes vs the "good" codes for each title? I.e. for each title if there is a "safe" code, what is it? Reading the thread I'm still not entirely clear on what to look for.

I will add to the confusion by listing my own codes My question, are there actually any ALTERNATE codes for these very same titles?

-M: IFPI L321
-Pierrot Le Fou: IFPI 10K6 (? *VERY* hard to read this one on clear inner circle)
-Stagecoach: IFPI L325
-Seventh Seal: IFPI L324
-Paris Texas: IFPI L322

FWIW all of these discs still play fine for me, I moved aside my other blu rays and rewatched some of the Criterions this week. On Stagecoach I watched both the main film and Bucking Broadway with no issues. From what I gather, my Pierrot Le Fou might still be one of the discs from the bad batch even though it works for me - this disc is labeled differently from all the others and the IFPI is very hard to read on the inner clear ring (the glue also looks a tad sloppy on the inner ring). Are any of my other titles "safe" from this fiasco, or are any of the others still up in the air?

I'm not too worried about the titles that are still in-print, but I'm worried even if Criterion is doing replacements for Pierrot Le Fou now, it might not be available later. So I'd better take advantage of that now.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

Can the OP be more clearly updated with which ones are the "bad" codes vs the "good" codes for each title? I.e. for each title if there is a "safe" code, what is it? Reading the thread I'm still not entirely clear on what to look for.

I will add to the confusion by listing my own codes My question, are there actually any ALTERNATE codes for these very same titles?

-M: IFPI L321
-Pierrot Le Fou: IFPI 10K3 (? *VERY* hard to read this one on clear inner circle)
-Stagecoach: IFPI L325
-Seventh Seal: IFPI L324
-Paris Texas: IFPI L322

FWIW all of these discs still play fine for me, I moved aside my other blu rays and rewatched some of the Criterions this week. On Stagecoach I watched both the main film and Bucking Broadway with no issues. From what I gather, my Pierrot Le Fou might still be one of the discs from the bad batch even though it works for me - this disc is labeled differently from all the others and the IFPI is very hard to read on the inner clear ring (the glue also looks a tad sloppy on the inner ring). Are any of my other titles "safe" from this fiasco, or are any of the others still up in the air?

I'm not too worried about the titles that are still in-print, but I'm worried even if Criterion is doing replacements for Pierrot Le Fou now, it might not be available later. So I'd better take advantage of that now.

Yes, there are multiple codes, but so far, all the bad discs have been associated with 10K6/10K7 and/or L0**/LB** (if you can't find 10K6/10K7). I don't see a need to clog the OP with codes for discs that aren't affected.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

Yes, there are multiple codes, but so far, all the bad discs have been associated with 10K6/10K7 and or L0**/LB**. I don't see a need to clog the OP with codes for discs that aren't affected.

So what you are saying is anything with IFPI L3** is "safe", so I shouldn't have to worry about these discs?

But my Pierrot Le Fou is definitely inside the range of the bad batches? (IFPI 10K6).

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

So what you are saying is anything with IFPI L3** is "safe", so I shouldn't have to worry about these discs?

But my Pierrot Le Fou is definitely inside the range of the bad batches? (IFPI 10K6).

Yes, IFPI L3** is safe.

Your Pierrot le fou has won the lottery.

[neo_reloaded]

Again, I don't think any non-10K6 Pierrot le fou copies exist.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

So what you are saying is anything with IFPI L3** is "safe", so I shouldn't have to worry about these discs?

But my Pierrot Le Fou is definitely inside the range of the bad batches? (IFPI 10K6).

The L32x discs were replicated in a Sony plant so they should be fine.

[fdm]

The sun was popping in and out of clouds just about the time I started checking them all, so nothing conclusive, but I did have a chance to check them all out today.

Worst cases were Walkabout and Summer Hours which have the very distinctive darker rims. And these are going to be replaced since they have playback issues, as I mentioned before. (Awaiting checking out (playing them etc) several more yet (especially the ones Criterions mentions) before sending anything to Criterion.)

The rest, there were different degrees of brownish discoloration, and a couple may have had some slightly darker rims developing (Days of Heaven, and Monsoon Wedding, which I haven't played yet; and looks like possibly Howards End (which played fine a few weeks back) and Pierrot Le Fou (which played past the layer change the other day) may be in early stages still at this point.)

Didn't get a chance to look at the numbers (they really are small, aren't they), but I would guess that pretty much all of them are from the same manufacturing facilities.

Fwiw, Che and Monterey Pop sets both discs of each set were similar looking (although Che might have had a slightly darker disc #2 than its disc #1).

So, on to looking at those teeny numbers and playing the rest of them and backing up a few more of them and doing the VSO thing...

Oh, didn't notice any peeling.

[jscoggins]

Similar bronzing problem as some Criterions from 2009-2010.

The date range for these appears to be April 2010 to October 2011.

Look for alphanumeric codes IFPI L606 (both) Mould IC0Z or 1C0Z.

