Question:
Hi,
I've just rented the new Star Wars film out from Blockbuster but it won't play on my Acoustic Solutions DVD551 DVD Player. The copyright screen comes up and then after that it starts flashing black and yellow/green! I don't know what's up with it and it has happened before with a previous DVD rental. Anyone know if this is a problem with the player or the disc? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
What is the condition of disc like? Have only had 1 rental from blockbuster (new release) & it was covered in fingermarks & scratched well & truly!
Cheaper machines tend to struggle with rental discs, fact of life.
Of course, it would help if Blockbuster didn't use Brillo pads to clean the discs :nuts:
Brain not working @ full steam - should also have asked - are all connections secure (& how is it connected by the way?), what were the other problem discs & was it the same problem experienced?
The disc isn't in great condition but I would have thought it's good enought to be able to play or at least get to the menu. Last time that I had this problem I took the disk back and got it changed but still had the problem! So I'm thinking it's a problem with the player or discs from Blockbuster. That rental was a film called 'Monsoon Wedding'.
I'm in two minds whether to go back and get a replacement disk or just give up and buy it new.
Matt, the connections are all fine and I thought it might be because I'd used the multi region hack. But I took this off and still the same probelms.
Any ideas?
Quick update - Just took the disc back to Blockbuster and got it replaced but guess what - the new disc still won't play:mad:. This disk was in perfect condition so don't know what to do. Gonna take it back and see what they say. Is it possible that this could just be a problem with DVDs from Blockbuster? All my other discs play fine and it's only those from Blockbuster that I've had problems with.
Anyway, if anyone has any idea what the problem might be then please let me know.
Cheers for the replies so far.
i bagged a copy of 'Monsoon Wedding' ex rental from Blockbuster
& i works fine on my pioneer 530, & sammy 709
Tafsir :)
Yeah, think it's simply because the Acoustic Solutions is a budget player. The guy at Blockbuster said that people do sometimes have problems with certain rental discs on certain players (usually budget players). But that's no good to me as how can I rent any more DVD's if I can't be sure they're gonna play?
What naffed me off was that I got no apology or even sympathy from the guy at Blockbuster (even after he admitted this was a known problem) for the inconvenience I had been caused (having to go to the store 3 times) and was only offered a credit on my account for a future DVD rental! What good is that to me when I won't be renting any more DVD's?
Anyway, will try and get a retail copy of the DVD and see if that works.
Originally posted by nsayani
What naffed me off was that I got no apology or even sympathy from the guy at Blockbuster (even after he admitted this was a known problem) for the inconvenience I had been caused (having to go to the store 3 times) and was only offered a credit on my account for a future DVD rental!
I think you getting ****** off with the wrong people here nsyani,
Whilst I fully appreciate your dismay at finding out your budget player wont play newer disks...the question has to be asked...Why would Blockbuster have to apologise? After all the disk does work. (Albeit in better machines.)
We all knew about compatibility issues with budget/cheaper players from ages back. Even before the Matrix.
Perhaps the DVD player mnfr should apologise, but perhaps the buyer, should assume some repsonsibility for purchasing a cheaper player which uses cheaper & inferior components and hence cannot play certain disks.
Although I believe that if you buy a DVD player then it should play 100% of disks 100% of the time, and 100% of all disks released in the future. Until a newer format like super DVD or summat comes along.
After all this is what consumer rights are all about, does the dvd player perform the task for which you bought it?
Perhaps the real culprits are those resposible for the technology standards in the disks? After all something has been changed in the software to suddenly make them stop playing in your player.
Perhaps the DVD player mnfr has a firmware upgrade available?
Hi, thanks for the reply Colonial Marine. Could someone please clarify whether I should only expect problems with rental DVDs or will I have problems with retails DVDs aswell. I haven't had any problems with DVDs that I've bought (around 150 or so). In other words, is there a difference between the rental and retail version of a certain DVD that would prevent it playing on a budget player. Like I said, I'm still waiting to get a hold of a retail copy of Star Wars to check if it works.
Secondly, in response to my being unhappy with the service from Blockbuster I would like to add that I do not have a problem with Blockbuster and have found them to provide a good service in the past. Also, I'm sure that you can appreciate that as my last post was made after 3 trips to the store and then having to settle for not watching the film I wanted to I was annoyed with Blockbuster and this was conveyed in my post. But I am still upset about the way in which Blockbuster dealt with my problem. In any type of store when a customer has a problem with a product or service I beleive it is simply good customer service for the staff to at least sympathise or apologise for any problems that the customer has even if they do not assume responsibility for causing the problem. I would then expect them to suggest a solution or recommend a way to prevent this from happening again in the future. So, for example, they could have said to me "I'm sorry to hear about your problem but the reason why this occured is because XYZ and so you will need to do ABC to solve this". On this occasion, Blockbuster failed to do either. They dealt with my problem in an uncaring manner and did not seem at all worried about trying to keep me as a customer (i.e. I did not matter to them and they couldn't care less about whether I returned to their store or not). In other words their attitude was 'if you don't like it you can lump it'.
