I fixed both Good Sheppard and Children of men my boiling the discs cleaning them off letting them cool and then playing them.

I kid you not, this is an old trick I use to use to get old Xbox games to work with the original Xbox. At times Xbox games would have read errors and not play this trick started on a few game forums and was shown to be effective. I've done it many times for games and thought it would be worth a try on these HD-DVd's that did not work on my 360 Add-on.

Basically put water in a pan with water boil it and put the disc in for about 10 seconds, clean it off let it cool and play the disc. I use the handle end of a spoon to place the disc around so I can put the disc in without touching the edges of the pan.

Both discs would not play at all and spit out a read error on my 360 Add-on. After boiling them they both played perfectly.

I fixed both Good Sheppard and Children of men my boiling the discs cleaning them off letting them cool and then playing them.

I kid you not, this is an old trick I use to use to get old Xbox games to work with the original Xbox. At times Xbox games would have read errors and not play this trick started on a few game forums and was shown to be effective. I've done it many times for games and thought it would be worth a try on these HD-DVd's that did not work on my 360 Add-on.

Basically put water in a pan with water boil it and put the disc in for about 10 seconds, clean it off let it cool and play the disc. I use the handle end of a spoon to place the disc around so I can put the disc in without touching the edges of the pan.

Both discs would not play at all and spit out a read error on my 360 Add-on. After boiling them they both played perfectly.

a salamander, mixed with ale of the old country...just kidding, if any one else can verify it, I may try this, but have had my issues as well...

hmmm... i also had problems playing back from the disc, but AnyDVD ripped the movie to the hard drive with no errors. Playing the movie back from the hard drive gives the same errors. Should I boil my hard drive?

I fixed both Good Sheppard and Children of men my boiling the discs cleaning them off letting them cool and then playing them.

:eek:

How abouit we throw Bill Gates into boiling water instead???

Even if my HD-DVDs still won't play in my 360 drive afterwards, it would still make me feel alot better :D

Marc.

green marker here . . .

here is a link to xbox forums where they talk a little bit about it

http://forums.xbox.com/11498482/ShowPost.aspx

Q– My disc looks fine but it doesn’t work. I have heard about “boiling” discs to make them play. What’s all that about?
A – Strange as it sounds, this has been very successful for a large number of people whose demo discs seem fine but don’t load correctly. During manufacturing, some discs don’t get a complete rinse, so some residue, while transparent, can be thick enough to trick the laser of your Xbox into thinking the disc is unreadable. To remove that residue, boil a small pot of water, drop the disc in for 15 seconds or so, remove it and pat it dry. Make sure it’s entirely dry before you put it into your Xbox. Again, this is advice that’s come from our readers, and we do not officially endorse this course of action -- we’re passing it on because readers have told us they did it and it worked. So if you have any doubts about doing this, it’s better to contact Future for a replacement.


here is another link talking about this technique

http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=510770

It did work for me and I use to do it a lot for Xbox games

If your HD-DVD does not work you have nothing to lose by trying it, if it's in the boiling water for 10-15 seconds it does not damage the disc at all and once cleaned off looks brand new so you can return it, if your HD-DVD doesn't work now it's at least worth a try.

Make sure you try it first with rentals. :D

HD-DVD Noodle Soup

6 Cups Chicken Broth
6 oz Dried Noodles
1 Clove Garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp Diced Onion
2 tbsp Thyme
1 Whole HD-DVD Disc (unplayable)
1 Cup HD-DVD Sleeve Art (finely shredded)

Add the broth, 2 cups water, onion, garlic, and thyme to a small pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the HD-DVD disc and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Add noodles and simmer until the noodles are just barely done. Add the sleeve art. Simmer another 3 minutes, then remove pot from heat. Remove disc from pot, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place disc in player, press "play," and serve with soup. Add pepper to taste (only after removing HD-DVD disc).

Next week: Sauteed Blu-Ray with poached mint Java in a hurried sauce.

I fixed both Good Sheppard and Children of men my boiling the discs cleaning them off letting them cool and then playing them.

I kid you not, this is an old trick I use to use to get old Xbox games to work with the original Xbox. At times Xbox games would have read errors and not play this trick started on a few game forums and was shown to be effective. I've done it many times for games and thought it would be worth a try on these HD-DVd's that did not work on my 360 Add-on.

Basically put water in a pan with water boil it and put the disc in for about 10 seconds, clean it off let it cool and play the disc. I use the handle end of a spoon to place the disc around so I can put the disc in without touching the edges of the pan.

Both discs would not play at all and spit out a read error on my 360 Add-on. After boiling them they both played perfectly.

