Hanging/Skipping DVDs - What's the deal?

[JSE]

I have been renting a lot of movies lately and I have been experiencing a lot of problems with the video/audio. The picture and audio will snag or hang up in certain parts. At first, I thought it was my DVD player but I put in some owned movie DVDs and concert DVDs and no problem at all. I have taken some of these rentals out and looked at them and they seem to be scratch free for the most part. It seems to only be a problem with rentals. Or so I think.

Does anyone else have this problem with rentals? Or is it my DVD player? Like I said, none of my owned DVDs or DVD-A have this problem, ever. It's a real problem lately. One DVD completely locked up and would not play.

What's up?

JSE

[Lexmark3200]

Happens with a lot of my PRE-OWNED DVDs I have purchased, this "freezing up" issue.....two titles that I own that I can think of off the bat do this in particular ---- The Fast and the Furious and Exorcist: The Beginning; some scenes get so bad there is that "digital pixelation" where the screen goes all blocky and freezes the scene, and, in the case of Exorcist: The Beginning, there are signs of "delays" and "chopping" in scenes, where it looks like the DVD is skipping in some weird slow motion mode; I chalk this up to HORRIBLE misuse by the previous owners of the disc, but in the case of rentals, this happens too JSE ---- what you are experiencing I have experienced too with rentals, and I think its simply that the discs were HORRIBLY mishandled by people who just dont give a **** about throwing the disc in their player, jamming the drawer closed, and watching their damn DVD, unlike a collector like me who handles and cleans his discs with great care.

But I know what you are talking about, and like I said, it happens with my pre-owned discs I have bought and on some rentals.

And sometimes visually checking for scratches on the surface doesnt yield the results you would think; it could look scratch free, as I have found, and yet there is some problem with the damn disc anyway.......

[edtyct]

I have been renting a lot of movies lately and I have been experiencing a lot of problems with the video/audio. The picture and audio will snag or hang up in certain parts. At first, I thought it was my DVD player but I put in some owned movie DVDs and concert DVDs and no problem at all. I have taken some of these rentals out and looked at them and they seem to be scratch free for the most part. It seems to only be a problem with rentals. Or so I think.

Does anyone else have this problem with rentals? Or is it my DVD player? Like I said, none of my owned DVDs or DVD-A have this problem, ever. It's a real problem lately. One DVD completely locked up and would not play.

What's up?

JSE
These disks take plenty of abuse. What I normally do is check the disk for smudges and/or scratches. Then (forgive my graphic description of a bodily function) I create a fine mist on the surface of the disk by blowing on it with mouth open, as if I were going to clean the lenses of my glasses, and rub the problem spots down immediately with a tight, firm circular motion. This strategy often does the trick. Even fine scratches on the disk will respond to this treatment sometimes. On rare occasions, a particular player will have trouble reading the instructions encoded on a disk, but I doubt it in your case. Hope the technique helps.

Ed

[Lexmark3200]

These disks take plenty of abuse. What I normally do is check the disk for smudges and/or scratches. Then (forgive my graphic description of a bodily function) I create a fine mist on the surface of the disk by blowing on it with mouth open, as if I were going to clean the lenses of my glasses, and rub the problem spots down immediately with a tight, firm circular motion. This strategy often does the trick. Even fine scratches on the disk will respond to this treatment sometimes. On rare occasions, a particular player will have trouble reading the instructions encoded on a disk, but I doubt it in your case. Hope the technique helps.

Ed

Yeah, almost ALL the time, doing some kind of "cleaning down" of the surface of the disc clears up any problem with skipping or "pixelation" like I get; I usually just wipe the disc down with a VERY slightly damp material and they dry it, and pop it back in the player, good to go ---- MOST of the time. This Exorcist: The Beginning DVD has been giving me problems from the day I got it in a "3-for-$25" deal at Hollywood Video; the "delay" problems during certain scenes is definitely "baked into" this disc because it happens every time I watch it, and cleaning doesnt seem to do much good.

Bottom line is, people just dont give a **** about the DVDs when you get rented ones or pre-owned ones.

[dean_martin]

I have been renting a lot of movies lately and I have been experiencing a lot of problems with the video/audio. The picture and audio will snag or hang up in certain parts. At first, I thought it was my DVD player but I put in some owned movie DVDs and concert DVDs and no problem at all. I have taken some of these rentals out and looked at them and they seem to be scratch free for the most part. It seems to only be a problem with rentals. Or so I think.

