With this revision, I'm putting the new titles in a separate box, so you know what's new. If they survive the round of feedback (in other words, if I don't get a dozen letters saying that the title works just fine) then they will go on the main list. If, however, lots of readers say the title works just fine, then I'll take it off the list. We got many more for XBox than PS2, a first. I'm not sure what to read into that.
This list is compiled by reader submissions, and confirmed here when we can. To contribute a disc to the list, send the PS2 problem here and the Xbox problem here. Just tell us the DVD and what DVD drivers your PS2 is using. This information can be found on the main screen of the system by pressing the TRIANGLE button to bring up the driver information screen. The list will be organized by driver versions, which is why this information is very important. Also, try to be specific in what the discs do or don't do.
Some titles are really questionable. For every person who reports a problem with a specific title, other people will write in and say theirs works just fine, and then I get another letter from a person claiming yes, there is a problem. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition is the single biggest problem. I got a million letters on both sides, but it leans toward the no problem side. There is no agreement at all on that set at all. So the more controversial discs will have a ** next to them.
Some readers have contributed their own hardware fixes. Here's one for the PS2:
I have watched almost every video on your DVD incompatibility list with no major problems. The secret is the fan on the back of the unit sucks a lot of dust into the unit. Look at the front of your unit. Taking apart the unit and cleaning the drive and lens with isopropyl alcohol seems to get rid of any errors in reading the disk or layer changes. Dust hampers movement of the drive and laser.Try this at home, but you do it AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither myself nor IGN.com are responsible if you make it worse.
Here is something else to consider if you own a PS2.
When the PS2 is used in the vertical position, it seems to cause tons of disc read errors and problems that can be corrected simply by using the system in the horizontal position. Perhaps this is why some people are reporting problems while others are saying their DVDs are fine?
Could be.
Here's the XBox hint from someone who claims it fixed his compatibility problems:
You either need XBox Live to update the Dashboard, or a recently made XBox. My XBox was a recently refurbished one so it was already updated. The other way to upgrade is with Xbox Live, when you put the disc it updates your Dashboard. Not sure if you know or not but there is going to be another Dashboard update in September (according to the official site).
Other readers have reported that Evil Dead, Cast Away and Futurama all worked once the Dashboard upgrade was installed.
PlayStation 2 DVD Incompatibility List
Most of you have asked how you can upgrade your PS2 DVD drivers. The drivers are up to 3.02. A driver update comes with the PS2 HDD/FFXI combination, which will upgrade your system to that latest revision. The most recent PlayStation 2 on the market, SCPH-50001, which comes with an infrared sensor and no FireWire port , ships with the 3.01U drivers.
In addition to adding a large number of titles to the list here is some new information that may help you if you are having trouble with a DVD on your PS2.
With the disc in the drive, you can go into the system configuration and set the machine to "diagnostic" mode, and that may solve some of your problems with the DVD.
This is important! If a driver upgrade fixes a problem, PLEASE tell us. That way we can list that a problem with a 1.xx driver cleared up when switching to 3.xx. You will be doing people a huge service with that kind of information.
New Entries - 10/12/04
DVD | PlayStation 2 Driver | ||
1.xx | 2.xx | 3.xx | |
Star Wars Trilogy | Only 'A New Hope' will play properly. | ||
The Butterfly Effect | Won't play. | ||
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen | Won't play. | ||
Tron | Locks up halfway through the movie. | Locks up halfway through the movie. | Locks up halfway through the movie. |
Bad Boys 2 | Read error | ||
Behind Enemy Lines | Read error | ||
National Security | Read error |
Previous Entries
DVD | PlayStation 2 Driver | ||
1.xx | 2.xx | 3.xx | |
.hack//SIGN | Won't play | ||
102 Dalmations | Won't play. | ||
8 Mile | Locks up. | ||
A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) | Locks at layer change. | Locks at layer change. | |
Akira (Tin) | Will play sometimes. Occasional lock-ups. | ||
Akira (Special Edition) | Disc read errors 95% of the time. | Disk read error. | |
Anger Management | Won't play at all. | ||
An American Warewolf in London (CE) | Won't play. | ||
Antitrust | Occasional skipping. | ||
American History X | Locks halfway through. | ||
Armageddon (Buena Vista) | Skipping. | ||
Art of War | Won't play. | ||
Austin Powers: Int'l Man of Mystery. | Commentary track is garbled. | ||
Battle of the Planets vol. 1 | Won't play Episode 2. | ||
Bedazzled | Skipping. | ||
Blackadder Season 2 | Cannot play the episode "Money." | Cannot play the episode "Money." | |
Black Hawk Down | Disk Read Error | ||
Blair Witch Project | Cannot read disc. | ||