I tried it; no dice.
But SD side plays fine after so it's true that he boiling water does not harm the disc.....just didn't help the HD side.

HD-DVD Noodle Soup

6 Cups Chicken Broth
6 oz Dried Noodles
1 Clove Garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp Diced Onion
2 tbsp Thyme
1 Whole HD-DVD Disc (unplayable)
1 Cup HD-DVD Sleeve Art (finely shredded)

Add the broth, 2 cups water, onion, garlic, and thyme to a small pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the HD-DVD disc and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Add noodles and simmer until the noodles are just barely done. Add the sleeve art. Simmer another 3 minutes, then remove pot from heat. Remove disc from pot, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place disc in player, press "play," and serve with soup. Add pepper to taste (only after removing HD-DVD disc).

Next week: Sauteed Blu-Ray with poached mint Java in a hurried sauce.
:D :p

"But SD side plays fine after so it's true that he boiling water does not harm the disc.....just didn't help the HD side."

I'd try it a few more times as long as you only leave it in for 10 seconds or so your not going to melt the disc, and those that have not tried it your not going to melt your disc and if it doesn't play for you anyway it is surely worth a try you already have a screwed up disc.

I actually did this for TGS and it "worked". i was getting the dreaded Cannot Read Disc error and tried boiling it AFTER I set up the return notice. At first the disc would start up correctly but then freeze somewhere around Chapter 16-19. I tried this multiple times with the same result. I tired again today(with the OLD disc) after receiving another disc that would not read and what do you know I was able to FF through all the chapters of the movie.....I am going to boild the new disc and let it cool for a long time before trying to play it. So yes it does work and it doesnt hurt to try it.

Xbox 360 games have these same issues, is Toshiba using the same plants as Microsoft for their 360 games or something?

Make sure you try it first with rentals. :D


:D

If this is a residue issue wouldn't just spraying some windex on it be easier? I've used 409 on discs that got grunged up with no ill effects. Ditto for just washing it under the tap with dishwashing liquid and a paper towel.

does this really work, I am actually desperate enough to watch COM without interruption!!

does this really work, I am actually desperate enough to watch COM without interruption!!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=10276768
yes

Ditto for just washing it under the tap with dishwashing liquid and a paper towel.


That would be safer and more effective than using hot water.

Has anyone tried Plexus spray to clean there discs? It's a plastic cleaner which I have read on line was great for cleaning dvd's. I have purchased some from Amazon and have been using it for the last few months and must say it has made a great difference in reducing the problems I previously had with some HD DVD titles.

I only had a couple minor stutters while watching COM and The Good Sheppard played perfectly.

I would recommend some others trying it before say boiling your discs before each movie... :)

Eddie Van Halen used to boil his strings before he used them. Maybe there's something to this...

If boiling the disc does fix the problem then the root of the problem with these combo disc is the fact that one of the 2 layers is bringing (pulling) it out of being in a flat horizontal state. The boiling is heating up the polymer substrate just enough to relax it and return to a flat state that plays in your drive.

Seen this before using paper labels on DVD backups. After the label dried (from printing) it pulled the disc out of round and wouldn't play. Put it in hot water for a minute and dry it off, voila' plays once again.

Wow this is the funniest thread I've read in a long time,and I got a delicious soup recipe. Thanks for the laugh's guys..

Oh I put a little dish detergent and and some water,it worked.

djoel

Ok finally found this thread.. I read about this fix in a gamers forum and I gotta say TY TY TY TY!!!! COM finally plays on my 360 addon. Did tap water and a little bit of dishsoap. No more disc errors!!

Thanks!

Victoria

Soap and water did not work for my Children of Men disk. I'll give the boiling water a try.

It would be interesting to see if a hair dryer would do the trick as well.


Soap and water did not work for my Children of Men disk. I'll give the boiling water a try.

I just got my 2nd copy of Children of Men from Amazon today, and I'm having the same problems. It starts up most of the time, but sometimes it doesn't and I get that horrible "Can't Read Disc" eror. The real problem is that it freezes every time I select "The Possibility of Hope." Every single time except once when it randomly worked, and I have no idea why.

For people that say boiling or cleaning the disc has fixed it, are you able to get this Possibility Of Hope featurette to play? I'm using an XBox 360 add-on drive, for comparison purposes.

If this is a residue issue wouldn't just spraying some windex on it be easier? I've used 409 on discs that got grunged up with no ill effects. Ditto for just washing it under the tap with dishwashing liquid and a paper towel.
This works for me: Dawn, pat dry with lintless cloth. :cool:

Wildfire99, that post was freaking hilarious!!! I think I actually laughed so hard that I had tears...LOL!!!

