Fast way to test commercial discs?

[glassvial]

Apologies if this isn't the correct forum for this question. I've got some commercial discs, brand new, that are bad. I'd like to know if there is an easy way to test the replacements to assure that they are good. By bad, I mean won't rip with DVD Decrypter (no, this is not a copy protection problem of any kind, and again, these discs are brand new not beat-up rentals) and the disc in question will freeze up right about the spot that DVD Decrypter also bombs. Ripping the discs to the hard drive again would take way too long, there's gotta be a faster way...thanks.

[greymalkin]

your post doesn't make sense.

first of all, a disc that you can't rip doesnt make it "bad" in any way. Does it play properly?

Also, why are you so concerned with not ripping it to your hard drive? It doesn't take more than a few minutes to do. If it's taking forever and giving you problems then there is something wrong with your computer software/hardware or the way you are going about doing it..

[glassvial]

first of all, a disc that you can't rip doesnt make it "bad" in any way. Does it play properly?

No, it' doesn't, that's why I'm posting this question.

Also, why are you so concerned with not ripping it to your hard drive? It doesn't take more than a few minutes to do. If it's taking forever and giving you problems then there is something wrong with your computer software/hardware or the way you are going about doing it..

I can assure you there's nothing wrong with my hardware, software, or the 'way' I'm doing it. I've ripped plenty of discs without issue on the exact same hardware/software/method. I'm just looking for a faster method than ripping each heavily encrypted, DVD9, double-sided disc to my hard drive.

[guns1inger]

There isn't one. You coul dtry a surface scan using Nero Speed Disk (a free download from Ahead) or DVD Info Pro. Neither are probably much quicker than trying to rip the disk, and depending on exactly what the problem is, may not show up the issue that is causing you problems.

If they are failing in the same place (and are the same disk) then it is probably just a bad batch and there is nothing you can do. I had a single disk replaced twice because it failed in my player at exactly the same timecode point on three consecutive copies. A bad pressing went out and a lot of bad copies were returned (going by the frustration at the place I purchased them from). Sometimes it happens. If this is the case, at least you know where the problem is, so try playing from that point to see if it locks up.

I can't think of any faster way of testing.

[glassvial]

Nero's Speed Disc fails for some strange reason, even on discs that DO rip and play properly. Haven't tried DVD Info pro yet. These discs are for a friend of mine, so I want to be sure they are good discs. And yes, it is quite possible that a bad batch went out, you can see odd "swirls" on the disc if you look at it in the light just right, it's not something I could take a picture of and show, the light has to be just right and the disc held at just the right angle to see them. I've already sent an e-mail to MGM asking them if this is a known problem with these disc sets and I'd like to see about getting a replacement.

[mike1061]

your post doesn't make sense.

first of all, a disc that you can't rip doesnt make it "bad" in any way. Does it play properly?

Also, why are you so concerned with not ripping it to your hard drive? It doesn't take more than a few minutes to do. If it's taking forever and giving you problems then there is something wrong with your computer software/hardware or the way you are going about doing it..

There are more reasons than that why the post doesn't make sense. Like
"these discs are brand new not beat-up rentals) and the disc in question will freeze up right about the spot that DVD Decrypter also bombs."
What do you mean "brand new not beat-up rentals"? Is there a not beat up rental? And it also sound like you don't own the disk in the first place.
You also say "disc's" then say "the disc in question" So is this a problem with one disk or more than one? Everybody on this web site copies the disk to the HD first, then burns to a disk, because it produces the best results. Why do you have to skip that part?
Then you say in the 5th post "these disks are for a friend" it still doesn't sound like your coping things you own.
Thanks Mike

[Smells_Like_Feet]

I had a similar experience with a commercial disc from Hong Kong. I had mail ordered it and was attempting to exchange it when the company in question requested that I try it in an additional player. Well long story short, it functioned perfectly in 2 of 5 standalone players and my pioneer dvd writer drive. It did not function correctly in my Samsung dvd-rom (my primary ripping drive).

So have you tried your problem disc(s) in other drives?? Good luck.