Blow | Locks up 10 min. before the end of the film. | ||
The Bourne Identity | Disk Read Error | ||
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit) | Won't play. | ||
Brotherhood of the Wolf Disc 3 | Won't play. | ||
Bruce Almighty | Won't play. | ||
Chappelle Show Season One | Plays wrong episodes or won't play at all. | ||
Chocolat | Locks halfway through. | ||
Charade - Criterion Collection | Skipping. | Skipping. | |
Chicago | Locks up. | ||
Clerks Uncensored ** | Disc 1 and 2 won't play. | Disc 1 and 2 won't play. | |
Cowboy Bebop Perfect Sessions | Locks up. | ||
Cowboy Bebop Session 1 | Problems playing last two episodes. | ||
Coyote Ugly ** | Won't play. | ||
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon ** | Skips in the restaurant scene. | ||
Curb Your Enthusiasm | Skips in various episodes. | ||
Dazed and Confused | Skipping and lock-ups. | ||
Die Hard: Five Star Collection | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Dinosaur (Collector's Edition) | Won't play. | ||
Double Take | Won't play. | ||
Dr. Doolittle 2 | Won't play. | ||
Dracula 2000 | Locks after chapter 9. | ||
Dragonball Z: Death of a Prince. | Plays fine. | Won't play. | |
Dragonball Z: Mysterious Youth | Occasionally won't boot. | ||
Driven | Won't read second half of film. | Skipping and lock-ups after layer change. | |
Dungeons & Dragons | Skipping. | ||
The Emperor's New Groove (Collector's Edition) | Occasional skipping. | ||
Enemy of the State | Occasional skipping, some lock-ups. | ||
Equilibrium | Won't play at all. | ||
Escaflowne Vol. 5 | Won't play. | ||
Escaflowne Vol. 6 | Won't play. | ||
The Fast and the Furious | Skipping. | ||
The Fast and the Furious (Tricked Out Edition) | Won't play. | ||
Farscape (all discs) | Disc read error. | Disc read error. | |
Finding Nemo | Disc read error. | ||
Game, The | Skipping in last half of widescreen side, pan&scan side won't play. | ||
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974) | Skipping and lock-ups. | ||
Gladiator | Occasional Skipping. | Works fine. | |
Godfather II (Disc 1) | Won't play. | ||
Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The | Skipping, cannot read errors. | ||
Gundam Wing Endless Waltz | Occasional Skipping. | ||
Gundam Wing #1 | Problems playing episode 5. | ||
Gundam Wing #4 | Disc read error. | ||
Hannibal | The last part of "Breaking the Silence" gives CANNOT READ DISC message. | ||
Heat | Locks up after a while. | ||
Heathers | Skipping | ||
Heartbreakers | Disc read error halfway through. | ||
High and Low | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
High Fidelity ** | Won't play. | ||
Highlander: Endgame | CANNOT READ DISC error in the Behind-the-Scenes featurette. | ||
Halloween H20 | Won't play. | Won't play. | |
Halloween 5 | Occasional Skipping. | ||
Hollow Man | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Hot Chick, The | Won't play at all. | ||
Hollywood Knights | Occasional Skipping. | ||
Independence Day (Five Star Collection) | Won't play. | ||
Jackass: The Movie | Disc errors and skipping.
| ||
Jeepers Creepers: SE | Disc unreadable errors | Disc unreadable errors | |
Joy Ride | Read errors. | ||
Kiki's Delivery Service | Skipping throughout most of it. | ||
L.A. Confidential | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | Skipping | ||
Last Temptation of Christ | Skipping | ||
Legally Blonde | Skipping | Skipping | |
Legend of the Drunken Master | Skipping and lock-ups. | Skipping and lock-ups. | |
Lost World: Jurassic Park | Won't play. | ||
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Locks in some chapters. | ||
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Locks up and/or skips. | ||
Masterworks of German Horror | "Nosferatu" only plays in PAL mode. | ||
Matrix Revisited, The | Incorrect region error. | ||
Me, Myself, and Irene | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Men in Black (Standard) | Occasional skipping. | ||
Mexican, The | "Unable to read disc" 30 min before end. | ||
Minority Report** | Locks up at layer change. | ||
Misery | Won't play in widescreen format. | ||
Mission: Impossible 2 | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Monty Python and the Holy Grail | Minor skipping on layer change. | ||
Mummy Returns | Won't play. | ||
Mummy Returns (Full Screen Edition) | No audio during the "special message". | ||
Mystery Men | Skipping. | ||
Night of the Living Dead: The Millenium Edition | Skipping | Skipping. | |
O Brother Where Art Thou? | Freezes in chapter 20 | ||
Office Space | "Disc Read Error" halfway through. | ||
Old School | Disk read error. | ||
Once Upon a Time in China 3 | Won't play. | ||
Outlaw Star DVD #1 | Won't play episodes 4 & 5. | ||
Outlaw Star DVD #2 | Won't play. | ||
Pearl Harbor | Locks on chapter 17. | ||
Perfect Blue | Locks halfway through. | ||
Perfect Storm, The | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Pitch Black (Unrated) | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Planet of the Apes (2001) | "Unable to Read Disk" half way through the movie. | Some skipping around chapter 16. | |
Princess Mononoke ** | Skipping. | Runs fine. | |
Remember the Titans. | Skipping. | Runs fine. | |
Ring, The | Skipping. | Skipping. | |
Road Trip | Skipping. | Skipping. | |
Roshomon | Skipping. | Skipping. | |
Scarface Special Edition | Disc two read error
| ||