I think I'm just going to use the pre-paid Fedex mailer, that Universal is sending out to my house, to ship this POS CoM HD DVD Combo disc in for evaluation, but not before upgrading my HD-A2 to firmware v1.5, which is out now, BTW.

I think I would omit the shredded jacket artwork though...LOL!

the day I start boiling my dvds is the day to have me comitted, no offense to those that don't mind doing this- but this sounds crazy. I could see my wife coming home one day and ask me what I am doing .."oh nothing just boiling some dvds" -funny stuff
thetman

I've boiled OXM demo discs before (as well as one original Xbox game I believe) and it does work.

the day I start boiling my dvds is the day to have me comitted, no offense to those that don't mind doing this- but this sounds crazy. I could see my wife coming home one day and ask me what I am doing .."oh nothing just boiling some dvds" -funny stuff
thetman

Suggested reason for this "mad" solution working is poor rinsing of residual glue during the production process, and the residual glue causing optical reading issues? I wonder if the Combo nature of DVD+HD-DVD stuck together means there is more glue knocking around ??

If this is a residue issue wouldn't just spraying some windex on it be easier? I've used 409 on discs that got grunged up with no ill effects. Ditto for just washing it under the tap with dishwashing liquid and a paper towel.

I just used dishwashing soap on The Good Shepherd. Got it to work. Thanks

UPDATE >>> GOt it to work ONCE, now I can't get it to work at all! :mad:

The dishwasher is the best method that I’ve been using for years. In fact, I put ALL of my discs (whether good or bad) through a cycle as soon as I buy them. Just slightly bend the discs between the rungs on the TOP shelf. Only use CASCADE dishwasher detergent. Others have “etched” the discs. I only do a “light cycle” wash.

And – VERY IMPORTANT – do NOT use heated drying!! I made the mistake of leaving the “heated drying” on during one of my first batches of HD DVDs. It warped all 11 discs. I tried to play them but it made a horrible screeching sound on my A1 and, soon, there was smoke coming from the machine.

I tried to put the HD DVDs back into the cases, but most were so warped that they wouldn’t keep closed. I used rubber bands around the cases and then I took them back to Costco. When I dumped them on the counter, the customer service rep just stared at me for a minute and had to get the manager. I reminded them of their return policy (which since has been changed, by the way) and he shook his head and waved his hand and I was able to exchange all of them for new copies.

The funny thing is that when I put those new copies in the dishwasher, it was halfway through the wash cycle when I noticed that I forgot to turn off “heated drying” again. Luckily I caught it before that cycle started. When they came out, they were sparkly clean and had a slight lemony scent. They played perfectly! This, of course, is tongue-in-cheek lest you cannot tell.

HD-DVD Noodle Soup

6 Cups Chicken Broth
6 oz Dried Noodles
1 Clove Garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp Diced Onion
2 tbsp Thyme
1 Whole HD-DVD Disc (unplayable)
1 Cup HD-DVD Sleeve Art (finely shredded)

Add the broth, 2 cups water, onion, garlic, and thyme to a small pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the HD-DVD disc and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Add noodles and simmer until the noodles are just barely done. Add the sleeve art. Simmer another 3 minutes, then remove pot from heat. Remove disc from pot, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place disc in player, press "play," and serve with soup. Add pepper to taste (only after removing HD-DVD disc).

Next week: Sauteed Blu-Ray with poached mint Java in a hurried sauce.
LOL

That sounds mighty taste! Though I'd warn to be discerning with the disks you choose. A high quality film like Casablanca would make a perfect dinner ingredient, while something like Aeon Flux is almost sure to lead to diarrhea and other intestinal issues.

If this is a residue issue wouldn't just spraying some windex on it be easier? I've used 409 on discs that got grunged up with no ill effects. Ditto for just washing it under the tap with dishwashing liquid and a paper towel.

I understand Windex contains ammonia which is not good for discs.

I've boiled OXM demo discs before (as well as one original Xbox game I believe) and it does work.

Same here. When the Official X-Box Magazine put a demo of the game Black on their disc a while back, I really wanted to check it out. Tried it many, many times and every time the demo would lock up as soon as the level loaded.

Did the "boil the disc" thing and then it worked fine. Yeah, it sounds completely silly (I was very surprised), but it certainly *can* work in some situations.

The dishwasher is the best method that I’ve been using for years. In fact, I put ALL of my discs (whether good or bad) through a cycle as soon as I buy them. Just slightly bend the discs between the rungs on the TOP shelf. Only use CASCADE dishwasher detergent. Others have “etched” the discs. I only do a “light cycle” wash.