-Smells_Like_Feet

[Smells_Like_Feet]

I had a similar experience with a commercial disc from Hong Kong. I had mail ordered it and was attempting to exchange it when the company in question requested that I try it in an additional player. Well long story short, it functioned perfectly in 2 of 5 standalone players and my pioneer dvd writer drive. It did not function correctly in my Samsung dvd-rom (my primary ripping drive).

So have you tried your problem disc(s) in other drives?? Good luck.

-Smells_Like_Feet

[Noahtuck]

I have come across acouple of disc's that looked as you described and sometimes would play funny, but i could usually rip them with either DVD Decrypter, IsoBuster, or maybe even try DVDFab Decrypter.
And ripping to your HDD is usually the best way to go then shrink and burn back.

There are more reasons than that why the post doesn't make sense. Like "these discs are brand new not beat-up rentals) and the disc in question will freeze up right about the spot that DVD Decrypter also bombs."What do you mean "brand new not beat-up rentals"?

How about the fact that they are NEW & NOT rentals

"brand new rentals"

Your words not his.....

I've already sent an e-mail to MGM asking them if this is a known problem with these disc sets and I'd like to see about getting a replacement.

Yeah, i do that everyday for my local rental

[glassvial]

Ok let me try to clarify a little more for people who, instead of trying to help, feel the need to question everything.

These are episodic discs, multiple discs in each set, multiple episodes on each disc. They are for a friend of mine, I purchased them for him because he does not do any form of online ordering. He reported to me the discs were bad, therefore, I figured I would try to use DVD Decrypter and rip the discs and see what it does, and sure enough, on SOME of the discs, it bombs. I returned the discs for replacement to the online store and just received the replacements yesterday. I would like to insure this time that the discs I'm giving him WORK and don't have the exact same problems as the last set. Unfortunately, one of the discs in one of the sets has the EXACT same problem as the last disc had from the set I returned, so indeed these may be of a bad batch and they were released by MGM, and I have already sent them an e-mail to question if there is a known bad batch of these discs out there.

Anyway, I have not tried another drive or another program (yet) but again I believe I have a bad disc, quite probably from a bad batch, and I believe MGM should replace it. If I have to rip these discs with DVD Decrypter to "verify" they are all "ok" then that's what I'll do, it's time consuming, but I'm not going to hand my friend another set of bad discs that he paid good money for!

[mike1061]

It's hard to give help, if I can't understand what's happening. Why didn't you say that in the first place?
Thanks Mike

[jtoolman2000]

As was suggested, run the discs through a scanner such as Nero Speed Disk or Dvd info pro. If they fail the scans or "crash" as they are being scanned they you have a disc that cannot be read at a certain point. This does not mean they will play on your friends DVD player. It only meands that they will not play on your drive. If youo do find errors on any of them, there is nothing you can really do but get another replacement. The golden test is is whether they play on his or her machine. No amount of scanning will tell you that. Only till you have them played in the final machine will you truly know.

If the scanner reaches a poingt that simply cannot get through, that means that is has reached and unreadable sector. That disc is basically shot. Episodic discs can be a bear.

[glassvial]

Looks like DVDInfo Pro is doing what I want, 2000 errors and counting on this bad disc

In case anyone was wondering WTF I'm talking about, it's The Outer Limits, The Original Series, Seasons 1 and 2 (which, there were only 2 seasons of the original series anyhow). These are double-sided dual-layer discs, 4 in season 1 and 3 in season 2. I had bad discs on both seasons 1 and 2 last go around, and on these replacement discs, all the discs for season 1 are fine (just got finished testing them). I (again) have multiple discs for season 2 that are bad!

Thanks for the tips, now it's just a waiting game till I hear back from MGM.

[glassvial]

Just wanted to throw out a quick update, apparently I'm not the only one who's had these problems with TOL Season 2 discs, and MGM is no longer supporting them because MGM and Sony have merged. I went through hell to get the proper phone number and actually speak to the proper people at Sony. Long story short, at this time they do not have an answer for the problem being as it was an MGM screw-up and not their own, and in the very near future, they are going to be ramping up blu-ray production so they probably will not be re-pressing this set on regular DVD's, and they basically hinted at getting my money back and sit back and wait until IF and when they re-produce it on blu-ray.