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

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Torrente

Well, as you may know, we are currently facing a HUGE blu-ray disc fiasco in France, with a magnitude that is 100 times more concerning than what happened to Lionsgate / Criterion / Well Go discs in the US.
We (french customers) find a lot of our discs to be unplayable anymore.

Companies told us it was mainly a problem of material they used back in 2009 / 2010 which are causing some kind of deterioration to the layers on BD-50s. But we recently discovered it was partly a lie. Because a lot more discs became unplayable. Discs that were released in 2011, 2012, 2013. And BD-25 too.
We at least discovered 70 to 80 discs that are unplayable anymore... and counting. Everyday another title is added to the list.
Today the following french releases were named:
- Tucker & Dale
- Brazil (digibook)
- Cleopatra (digibook)
- Speed (BD-25)

It affects a lot of french discs: most of the TF1 video "old" steelbooks (Polanski's Pirates, Pulp Fiction, The Mist etc), most of the M6 vidéo releases, Pathé, Europa Corp, a lot of Wild Side discs too (such as Sin City and many others) and some Gaumont, Aventi, MEP. We also discovered 2 titles that were pressed by Sony in France (The Myth and Silent Hill collector's 2 discs edition) and several from Fox.
We also discovered european discs of the Dirty Harry collection from Warner might be affected (mine are).

Right now BD-25 that are affected are very rare, I agree on that. Still, some are concerned too. For example, my Speed disc is totally ROT. It's not a "bronzing" effect, it's more like a kind of a mist on the surface of the data side.

This issue is discussed on all the french blu-ray community forums. I don't think we discussed about it on the french forum of blu-ray.com yet 'though.
I chosed not to, because right now, most of the companies didn't say a word. They just said it was a problem with the factory named QOL and that we should all deal directly with it. But this very factory is in receivership right now. Her faith will be adressed on the 26th of February so we all wait to know how this will end. Plus other factories are concerned as some of the discs that are affected weren't manufactured by QOL factory but others.

At the moment, we only can check all our collection, hoping that just a few discs won't work, and not a huge lot.

Can you provide a link to these forums? I too have some French releases from TFI and M6. Didn't WB distribute some, if not all, of M6's releases?

[Torrente]

Yes but they don't use the same factories (distribution and maunfacturing are not the same for both)

The most powerful forum (that takes this issue very seriously) and with the admin being in contact with most of the companies is this one: http://www.blurayenfrancais.com/foru...hp?id=5078&p=1

Replacement programs are on, with this QOL factory.
And also with Metropolitan and MPO factory.

But I'm afraid they exclude foreign customers because you need to provide a french address for the replacements and you have to phone them first. Which is so 90's and totally stupid. It would be far easier for all of us to contact them using emails.
And again we don't know what will happen after the 26th when the judicial review of this QOL factory will be over.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Not to claim that the sky is falling, but I recall there was a member on these forums years ago that claimed that manufacturers were purposely using inferior materials to expedite disc failure but that member had been laughed at back then by other members.

So far all the discs I've checked seem fine but who knows what the future brings.

honestly, I doubt it's that. a conspiracy theory like that takes effort, and also is financially poor use of their efforts, especially when companies are having to replace the discs out of pocket. I think its' more of a case of Blu-ray being extremely delicate and cost cutting measures finally catching up. Unfortunately no on knows how long this will go on though, or when others will be added to the list, but the last 5 or 6 months have shown a VERY nasty trend in the format.

This French one is INCREDIBLE though, as 80+ discs is an enormous amount to fail like that.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by Torrente

Companies told us it was mainly a problem of material they used back in 2009 / 2010 which are causing some kind of deterioration to the layers on BD-50s. But we recently discovered it was partly a lie. Because a lot more discs became unplayable. Discs that were released in 2011, 2012, 2013.

What a bunch of scumbags. Clearly just desperately trying to have people continuing to buy their products by conveniently blaming it all on blu rays made 5+ years ago. No one is going to think that they are getting a disc made that many years ago when they buy a brand new one in a store or order one online. So they concoct this calculated statement. Since people who have been buying blu rays since 2009 are probably big fans of the format and won't stop buying the format anyway.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

What a bunch of scumbags. Clearly just desperately trying to have people continuing to buy their products by conveniently blaming it all on blu rays made 5+ years ago. No one is going to think that they are getting a disc made that many years ago when they buy a brand new one in a store or order one online. So they concoct this calculated statement. Since people who have been buying blu rays since 2009 are probably big fans of the format and won't stop buying the format anyway.

Not to mention the fact that BDs are more expensive for Continental Europeans than for us in America.

[Zen_Amako]

I can confirm that my French edition of Leon (a.k.a. The Professional) from Gaumont is dead. The PS3 won't even recognize it now. Bummer!

[neo_reloaded]

Are these french BDs rotting in the same way as the Criterion ones where the problem is first noticeable around the layer change? Or is it more like the Lionsgate discs where they're just dead one day?