And – VERY IMPORTANT – do NOT use heated drying!! I made the mistake of leaving the “heated drying” on during one of my first batches of HD DVDs. It warped all 11 discs. I tried to play them but it made a horrible screeching sound on my A1 and, soon, there was smoke coming from the machine.

I tried to put the HD DVDs back into the cases, but most were so warped that they wouldn’t keep closed. I used rubber bands around the cases and then I took them back to Costco. When I dumped them on the counter, the customer service rep just stared at me for a minute and had to get the manager. I reminded them of their return policy (which since has been changed, by the way) and he shook his head and waved his hand and I was able to exchange all of them for new copies.

The funny thing is that when I put those new copies in the dishwasher, it was halfway through the wash cycle when I noticed that I forgot to turn off “heated drying” again. Luckily I caught it before that cycle started. When they came out, they were sparkly clean and had a slight lemony scent. They played perfectly! This, of course, is tongue-in-cheek lest you cannot tell.

Awww, shucks! And I was just starting to load my dishwasher as well! :( (Kind'a tricky anchoring the discs between those white wirey thingies!)

New firmware is now available version 1.5

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/tacpassets-images/notices/hddvd2firmware.asp

Are these firmware updates going to solve these issues? Is my 360 going to get one that solves this crap?

I am not happy about this stuff at all. Why the heck can't they check compatibility before they release the disk? I mean there are like a half dozen players in circulation right now. How hard can it be? :mad:

Oh yeah, and I sent Universal a friendly email expressing my disappointment with these stupid combo disks. Yes, I was professional. :p

Are these firmware updates going to solve these issues? Is my 360 going to get one that solves this crap?

That depends on whether the problem is the player being out of spec or the disc being out of spec. If the latter, the burden may fall to Universal to reissue the movies.

Ok I have the new Toshiba XA2 HD DVD player and it would not play "The Good Shepard". I updated the firmware and still nothing, so then I decided to wash the disc in hot water and dish soap. After rinsing and wiping it off it worked on the first try!

Repeat: The firmware does not fix the problem, but washing it did!

Wildfire99, that post was freaking hilarious!!! I think I actually laughed so hard that I had tears...LOL!!!

I think I'm just going to use the pre-paid Fedex mailer, that Universal is sending out to my house, to ship this POS CoM HD DVD Combo disc in for evaluation, but not before upgrading my HD-A2 to firmware v1.5, which is out now, BTW.

I think I would omit the shredded jacket artwork though...LOL!

FWIW my CoM does not work on my new A20 with 1.5.

Works fine in my A1 2.0.

I've had problems with CoM and now with The Good Shepherd that arrived yesterday. No problems with my other 40 discs. Originally CoM worked but spurious freezes started occurring and in the end it didn't load anymore at all. Tried the boiling water treatment but it didn't seem to help.

TGS didn't load at all on first 5 tries or so (getting the message about wrong disc format). After that I tried cleaning it up with warm tap water and dishwashing liquid, scrubbing it clean with my fingers. After this treatment it loads fine, just need to see later if there are any surprises when trying to watch the whole film.

Need to try with CoM again once I get it back from a friend who is going to watch the DVD side...

My player is HD-XF2 (Japan version of A2). Anyway, it seems pretty clear the problem is in disc production side.

HD-DVD Noodle Soup

6 Cups Chicken Broth
6 oz Dried Noodles
1 Clove Garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp Diced Onion
2 tbsp Thyme
1 Whole HD-DVD Disc (unplayable)
1 Cup HD-DVD Sleeve Art (finely shredded)

Add the broth, 2 cups water, onion, garlic, and thyme to a small pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the HD-DVD disc and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Add noodles and simmer until the noodles are just barely done. Add the sleeve art. Simmer another 3 minutes, then remove pot from heat. Remove disc from pot, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place disc in player, press "play," and serve with soup. Add pepper to taste (only after removing HD-DVD disc).

Next week: Sauteed Blu-Ray with poached mint Java in a hurried sauce.



LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my God!!! Is this the ghost of Julia Child? (Is she dead?)

Just another perspective. I bought COM yesterday and played it twice with no problems whatsoever. My player is HDA1 with version 2 firmware installed. Will watchSmoking Ace tonight.

I've returned and got replacements twice from Amazon and just put in for a third try.

Tried hot water cleaning of the disc and it worked. So far so good using my Xbox 360 add-on. Chapter skipping back and forth, high speed scanning forward and back, U-Control, etc. all haven't locked the disc up once. Earlier, my issues were like all the others mentioned, played first time I got the disc then stopped and never played again, etc.

