Defective Babylon 5 Season 1 DVD
Adam Santos
waited until now to start watching it. When I got to disc 5, I
discovered that it was defective and doesn't play properly. It freezes
up and jumps back to an earlier part of the show (ironically during
Babylon Squared after Krantz says that they are "unstuck in time"). I
bought the set from a small comic book shop that has sence gone out of
business, so I can't return it there. Does anyone know how to reach
Warners to get a replacement disc? I tried sending an e-mail on their
web site to customer service, but haven't gotten a reply.
Thanks.
Blair Leatherwood
at this late date getting WB to respond, but
here's a possible solution:
If the scratch (which it probably is) is small,
you might want to take a look at DVD Doctor or
something similar. I had the same problem with
2 of the discs in my Season 1 set (and one in my
Buffy Season 2 set). I no longer have that
problem (in other words, it actually worked!).
Of course, I don't know if there are any
longterm effects and it definitely won't work if
there's a big gouge in the disc.
Joseph DeMartino
(Sometimes even a fingerprint can cause this kind of problem) Even if you
don't see any obvious blemishes on the playing surface, take a soft, clean,
dry cloth and wipe the disc by moving the cloth in a straight line from the
center hub out to the rim of the disc. Do NOT wipe in a circular motion on
the playing surface of any optical disc.
If that doesn't work try writing to the WHV customer service department at:
Warner Home Video
Customer Service
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
Regards,
Joe
Blair Leatherwood
restored to the riskier method only after other
attempts failed.
Adam Santos
I tried cleaning it several times. I frequently get discs from Netflix
that have fingerprints and such that need cleaning and it usually
works. However, this disc has several rather large "blemishes" that
won't come off, not exactly scratches. I assume they somehow got
damaged during production.
I'll try contacting WB and if that doesn't work, I'll give the disc
doctor a try. I guess this means that now I'll have to watch the
remaining seasons straight through immediately after I get them... :-)
Robert Marshall
have been used a lot that they will skip (though its usually not
backwards! That's strange). Once I clean them, they work fine.
Robert
--------------------------
Mac Breck
news:87022ed7.03091...@posting.google.com...
I once had a CD-ROM from Corel that wouldn't read at all. Even upon careful
inspection, the entire disc looked perfect, absolutely flawless. Their tech
support advised me to wash it gently under lukewarm water with non-abrasive
(well, Duh!) liquid dish detergent, wiping away from the center
(perpendicular to the direction of disc travel) when both washing it and
drying it (with a soft linen towel, NOT a paper towel). It worked. After
that cleaning, the disc read perfectly fine. Looking at the read surface,
you wouldn't have been able to tell that it had been cleaned because it
looked the same before and after.
If you can't see any obvious scratches on the disc, that might be worth a
try. Note that radial scratches are not as bad as scratches in the
direction of disc rotation.
--
Mac Breck (KoshN) - from the desktop PC
-------------------------------
http://www.scifi.com/babylon5/
http://www.scifi.com/crusade/
http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1521 (Brimstone)
Mac Breck
>
> I tried cleaning it several times.
But *how* did you try to clean it? What method did you use? I hope you
didn't try to do it dry, with a paper towel.
> I frequently get discs from Netflix
> that have fingerprints and such that need cleaning and it usually
> works. However, this disc has several rather large "blemishes" that
> won't come off, not exactly scratches. I assume they somehow got
> damaged during production.
If possible, would you please send me a digital picture of the problem area
of the disc surface? If you send a pic, please send a JPG and try to keep
the file size under 1MB.
Please see the following pictures:
My Season 3 Disc 4 from DVD Planet (mail order)
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/b5s3disc4scratches.jpg
See the long tangential scratch across the top, and especially the two,
circular, hub impressions at the bottom?
My Season 3 Disc 5 from DVD Planet (mail order)
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/b5s3disc5scratches.jpg
See the long tangential scratch across the top, and especially the more
distinct circular, hub impression at the bottom?
Are the blemishes like the dashed lines that are in a circular pattern that
my discs exhibited at the bottom of the above pictures?
> I'll try contacting WB and if that doesn't work, I'll give the disc
> doctor a try.
Please let me know if that works.