[filmmusic]

I remember there was a post with all the codes of the defective Criterion discs.
Could someone include it in the first post please?

[thethingwithnoname]

I tried unsuccessfully to contact Metropolitan Films about Silent Hill 2 disc and the brief comment I got back was basically 'nothing wrong'

If even now they are saying something is wrong, it seems UK or US buyers are still screwed

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by neo_reloaded

Are these french BDs rotting in the same way as the Criterion ones where the problem is first noticeable around the layer change? Or is it more like the Lionsgate discs where they're just dead one day?

I think it's the latter. In the case of Leon, I hadn't played the movie in a few years. I checked it after I saw this thread, and sure enough, it doesn't play anymore.

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako

I think it's the latter. In the case of Leon, I hadn't played the movie in a few years. I checked it after I saw this thread, and sure enough, it doesn't play anymore.

Is it "bronzed" visually, and do you know if Leon is a BD50? (I think it's a BD50)

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by neo_reloaded

Is it "bronzed" visually, and do you know if Leon is a BD50? (I think it's a BD50)

It is a BD50, but I don't see any bronzing. I tried playing it on my PC, and the PC will play it, but the image breaks up right from the start.

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

I remember there was a post with all the codes of the defective Criterion discs.
Could someone include it in the first post please?

I can't b/c posts have a character limit. I have linked to other posts with the IFPI codes, though.

[Torrente]

Originally Posted by neo_reloaded

Are these french BDs rotting in the same way as the Criterion ones where the problem is first noticeable around the layer change? Or is it more like the Lionsgate discs where they're just dead one day?

The latter.
Dead one day and you don't know why and you can't see anything wrong on the data side most of the time.

But sometimes you can see strange stains, or some kind of mist.

Plus, QOL factory is adding problems to other problems with the sloppy way they manufacture discs... even some replacement discs they sent to french customers won't play or miss the artwork, and sometimes they even miss some bonus features on the menu of the discs!!
As for the look of some of their discs I will let you see by yourself how it looks like here: http://www.blurayenfrancais.com/foru...413421#p413421
and here: http://www.blurayenfrancais.com/foru...413536#p413536

Something is clearly wrong about this factory!!!

Plus, some french members found out an old newspaper article where a journalist followed the manufacturing of a disc and let's just say that what is said is just unbelievable. Back in 2009 - 2010 they admit they didn't know what they were doing and that they were learning along the way (with 1 disc on 5 produced being rejected for not working properly). You can imagine that when business becomes more difficult it's easy to not reject so much discs anymore... just a thought but I think it's pretty clear now...
Hope we will know more in the following months but it just doesn't smell good for this media in France.

[jscoggins]

I don't think the sky is falling. The sky already fell.

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by Torrente

The latter.
Dead one day and you don't know why and you can't see anything wrong on the data side most of the time.

But sometimes you can see strange stains, or some kind of mist.

Plus, QOL factory is adding problems to other problems with the sloppy way they manufacture discs... even some replacement discs they sent to french customers won't play or miss the artwork, and sometimes they even miss some bonus features on the menu of the discs!!
As for the look of some of their discs I will let you see by yourself how it looks like here: http://www.blurayenfrancais.com/foru...413421#p413421
and here: http://www.blurayenfrancais.com/foru...413536#p413536

Something is clearly wrong about this factory!!!

Plus, some french members found out an old newspaper article where a journalist followed the manufacturing of a disc and let's just say that what is said is just unbelievable. Back in 2009 - 2010 they admit they didn't know what they were doing and that they were learning along the way (with 1 disc on 5 produced being rejected for not working properly). You can imagine that when business becomes more difficult it's easy to not reject so much discs anymore... just a thought but I think it's pretty clear now...
Hope we will know more in the following months but it just doesn't smell good for this media in France.

I don't know whether to feel good or bad about this being so different from bronzing. It totally sucks that this is happening, but at least it's not evidence that "bronzing" is some widespread phenomenon that could happen to any BD.

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

I don't think the sky is falling. The sky already fell.

I disagree.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by jscoggins

I don't think the sky is falling. The sky already fell.

Yeah. I'm at the point where I have very little faith in the format now. I've slowed my purchases down to a crawl. Never know what batch is going to take a dump next

[Jompa]

Torrente

So, do you think these discs could cause problems:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/A-His...Blu-ray/10219/
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Vampires-Blu-ray/15285/
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Le-Pa...-Blu-ray/1899/
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/16-Blocks-Blu-ray/11998/
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Under...Blu-ray/41452/

[jscoggins]

Originally Posted by wormraper

Yeah. I'm at the point where I have very little faith in the format now. I've slowed my purchases down to a crawl. Never know what batch is going to take a dump next

1 out of 5 discs is defective?

"Replacement" discs w/o disc art?