I'll keep the disc until the third replacement arrives. If the replacement works, I'll swap them. Otherwise, I'm going to keep the one that's working now.

I'll be allowing it to play through several times, removing and reinserting it to make sure the cleaning worked.

Using a CD radial cleaner and solution earlier didn't fix the issue but did reveal a film/residue on the disc. Only the hot water took it off.

I think this solution is brilliant, I had to boil my copy of CoM twice first 15 seconds, second time 10 seconds. Now plays all the way through, no quirks and I can use the U-control feature too.

just rented children of men and watched last night-no problems whatsoever. I cleaned with lens cleaner for glasses and a soft cloth before watching and it worked fine. a1 with 2.0

Add Smokin' Aces to the pot! :mad:

Add Smokin' Aces to the pot! :mad:

Universal Stew :D
ss9001

Have always had problems getting my copy of Constantine to play without locking up. Today I put scalding hot water in a bowl. Then I placed the disc into the bowl, let it sit for around 17sec. Then I used toilet paper to wipe the excess water away. Then took a terry cloth and wiped from the center out. Firmly, buffing it in a way. I haven't watched the movie in full, but it still playing. Will report back.

Plays fine. What looked like fine scratches are gone. May have have been the film that everyone is talking about. Nice trick.

For those people who sent their disc to Universal Studios Home Entertainment, did they respond to you in any way? I left them a message today but haven't received a call back yet.

Poop, my COM won't boot up on my XA2, I get the "This is not formatted for DVD" message.

Boiling didn't help.

I haven't done the most recent firmware upgrade, but if doesn't make a difference does it?

I have the 360 add-on and couldn't get COM to work for me consistently. I even washed it thoroughly with scalding hot water.

Today, I gently cleaned it with cold water and hand-soap and it plays a LOT better..doesn't stop anywhere but it will slow down and stutter a little bit on some scenes.

If I'm going to try this method, what is the best way to prevent damage? Also do the little label rings come off at that high of a temperature?

I Fedexed my copy of "Children of Men" back to Universal Studios in California on Monday. I know it takes about 5 days to ship ground from IN to CA, so I doubt they have even received my copy yet.

If they did e-mail me at work, I called in today to stay home, drink beers, and watch tons of movies that DO play. :D

I'll let you know when USHE responds and what the verdict is.

This is so funny, I did a 17-sec boil and now the thing appears to work. It booted up twice, and I could move through all the chapters, the featurette also appeared to be willing.

Should I just keep this thing now? It would figure that all my friends want to see it. I suppose if it froze I could flip it and play the DVD as a backup.

By the way I used a electric tea-kettle, and poured boiling water into a bowl and dipped my disk in with a cotton string laced through the hole.

Then I used Sparkle and a cotton cloth to get it cleaned up.

I hear a lot of talk about paper towels and tissue, and I should caution that paper-pulp fiber is much more prone to scratching than a soft 100% cotton T-shirt like material.

Cleaning the disc with a mild soap and water works better and it's safer for the disc. Boiling discs is nothing more than voodoo. If you have a badly pressed disc, boiling it certainly isn't going to help. If the disc is dirty or has a layer of film on the surface, soap and water works just fine.

Poop, my COM won't boot up on my XA2, I get the "This is not formatted for DVD" message.

Boiling didn't help.

I haven't done the most recent firmware upgrade, but if doesn't make a difference does it?


And boiling a disc won't help 95% of the folks that are having this issue with this disc. Try upgrading firmware to 1.5, it seems to help some. If it doesn't work, send the disc back and get a new one.

Cleaning the disc with a mild soap and water works better and it's safer for the disc. Boiling discs is nothing more than voodoo. If you have a badly pressed disc, boiling it certainly isn't going to help. If the disc is dirty or has a layer of film on the surface, soap and water works just fine.

I woulda though so to, but after a couple cleanings I got nothing, then 17 seconds in boiling water and Bingo!

It's getting kinda hard to think it's total voodoo.

Today is the first time I ever did this, but I figured it was going to go back anyhow, and I had nothing to lose since everybody said it wouldn't effect the appearance.

I woulda though so to, but after a couple cleanings I got nothing, then 17 seconds in boiling water and Bingo!

It's getting kinda hard to think it's total voodoo.

Today is the first time I ever did this, but I figured it was going to go back anyhow, and I had nothing to lose since everybody said it wouldn't effect the appearance.
i'd like to know if the disk still works in a couple of days. one of the speculations is that the glue between the layers isn't distributed perfectly so it spins badly, and the water gets in there and evens things out. i'd like to know if it still works after any water has had time to evaporate.

