GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Finally got my copy of CE - but one disc won't play!

POSTED BY: EMMAZULE
UPDATED: Sunday, November 4, 2007 07:44
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Friday, September 7, 2007 6:01 AM

EMMAZULE


So I get my package from Amazon, and I'm all excited, because DAMN does it have such awesome, gorgeous packaging (I swear I reverted to "squeeing fangirl" mode when I first opened it and realized that the black box was a nifty foldout shimmery floating-River multi-layer deal. I'm a SUCKER for pretty packaging, I swear...).

Here's the weird part, though: disc 2 won't play for me.

Not "won't play at all", thank god. I've tried it on one of my computers that has a DVD-Rom drive (this one, interestingly enough), and tried playing it in Windows Media Player and it worked just fine.

But when I try to play it in my DVD/VHS combo player at home, it doesn't even read. It'll attempt to load for like a minute or two, and then I'll get it giving me (I kid you NOT) a Blue Screen of Death - a literally BSOD-colored blue background, with an error message about how "This disc cannot be played. Please check the disc."

Well, guess what, I CHECKED the gorram disc, and it's ruttin' fine! Not a scratch or crumb or fingerprint on it. Brand spankin' new.

Of particular note is that this IS NOT the first time this kind of thing has happened, either - I got the same BSOD error message screen:

1.) Trying to play the first disc of the Planetes box set (R1 NTSC), right from the start.

2.) Partway through one of the Tru Calling season 1 discs (R1 NTSC), the first one, I believe, but weirdly enough it let me watch a few episodes before it BSOD'd, as I recall.

Also, it has been known to inexplicably skip on some DVDs. Partway through Kill Bill, Vol. 2 - the Bride's fight with California Mountain Snake jittered like hell, repeatedly. Actually, bits and pieces jittered, that was just the worst. Oh, and it basically kept refusing to read the rest of the scene, I believe it tried to reload the entire disc. The same disc played just fine later on in my laptop AND over at my gramma's house in her DVD player, and there weren't any scratches or anything on it.

This doesn't seem to happen on most older DVD copies though, even Dual-layer discs. I've never had any trouble watching the R1 NTSC releases of the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie, Excel Saga, subbed Cardcaptor Sakura, Azumanga Daioh, or either disc of the second and third Harry Potter Collector's editions, my 2005-vintage Firefly set, or Wonderfalls. Those all play just FINE. The older R1 Serenity release also played just fine, at least until my copy got a scratch on it it did, then it started skipping towards the climax(! ). But until the scratch it played just fine.

Also, weirdly enough, disc 1 - with the actual feature film and commentary stuff - plays just fine in the SAME PLAYER. Or at least, it loaded the menu screen without an error, which is more than disc 2 did.

At first, I thought, given that all my newer-than-the-player Windows XP computers can access all of these discs just fine in multiple DVD-playing programs (InterVideo WinDVD, Windows Media Player, etc.) and given that it still loads discs I know to be dual-layer (so that's probably not the problem), it's some incompatibility with the recent copy protection on the disc.

Except, that doesn't make sense. Why then would disc one - with the film and commentary tracks themselves, arguably the most important, valuable, more-likely-to-be-pirated features of the release - NOT have the same protection as something that's really just a pile of overseas featurettes, the R. Tam sessions, and the SciFi Channel doc on it?

I'm so confused!

For the record, it's a Samsung player, from the early 2000's or so (definitely post-1999, but I don't recall if it was before or after 2003...). And I've only started having these troubles in the past, like, year or so, which makes me wonder, really.








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Friday, September 7, 2007 6:09 AM

WYTCHCROFT


yep - me too. and my angel 5 box set -
(see whimpering thread over at http://angel-btvs.co.uk/ )

i'm buying a new dvd player buttt...
i suspect it is because these dvd's are DVD9 - this is not the REGION but the dvd TYPE...
which is a dense compression thing and reads 'blank' to many players -
reminds me of when needles started skipping on cheap vinyl - too many tracks pressed together.
same principle.

sympathetic hugs.
wytch

mine is a samsung too - sigh -

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Friday, September 7, 2007 6:34 AM

CANTER


While I was in the US I got taken to Walmart (is that how you spell it?) and succumbed to the overpowering need to buy the CE from the shelf. First time ever I've been able to buy a Firefly related product off a shelf in an actual store. It just felt so shiny to walk into a store and actually *buy* a Serenity dvd. (Yeah, I know, small things amuse small minds and all that...)

Unfortunately, in my excitement, I sort of forgot that South Africa falls in Region 4. Which means I can't normally view Region 1 disks.

But when my head cleared from the euphoria, I remembered the whole Region dilemma. Even then I wasn't too worried, because when I bought the DVD-player, the sales person assured me that it's a "multi-region" player. No worries then, right?

