Blu-ray Glitch List - Titles you might want to avoid.

Ruined

CAGiversary!
Thought this might be helpful to those just getting into BD :)

(UPDATED 3/30/09)

CONFIRMED CURRENT PROBLEM USA BDs
***Releases highlighted in red have problems being ignored by the studio***
****
007: For Your Eyes Only
* An issue with one of the BD-J files may cause your player to freeze
! Fox has a replacement program available: 1-888-223-2FOX

1408
* Severe jaggies persist throughout the film.
! Weinstein has not addressed this as of 1/14/09

3:10 to Yuma
* Significant chroma fringing/errors in transfer, most visible during credits (rainbow colors around edges of text).
! LionsGate does not consider this an issue

Baraka (Horrible cardboard eco-pak edition)
* Some copies freeze at 1hr 13mins mark. A batch of the initial run of discs in the poorly-made cardboard case had significant manufacturing issues which some players are more sensitive to than others.
! MPI has a replacement program available

Blade Runner (slimline case)
* Some copies do not have the final cut on Disc 1 as it should be, instead having a repeat of the workprint disc
! Warner has a replacement program available

The Descent (MPEG2)
* Significant chroma fringing/errors in transfer, most visible during credits (rainbow colors around edges of text). AUS version is unaffected.
! LionsGate does not consider this an issue

Die Hard 2
* DTS-HDMA lossless track incorrectly flagged as DTS-HD lossy, resulting in lossy output or no sound at all on some setups
! Fox has began to collect addresses of people with a problem to resend a second set of replacement discs when available (first replacement was the same disc)
Support contacts: [email protected] -and- [email protected]
However as of 1/8/09 Fox still has failed to send out fixed replacement discs; UK and AUS copies are not affected.

Dirty Dancing
* Master appears to have been incorrectly scaled prior to encoding, resulting in severe jaggies.
! LionsGate does not consider this an issue

District B13
* The only English subtitle option for this foreign movie is closed-captioned for the hearing impaired, resulting in sound effects being written out in the subtitles. This can be irritating for those who are not hearing impaired, an additional standard subtitle track would have been preferable.
! Magnolia does not consider this an issue

Enter the Dragon
* Master was incorrectly filtered prior to encoding resulting in severe jaggies; effective disc resolution is 960x1080.
! Warner does not consider this an issue, and states a new master must be struck to fix the problem.

Event Horizon
* Image is vertically stretched at times, resulting in "thin" faces and image distortion.
! Paramount has failed to address this issue as of 1/8/09

The Fugitive
* Master was incorrectly filtered prior to encoding resulting in severe jaggies; effective disc resolution is 960x1080.
! Warner does not consider this an issue, and states a new master must be struck to fix the problem.

Gulliver's Travels
* Aspect ratio is incorrect, cropped from 1.37:1 to 1.78:1.
! Koch does not consider this an issue.

Halloween
* Color balance during night scenes deviates from the filmmakers intentions
! Anchor Bay/Starz does not consider this an issue.

Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay
* There are popping noises at branch points when listening to the fully decoded lossless DTS-MA soundtrack.
! New Line is aware of the issue, but no replacement program has been announced.

Immortal
* Right channel effects and center channel effects are swapped in TrueHD soundtrack.
! First Look Pictures has not announced a replacement program.

King of California
* Jaggies are noticable at times throughout the movie, possibly a low quality upconvert from 720p master.
! First Look Pictures has not addressed this as of 1/14/09

Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same (both original release and re-release)
* 7-second TrueHD soundtrack dropout at 1:40:45, confirmed encoding error that affects all players. Lossless HD DVD version and lossy soundtracks on both versions are not affected.
! Warner has done a "silent release" of a corrected Blu-ray Disc. The files on the correctly authored disc are dated March 2008.

Let the Right One In
* Subtitle translation is incorrect.
! Magnolia does not consider this an issue and is not issuing replacements; instead, they will release a new version in the future with correct subtitles for purchase. Return your disc if you are dissatisfied with the incorrect subtitle translation.
http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to.html

Lethal Weapon 2
* Master was incorrectly filtered prior to encoding resulting in severe jaggies; effective disc resolution is 960x1080.
! Warner does not consider this an issue, and states a new master must be struck to fix the problem.

Lost: Season 3
* On some copies, Disc 5 is a duplicate of Disc 1.
! Disney has a replacement program available.

Lost: Season 4
* The first 2 seconds of audio may be cut off when starting playback of an episode
! Disney has not addressed this issue as of 1/19/09

Matrix Revolutions
* Image breaks up or jumps at 1:45:46
! Warner appears to be coordinating a replacement program for this issue, but no discs are available yet. Click here for more info. Note that the UK version may not be affected by this glitch.

