HD-DVD combo disks are choking

[Strannix136]

This is from The Digital Bits:

Finally today, I'd like to say a few words of appeal to the HD-DVD supporting studios. And no, this is not what some of you think. I've said many times that I like the HD-DVD format, despite the fact that I prefer Blu-ray. And believe it or not, it's true. Except for one thing: I absolutely HATE the DVD/HD-DVD Combo format. I hate it with a passion. Why? Well... let's put it this way. I've kept a bit of a running tally. In the last two months, I've checked out 23 Combo titles. You know how many actually worked, playing smoothly all the way through? Just 9. In the other 14 cases, I'd be watching the movie and about halfway through it just freezes, stutters a little bit and then flashes an error code. What's happening, it seems, is that in the replication stage, the bonding layer between the DVD and HD-DVD halves is being applied too thickly. So many HD-DVD players choke on the resulting Combo disc. This is the same problem a lot of people had with Universal's The Good Shepherd and Children of Men Combo discs a few months ago. Clearly, the problem STILL hasn't been resolved. I know it's not just my player, because not only have I updated the firmware and still had problems, the same discs crash on other players I've tried, as well as the HD-DVD drive on my new PC. And I get regular complaints from readers who are experiencing the same issue.

This is a HUGE problem, folks. Nearly every new film these studios are releasing is on a Combo disc. If less than half of them are working properly for me, just how big is this problem market-wide? The most recent problem I've had: Warner's We Are Marshall, just last night. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to be two-thirds of the way into a movie only to have it crash on you? Well... yeah, I suppose some of you do. How are the studios managing the customer service problem here? I've got so many non-working Combo discs I wouldn't even know where to start trying to exchange them all. So this is my appeal to the HD-DVD supporting studios: PLEASE... either fix this problem with the Combo discs, or abandon the Combo format altogether and just release your titles on regular HD-DVD discs. It might be a good idea for the HD-DVD Promotion Group to create a single phone number or e-mail address to act as a clearing house for this, where people with defective discs can get them easily exchanged. Let's have an end to this problem once and for all.

I love it.

Here's the link: www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa143.html#combo

[E-Dogg]

Good news for Blu-Ray supporters.

[CptGreedle]

HA! And they are more expensive too!
Maybe he should just ask them to drop HD-DVD and only release on DVD since more people buy that!

[jedisinclair]

I have always thought combo discs were LAME. I mean, isn't the point of buying a Next-gen disc format just that... NEXT GEN ... not current technology. I mean do the hd-dudders really think people will buy the combo discs and be all like "I got this movie that plays on my dvd player in the bedroom, but if I flip it over, I can take it in the living room and play it on my hd dvd player"... whoopee! I mean, maybe there's a small market for that, but I want movie on one side and studio artwork on the other... I never liked flippers either with widescreen on one side and crappy full screen on the other.... yuck! OK, I just had to vent a little... I'm better now.

[T-Town Oil]

thats great and all, but i for one could give two shits about an hd-dvd combo disc. i thought this was bluray.com

[CptGreedle]

Originally Posted by T-Town Oil

thats great and all, but i for one could give two shits about an hd-dvd combo disc. i thought this was bluray.com

The point is that the claim that the combo disc is better cause it runs on DVD players too is false. They were trying to use this against Blu-ray.

[jedisinclair]

Originally Posted by T-Town Oil

thats great and all, but i for one could give two shits about an hd-dvd combo disc. i thought this was bluray.com

True... but it's a point to the Blu-ray VS hd dvd. One of the reasons I chose Blu was actually my detest for the cobo disc on the dud side. Granted, it wasn't one of the bigger reasons, but it was in "the mix".

[T-Town Oil]

yeah, but somewhere in that rant he was hoping that they fix the problem.

[bhampton]

Thing is combo discs are helping Blu Ray. Most of the time they don't work. And they cost more then Blu Ray. and people are forced to watch the standard DVD side on these discs and realize they bought garbage.

So,.. it's very relevant to Blu Ray.

I'm sort of glad they are out there showing the HD DVD crowd the error they made.