Scent of a Woman | Won't even boot up. | ||
Seven Samurai (Criterion) | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Shallow Hal | Errors at chapter 20. | ||
Shrek | Disc read error. | Minor skipping on layer change for some users. | |
Signs | Won't play. | ||
Six Degrees of Separation. | Won't play. | ||
Slayer: War at the Warfield | Locks up during one song. | ||
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Platinum Edition) | Skipping and lock ups halfway through. | ||
Skulls, The | Locks during the final chapters. | ||
Spy Who Loved Me: SE, The | Disc read error. | ||
Space 1999 Vol 1-3 | Skipping. | ||
Spongebob Squarepants: Complete First Season | Skipping, read errors. | ||
Spy Kids 2 | Skipping at the end, can't access special features. | Skipping. | |
Star Wars Episode 2 | Disk read errors | ||
Street Fighter 2 V (All Volumes) | Won't play. | Won't play. | |
Summer of Sam | Locks halfway through. | Locks halfway through. | |
Susperia (Special Edition) | Green pixels on the screen. | ||
Swordfish | Skipping and lock-up after layer change. | ||
Tarzan | Disc read error halfway through. | ||
Terminator 2 xTreme Edition | Disk read errors | ||
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Won't play | ||
Thirteen Days | Varied problems with the "Infinifilm" overlays that could cause lock-ups and skipping. | ||
Three Kings | Locks up after chapter 24. | ||
Titan A.E. | Locks up after layer change. | ||
Tomorrow Never Dies | Skipping | ||
Total Recall: SE | Freezes halfway through. | ||
Tora! Tora! Tora! SE | Locks up after layer change. | ||
Transformers season 1 | Locks up. | ||
Tron | Video errors in places. | ||
Unbreakable (Vista Series) | Skipping. | ||
X-Files Season 2 | Won't play. | ||
X-Files Season 6 | Disk 3 skips. | ||
X-Men (Movie) | Skipping | ||
X-Men 1.5 | Locks up | ||
X2: X-Men United | Won't play chapters 18-20. |
Xbox DVD Incompatibility List
In order to play DVD movies on your Xbox, you must first have the Xbox DVD Remote. Once you have this device plugged into your system, it will automatically run any DVD that you put into the drive. Several DVDs reported as incompatible were fixed when players upgraded their systems with XBox Live. So consider buying it for the new drivers, even if you don't play online.
Also, several readers have reported that any DVD burned on a PC will not read at all on an XBox. However, there are contrarian viewpoints on this as well. Apparently Microsoft has used three different drive manufacturers for the XBox since it was released; Thomson, Phillips and Samsung. The Thompson drive came with the original XBox. It has laser intensity issues and has a lot of trouble reading anything, even originals, and load times on games tended to be a bit slow due to the poor quality of the drive.
The Phillips drive is a step up from the Thompson but it still has it's problems, though these seem to be fixed in the newer Samsung drives, which were introduced around one year after the XBox was released. The Samsung drive uses the same chipset in the Samsung 616T/F PC drive, which is considered a very good drive. Therefore, please check to see what kind of drive you have. You can tell by opening the tray and looking at the design of the plastic. You can see pictures of the three drives here (thanks, Hil).
So, when submitting XBox incompatibilities, please state what brand drive you have. If you can, test it on another XBox with a different drive, preferably the Samsung, since it's considered the superior drive.
New Entries - 10/12/04
Movie | Problem |
The Cat in the Hat | Won't play at all. |
Pitch Black | Skips |
Field of Dreams | Won't play |
Mystic River | Framerate problems. |
The Matrix Reloaded | Won't load (the irony) |
Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversary Ed. | Won't play |
Shaolin Soccer | Won't play at all. |
Band of Brothers | Skips |
Previous Entries
Movie | Problem |
Angel S3 | Freezes on Extras menu. |
Blue Velvet | Eventually skips and stutter. |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer S5 | Frozen on The Real Me episode. |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer S6 | Won't play certain episodes. |
Cowboy Bebop: Perfect Sessions | Locks up |
Fantasia 2000 ** | Some minor skipping. |
Gangs of New York | Skipping at layer change. |
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | Locks up after the troll is KO'ed. |
Hot Chick, The | Won't play at all. |
Invader Zim Vol. 1 ** | Constant skipping and freezing. |
Jason X ** | Freezes mid-way through. |
Magnolia | Skips and pixilates at certain chapters |
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition) | Skips or won't play. |
Monty Python and the Holy Grail | Framing issues. |
Mulholland Drive ** | Eventually skips and stutters. |
Platoon | Freezes after Elias's death. |
Pulp Fiction: SE ** | Pixilation during Christopher Walken's scene. |
Road to Perdition | Lockups/freezes late in the movie. |
School of Rock | Lockups/freezes halfway through. |
Simpsons Treehouse of Horror ** | Won't play |
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Won't play. |
Solaris | Locks up almost immediately or won't play. |
Spider Man | Locks up during final parts of the film. |
The Terminator: SE | Constant freezing, audio drops in and out. |
The Thin Red Line ** | Freezes late in the movie. |
Transformers: The Movie | Won't play. |