Next
* Severe jaggies throughout the film
! Paramount has failed to respond to this issue as of 1/14/09

The Night of the Werewolf/Vengeance of the Zombies
* Severe A/V lag during playback. All copies may not be affected.
! BCI does not consider this an issue

Paris, je t'aime
* The only English subtitle option for this foreign movie is closed-captioned for the hearing impaired, resulting in sound effects being written out in the subtitles. This can be irritating for those who are not hearing impaired, an additional standard subtitle track would have been preferable.
! First Look Pictures has failed to address this issue as of 1/8/09

Priceless
* The only English subtitle option for this foreign movie is closed-captioned for the hearing impaired, resulting in sound effects being written out in the subtitles. This can be irritating for those who are not hearing impaired, an additional standard subtitle track would have been preferable. Also, there are no english subtitles at all for the french extras included!
! First Look Pictures has failed to address this issue as of 1/19/09

Roy Orbison: Black and White Night
* Aspect ratio is incorrect, cropped from 1.37:1 to 1.78:1.
! Image Entertainment has failed to address this issue as of 1/8/09

Starship Troopers
* Editing error where a few frames of the movie are repeated, omitting what should actually be seen. Example: Faulty version --Corrected version.
! Sony has a replacement program available

Species
* Authoring error where attempting to access the subtitle options via the main menu or the pop-up menu results in freezing of the player controls. This has been confirmed by paidgeek, a Sony insider. The subtitles can still be accessed properly via the subtitle button on the player's remote.
! No replacement program is planned for this

Sukiyaki Western Django
* Right channel effects and center channel effects are swapped in TrueHD soundtrack.
! First Look Pictures has not announced a replacement program.

The Truman Show
* Image is horizontally stretched, resulting in overly "fat" faces and distortion.
! Paramount has failed to address this issue as of 1/8/09

Unbreakable
* PCM soundtrack popping/distortion in rear right surround at 8:30-8:32. Also a popping noise is heard in the center channel at 1:28:21.
! The UK version has a 16bit/48khz 5.1 PCM track that is unaffected by this issue.
! Disney has failed to address this issue as of 1/8/09

Young Guns
* Master was incorrectly filtered prior to encoding resulting in severe jaggies; effective disc resolution is 960x1080.
! LionsGate has failed to address this issue as of 1/8/09

UNCONFIRMED or EQUIPMENT-SPECIFIC BD GLITCHES
****
Chicago
* PCM soundtrack popping/distortion
! Need more information to determine if this is a disc issue

PAST INCIDENTS - You'd be unlikely to find these problem discs in stores today, as they were fixed long ago.
****
Blade Runner
* Some copies do not have the workprint on Disc 5 as it should be, instead having a repeat of the final cut disc
! Warner has a replacement program available

Chronos
* Some copies had an issue that prevented playback in some cases
! RBFilms has a replacement program available

The Descent (OOP/AVC release only)
* Movie file(s) were located in the wrong directory, making the disc unplayable in some cases. Serious chroma errors are visible in transfer, especially on credits.
! Title was recalled

The Fifth Element (OOP/original release)
* This title does not have any glitches, but it is being included because it has a poor transfer and the manufacturer is offering a free upgrade to the newer version w/ better transfer.
! Sony has a replacement program available.

Full Metal Jacket (OOP/original release only - original cover has white background)
* Master was incorrectly filtered prior to encoding resulting in severe jaggies; effective disc resolution is 960x1080.
! Warner has released a remastered BD with new artwork that is full 1080p resolution.

The Incredible Hulk
* In Canada, some early copies of the initial run of this title mistakenly have Ang Lee's earlier "Hulk" film in the case instead of the newer Incredible Hulk film.
! Universal has a replacement program available.

Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
* Framing error
! Disney has a replacement program available

Speed
* Some copies had an issue that prevented playback in some cases
! Fox has a replacement program available

Stargate
* Early copies were missing subtitles for a portion of the movie
! LionsGate has corrected the issue with a new pressing

Terminator 3
* Some copies have the main feature encoded in 1080i when IME is not enabled
! Warner has a replacement program available
 
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Good thread, valuable info. Good thing I own none of those!

I have PoTC: Curse of the Black Pearl, but it is a recent version.
 
Ruined, do you have a link for the 007 replacement disc? I haven't had time to open mine up and check, but if it's a universal problem, I'd like to get it swapped.
 
I was getting so pissed when watching Harold and Kumar as I thought the loud pops were going to ruin all my speakers... ugh.

I have what I think is a newer Black Pearl, how can I be sure?
 
Baraka and Chronos were made by the same people, that really sucks that their Blu-Rays are effed, they're both intense visual experiences that would greatly benefit from a full 1080p resolution.
 