-Brian

[HebrewHammer00]

i dont know why they have combo hddvd and dvd, why would u want both, if its the high def u want, I think thats a stupid marketing screwup.

[Xerious]

probably my number one reason for not going neutral... i dispise flippers...

[T-Town Oil]

didnt say i was offended. just was curious as to why you wanted the hd-dvd combo disc to work??? you said you hoped they fixed it

[w_tanoto]

good to hear that. I hope the other people will know it, and choose BD, because its cheaper compared to Combo
In japan, BTW, they have combo BD+DVD. Does it work properly?

[buckshot]

Originally Posted by T-Town Oil

thats great and all, but i for one could give two shits about an hd-dvd combo disc. i thought this was bluray.com

actually its www.blu-ray.com

I initially liked the whole combo disc IDEA. later I liked the idea of being able to buy a bd/dvd set. 1 disc of each. I would have paid a few bucks more for that, the dvd being for portable devices and the bedroom of course. then I realized how much more i'd be spending on old technology. so I just bought a second blu ray player. problem solved.

[CAB]

I wouldn't mind it working better some day and on Blu-ray. I doubt Big Blue is gonna buy a blu capable laptop and I won't travel with two machines. It would help me to play the same movie on my pad when I travel for work and at home. Yep, I'd pay extra if it works.

Just because the idea is Red doesn't mean it's bad. I certainly don't hope for format flaws or bad media on the other side of the aisle. Those kind of things are bad for the consumer and will breed further distrust in HDM - possibly discouraging people from moving to a either new format.

[theknub]

Originally Posted by buckshot

actually its www.blu-ray.com

I initially liked the whole combo disc IDEA. later I liked the idea of being able to buy a bd/dvd set. 1 disc of each. I would have paid a few bucks more for that, the dvd being for portable devices and the bedroom of course. then I realized how much more i'd be spending on old technology. so I just bought a second blu ray player. problem solved.

just give me managed copy and i'll be fine for any other devices

[Footloose301]

Well I'll add something which most of you are going to want to slit my throat over.....

Last night I bought Knocked Up on HD DVD because I had to get that movie and its a combo disk. Tried watching it HD DVD side in my XBOX360 add on and would not play at all! The DVD side worked perfectly so we watched that. About an hour ago I returned it and obviously got the same thing and came home and tried it about 10min ago, still will not start up. When you insert the disk it goes to a black screen like it normally does and then goes back to the desktop or whatever you call it. So now I have to go back again, wasting gas to get another which will probably do the same thing. I'm going to keep returning it until they run out and hopefully get my money back. I HATE HD DVD but I had to get that movie. Bought it from Walmart, which they only have 5 copies, so after I'm thru all of those hopefully they'll let me get the regular DVD and give some money back.

[blackhawktraffic]

I loved that article, made me happy inside haha.

[Footloose301]

**Update**

Just got back from Wally World. Returned the damaged HD DVD for a 2nd time and they gave me this "We're only allowed to exchange items 3 times and then thats all we can do" So after a lot of the "F" word and other awesome phrases I said to him, (and he told me to calm down) I got another copy of Knocked Up on HD DVD to the register and opened it up in front of them and showed them the "cloud" looking thing on the surface of the disk. I told him that I was not accepting it and especially if I can't return it again. So he told me that they're not allowed to give you a different movie because of copyrights and I knew that so I told him I want the same exact movie but on regular DVD and he said he could not do that. I was furious. I was running all over him. He then threated me that was going to have me "escorted out" and I responded "Bullsh1t I'm not moving until I have a working copy in my hand or cash back". He refused and started to get angry. I spoke to his manager which asked if they had a HD DVD player that they could check the disks with and they did not. So I explained to her that the reason I bought Knocked Up is because its a great movie and I still want that movie and that I would be happy to get a regular DVD and some money back since it was cheaper. She agreed and I left and the DVD works fine.

There was a lot that I left out because I'm very angry with stupid people and don't feel like typing it all. The entire process took about 45min to exchange.
I HATE WAL-MART!

[bhampton]

Dude,

That's Knocked up.

-Brian