As to whether the DVD player manufacturer has a firmware upgrade available I will definately look into that so thank you for the suggestion.
The bottom line is that the specification for all DVD players is essentially the same, it's just that budget decks use cheaper components.
For example, our lovely Sampo decks use cheap form-factor IDE DVD-ROM drives. Regrettably, these were the components they cut back on, quality-wise, and any pre-2001 Sampo-built player is prone to screw up royally after about 2 years, and make a meal of rental discs : i.e. very fussy with non-clean, shiny discs.
Fortunately, the easy remedy is to install a new DVD-ROM drive (and preferably one that can handle the new recordable formats) - relatively simple to do (10 minute job - see here (http://www.area450.com/thesampozone/articles/driveswapindex.htm).
Firmware upgrades aren't the cure-all people think they are - unless manufacturers are specifically told there are problems with certain discs (with Disney's non-DVD Forum sanctioned DVD format being the main culprit), these issues cannot be addressed.
Problem is the AS decks are made by a third party company (they are rebadged by that company as various different brand names, such as Mustek, Yukai and Classic), and trying to get firmware updates out of them is like getting blood out of a stone, sadly.
I can appreciate your disappointment, but as Colonial Marine states if you buy cheap, you do (regrettably) have to make some compromises, more's the pity.
If it's any consolation, more expensive machines struggle with some titles too, so it's not just related to supermarket decks :)
Another thought - how long have you had the player & where did you get it from? Would it be possible to 'upgrade' without it costing an arm & a leg - don't Richer Sounds do a trade in deal?
I'd go along with that - may be worth considering upgrading to the Toshiba 220 - I seem to recall the 551 retailed at £119 at one stage - the Tosh is £99 with Richer at present.
Good call, Matt :)
Cheers clayts :)
I've just rented the new Star Wars film out from Blockbuster but it won't play on my Acoustic Solutions DVD551 DVD Player. The copyright screen comes up and then after that it starts flashing black and yellow/green! I don't know what's up with it and it has happened before with a previous DVD rental. Anyone know if this is a problem with the player or the disc? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Answers:
What is the condition of disc like? Have only had 1 rental from blockbuster (new release) & it was covered in fingermarks & scratched well & truly!
Answers:
Cheaper machines tend to struggle with rental discs, fact of life.
Of course, it would help if Blockbuster didn't use Brillo pads to clean the discs :nuts:
Answers:
Brain not working @ full steam - should also have asked - are all connections secure (& how is it connected by the way?), what were the other problem discs & was it the same problem experienced?
Answers:
The disc isn't in great condition but I would have thought it's good enought to be able to play or at least get to the menu. Last time that I had this problem I took the disk back and got it changed but still had the problem! So I'm thinking it's a problem with the player or discs from Blockbuster. That rental was a film called 'Monsoon Wedding'.
I'm in two minds whether to go back and get a replacement disk or just give up and buy it new.
Matt, the connections are all fine and I thought it might be because I'd used the multi region hack. But I took this off and still the same probelms.
Any ideas?
Answers:
Quick update - Just took the disc back to Blockbuster and got it replaced but guess what - the new disc still won't play:mad:. This disk was in perfect condition so don't know what to do. Gonna take it back and see what they say. Is it possible that this could just be a problem with DVDs from Blockbuster? All my other discs play fine and it's only those from Blockbuster that I've had problems with.
Anyway, if anyone has any idea what the problem might be then please let me know.
Cheers for the replies so far.
Answers:
i bagged a copy of 'Monsoon Wedding' ex rental from Blockbuster
& i works fine on my pioneer 530, & sammy 709
Tafsir :)
Answers:
Yeah, think it's simply because the Acoustic Solutions is a budget player. The guy at Blockbuster said that people do sometimes have problems with certain rental discs on certain players (usually budget players). But that's no good to me as how can I rent any more DVD's if I can't be sure they're gonna play?
What naffed me off was that I got no apology or even sympathy from the guy at Blockbuster (even after he admitted this was a known problem) for the inconvenience I had been caused (having to go to the store 3 times) and was only offered a credit on my account for a future DVD rental! What good is that to me when I won't be renting any more DVD's?