IFPI L606, U-TECH Media Corporation, Taiwan

Credit to Freeza (https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=789), wormraper, Brian81, and others.

10/07 Update -- Well Go USA will replace the defective discs, but it'll take time to replicate new batches. (https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=1333)

11/18 Update -- Well Go USA will replace discs for both American and Canadian customers. They have also identified even more discs that might be affected. http://www.wellgousa.com/sites/defau...0-%20FINAL.pdf

--------------------------------------------------

Blood (03/22/2011)

Brothers Five (04/27/2010)

Delightful Forest (04/27/2010)

The Heroic Ones (04/27/2010)

Ip Man 1-disc and 2-disc (07/27/2010)
(This disc also freezes during the Main Menu on some BD players, even if there's no bronzing.)

Ip Man 2 1-disc and 2-disc (04/19/2011)

Kung Fu Dunk (05/03/2011)

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (06/14/2011)

The Man From Nowhere (03/08/2011)

Shaolin (10/25/2011)

The Stool Pigeon (09/27/2011)

Triple Dog (09/21/2010)

Web of Death (02/15/2011)

White Wall (05/25/2010)

[jscoggins]

Some of the early pressings (2006-2009) had high rates of failure. Lionsgate has not offered to replace discs.

Bronzing is not associated with playback problems.

Note: Some Lionsgate BDs take a long time to load on older BD players due to their Java software design. You just have to have patience.

--------------------------------------------------

American Pyscho

Basic Instinct

Chaplin

Crank 2

The Descent

The Devil's Rejects

Dredd (most of the bad discs seem to have been supplied to Best Buy)

The Eye

From Paris With Love

Happily N'Ever After

House of 1000 Corpses

The Hunger Games Best Buy Cube (2012)
(Lionsgate has replaced this one, though it's unknown if this was a time-limited offer.)

Jacob's Ladder

The Lincoln Lawyer

Lord of War

Mad Men Season 2 Disc 1

Mad Men Season 3 Disc 3

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

My Bloody Valentine (2009) anaglyph 3D

The Ninth Gate

The Punisher

Requiem for a Dream

Saw I

Saw II

Saw III

Stir of Echoes

Total Recall (08/29/2006 version)

Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection (bronzing)

Weeds Season 6 Disc 1

[jscoggins]

Guys, I've reposted the Lionsgate and Well Go USA threads.

[The Valeyard]

Argh! I just bought Man From Nowhere!

[Cocophone]

I watched my copy of Pierrot le fou two nights ago and it played without errors. I tried reading the IFPI number on the back of the disc next to the larger CC numbers but I couldn't see the numbers clearly. Maybe I can borrow an electronic microscope and give it another try.

[mjbethancourt]

My Kagemusha croaked a few months back, bronzed at the edges and sometimes loads, sometimes doesn't, and always at least freezes and skips about 12 minutes at midfilm. It's IFPI 10K7. I contacted them when I discovered it (July), and they took about a month to get back to me. I'd searched the internet and found a scattering of identical complaints about the disc, and brought that to their attention, but they said it was the first they'd ever heard of any such thing, but I don't believe it for a second. I'm a little concerned that it took a flood of public pressure to get them to acknowledge the issue.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by mjbethancourt

My Kagemusha croaked a few months back, bronzed at the edges and sometimes loads, sometimes doesn't, and always at least freezes and skips about 12 minutes at midfilm. It's IFPI 10K7. I contacted them when I discovered it (July), and they took about a month to get back to me. I'd searched the internet and found a scattering of identical complaints about the disc, and brought that to their attention, but they said it was the first they'd ever heard of any such thing, but I don't believe it for a second. I'm a little concerned that it took a flood of public pressure to get them to acknowledge the issue.

So your copy has changed colors? Thanks very much. I'll update the OP.

[jayembee]

I just pulled out my copy of Kagemusha. Depending on the light, it looks like it might be slightly bronzed, but I'll have to check it again in the morning under natural light. My copy has SIDs 10K7 and L021. I've just started a sector scan and file check with VSO Inspector, but I'm going to bed, so I'll post results in the morning.

[mjbethancourt]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

So your copy has changed colors? Thanks very much. I'll update the OP.

It's a much thinner band compared to most of the examples in this thread, but yes, it is turning brown at the edge.

[wormraper]

I got a couple of the bad ones it looks like

Stage Coach L021
M LB42
Bigger Than Life LB42
Kagemusha (plays fine, but L021)
and
Ride with the Devil (LB42)

Revanche and Sanjuro/Yojimbo are LB42 as well, but no bronzing or what not

couldn't find the mould codes of 10k7 etc... only the LO and LB codes

[zeze]

Glad to see a separate thread for this issue.

You can also add Triple Dog to the list. It also has the IFPI L606 code.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by zeze

Glad to see a separate thread for this issue.

You can also add Triple Dog to the list. It also has the IFPI L606 code.

I'm still worried about 2012 on discs... a TON of their movies, about 70% now that I went through them all have the L606 code on them (including ones coming out in the next few weeks)....if this issue was never resolved we may be seeing a whole new batch next year