Yeah right.

Anyone want to take a Region 1 Collector's edition off my hands?

Unless I figure out the special code you have to input into the dvd player to break the region coding. It's suppose to be easy. Any dvd-hackers out there?



Big Damn Browncoat Vote http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html


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Friday, September 7, 2007 6:41 AM

EMMAZULE


Quote:

Originally posted by wytchcroft:
yep - me too. and my angel 5 box set -
(see whimpering thread over at http://angel-btvs.co.uk/ )

i'm buying a new dvd player buttt...
i suspect it is because these dvd's are DVD9 - this is not the REGION but the dvd TYPE...
which is a dense compression thing and reads 'blank' to many players -
reminds me of when needles started skipping on cheap vinyl - too many tracks pressed together.
same principle.

sympathetic hugs.
wytch

mine is a samsung too - sigh -



You're kidding me. It's a COMPRESSION error?

Gorramit!

Siiiigh. This is SO not a good time for us to have to buy a new player...




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Friday, September 7, 2007 8:08 AM

EMMAZULE


Quote:

Originally posted by Canter:
While I was in the US I got taken to Walmart (is that how you spell it?) and succumbed to the overpowering need to buy the CE from the shelf. First time ever I've been able to buy a Firefly related product off a shelf in an actual store. It just felt so shiny to walk into a store and actually *buy* a Serenity dvd. (Yeah, I know, small things amuse small minds and all that...)

Unfortunately, in my excitement, I sort of forgot that South Africa falls in Region 4. Which means I can't normally view Region 1 disks.

But when my head cleared from the euphoria, I remembered the whole Region dilemma. Even then I wasn't too worried, because when I bought the DVD-player, the sales person assured me that it's a "multi-region" player. No worries then, right?

Yeah right.

Anyone want to take a Region 1 Collector's edition off my hands?

Unless I figure out the special code you have to input into the dvd player to break the region coding. It's suppose to be easy. Any dvd-hackers out there?



Big Damn Browncoat Vote http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html




Supposedly it should play in your computer (or you can download hacks for your computer) that will allow you to play any Region disc. At least that's what I've heard.

Never had the guts to actually try a non-R1 NTSC disc in this, though.

Come to think of it, your problem may not be Region-based; as far as I know, everywhere except for the US, Canada, Japan, and certain parts of Eurasia runs on PAL format video, which has a slower framerate than NTSC - all US releases, such as the Serenity CE, are not just in R1 but also in NTSC. So, maybe it's just that you have a PAl player and/or set, instead of one capable of handling NTSC.

There's a site somewhere that apparently sells "Region-free" players that handle both PAL and NTSC, I just can't remember where it is...

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Friday, September 7, 2007 8:17 AM

CANTER


I was sort of hoping it was a region problem....

When I put the disk in, it gave a message "check region code".

If I can't figure it out, I'm going to have to sell the Serenity CE as well as the HEROES box set.

Maybe e-bay.



Big Damn Browncoat Vote http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html


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Friday, September 7, 2007 8:24 AM

CHRISISALL


I used to work selling DVD players- just know this; all DVD players are not created equal.
I had some Hong Kong region-free disks that would not play on my computer OR my DVD player, but played well on the players in the store that I worked!!!
I presently have a Panasonic that plays everything well, but if funds are tight, you can go low-tek and get an Apex, or any low end model- they seem to have simpler programs that play most anything without much trouble.

Rule of thumb: If it plays in one player, but not in another, that usually says more about the player than the disc...

Answermanisall

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Friday, September 7, 2007 5:42 PM

SCARECROW866


I have a multi-region player but it had a hell of a time playing my Region 1 Firefly DVDs, and simply refused to play the fourth disk. Finally had to go buy a regular DVD player and so far, all the DVDs I've put in there have played fine. Including the Firefly DVDs. Sometimes it's the DVD player that has the problem, and not the disk.



Annie
Gee, I've never been in trouble with the law before.

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Monday, September 10, 2007 3:33 AM

CANTER


Mwha ha ha!!! Mine is an evil laugh!!

Hooray for region hacking codes...

I have Serenity!!



Big Damn Browncoat Vote http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html


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Monday, September 10, 2007 4:36 AM

DATALESS


I just bought a multi-region DVD player and before it would truely play any region I had to set the DVD player to "Region 0" SO I did a search for the model of my DVD player, mine was "Insignia NS DVD-1" and the words, "region hack" So you might need to do the same. I hope this helps you before you get rid of your Region 1 DVD.

Just so you know I think your spelling of Walmart is fine. It's either that or Wal-Mart.

Quote:

Originally posted by Canter:
While I was in the US I got taken to Walmart (is that how you spell it?) and succumbed to the overpowering need to buy the CE from the shelf. First time ever I've been able to buy a Firefly related product off a shelf in an actual store. It just felt so shiny to walk into a store and actually *buy* a Serenity dvd. (Yeah, I know, small things amuse small minds and all that...)

