AfterDawn: News

HD DVD 'Children of Men' playback problems reported

Some HD DVD player owners are complaining about playback issues with the title "Children of Men", particularly with the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive. Some users are complaining that after trying multiple copies of the movie on several consoles it refused to play back completely. However, some other users are reporting that the title plays back just fine on the Xbox 360 add-on.

High-Def Digest decided to test it out and indeed found the same results that users had been reporting. The problems are not limited to the Xbox 360 drive either, some users are also claiming that the title does not work correctly with Toshiba's XA2, A2 and A1 standalone players.



While some did manage to get the movie to play, they reported smaller playback issues like being unable to fast forward. Of course, flipping the combo disc over and playing the standard definition DVD-Video version works, but is not an acceptable solution after buying a retail HD DVD.

Source:
DailyTech
High-Def Digest

Written by: James Delahunty @ 2 Apr 2007 18:50

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• 12 comments

• ripxrush

  I have had it with these company's F N With ALL US consumers that spend OUR $ on there products that don't work! Get it right delay the release i just want it to work when i get it! I am SICK of PAYING to be a "BETA TESTER" it is absurd!
  I know this isn't the only issue, & not the only technology with these kinds of issues & i know some r expected but the quantity is silly! If your Cars brakes only worked 90% of the time that would NOT be acceptable why do we let it happen with everything else? We all need to speak with our $ or lack of spending it! All of the 1st adopters r paying for the late adopters to get working items! (i like !)
  We can send men to the moon but cant get working HD-DVD players!

  2.4.2007 19:01 #1

• ZippyDSM

  ya both BR/HDVD hardware and software carry allot of issues and early adopters are beta testers,its kinda sad they cant do thigns a bit better.
  
  I wonder if DVD had as many issues?

  2.4.2007 19:22 #2

• error5

  Originally posted by ZIppyDSM:I wonder if DVD had as many issues?The first DVD players had no DTS decoding, and had problems handling anamorphic discs and dual layer DVD-9 releases.

  2.4.2007 19:40 #3

• ZippyDSM

  error5
  frist gen always have issues but these isues are more in the software and 2nd gen Hdef palyers or are these frist gen players
  

  
  
  FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
  

  2.4.2007 19:42 #4

• rihgt682

  YEP, I learned the hardway to never get early products.

  2.4.2007 19:56 #5

• error5

  I just got through the avsforums section where they discussed this problem. It seems a bad batch of discs with defective pressing is the culprit as the problem happens sporadically and on different models of players including the 360 addon. Most have seen a resolution of the problem once they exchanged the disc for a new one. This doesn't look like a hardware problem.
  
  http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=825964
  
  My copy from amazon played through without a hitch on my A1.

  2.4.2007 20:05 #6

• webe123

  Frankly,I don't see what the big deal is about High Definition! I can see a movie in a DVD and that is fine by me.
  
  As someone else pointed out....you don't NEED to see the pimples on someone's face just to enjoy a movie. And the DRM and problems just make it that much more of a turn off for me.
  
  If someone else wants to be a guniea pig...let them. But I will wait until the prices are that of DVD's and all I will probably use it for even then is storage.
  
  For movies, DVD is fine. At least that is my take on it.

  3.4.2007 06:45 #7

• eatsushi

  No playback problems here either on my store-bought copy and on an XA2.
  
  Bad pressings are not uncommon and happens also on regular DVD's. My most recent bad presssing was on the boxed set of Star Wars IV-VI. The DVD of Episode V had video and audio dropouts and chapter skips. I traded it in for a new set and that took care of the problem.

  3.4.2007 08:08 #8

• SProdigy

  DVD is fine, but I compared an BD-Rip of Casino Royale streamed through my 360 to a commercial DVD-9 of the same movie. I watched the DVD first, and I thought it looked incredibly, but it really does pale in comparison to the 720p BD-Rip. I own a HTIB setup, so unfortunately, the sound quality is not up to par with the BD-Rip vs. DVD (which is 6.1 encoded through my player, and not emulated surround.) I would own one of these players if there was only one format. If you look at the offerings, it really splits down the middle, with one format having only a handful of "must have" movies and the rest are just filler. I scratch my head wondering why I would pay $35 for an HD version of a movie I already own on DVD that is marginally better in the eye candy department. For now, it's not worth it until there is one format and the prices drop to at least $20.
  
  The penetration of HDTV sets is such, that I don't see this format war or the price barrier, changing for many years. I don't understand why people just don't buy a reliable upconvert DVD player for under $100.

  3.4.2007 08:33 #9

• Mr-Movies

  webe123 you obviously haven't played with HD much because if you had you wouldn't take that stance. Even crap I typically don't like I'll watch if it is in HD. When you can see blades of grass versus a green blur its aaah-some and so what if you see the news casters pimples now you see how they really look, that's life baby.
  
  I have friends that still watch VHS but sorry I can't go back to that when we have DVD's and now HD. Some people just don't want to get with the program and that just fine but how can you bash something that is clearly better, you can't reasonably.

  4.4.2007 09:18 #10

• eatsushi

  There may also be a batch of bad pressings on the HD-DVD release of The Good Shepherd.
  
  http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/goodshepherd.html
  
  Quote:
  The Good Shepherd (HD DVD)
  Editor's Note:
  
  Several readers have reported playback issues with this disc on the Xbox 360 add-on HD DVD drive, as well as Toshiba's HD-A2 and HD-XA2 stand-alone players. We tested it ourselves on both the Xbox 360 and the HD-XA2, and encountered no problems. However, we have contacted Universal and the manufacturers for official comment -- no word back yet, but we'll update this section with new information as it comes in.

  4.4.2007 09:45 #11

• Mr-Movies

  For $40 a DVD movie you'd think they could do a better job during production of the disc. Like any new production there are always issues so I guess as long as they give you a working replacement its no big deal. But as it sounds it may work in one player but not in another which can be a big problem if you are past your return date, time to rip it to another disc good thing AnyDVD is out there.

  4.4.2007 12:51 #12