I've had it with Millcreek

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Then arrow flat-out lied about their Dune fiasco, because they literally sent emails saying tiny, almost-invisible scratches on the surface were causing our play back woes. According to them, the cases were causing a tiny scratch on the disc in the area where people were having issues. Of course, I didn't really believe that story anyways. I always felt it was a disc authoring issue and they didn't want to admit it. But according to them, those micro-scratches were causing tons of grief for customers who bought the Dune UHDs.

It's a good story, but Arrow has lied plenty in the past about framing issues and many other things. The same "micro scratches" wouldn't happen at EXACTLY the same place on hundreds or thousands of discs (regarding Dune), so scratches weren't the issue.

As I said, never had a scratch affect ANY disc and I have enough to know.

Originally Posted by RillIris

If you’ve had the same luck as him you must be one of the luckiest disc collectors out there. I did make a comment with a picture included as it only took opening a handful for me to find one with some very light concentric scratches. Doesn’t affect playback, and they are so surface level it’s hard to see under most lights, and even harder to get a picture of, but they are still there.

That says it all. Blu-rays have protective surfaces to prevent small surface scratches from affecting playback, and that is 100% the case, as you even said. Doesn't affect playback. Thanks for admitting it.

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

It's a good story, but Arrow has lied plenty in the past about framing issues and many other things. The same "micro scratches" wouldn't happen at EXACTLY the same place on hundreds or thousands of discs (regarding Dune), so scratches weren't the issue.

As I said, never had a scratch affect ANY disc and I have enough to know.



That says it all. Blu-rays have protective surfaces to prevent small surface scratches from affecting playback, and that is 100% the case, as you even said. Doesn't affect playback. Thanks for admitting it.

Scratches on UHDs can affect playback as the players are much more sensitive and more data on the disc is damaged. But that wasn't the issue with Dune because everyone had issues in the same place.

As far as Arrow, that was obviously not accurate information they told us about the Dune issues and the cause behind it, and it's amazing anybody actually bought their excuse. Sadly even an expert came in (David M I believe) to back it up.

[joonskeezle]

I don't think any recent Mill Creek blu ray releases have had stacked discs.

And it's hard to single them out. Everyone's putting out the occasional stackers now. Sony does it (Outlander, Better Call Saul). Universal did it for P&R, though they've hopefully already abandoned that. Acorn's done it (Murdoch Mysteries). A lot of steelbooks are stackers.

[50strat54]

Zack Snyder Justice League 4K was stacked but at $10 on BF I really did not care. I moved the more valuable and fragile 4K discs to the bottom and stacked the blurays on top.

Blurays and even DVDs are fairly strong and less affected by marks or scratches. I’ve notice if a bluray has an issue on my Sansung then it plays fine on my Sony or my new Panasonic 4K player (another great deal from last BF $100)

[50strat54]

First off again I want to say I'm happy with Mill Creek when it's cheap [like Ultraman steelbooks], stacked discs, poor QC etc. as someone posted it's a company that tries to sell movies on the cheap and you get what you pay for. If I have problems with a few episodes I'm not really upset I just try and fast forward or will go to the next episode. It's kind of the nature of the beast with discs.

Also different players play scratched discs differently. I will also move the disc to a different player. I will admit I will be pissed and annoyed when it happens but the feeling goes away after a few hours.

Discs get scratched, and there can be playback issues but I've found I've had very little issues with all of the DVDs, blurays and 4Ks I own. Sometimes you just have to let it go. All those DVDs that had issues? No one cares anymore!

Also I'm glad Mill Creek puts out some great titles like Quantum Leap Rockford Files, Miami Vice, the Ultraman series which is great stuff. So it may not be at Criterion quality but I'm glad someone put it out! Regardless of any QC issues I'm still just glad the title came out. Of course I also wait for it to go on sale!

In the 4K thread and other threads I keep reading about so many issues with the format. Freezing, skipping, little scratches that cause issues on the 4K disc. I read more problems with the format than bluray. Many posts have pointed out how fragile the 4K discs are. I am so glad that the big studios are still releasing the combo 4K with bluray so if there's a 4K issue and no replacement program or you are passed the return period you can say "oh well" and just put in the bluray. It's great to get a digital code too [which will be 4K]

I know 4K streaming is here to stay but I'm really wondering about the viability sometimes of 4K discs given all the issues I see in the 4K thread.

But I'm still going to buy 4K. I love to load up on BF like I did this year or when a title goes to $10 during the year which I why I keep my eye on the Deals and 4K thread.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

So it may not be at Criterion quality but I'm glad someone put it out! Regardless of any QC issues I'm still just glad the title came out. Of course I also wait for it to go on sale!

Am I still in a thread about disc-damaging packaging?

[50strat54]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Am I still in a thread about disc-damaging packaging?

Kind of it's also a thread about why people hate Mill Creek or like myself trying to defend it a little bit

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

Kind of it's also a thread about why people hate Mill Creek or like myself trying to defend it a little bit

Most definitely. I was just trying to say boutique labels have their packaging snafus too.

[Zillamon51]

I have never received a scratched disc in a factory-sealed package, unless it was a floater (disc off the hub and rattling around inside the case). Anytime I buy a disc in store, I check by shaking the case. If I get a floater in the mail, it goes right back unopened.

All this UHD talk is irrelevant, as Mill Creek really isn't in that market.

[SMOOT]

Originally Posted by 50strat54

I know 4K streaming is here to stay but I'm really wondering about the viability sometimes of 4K discs given all the issues I see in the 4K thread.