Unfortunately, in my excitement, I sort of forgot that South Africa falls in Region 4. Which means I can't normally view Region 1 disks.

But when my head cleared from the euphoria, I remembered the whole Region dilemma. Even then I wasn't too worried, because when I bought the DVD-player, the sales person assured me that it's a "multi-region" player. No worries then, right?

Yeah right.

Anyone want to take a Region 1 Collector's edition off my hands?

Unless I figure out the special code you have to input into the dvd player to break the region coding. It's suppose to be easy. Any dvd-hackers out there?



Big Damn Browncoat Vote http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/index.html



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Monday, September 10, 2007 9:19 PM

GEMINI37


If you need to play a dvd on your dvd-rom region free, then download DVD Genie.
http://www.inmatrix.com/files/dvdgenie_download.shtml

Dvd players NOT to buy:

Ilo (dvd-rw died 6 months after purchase)
Cyber Home (dvd-rw died 2 years after purchase)
Apex (dvd player died 1 year after purchase)

Best Dvd players:
Sony
Hitachi
Panasonic
Sanyo
G0-Video




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Tuesday, September 11, 2007 4:21 AM

WASHNWEAR


EmmaZule said:
Quote:

But when I try to play it in my DVD/VHS combo player at home, it doesn't even read. It'll attempt to load for like a minute or two, and then I'll get it giving me (I kid you NOT) a Blue Screen of Death - a literally BSOD-colored blue background, with an error message about how "This disc cannot be played. Please check the disc."

Well, guess what, I CHECKED the gorram disc, and it's ruttin' fine! Not a scratch or crumb or fingerprint on it. Brand spankin' new.



That kind of thing really damages my calm...and I should know, 'coz it happens to me fairly regularly. I, too, have a DVD/VCR combo (Sony), and the thing ain't been right since I got it home from Target. Depending on the weather (I think it largely boils down to humidity), I get the same sort of thing you described over half the time, with any disc...and it's caused me all manner of agitation. What I finally figured out is that if I'm gonna watch a DVD, I need to let the machine warm up - set to DVD mode - for about 30 minutes. It seems like a ridiculous thing to have to do (did I mention it's a Sony?), but it generally gets the job done.

It was like that when we got here!

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Saturday, November 3, 2007 10:50 AM

EMMAZULE


Quote:


That kind of thing really damages my calm...and I should know, 'coz it happens to me fairly regularly. I, too, have a DVD/VCR combo (Sony), and the thing ain't been right since I got it home from Target. Depending on the weather (I think it largely boils down to humidity), I get the same sort of thing you described over half the time, with any disc...and it's caused me all manner of agitation. What I finally figured out is that if I'm gonna watch a DVD, I need to let the machine warm up - set to DVD mode - for about 30 minutes. It seems like a ridiculous thing to have to do (did I mention it's a Sony?), but it generally gets the job done.



Humidity?

Hmmmmm...

I live in Florida. Land of the Humid.

It's probably just because it's a cheap player, but yeah.

I'm tempted actually to save up and just buy an HD DVD player - Best Buy currently has a sale on an apparently pretty decent HD DVD player now, with no end date listed (seeing as it's the beginning of November, I doubt the price'll go higher before Christmas, as they're obviously hoping to lure folks in for Christmas shopping on this one). $199 (half of the lower-end Blu Ray players' costs - guess we know who's going to be pulling ahead in the race this winter...). Oh, and you get 7 HD DVDs with it - your choice of title, so long as it's not a boxset or preorder, two immediately, 5 by mail-in, off Best Buy's website stock for the format. Serenity is plenty eligable for this, and even though I don't have an HD set yet, I'm told the HD DVDs and players really do slightly improve video for even normal sets. It would certainly be nice to own, even if it means I will have officially quadruple-dipped on the BDM. Anyway though, those things support the older DVD disc standards as well, I'm told. The only thing they don't support (unless you actually bought one of those special, overpriced combo players) is Blu-Ray, if I'm not mistaken...

~Emma

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Saturday, November 3, 2007 11:04 AM

FARFLY


I currently have 8 dvd devices in the house and CE plays on six of the eight.

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Sunday, November 4, 2007 7:44 AM

OPTIMUS1998


check out this dvd f'up
so i got my parents a dvd player/ surround unit a while back. the brand name is GFM,(its a store brand, not sure who really made it)
it wil pretty much ONLY play burned dvd's
you can occaisionally get a factory disc to work, but not normally

isn't that like COMPLETELY backwards???

Make Cartoons, Not War
- Sue Blu
Well played, Clerks...
- Leonardo Leonardo(Clerks Cartoon)

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