A Sincere DVD Quick Poll

[Guest]

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I hope we might all learn something from this. The question is this:

How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?

Rented, bought, borrowed, doesn't matter. I'm wondering if all DVD
players are not equal. I would have to say that I experience some form
of error while watching DVDs about 60% of the time. Unacceptable. It
makes me long for VHS. Can you believe that?

Even new DVDs that I've bought and watched twice seem to develop
skippage even with proper handling. Do I need to go out and buy an
high-end DVD player?

Thanks in advance for answering.

Pusher.

 

[Guest]

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I owned one cheap Korean machine that was really bad, it wouldn't even
play some DVDs. I bought it because it could play all regions of
DVDs, I like to watch foreign movies. I think you get what you pay
for.

Al

On 8 Aug 2004 17:37:48 -0700, push_studios@yahoo.com (pusher) wrote:

>I hope we might all learn something from this. The question is this:
>
>How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
>stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?
>
>Rented, bought, borrowed, doesn't matter. I'm wondering if all DVD
>players are not equal. I would have to say that I experience some form
>of error while watching DVDs about 60% of the time. Unacceptable. It
>makes me long for VHS. Can you believe that?
>
>Even new DVDs that I've bought and watched twice seem to develop
>skippage even with proper handling. Do I need to go out and buy an
>high-end DVD player?
>
>Thanks in advance for answering.
>
>Pusher.

 

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In article <b87561cb.0408081637.3c45c8dd@posting.google.com>,
push_studios@yahoo.com says...
> How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
> stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?

You definitely need a new DVD player. I get all my movies from Netflix,
which are mailed around in paper sleeves and watched zillions of times,
and I haven't seen a DVD skip yet. The only time I've ever seen one
skip was when I got a bad one in a West Wing box set, and the
replacement worked fine, so that was a manufacturing defect.

In other words, in my experience, they skip no more often than CDs, and
possibly less often since they're not exposed to my car and my changer.

--
Jay Levitt |
Wellesley, MA | Hi!
Faster: jay at jay dot eff-em | Where are we going?
http/www.jay.fm | Why am I in this handbasket?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Players do vary. The first DVD player I bought was a Toshiba and it became
increasingly unusable as time went on. It appeared that copy protection schemes
were to blame. Older discs continued to play fine but newer ones increasingly
failed to play at all. I literally gave it away because I coudn't sell it to
anyone in good conscience.

I replaced it with a JVC that never failed to play properly as long as the disc
was clean and free of defects. Later I replaced the JVC with a Pioneer Elite
which has far superior picture quality, and also never fails to play a disc.

It does sound like you need to replace your player. The good news is that good
ones are far cheaper now than ever.


Ted Spencer, NYC

"No amount of classical training will ever teach you what's so cool about
"Tighten Up" by Archie Bell And The Drells" -author unknown

 

[Guest]

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<< How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD? >>

None of that, but plenty of color fading & contrast pumping. I ascribe all that
to a low end player.


Scott Fraser

 

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"pusher" <push_studios@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b87561cb.0408081637.3c45c8dd@posting.google.com
> I hope we might all learn something from this. The question is this:
>
> How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
> stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?

Recently a high proportion of the DVDs we rent from Blockbuster are
physically dirty. A little soap and water, and the problem is gone!

> Rented, bought, borrowed, doesn't matter. I'm wondering if all DVD
> players are not equal. I would have to say that I experience some form
> of error while watching DVDs about 60% of the time. Unacceptable. It
> makes me long for VHS. Can you believe that?

If the discs are dirty or really badly scratched, then skipping is part of
the story.

> Even new DVDs that I've bought and watched twice seem to develop
> skippage even with proper handling.

I've never had problems with a fresh new, pristine disc.

> Do I need to go out and buy an high-end DVD player?

No, you just need a credible low-end or mid-end player.

For example, I have an Apex 1200 that cost me $39.95 from an appliance
store. It tracks DVDs as well as my Pioneer 525, which cost nearly 10 times
as much.

Not only that, but based on actual mesurement, the Apex 1200's audio
section has equal or less distortion than about half of the optical disc
players reviewd on the Stereophile web site. They had an average price of
$3995 or so. Of course mechanically the Apex is very light weight, tin and
plastic to the max. But it does the basic job of playing discs and putting
out video and audio.

 

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In article <b87561cb.0408081637.3c45c8dd@posting.google.com> push_studios@yahoo.com writes:

> How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
> stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?

I've never watched a DVD, but I sure notice a lot more skipping of CDs
played on the radio than I used to notice skipping phonograph records.

Ain't technology wonderful?

On the other hand, I can buy a player for CD, DVD, DVD-A, SACD, MP3
and probably other things digital for less than the cost of a nice
turntable mat.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

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In article <20040808210250.29796.00002642@mb-m18.aol.com> prestokid@aol.com writes:

> The first DVD player I bought was a Toshiba and it became
> increasingly unusable as time went on.