But I'm still going to buy 4K. I love to load up on BF like I did this year or when a title goes to $10 during the year which I why I keep my eye on the Deals and 4K thread.

I wonder about the viability as well. I want to see physical media continue to survive, and I hope that the tech people are working on a way to lessen these 4K disc playback issues that I read about.
While I have two 4K players, I have yet to purchase a 4K set (as my two HD televisions are working fine).

[jstxanothrxstory]

Mill Creek has their share of issues, but I honestly don't mind them and think the hate for them is particularly overblown. I've yet to have any issues with my Mill Creek titles (including their 'complete collection' DVD sets that use the weird cardboard paper sleeves instead of just being in a regular DVD case for whatever reason), and they've put out a few things that I was beginning to think would never get a release, including what's probably my favourite show of all time for less than a single season had cost on DVD.

[RillIris]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Mill Creek’s other SteelBook releases at all. They just released a SteelBook edition of the Street Fighter movie that actually features new extras, plus like all Mill Creek SteelBook releases it includes a slipcover also like the Lionsgate SteelBook’s people have been raving about. They have done a few others like this also, including Mothra and the animated Metropolis which I own from them.

They definitely have two tiers of releases anymore. You have the things where they clearly put some time and effort in like their SteelBook’s, Ultraman, and select other series. Then you have their releases that do use weird packaging and cram way too many episodes of something onto a DVD release. I personally feel like they should create a sub brand for their higher tier releases, would probably help them get more and better attention than they do.

Granted the SteelBooks for Ultraman were always going to be a bit divisive due to having to use stacked disc, but you want to see proof that they care about their Ultraman releases it’s that not only did you have that SteelBook option but a standard case also, and that the standard case option does not use stacked disc or envelopes like their lower tier titles at all. A couple of the Ultraman series do get into the too much content on a single disc territory, but still not as bad as their budget releases, and they are releasing the Ultraman sets at a price higher than their budget titles but still like 1/2 of what a different label would. I do have one of their actual budget DVD releases, and that’s nice as it gave me a way to own a series I wanted, but the quality honestly is similar to a top notch VHS recording, so could be worse but certainly isn’t good especially for a DVD. Even the worst of the Ultraman DVD only releases so far, looks notably better than that, plus the packaging and booklet are nicely done.

[jzbadblood]

I like their Retro VHS releases, but the transfers are never amazing. 3 out 5 on the Video quality scale if not less. When you see the logo you know you're not getting something great. It's like the Vestron releases.

[RillIris]

Oh and another issue that contributes is the labels some studios use, if they aren’t perfectly smooth then when stacked the label on top of one disc can act like sandpaper to another. I note this as some actual cases don’t actually elevate the disc off the plastic of the case even which is absurd but is what it is, but you don’t usually see scratches anyway because the plastic is a perfectly slick surface.

[Alex82]

I cry a little every time I see that Mill Creek will release a TV show that I like.

The true culprits, however, are the big studios. They just sit on their shows and license them to indie labels. One can argue that if not for Mill Creek, most of those would never see a Blu-ray release.

[RillIris]

Originally Posted by Alex82

I cry a little every time I see that Mill Creek will release a TV show that I like.

The true culprits, however, are the big studios. They just sit on their shows and license them to indie labels. One can argue that if not for Mill Creek, most of those would never see a Blu-ray release.

This is likely very true. I wish more studios would put out some of these type of releases personally, but outside of Warner thanks to Warner Archive you don’t really see it much. Even if it’s a very corners have been cut type release like Paramount did for Twilight Zone Season 2 last year I’d be fine with it. The encodes for that release are solid, but in terms of packaging it straight up feels like a bootleg, doesn’t even use the Blu-ray logo on it.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by RillIris

This is likely very true. I wish more studios would put out some of these type of releases personally, but outside of Warner thanks to Warner Archive you don’t really see it much. Even if it’s a very corners have been cut type release like Paramount did for Twilight Zone Season 2 last year I’d be fine with it. The encodes for that release are solid, but in terms of packaging it straight up feels like a bootleg, doesn’t even use the Blu-ray logo on it.

They can't use the Blu-ray logo because it's a BD-R, making it an even less desirable full price release.

[RillIris]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

They can't use the Blu-ray logo because it's a BD-R, making it an even less desirable full price release.

At least the copy I received lack’s that darker hue of a BD-R, but maybe they did that as they knew further pressings would be made that way I’m assuming.

[RillIris]

Hopefully attached picture correctly. This one does not affect playback at all, but only took me opening a handful of releases to find one with concentric scratches on it. Wasn’t easy getting them to show in a picture as they are extremely surface level, but still you can see these with your eyes and this isn’t a stacked case. Explain to me how this happened since it’s only in a regular single disc case?!

[joonskeezle]

Originally Posted by RillIris

Hopefully attached picture correctly. This one does not affect playback at all, but only took me opening a handful of releases to find one with concentric scratches on it. Wasn’t easy getting them to show in a picture as they are extremely surface level, but still you can see these with your eyes and this isn’t a stacked case. Explain to me how this happened since it’s only in a regular single disc case?!

You offended God or something. Even stacked discs don't look that bad, much less non-stacked discs that definitely don't have concentric scratches. You're doing something wrong for them to look like that. Hell I'm just cynical enough to think maybe you did that on purpose just now in an attempt to win an internet argument.

You either had that handy or you did it yourself. Because what definitely isn't true is that you have a bunch of non-stackers that look like that.