Gonna have to check my blade runner copy; I don't think District B-13 had the audio soundeffects in subtitles, though I could be wrong
 
[quote name='shadowrage']Robocop has the correct aspect ratio.[/QUOTE]

Robocop was theatrically shown at 1.85:1.

However, when Criterion approached the director Paul Verhoeven about his wishes for presentation of the film on DVD, he stated that he strongly preferred his film to be presented at 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Thus, while the Blu-ray does present the theatrical aspect ratio, it fails to present the director's preferred aspect ratio.

Nitpicking a bit, though that is what this thread is about. :) In my next revision maybe I will change the wording on Robocop to indicate that it is not incorrectly matted but likewise is not in the filmmakers preferred aspect ratio.
 
Looks like I have four possible issues with Blade Runner, The Descent, Enter The Dragon and 007: FYEO.

I guess I'll have to work with Fox with the replacement for FYEO, once they announce the replacement for it. Plus, talk with Warner for Blade Runner, if I run into that issue. I guess Enter The Dragon and The Descent will be issues I'll be stuck with.
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']I have the Descent and I see no chroma issues at all. How accurate is this list?[/QUOTE]

Take a look at the edges of the fonts in the credits:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14655826&postcount=58

Chroma-fringing/rainbow colors are clearly visible, more pronounced in the recalled AVC version (basically since its less blurry), but still there in the current MPEG2 version.

Another example, less severe: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14608592&postcount=25

Some more updates to the list, also! :)
 
question for ya ruined. I have both starship troopers and Pirates. The pirates I got from the 5 free deal last year. How would I go about swapping those 2 out? Also would my pirates be ok? I really don't know how old the defective ones were.
 
thanks for the info !

now i am sad Event Horizon is one of my fav movies.
i was actually thinking about getting it on blu i guess ill stick w DVD

they (movie studios and sony ) need to get their shit together i hope this doesnt get to be a wide spread issue.
 
I know it was fixed, but weren't there a bunch of problems with the original pressing of The Fifth Element?
 
Thanks for the info Ruined...guess I gotta send in my Starship Troopers for replacement. Anyone have a link to the info on how to do it?
 
[quote name='Trakan']I know it was fixed, but weren't there a bunch of problems with the original pressing of The Fifth Element?[/QUOTE]

Not really bad enough to be on this list.
 
[quote name='CocheseUGA']That's pretty subjective.[/QUOTE]

Not really IMO. There is nothing glitchy about failing to use a pristine master. If it had other problems like framing errors, sound errors, etc, that would be one thing, but it was really just a master that need to be cleaned up a little.

There are plenty of Blu-rays that have masters in poor shape (Gangs of New York comes to mind), but this thread is more about Blu-ray oddities/errors that could be easily corrected by the studio without a costly restoration. Meaning that the studio can easily fix these glitches if they spend a few bucks to reencode and/or reauthor the title, none of these problems would be a costly endeavor to fix.
 
[quote name='Ruined']Not really IMO. There is nothing glitchy about failing to use a pristine master. If it had other problems like framing errors, sound errors, etc, that would be one thing, but it was really just a master that need to be cleaned up a little.

There are plenty of Blu-rays that have masters in poor shape (Gangs of New York comes to mind), but this thread is more about Blu-ray oddities/errors that could be easily corrected by the studio without a costly restoration. Meaning that the studio can easily fix these glitches if they spend a few bucks to reencode and/or reauthor the title, none of these problems would be a costly endeavor to fix.[/QUOTE]

Blu-ray Glitch List - Titles you might want to avoid

Fifth Element first pressing clearly falls into the bolded part.
 
Found the info on Starship Troopers:
I just got an email back from Sony regarding this issue. They have fixed the issue and are replacing the BDs like they did with the Fifth Element. Email Address is [email protected] or call them at 800-860-2878. Here is the email I got back, they will give you a reference # to put on the outside of the package:

Dear Valued Consumer,

Thank you for your e-mail. We appreciate your interest in Sony Pictures Home Entertainment products.

To receive an exchange for the Starship Troopers Blu-ray disc, please return your Blu-ray disc (case not needed) to the following address:

SPHE Consumer Support
PO Box 157
Neenah, WI 54957
Attn:

Please be sure to include your return address (no PO Boxes) and a copy of this email. Your replacement will be shipped to you via Fed Ex Ground, and please allow 3-5 weeks for delivery.

Regards,

SPHE Consumer Affairs Team
800-860-2878

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=1294841&postcount=93
 
The original issue of Full Metal Jacket has a slight dubbing problem. When Gunny is making his rounds in the second scene, his voice doesn't quite sync up.
 