Anyway, will try and get a retail copy of the DVD and see if that works.
Answers:
Originally posted by nsayani
What naffed me off was that I got no apology or even sympathy from the guy at Blockbuster (even after he admitted this was a known problem) for the inconvenience I had been caused (having to go to the store 3 times) and was only offered a credit on my account for a future DVD rental!
I think you getting ****** off with the wrong people here nsyani,
Whilst I fully appreciate your dismay at finding out your budget player wont play newer disks...the question has to be asked...Why would Blockbuster have to apologise? After all the disk does work. (Albeit in better machines.)
We all knew about compatibility issues with budget/cheaper players from ages back. Even before the Matrix.
Perhaps the DVD player mnfr should apologise, but perhaps the buyer, should assume some repsonsibility for purchasing a cheaper player which uses cheaper & inferior components and hence cannot play certain disks.
Although I believe that if you buy a DVD player then it should play 100% of disks 100% of the time, and 100% of all disks released in the future. Until a newer format like super DVD or summat comes along.
After all this is what consumer rights are all about, does the dvd player perform the task for which you bought it?
Perhaps the real culprits are those resposible for the technology standards in the disks? After all something has been changed in the software to suddenly make them stop playing in your player.
Perhaps the DVD player mnfr has a firmware upgrade available?
Answers:
Hi, thanks for the reply Colonial Marine. Could someone please clarify whether I should only expect problems with rental DVDs or will I have problems with retails DVDs aswell. I haven't had any problems with DVDs that I've bought (around 150 or so). In other words, is there a difference between the rental and retail version of a certain DVD that would prevent it playing on a budget player. Like I said, I'm still waiting to get a hold of a retail copy of Star Wars to check if it works.
Secondly, in response to my being unhappy with the service from Blockbuster I would like to add that I do not have a problem with Blockbuster and have found them to provide a good service in the past. Also, I'm sure that you can appreciate that as my last post was made after 3 trips to the store and then having to settle for not watching the film I wanted to I was annoyed with Blockbuster and this was conveyed in my post. But I am still upset about the way in which Blockbuster dealt with my problem. In any type of store when a customer has a problem with a product or service I beleive it is simply good customer service for the staff to at least sympathise or apologise for any problems that the customer has even if they do not assume responsibility for causing the problem. I would then expect them to suggest a solution or recommend a way to prevent this from happening again in the future. So, for example, they could have said to me "I'm sorry to hear about your problem but the reason why this occured is because XYZ and so you will need to do ABC to solve this". On this occasion, Blockbuster failed to do either. They dealt with my problem in an uncaring manner and did not seem at all worried about trying to keep me as a customer (i.e. I did not matter to them and they couldn't care less about whether I returned to their store or not). In other words their attitude was 'if you don't like it you can lump it'.
As to whether the DVD player manufacturer has a firmware upgrade available I will definately look into that so thank you for the suggestion.
Answers:
The bottom line is that the specification for all DVD players is essentially the same, it's just that budget decks use cheaper components.
For example, our lovely Sampo decks use cheap form-factor IDE DVD-ROM drives. Regrettably, these were the components they cut back on, quality-wise, and any pre-2001 Sampo-built player is prone to screw up royally after about 2 years, and make a meal of rental discs : i.e. very fussy with non-clean, shiny discs.
Fortunately, the easy remedy is to install a new DVD-ROM drive (and preferably one that can handle the new recordable formats) - relatively simple to do (10 minute job - see here (http://www.area450.com/thesampozone/articles/driveswapindex.htm).
Firmware upgrades aren't the cure-all people think they are - unless manufacturers are specifically told there are problems with certain discs (with Disney's non-DVD Forum sanctioned DVD format being the main culprit), these issues cannot be addressed.
Problem is the AS decks are made by a third party company (they are rebadged by that company as various different brand names, such as Mustek, Yukai and Classic), and trying to get firmware updates out of them is like getting blood out of a stone, sadly.
I can appreciate your disappointment, but as Colonial Marine states if you buy cheap, you do (regrettably) have to make some compromises, more's the pity.
If it's any consolation, more expensive machines struggle with some titles too, so it's not just related to supermarket decks :)
Answers:
Another thought - how long have you had the player & where did you get it from? Would it be possible to 'upgrade' without it costing an arm & a leg - don't Richer Sounds do a trade in deal?
Answers:
I'd go along with that - may be worth considering upgrading to the Toshiba 220 - I seem to recall the 551 retailed at £119 at one stage - the Tosh is £99 with Richer at present.
Good call, Matt :)
Answers:
Cheers clayts :)
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