If I'm going to try this method, what is the best way to prevent damage? Also do the little label rings come off at that high of a temperature?
I washed mine gently in Dawn first, then with my finger in the hole, I held it under running and very hot water--the HD side, of course, for a few seconds, then rotated it, then a few seconds more, etc. I placed the disc between the layers of soft, lintless hand towel and gently patted it dry. The label was never under the water flow.

Ta-da! ;)

i'd like to know if the disk still works in a couple of days. one of the speculations is that the glue between the layers isn't distributed perfectly so it spins badly, and the water gets in there and evens things out. i'd like to know if it still works after any water has had time to evaporate.

Can anyone who tried this method a week ago comment?

Boiling disks does work. I've never tried on a dvd movie but I used to do this with xbox demo disks all the time. I would assume that it would work with a hd-dvd but I would only recommend doing it if you have no way of returning the disk.

Here is a link to a thread talking about the procedure
http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=510770&highlight=boiling

I had to use this method on Smokin' Aces. The disc began stuttering on my A1, with the latest firmware, right at the scene in the surveillance van and then in random other places. Placed the disc under some running hot water from the tap and it is working so far. Have not had a chance to watch the entire thing to see if the playback issue is totally resolved, but so far so good.

Anyone ever try Armor All? I've used this on discs in the past that had skips or freezes and it worked. Havent had problems with any of the titles you mention, but it may be worth a try.

Last night I sat down to watch The Interpreter and it started stuttering and freezing up around chapter 12. I popped it out and held it under the light and saw what appeared to be smudges or residue of some kind. Took it to the kitchen, washed it off with very warm water and detergent, and dried it off gently with a cloth. After that it played fine.

With the data being packed so close on these formats, I think they have a very low tolerance for fingerprints and smudges. Doesn't bode well for the rental markets.

I seriously believe that these Universal Combo problems are a result of some new authoring / replication process that Universal is employing. Here are my reasons for why it's not other commonly-believed problems:

1) I don't believe it's just bad batches - there are simply too many discs in circulation with near-identical problems. Also, this problem is across at least 3 releases - Children of Men, The Good Shepard, and Smokin' Aces (and possibly Hollywoodland and Miami Vice, depending on who you talk to - I don't know anything about those two releases). If all these discs with problems are simply bad batches, Universal has a humongous problem on its hands.

2) I don't believe it's caused by a residue on the discs. First reason for this belief is that I've tried to boil my Children of Men disc, and it had absolutely no effect on playback - all the problems I had before are still the exact same. Other people have reported this as well, as well as some people saying their discs worked one time after boiling and then went back to not working again later. The second major argument against this is that the problems people are reporting are all extremely similar. With Children of Men, most of the problems are either the disc not starting at all, or the disc freezing during Chapter 18. The disc not starting at all could be caused by residue since that doesn't really say what portions of the disc work versus don't - but the common freeze during Chapter 18? Are we to believe that this residue is extra strong on this portion of the disc, and that such a random occurence has happened to such a large number of people? Most freezes in Smokin' Aces are also in a specific chapter - chapter 18, minutes from the end - is this another amazing coincedence?

Another general point - very few people have had problems with their A1 machines, and have then gone on to say that the same discs won't work properly in A2 / XA2, or XBox 360 players.

I honestly believe that 99% of these discs are defect free, and will play fine once proper firmware is released. But Universal and player manufacturers have done a HORRIBLE job keeping customers informed about what is going on, and when a solution can be expected. There's no way Universal can really be blind to these problems - the whole act about "sending disks in for evaluation" is just to pacify the people trying to do something about the issue.

If what you say is correct then Universal should stop releasing these combo discs at all until they resolve whatever problem is the cause, the consumer shouldn't be having to by discs that they don't no will work or not

If what you say is correct then Universal should stop releasing these combo discs at all until they resolve whatever problem is the cause, the consumer shouldn't be having to by discs that they don't no will work or not

I agree completely. No matter what the problem is, it still needs to be fixed RIGHT NOW. 3 problematic releases in a row is outrageous, and (to my knowledge at least) absolutely unheard of until now.

Well looking back historically, Universal has knowingly released problem discs in the past. They knew well before street date that Back To The Future 2 and 3 were improperly framed, yet they opted to release it as is.

Universal has always been sh1t when it comes to quality control, and it's a damn shame they control so many movies I love, or I would boycott them completely. As it is I'm not buying anymore combos from them.

I would have blind bought Smokin' Aces and Breach, but not now.

Are BluRay owners having similar problems????

Are BluRay owners having similar problems????

In what sense?

