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Hi all.

I've been asked by the 'Big Cheese' to get a list of incompatible DVDs with just the input from the people at this site. So, would everyone please tell me if you've ever had ANY type of problems with DVDs and/or players. This can be for home players or DVDROMs.

Problems can be anything from pauses at the dual layer transfer to automatic subtitles when the disc is inserted. Absolutely anything...skipping, region problems, error messages when nothing is wrong, sound problems, picture display problems...anything.

All I need is the DVD title, a brief description of the problem, and the type of player/computer that was used.

I've got 3 weeks to get your responses tallied and organized and I need to stress that the people at this site are the ONLY ones being asked for this. Once I get everything together, I'll forward to my superiors. They in turn will take the info to the first DVD Group meeting in New York City in April. Incompatibility problems that you give me will be one of three subjects focused on at this meeting. Your answers will have a direct effect on the DVD market by the end of the year with solutions to the problems coming in the form of new releases of the problem discs and/or firmware upgrades nationwide.

Thank you all
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Actually, every one of my discs does automatic subtitles when I play it (yet the subtitles are turned off on the menu thingy), but I guess that's a problem with my DVD player rather than the DVDs themselves (my fault for buying something made by a company I've never heard of).

To answer the question, though, I had trouble with Shanghai Noon and Frequency freezing up on me. I have a KLH DVD 221 model player.

Other than that, no problems (other than the subtitles thing, of course).



Ok ryan, do the discs freeze and start up again or do you need to fast forward or reverse them to get them going. Also, when does it happen during the films...half way thru, beginning, or end.

About the subtitles...there may be a feature on your DVD player that automatically activates them. I'd call the manufacturer or check the manual and see if it has auto captions.

Thanks for the info.



I checked the manual on the subtitles thing, and it was no help (I did what it said, which was to turn the captions off in the main menu for the DVD player. It worked when I turned off the alternate camera angle thing. It just doesn't work when I turn off the captions). I may end up calling them. More likely, though, I'll just live with it and eventually buy a new player. (I'm not good with confrontations).

As for the problems with Frequency and Shanghai Noon: On Shanghai Noon, I had to turn the DVD player off completely and then restart it. It happened early in the film (before Chan leaves the Forbidden City). On Frequency, it happened early in the film, too (within the first couple of minutes). I was able to get it to stop by pressing stop (something that didn't work with Shanghai Noon), but it froze up on me everytime I tried to play it. It was a rental so I just gave up and took it back to the store (and got my money back).



Alrighty ryan, thanks.



Radioactive Spider Blood
Scary Movie, freezing first frame, Samsung DVD players.
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Did you know that you can have subtitles turned off on the DVD player, but still turned on with the TV? Make sure they are off on the TV also.

The only problems I have with DVDs is that sometimes when you open the case the center thing that holds the DVD is broken. I'm trying to remember which ones I had to take back. I'll look it up when I get home. It happens pretty often--maybe 1 out 10 DVDs I buy.
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Originally posted by RoadRunner
Did you know that you can have subtitles turned off on the DVD player, but still turned on with the TV? Make sure they are off on the TV also.
My TV subtitles are different (and besides, I am able to turn them off once the movie begins. It's just that I have to do it every time I watch a DVD. There is no default option to keep the subtitles off).



In Soviet America, you sue MPAA!
Ok first for the hardware. I have a DVD-ROM, if you want the model number I'll get it, but I'm pretty sure Samsung makes it.

Hollow Man-The special features menu does not show for the first page of the menu. It loads, and I see it for a second, and then it jumps to the second part. I can highlight things on the first menu, its just I'm looking at the second page. Same thing for the first page of the chapter selection.

T2: Judgement Day Special Edition-I can not watch the full Special Edition of this, at certain scenes it stops playing, it did this with both a rental copy and a store bought copy.

Thats all I can think of for now, but I'll tell you more once they happen, or I remember them.

Oh and I use PowerDVD 2.5 and the subtitles or on for some DVD's but not all of them. They come on auto for Hollow Man, Mortal Kombat, and I think thats it.
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Me Myself & Irene froze up right after she kicks him in the jaw. This happened everytime. I figured the disc was scratched or dirty since it was a rental. I cleaned it, still no go.

The center holding thingy on the dvd case was broken when I opened War of the Worlds. I bought it new.

Oh, I have a Toshiba SD-3109 dvd player.



In Soviet America, you sue MPAA!
My rental Me, Myself and Irene froze up around the same spot too and started to lag, I thought it was just because it probably had a scratch or something...



Ok here are some fixes for most of the problems that everyone has noted.

Scary Movie -
A few consumer DVD players are not able to read/play the Scary Movie DVD. The DVD player will stop at the FBI Warning.

Contact the following player customer service numbers for info on fixes and/or free firmware upgrades.


Brand Model Customer Service Number
1. Samsung DVD-709 1-800-726-7864
2. GE/Thompson/RCA GE1105P 1-800-311-9263
3. JVC XV-501\ D701BK\ XV200 1-800-252-5722
4. Sanyo/ Fisher DWM-360 1-800-813-3435
5. Philips Unknown 1-800-705-2000

Terminator 2 -
If you have PowerDVD 2.55, and select the "Special Edition" in the Terminator 2 interface, playback may fail with an illegal operation in KERNEL32.DLL immediately after the THX logo. This is apparently an issue in the PowerDVD software that will need to be addressed by CyberLink. You should be able to view the Theatrical Cut of this DVD with no problems. This is not a defect in the Terminator 2 disc. Go to http://www.cyberlink-usa.com for update information.

Hollow Man
This problem is most likely caused by the RCE encoding on the disc. I don't have any known fixes for this one, so I'll send it along.

Me, Myself & Irene
The sticking or freezing in the same spot is the dual layer transfer and is normal. On some players the pause may be exaggerated and may cuase the player to lock up. There is no fix for this. Sorry folks.

I'll forward the broken tabs issue, but I don't think there will be anyway to change the packaging.

Thanks for all the comments and please keep them coming. If I have fixes for anything noted, I'll let you know. Also, if you contact a company and they don't help you, let me know so I can report them. Thanks!!



In Soviet America, you sue MPAA!
Originally posted by Laurie L
Terminator 2 -
If you have PowerDVD 2.55, and select the "Special Edition" in the Terminator 2 interface, playback may fail with an illegal operation in KERNEL32.DLL immediately after the THX logo.
Thats the exact error I got but it was only during certain chapters. If you want a list of the chapters I can tell you.
[Edited by TWTCommish on 02-16-2001]



It's ok. I have a listing of the chapters at work that I got when this problem was first reported.

Has anybody had any problems with the sound and picture being out of sync for any disc?