> I guess this means that now I'll have to watch the
> remaining seasons straight through immediately after I get them... :-)
That's ALWAYS an extremely wise move, especially with B5 DVDs, due to their
tendency to arrive like this:
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/b5s3discs4and5asarrived.jpg
Note where the hubs of the disc packaging would leave their "tool marks" on
the disc read surface. (Hey, I watch "C.S.I." <shrug>.)
The first thing I do with all DVDs is to inspect them for scratches and
other defects. If there are defects like dust, dirt, fingerprints, etc, I
clean the disc like I described in the previous post. If there are
scratches, I immediately watch 100% of that disc, and log any defects. The
two discs pictured above hung and skipped around A LOT, sometimes looping
like a scratched LP.
ps. I now have a flawless set I got from Wal-Mart, which I checked right
after I paid for it in the video department. Disc 2 was loose like the
discs in the above picture, but luckily, it was not marked. <whew!
Mac Breck
news:bk4hcr$ajr$0...@208.239.203.194...
> "Adam Santos" <adam_...@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:87022ed7.03091...@posting.google.com...
> > I guess this means that now I'll have to watch the
> > remaining seasons straight through immediately after I get them... :-)
>
> That's ALWAYS an extremely wise move, especially with B5 DVDs...
Correction: I should have said "B5 DVD sets" because the first B5 DVD (The
Gathering/In the Beginning) came in the type of packaging that, in my
experience, has *never* arrived with the DVD "off-the-hub," *and* the hub
material appears to be softer and less likely to *cause* scratches.
Den
news:87022ed7.03091...@posting.google.com:
> I tried cleaning it several times. I frequently get discs from Netflix
> that have fingerprints and such that need cleaning and it usually
> works. However, this disc has several rather large "blemishes" that
> won't come off, not exactly scratches. I assume they somehow got
> damaged during production.
could be worse, such as if you rented a disk with something higher than an
R rating.
Robert Marshall
year before watching the very first disk?
Your willpower is commendible!
robert
----------------------------
Adam Santos
it, I think it was loose when I first opened the package. Have you
found any way to fix the problem other than exchanging it?
I did try cleaning with a soft dry towel first. Then I tried with some
water a few times. I haven't tried dish soap yet, but I'm not too
optomistic. I have successfully cleaned discs before, but nothing
worked on this one.
Thanks for all your help.
Ken L. Cheshire
phone calls before I finally got to the right person.
Send the entire set with your complete name, address and explanation of
what's going on to:
Sherri Bogard
Warner Home Video
4000 Warner Blvd.
Building 154, Room 3104
Burbank, CA 91522
She should be able to take care of it.
Good luck.
Mac Breck
> it, I think it was loose when I first opened the package.
So far, I've bought five B5 season sets, and every set has had one or two
loose, scratched discs.
Season 1 (for myself): two loose & scratched, but the scratches were light
and radial. Played OK.
Season 1 (gift) : one loose, but the scratches were light and radial. As far
as I know, played OK.
Season 2: (for myself): two loose, but the scratches were light and
generally radial. Played OK.
Season 3: (for myself): two loose, and scratches are as pictured. Returned
to DVDPlanet for refund.
Season 3: (for myself): one loose. No scratches. Whew! I made sure all the
discs were seated properly before I left the store.
> Have you
> found any way to fix the problem other than exchanging it?
No, not for scratches like the ones on my discs in the pictures. I guess
it's possible for some thing to fill in the scratches, but why should you
have to do that? Also, if you tried that, they'd probably say that *you*
made the scratches. Shouldn't the discs arrive without scratches?
Shouldn't the packaging hold onto the discs during shipping like other DVD
packaging does? Evidently Warner Brothers does not think that it's too big
of a problem or they're just against spending the bucks for better packaging
(better hub design and better plastic material). After *three* season sets,
you'd think they'd see a pattern. Personally, I think they're too much of a
tightwad bunch to fix the problem, and/or they just don't care.
> I did try cleaning with a soft dry towel first. Then I tried with some
> water a few times. I haven't tried dish soap yet, but I'm not too
> optomistic.
The lukewarm water and dish soap method is for removing impurities that may
or may not be visible to your eyes but interfere with the DVD player's
ability to read the disc.
If your disc looked like mine, exchange it. From now on, I'm buying all my
B5 sets at a local store where I can walk in, pick it up, carefully open it
and *inspect it* for loose discs and scratches on the read surface right in
front of the store personnel, and get another set, if necessary.
> I have successfully cleaned discs before, but nothing
> worked on this one.
If your disc looks like mine, and you bought it at a local store, exchange
the set. If you bought it mail order, return it for a refund and then buy a
set locally.
Mac Breck
> "Adam Santos" <adam_...@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:87022ed7.03091...@posting.google.com...
> > My disc looks a lot like your first picture. And now that you mention
> > it, I think it was loose when I first opened the package.
>
> So far, I've bought five B5 season sets, and every set has had one or two
> loose, scratched discs.
Correction: 4 out of 5 have had scratched discs, 5 out of 5 have had loose
discs.
> Season 1 (for myself): two loose & scratched, but the scratches were light
> and radial. Played OK.
>
> Season 1 (gift) : one loose, but the scratches were light and radial. As
far
> as I know, played OK.
>
> Season 2: (for myself): two loose, but the scratches were light and
> generally radial. Played OK.
>
> Season 3: (for myself): two loose, and scratches are as pictured.
Returned
> to DVDPlanet for refund.
>
> Season 3: (for myself): one loose. No scratches. Whew! I made sure all
the
> discs were seated properly before I left the store.
--
Adam Santos
numbers available? I'd kind of like to talk to someone before I send
off $70 worth of DVDs.
I just got Season 2 as a gift from my wife (who is also hooked now too
after a got her to watch Season 1) and fortunately there were no loose
discs and no scratches.
Thanks,
Adam
"Ken L. Cheshire" <k...@klcheshire.com> wrote in message news:<3F678B9C...@klcheshire.com>...
Adam Santos
> If your disc looks like mine, and you bought it at a local store, exchange
> the set. If you bought it mail order, return it for a refund and then buy a
> set locally.
Unfortunately, the local store I bought it from went out of business
last December shortly after I bought it from them...
Mac Breck
"Andrew Timson" <arseni...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns93FFD1376B39...@141.211.2.240...
> "Mac Breck" <macthe...@yahoo.com> wrote in
> news:bkltjc$g1k$1...@208.239.203.184:
>
> > Correction: 4 out of 5 have had scratched discs, 5 out of 5 have had
> > loose discs.
>
> Your luck... sucks.
I've heard of more loose discs with the B5 sets than
I've....well...actually..., other than the B5 sets, I've never heard of
*anybody* getting loose discs, in sets or otherwise. With all my other DVD
sets (Buffy Season 1, 2, & 3, UFO Set 1, SG-1 Season 1 & 2), and individual
DVDs, I've never encountered the problem.
> I'm 0 for 3 on both counts, and between all of my sets
> (B5, Buffy, Angel, & DS9), I'm 0 for 10 and 1 for 10.
I think I should give you some money to buy lottery tickets for me.
Mac Breck
>
> > I've heard of more loose discs with the B5 sets than
> > I've....well...actually..., other than the B5 sets, I've never heard
> > of *anybody* getting loose discs, in sets or otherwise. With all my
> > other DVD sets (Buffy Season 1, 2, & 3, UFO Set 1, SG-1 Season 1 & 2),
> > and individual DVDs, I've never encountered the problem.
>
release,
Buffy S1 Hub - initial release. Good hub design.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/btvss1hub.jpg
Buffy S2 Hub - initial release (2 views, couldn't decide which was better)
*Bad* hub design. The Press Tab only releases one pin (top one). The rest
still hold *tight*.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/btvss2hub1.jpg
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/btvss2hub2.jpg
Buffy S3 Hub - initial release. Back to good hub design. :-)
http://members.lycos.co.uk/macbreck/photoalbum/btvss3hub.jpg
> and they'd apparently done a batch with a different style of hub. They
> changed it back by S4, though--I'd guess they realized the issues.
See above. They changed it for the worse for S2, and then went back to the
good with S3. I *hope* the S4 hubs look like the S1 and S3 hubs.
> >> I'm 0 for 3 on both counts, and between all of my sets
> >> (B5, Buffy, Angel, & DS9), I'm 0 for 10 and 1 for 10.
> >
> > I think I should give you some money to buy lottery tickets for me.
>
> Unfortunately, my adventures in that area haven't been too successful. :(
:-(
I was thinking that if we all had you buy our tickets, we could get
"Crusade" back up and in production again. *sigh* Now I feel like the
lottery guy with the personal rain cloud following him (It's possible that
only current Pennsylvanians will "get" that one.).