Thankfully combos don't exist in the Blu-Ray world.

I personally have had zero glitchy Blu-Ray's.

I know there were problems with The Descent that were fixed by firmware.

Never had a problem with a blu-ray disc on my PS3...just problems with HD-DVDs and now some regular DVDs on my brand new Toshiba XA2 with the v1.5 firmware. I found that putting the discs in hot water and then washing them with dish soap fixed the problem.

The fact that normal DVDs are freezing up from time to time lead me to believe it is not just the disc that has a problem. The player is just more sensitive. These DVDs never froze on my Denon or Oppo.

Seriously, how is one supposed to boil a disc and then dry it, and not make it look horrible? If I let it airdry, the disc has huge splotch stains everywhere from the big drops of water that form. If I use compressed air to try to blow the water drops off, the disc gets zig-zag streaks all over it. If I use something to dry it, even the cleanest cotton cloth, the disc gets weird marks and tiny microscratches. It's impossible.

I have an HD-A2 with firmware 1.5. Last night I couldn't get Smokin Aces(netflix) to play (the only hd-dvd that wouldn't play besides Relentless Enemies(pre 1.5)). So the first thing I did was run it under hot water for 20 sec and then wiped it thoroughly; I then popped it in and it still wouldn't boot. The next thing I tried was washing it like a dirty dish(dish soap and hot water); popped it in and it booted right up; I then watched and hour and a half of the movie and then it stopped with an error message, so I rinsed and repeated and then I was able to finish up the movie with zero problems. During my entire viewing of the movie, it never frozed or skipped once except for the previously mentioned error. Something funny is going on with these combo discs, but thank goodness for the wash method, cuz I sure wasn't gonna waste time boiling it and potentially melting it.

Tried the boiling water bit...didn't work. Anyone have the # for Universal?

Tried boiling Children of Men last night for the hell of it. No improvement.

I tried it; no dice.
But SD side plays fine after so it's true that he boiling water does not harm the disc.....just didn't help the HD side.

Same here. And the DVD side plays perfectly.

I e-mailed Universal home video and let them know about the defective discs and said I have lost interest in purchasing anymore of their Combo releases until these problems are fixed.

To continue my earlier report - a couple of days after dishwashing liquid clean-up for TGS that didn't load initially, I just watched the movie from start to finish + the extras (deleted scenes) this evening, and didn't have any problems with it now throughout the very long duration of it. :)

My CoM is still loaned out so I couldn't try any new cleaning methods with that one yet. Originally when I had freezes with it, it never froze twice on the same locations though, and I could watch the whole movie + extras with some patience, so I believe it could be fixable too.

I'm pretty much believing in the residue theory + different tolerances in different players + dishwashing liquid based cleaning now based on my personal experience with 2 problematic discs. Smokin' Aces is in the mail so it will be "interesting" to see how my copy of that one will work...

Well I tried the washing method with TGS and it helped with some scenes, but towards that end of chapter 16 it just doesn't want to go further. It locks up and then the famous error code messages pops up and all I can do is eject the disc. Seems like it's a combination of the way these discs are pressed and the G2 players. I know some 1st Gen players are having issues, but it seems like the G2 one's are more overwhelmingly having issues.

To continue my earlier report - a couple of days after dishwashing liquid clean-up for TGS that didn't load initially, I just watched the movie from start to finish + the extras (deleted scenes) this evening, and didn't have any problems with it now throughout the very long duration of it. :)

My CoM is still loaned out so I couldn't try any new cleaning methods with that one yet. Originally when I had freezes with it, it never froze twice on the same locations though, and I could watch the whole movie + extras with some patience, so I believe it could be fixable too.

I'm pretty much believing in the residue theory + different tolerances in different players + dishwashing liquid based cleaning now based on my personal experience with 2 problematic discs. Smokin' Aces is in the mail so it will be "interesting" to see how my copy of that one will work...

My Smokin Aces from NF froze with 20 minutes left

okay here's a unique situation. I had an XA2 that wouldn't play SD discs, but played HD discs without issue. I ended up getting a replacement player. This one works fine with SD, and a couple of HD discs (I don't have many yet) but Happy Feet wouldn't even boot up. It played fine on the original machine. I figured, what the hell, it's not really all that much effort, I'll give this boiling thing a try. It worked, the movie plays fine all the way through...

I fixed both Good Sheppard and Children of men my boiling the discs cleaning them off letting them cool and then playing them.



This is just hilarious. :p

This is just hilarious. :p
Hey Krinkle how's that HD DVD player working for you? Oh wait, you don't have one. So remind us why your posting here again?