Does anyone else have this problem with rentals? Or is it my DVD player? Like I said, none of my owned DVDs or DVD-A have this problem, ever. It's a real problem lately. One DVD completely locked up and would not play.

What's up?

JSE

I get the same problem with many rented dvds. The movies that have been out/released for a while are generally more prone to these problems. I can't remember having a problem with a new release. I blame the rental store because after the movie is no longer a new release they sell off most of their copies, but I don't think they check the dvds to find the ones in the best condition to keep for rentals.

It's small consolation when you're sitting there watching a movie and all of a sudden it freezes, but my store does offer credit for every messed up dvd. But even when you tell them the dvd freezes up and they credit your account, they still put it back on the shelf for future unsuspecting renters.

I rented a bunch of older movies last week. I was watching The Hitcher and the thing froze just as C. Thomas Howell picked up the finger from his french fries! I couldn't believe it. That was one of the most memorable scenes from the movie - the one scene I was waiting for. I was able to clean it with a 100% cotton t-shirt and then it played just fine but man the mood was gone.

[JSE]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Dean, I have even found this problem on new rentals. I rented the Pacifier (cute movie BTW) about 3 or 4 days after release. It started freezing up in a couple of spots. Of course I did rent it from the Red Box at McDonalds. Should have known. They can't seem to give me a 1/4 pounder WITHOUT onions so why should I suspect a problem free DVD. OH well, at least I don't have to junk the DVD player now.

JSE

[dean_martin]

Of course I did rent it from the Red Box at McDonalds. Should have known. They can't seem to give me a 1/4 pounder WITHOUT onions so why should I suspect a problem free DVD. OH well, at least I don't have to junk the DVD player now.

JSE


That's hilarious! I've always wondered if there's a McDonald's shift that the remedial crew DOESN'T work.

[Lexmark3200]

"I rented a bunch of older movies last week. I was watching The Hitcher and the thing froze just as C. Thomas Howell picked up the finger from his french fries! I couldn't believe it. That was one of the most memorable scenes from the movie - the one scene I was waiting for. I was able to clean it with a 100% cotton t-shirt and then it played just fine but man the mood was gone."


HOLY **** ---- THE HITCHER --- NOW THATS A ****ING CLASSIC FLICK MAN.....I thought I was the only HITCHER fan out there......now Im gonna have to take the DVD off my shelf (which one of my girlfriends bought be a couple of years ago) and do "an official review" LOL on it......

THATS some film......loved it the minute HBO debuted it.......

Stand by for a review on the DVD!

[Lexmark3200]

"They can't seem to give me a 1/4 pounder WITHOUT onions"

Oh man-----I LOVE QUARTER POUNDER WITH CHEESES WITHOUT ONIONS-----I take it the same way! Now Im gonna have to have that for lunch tomorrow because you put it in my damn head!!!

[dean_martin]

HOLY **** ---- THE HITCHER --- NOW THATS A ****ING CLASSIC FLICK MAN.....I thought I was the only HITCHER fan out there......now Im gonna have to take the DVD off my shelf (which one of my girlfriends bought be a couple of years ago) and do "an official review" LOL on it......

THATS some film......loved it the minute HBO debuted it.......

Stand by for a review on the DVD!

Yep, great flick. In fact, your review of Return of the Living Dead got me to thinking about other movies from the mid 80's I used to enjoy. The Hitcher was definitely one of my favorites back then so I rented it. I'll be watching the fave films board for the "official review"!

[Lexmark3200]

Yep, great flick. In fact, your review of Return of the Living Dead got me to thinking about other movies from the mid 80's I used to enjoy. The Hitcher was definitely one of my favorites back then so I rented it. I'll be watching the fave films board for the "official review"!

Thanks a lot, Dean! I will watch the DVD tonight and post the review......there are SO MANY classic scenes in The Hitcher ---- the one you mentioned with the finger in the fries, and just Rutger Hauer------how creepy was he in that??? I think he's such an underrated actor.

REMEMBER THIS DIALOGUE WHEN THEY'RE IN THE CAR:

Hauer: "Gas stations have cigarettes"
Thomas Howell: "What about GAS?"
Hauer: "I dont need gas....."
Howell: "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
Hauer: "HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"
Howell: "Whats so funny?'
Hauer: "Well thats what the other guy said!"
Howell: "Whos the other guy?"
Hauer: "The guy in the car back there, the guy who picked me up before you did"
Howell: "Was that him in the car----"
Hauer: "He didnt walk very far...."
Howell: "Why is that?"
Hauer: "Because......I cut off his legs......and his arms......and his head.......and Im gonna do the same to you........."