> I replaced it with a JVC that never failed to play properly as long as the disc
> was clean and free of defects.

> Later I replaced the JVC with a Pioneer Elite
> which has far superior picture quality, and also never fails to play a disc.

If at first you don't succeed . . .

Not talking about you, Ted, but about the manufacturers and the media.
I guess I'll wait a few more years before buying a DVD player. Or
maybe I'll just let this phase of technology pass me by and catch up
with the next round. I don't want to buy any more things that I can
avoid which become unusable in a couple of years.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

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On 9 Aug 2004 09:39:13 -0400, mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers) wrote:

>
>Not talking about you, Ted, but about the manufacturers and the media.
>I guess I'll wait a few more years before buying a DVD player. Or
>maybe I'll just let this phase of technology pass me by and catch up
>with the next round. I don't want to buy any more things that I can
>avoid which become unusable in a couple of years.

Just the extras on Headwig was worth the $40

Frank /~ http/newmex.com/f10
@/

 

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8 Aug 2004 17:37:48 -0700, push_studios@yahoo.com suggested:
: I hope we might all learn something from this. The question is this:
:
: How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
: stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?
:
: Rented, bought, borrowed, doesn't matter. I'm wondering if all DVD
: players are not equal. I would have to say that I experience some form
: of error while watching DVDs about 60% of the time. Unacceptable. It
: makes me long for VHS. Can you believe that?
:
: Even new DVDs that I've bought and watched twice seem to develop
: skippage even with proper handling. Do I need to go out and buy an
: high-end DVD player?

Yes, the player can make a pretty big difference in playback performance.
FWIW, I've never had any problems with a consumer-line Toshiba player;
it's certainly not what I would call high-end.

It's also possible that you have a defective unit.

--
agreenbu @ nyx . net andrew michael greenburg

 

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On 9 Aug 2004 09:39:12 -0400, mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers) wrote:

>I've never watched a DVD,

Man, you owe it to yourself to buy a cheap player (the Samsung's
are fine) and a disc of your favorite movie. The new transfer of
_Casablanca_ is excellent. Or whatever you like best.

It's what TV has been waiting to be, all these years.

Chris Hornbeck

 

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In article <kv6fh05ftr6ofiuqnj880upr53k8mvba7m@4ax.com> chrishornbeckremovethis@att.net writes:

> >I've never watched a DVD,
>
> Man, you owe it to yourself to buy a cheap player (the Samsung's
> are fine) and a disc of your favorite movie. The new transfer of
> _Casablanca_ is excellent. Or whatever you like best.

So I buy a player for $40, an RF modulator for $25, a DVD for $20 to
do what? Watch TV?

Actually I've read about some interesteing DVDs of musical
productions, but I don't sit in the living room and watch music
videos, so I don't really need something that will tempt me.

> It's what TV has been waiting to be, all these years.

In order to appreicate good video, I'd also need a new TV set. I don't
think my 1981 Zenith quite cuts it any more, but it's OK for CSI
reruns when I can't find anything better to do.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

[Guest]

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pusher <push_studios@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I hope we might all learn something from this. The question is this:

> How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
> stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?

Hardly ever, and it's almost always rememdied by cleaning the (rented)
disc.

One disc I bought did have a manufacturing defect, and the company
replaced it with a second pressing that was good.

I assume you aren't confusing a layer change blip with a 'defect'.

> Rented, bought, borrowed, doesn't matter. I'm wondering if all DVD
> players are not equal.

Well that's clearly the case -- see the Secrets of Home Audio
shootouts for technical evidence of same

http/www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi


> I would have to say that I experience some form
> of error while watching DVDs about 60% of the time. Unacceptable. It
> makes me long for VHS. Can you believe that?

> Even new DVDs that I've bought and watched twice seem to develop
> skippage even with proper handling. Do I need to go out and buy an
> high-end DVD player?

No, just a better one.

--

-S.
"We started to see evidence of the professional groupie in the early 80's.
Alarmingly, these girls bore a striking resemblance to Motley Crue." --
David Lee Roth

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I only have an internal Samsung DVD/CD reader in my net toy box...
never has glitched (except after the buffer emptied from too much
time on pause ;-)

DM

 

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On Aug 8, 2004, pusher <push_studios@yahoo.com> commented:

> How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
> stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?
>--------------------------------snip----------------------------------<

Almost never happens to me. And I'm a video mastering engineer here in LA.
If it happened, I'd notice it. Once in a blue moon, I'll see a glitch from,
say, a Netflix rental disc or something, but it's very minor.

I do see some 3/2 decoding errors in some of my players, but not the better
units like the Sony 999 or the Pioneer DV-47Ai. I think the error correction
is better in the more expensive units, but a lot depends on the quality of
the pressings.