Any way other then watching and listening that we can tell if the copies we have are the ones that have the Glitch. I just ordered The Decent back when Amazon had it for 13 or 14 bucks and would like to know if mine has the issue. When I watched it I didn't notice anything but I really don't watch the credits much.
 
hmm my copy of For Your Eyes Only plays fine, but i will look into exchanging it. Got my copy of Pirate from 3 pack so it should be okay.
 
I hope the Unbreakable problem gets resolved. And a few people have asked about how to tell if they have a problem version of PotC and no one has addressed it. ow does one tell if there is a "framing error"?

Also, I bought Dan in Real Life when it came out last year. Great movie, despite the fact that I hate Steve Carell. But I seem to remember having a problem with the player freezing if you tried to rewind or fast forward and it seems that about half the people who bought it had the same problem. Has this been fixed or does this title need to be added to the list? I haven't even watched the movie since the initial time I saw it because it was such a pain.
 
[quote name='lockey']Hmmm. wondering if i should bite on The Fifth Element on sale at Fry's for $11.99.[/QUOTE]

I believe the version that says Dolby TrueHD on the back is the good one.
 
The Fifth Element BD problem was that the additional footage added in (which was just a few seconds at a time) was NOT in high-def. It was jarringly noticeable to me.
Even though its an old problem, I got a bad disc on the Circuit City out-of-business sale. The replacement program was quick though and the best part....they didn't ask for the case back. One free BluRay case. (Disney made me send the POTC:COTBP case back with the disc)
 
After experiencing how crappy Robocop was I will be seriously avoiding older movie titles and if I do get interested will do some heavy research before hand.
 
[quote name='VipFREAK']After experiencing how crappy Robocop was I will be seriously avoiding older movie titles and if I do get interested will do some heavy research before hand.[/quote]


Agree here. Although there are starting to be a lot of sales on older movies on blu ray, I always check review sites BEFORE buying them. If they don't look any better than my SD-DVD copy, then I skip it.
 
I couldn't believe it, but it makes sense. Can't take an avatar sized pic and make it 1080p quality. I wonder how they get around that or if they are just praying the average consumer continues to be oblivious to it?
 
"Halloween
* Color balance during night scenes deviates from the filmmakers intentions
! Anchor Bay/Starz does not consider this an issue."
From what I understand the "blue" color is NOT the filmmakers intention. The washed out color, that's the "corrected" color that fans absolutely loathe. I read a long time ago that original blue tint was a mistake, but the movie aired so many times on TV with that incorrect color balance that it became the accepted color. I think they released the correctly balanced color transfer once and got so much hate mail they would never do it again.

From what I understand about the Blu-Ray, it's the now-traditional blue tint transfer but the 1080p conversion lost some saturation levels. Where it's still blue at night, but not that almost neonlike blue that made the movie so unique.
 
wow... you see how Sony promotes BR as being perfect... yea thanks again sony.:roll: keep this shit up and I am going to stick with current titles only.

Damn, I wonder how fucked up Terminator 1 is?
 
[quote name='crunchb3rry']From what I understand the "blue" color is NOT the filmmakers intention. The washed out color, that's the "corrected" color that fans absolutely loathe. I read a long time ago that original blue tint was a mistake, but the movie aired so many times on TV with that incorrect color balance that it became the accepted color. I think they released the correctly balanced color transfer once and got so much hate mail they would never do it again.

From what I understand about the Blu-Ray, it's the now-traditional blue tint transfer but the 1080p conversion lost some saturation levels. Where it's still blue at night, but not that almost neonlike blue that made the movie so unique.[/QUOTE]

The blue tint is Dean Cundey's preference, and he was the cinematographer/director of photography of Halloween. That counts as filmmakers intention IMO.

As for the Blu-ray...
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/966/halloween1978.html

[quote name='highdefdigest']Unfortunately, that DiviMax version caused quite an uproar with fans when word quickly leaked out on the eve of its release that neither John Carpenter nor cinematographer Dean Cundey had approved the new master, and without their input, great liberties were taken with the film's color timing...

Sadly, this 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 sports most of the same color timing problems as the DiviMax DVD edition. Although earlier reports had indicated that Starz/Anchor Bay had planned on using the old, Cundey-approved master for this Blu-ray edition, judging from the results here, I have to assume that they just used the DiviMax master and tweaked it a little. Though the daylight exteriors are much closer to previous Cundey-approved masters (including a 1995 Criterion Collection laserdisc, as well as earlier Anchor Bay THX-certified DVD editions), the nighttime scenes -- about 3/4 of the movie -- still just aren't right. The effective blue-orange complimentary color palette is white-washed away, and though fleshtones may be more "accurate," this is just not the 'Halloween' it should be. (For a look at some comparison pics between the Blu-ray and the THX-certified, Cundy-approved transfer, see this thread in our forums area.)[/quote]

Doesn't sound like they did a good job on the color timing.
 
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