Well I watched Good Shepard on my XA1 with no problems. Didn't have to boil either!

The disc's definitely need to be cleaned but I think boiling your discs is extreme specially considering that layers of the disc are only glued togeher. Try a cleaning solvent before boiling or putting your discs thru the dishwasher or regular washer... :D

I use Plexus spray (its a plastics cleaner) and can't recommend it enough. I was ready to shoot my player before trying this stuff. Maybe others could recemmned other brands also. This is the first one I've tried and havent felt the need to try any other brands.

Plexus Plastic Cleaner – With Free Microfiber Towel (http://www.amazon.com/Plexus-Plastic-Cleaner-Protectant-Polsih/dp/B000HG8ZJ0) for $12.99 this is a 13.oz can, it'll last a long time. They have smaller size cans for around $5-$7

I am a big user of Plexus. Used it for years on my motorcycle helmet sheild and on the plastic on my bike. Great stuff. That said, it didn't help my problem HD-DVD's at all.

The boiling (+ washing in warm tap water with soap and gently drying) trick worked for me, too. I didn't think it worked at first, but after drying overnight it's all good. I used soap and water because I could see residue on the disc after boiling.

Anyway, before the cleaning my copy of CoM (second copy actually) would play the feature but hang on trying to access the extras. Now everything seems to work.

Seriously, how is one supposed to boil a disc and then dry it, and not make it look horrible? If I let it airdry, the disc has huge splotch stains everywhere from the big drops of water that form. If I use compressed air to try to blow the water drops off, the disc gets zig-zag streaks all over it. If I use something to dry it, even the cleanest cotton cloth, the disc gets weird marks and tiny microscratches. It's impossible.

Rinse the disc in distilled water afterwards.

non sense

I remember using this same fix for one of my console games in the past and it also fixed the problem I was having with Children of Men.

That said - I'm very very concerned about future combo titles from Universal.

before you try boiling just try soap+water

I just popped in my MI:3 disc for the first time since I bought it and got the msg 6 error "This is not a DVD". Will the soap and water trick help me?

M556 not MSG 6

boiling was the only thing that worked for me even after 2 thorough cleanings and a firmware upgrade for my 360 add-on.

The only thing that worked for me with the Good Shepard was taking it back to BB for a refund (after 6 movies didn't work) and waiting until last week to netflix it. I then was able to watch it all the way through. Lot of work for a 2* movie

I just popped in my MI:3 disc for the first time since I bought it and got the msg 6 error "This is not a DVD". Will the soap and water trick help me?


Probably not. But if you own it either way and it doesn't run, you have to decide if it's worth potentially screwing up the disc and it never playing despite any firmware updates or if you think the chances are good.

Typically, the boiling trick is meant for combo flippers imho. You know, the latest Universal discs that Universal needs to cancel from now on.

Had a rather strange discovery today that I want to share.

Wanted to watch the corrected replacement copy of the Children of Men HD DVD back in one of the bedrooms so I unplugged the XA-1 (2.2 FW) up to my little 20 inch Sanyo 480i TV. Set the XA-1 to 480i & component etc....and right away I noticed something not right. During the Universal HD DVD quick logo screen. The HD DVD was all jaggedy and had shimmering. I thought to myself, Oh God, this thing has gotten bad again! Took the disc out, and inserted again. Same occurence and then hit the chapter 2 button. Tons of shimmering and moire patterns galore. Really, really bad.

So, I went back and re-hooked the XA-1 to my Mits 720p DLP projector via component & set it to 1080i and it played flawlessly. Problem corrected. Switched resolutions to 480i and there it was again. A Plethora of shimmering and moire patterns. Tried the 480p & 720p settings on the XA-1 and it was the same bad thing. The only fix was to have the player output to 1080i. My PJ displays 1080i 60.

So, hmmmm. I put in the combo disc for The Good Shepherd. Same EXACT thing. Only the 1080i setting makes these 2 discs look great.

Perhaps this is just with my player or maybe my PJ? Who knows....Not a big deal since it looks beautiful as long the player is set for the highest resolution.

Anyone else experience this?

Had to use this trick. My copy of Smokin Aces couldn't get past the first 5 minutes of the movie with out skipping ever 15 sec.. I ran the hot water in my restroom until it was hot, hot. Placed the HD-DVD side under the water for around 9 secs. Wiped it down, then the whole movie played skip free.

I was about to sell the player, thinking that was the problem. It was the damn residue on the disc.

My replacement copy of CoM arrived, and it now plays properly on my 360 add-on

well after sending me a badly scratched COM replacement Universal promptly sent me another disc....this time only lightly scratched. Thanks Universal.