--MFW
[remove the extra M above for email]

 

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On 9 Aug 2004 15:35:25 -0400, mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers) wrote:

>In order to appreicate good video, I'd also need a new TV set. I don't
>think my 1981 Zenith quite cuts it any more, but it's OK for CSI
>reruns when I can't find anything better to do.

I made my 1986 NEC from the remains of two; one struck by lightning
and one whose owner had knocked the neck off the CRT. I didn't ask.
As long as I can find a flyback every decade I'm good to go.

The best cheap way to see DVD's is on a computer (beautiful little
image), but mine only plays a small percentage. Too old to keep up
I guess.

Chris Hornbeck

 

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Mike Rivers <mrivers@d-and-d.com> wrote:

> In article <kv6fh05ftr6ofiuqnj880upr53k8mvba7m@4ax.com> chrishornbeckremovethis@att.net writes:

> > >I've never watched a DVD,
> >
> > Man, you owe it to yourself to buy a cheap player (the Samsung's
> > are fine) and a disc of your favorite movie. The new transfer of
> > _Casablanca_ is excellent. Or whatever you like best.

> So I buy a player for $40, an RF modulator for $25, a DVD for $20 to
> do what? Watch TV?

If you liek to watch movies on TV, sure.

You can even *rent* DVDs these days, for about $4 a pop, I'm told.


> In order to appreicate good video, I'd also need a new TV set. I don't
> think my 1981 Zenith quite cuts it any more, but it's OK for CSI
> reruns when I can't find anything better to do.

Unless its tube has gone south, you will almost certainly see
a better picture and get better sound with a DVD than with a VHS tape (or do you
use Betamax)?


--

-S.
"We started to see evidence of the professional groupie in the early 80's.
Alarmingly, these girls bore a striking resemblance to Motley Crue." --
David Lee Roth

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Mike Rivers wrote:
> In article <b87561cb.0408081637.3c45c8dd@posting.google.com>
> push_studios@yahoo.com writes:
>
>> How many of you experience skipping, fit and starts, errors,
>> stuttering, etc. while watching a DVD?
>
> I've never watched a DVD, but I sure notice a lot more skipping of CDs
> played on the radio than I used to notice skipping phonograph records.
>
> Ain't technology wonderful?
>
> On the other hand, I can buy a player for CD, DVD, DVD-A, SACD, MP3
> and probably other things digital for less than the cost of a nice
> turntable mat.

I bought a DVD at the supermarket checkout. Plays CDs and CD-Rs fine, and
looks far better on DVD playback than S-VHS ever did. No probelms playing
old or new, rental or bought DVDs. Region free too.


geoff

 

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Mike Rivers wrote:
> In article <kv6fh05ftr6ofiuqnj880upr53k8mvba7m@4ax.com>
> chrishornbeckremovethis@att.net writes:
>
>>> I've never watched a DVD,
>>
>> Man, you owe it to yourself to buy a cheap player (the Samsung's
>> are fine) and a disc of your favorite movie. The new transfer of
>> _Casablanca_ is excellent. Or whatever you like best.
>
> So I buy a player for $40, an RF modulator for $25, a DVD for $20 to
> do what? Watch TV?
>
> Actually I've read about some interesteing DVDs of musical
> productions, but I don't sit in the living room and watch music
> videos, so I don't really need something that will tempt me.

The Dark Side oF The Moon doco tempt you ?

Being able to frame-advance Nora sweetly mouthing words without wearing a
hole in the tape ?

Play back (insert fav guiatrist here) in sharp slo-mo to figure out the
fingering ?

Play back porn in reverse in high def (that one is really a larf !)

Hey - it's got to be worth a try ;-)


> In order to appreicate good video, I'd also need a new TV set. I don't
> think my 1981 Zenith quite cuts it any more, but it's OK for CSI
> reruns when I can't find anything better to do.

That's OK, you can get one of those at the supermarket too, for almost
nothing !

geoff

 

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In article <obWUc.4051$zS6.448442@news02.tsnz.net> geoff@paf.co.nz-nospam writes:

> > Actually I've read about some interesteing DVDs of musical
> > productions, but I don't sit in the living room and watch music
> > videos, so I don't really need something that will tempt me.
>
> The Dark Side oF The Moon doco tempt you ?

Guess not. I've heard of it, but haven't ever knowingly listened to
it. I'd be more likely to watch a DVD of old Merle Travis "videos"
that I have on videotape.

> Being able to frame-advance Nora sweetly mouthing words without wearing a
> hole in the tape ?

Why would I want to do that? I don't read lips.

> Play back (insert fav guiatrist here) in sharp slo-mo to figure out the
> fingering ?

Maybe, but they don't usually put the camera on the guitarist's
fingers for long enough to learn anything, unless it's a training
video.

And so on.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo