Horrible experience with Blockbuster @ Home blu-rays

[CubsWin]

I am completely fed up with the Blockbuster @ Home service.

It all started about a month ago when I received a disc that was completely broken with a giant crack through half of it. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that maybe something happened during shipping and I filled out a damaged disc report on the website. I was instructed to return the disc and they would send another one as soon as it became available. I mailed the disc back and later that week I had another shipment from Blockbuster @ Home... they sent the same obviously-damaged disc right back to me. So not only do they clearly have no quality control to inspect returned discs, but they completely ignored that I was sending it back as damaged. I reported a problem again and that particular movie was automatically removed from my account due to "unusual problems" and I awaited the next movie...

Last week I received another movie that was badly scratched up and skipped/froze throughout the entire movie. I was able to suffer through it, but I missed quite a few scenes and was more frustrated than anything. Thinking I was just having a run of bad luck, I returned that movie and received another one yesterday. While watching the movie with my wife tonight, we had a few minor skips and then it froze up completely about 20 minutes from the end. I took the disc out and tried cleaning it, but it still froze again at the same part so now we are unable to finish the movie we were watching. That is now 4 straight shipments from Blockbuster @ Home that I have had a problem with. I previously sent an email to Blockbuster @ Home support that detailed my issues with the first disc, but never received any response.

I should note that I have never experienced this problem with any my own discs and I just watched a blu-ray this morning without a single skip, so my blu-ray player is not the culprit. At this point, I just have to wonder why the Blockbuster @ Home service is even being offered at all. The entire program seems to be on autopilot with minimum wage workers stuffing envelopes for shipments. My otherwise positive opinion of Dish Network is being negatively influenced by their lackluster support of Blockbuster @ Home. If the program can't be properly supported, Just shut it down and leave mail order to Netflix.

 

[dtanderson]

I have not had any problems with broken or scratched disc. I did have one new release that refused to play it was a new disc movie had just come out and I got it first week. I sent it back and they sent another and I had the same problem both disc looked mint condition no scratches or anything. I finally just it on DVD and watched it. I think it was an issue with some new copy protection scheme with that disc. I have not had any more problem with any other movies. The only problem that I am having now is when I do a store exchange, it is not removing them from my que or showing that I have store rentals out that were turned it weeks ago....

 

[jamesw570]

I have not had any problems with broken or scratched disc. I did have one new release that refused to play it was a new disc movie had just come out and I got it first week. I sent it back and they sent another and I had the same problem both disc looked mint condition no scratches or anything. I finally just it on DVD and watched it. I think it was an issue with some new copy protection scheme with that disc. I have not had any more problem with any other movies.

I had this problem once, and resolved it with a firmware update to the blu-ray player. Most newer, Internet connected Blu-ray players will allow you to update their firmware via the Internet. Some are even automatic, with a simple "update is ready to install" prompt. Even older players sometimes allow you to download an update with your computer, save it to a usb stick or disc, and update the player. Installing these updates can help with incompatibilities with newer discs, slow start of playback, etc.

 

[CubsWin]

I had this problem once, and resolved it with a firmware update to the blu-ray player.

My firmware is up to date, but no firmware update will allow me to play a cracked or severely scratched disc.

 

[dont24]

I've had a few issues with blu-rays that just wouldn't play. No scratches or cracks that I could see. PS3 has the latest firmware. No clue why they wouldn't play.

 

[neumei626]

Had to register to post my thoughts on this. I have been a blockbuster online subscriber for about 4 years. In the last 6 months, I have gotten more discs that skip than discs that work. I'm losing my mind over this. Went out and bought a dvd/cd repair cleaner from skipdr in hopes to repair some of these crap discs only to read that it is not for blu rays which is all I get.

I called BB and made them give me a free month but that doesn't come close to the irritant of the moment when your disc starts skipping right on a good part. I have a website added as a favorite that has a lot of written scripts from movies which me and my girl have resorted to reading all the time so we don't miss what was said during the skip.

I'm about to cancel, I've freaking had it. I don't think I've ever scratched a disc who are the morons that are scratching these things???

 

[jerryez]

I have a Samsung Blu Ray Player and it works fine. The next bad disc you get, take it to a near by store that has a Blu Ray hooked up and try the disc on their player or maybe a friends player. Does your player have the latest factory updates. Mine is connected to the internet and has received several online updates, since I bought it.

 

[neumei626]

I had this problem once, and resolved it with a firmware update to the blu-ray player. Most newer, Internet connected Blu-ray players will allow you to update their firmware via the Internet. Some are even automatic, with a simple "update is ready to install" prompt. Even older players sometimes allow you to download an update with your computer, save it to a usb stick or disc, and update the player. Installing these updates can help with incompatibilities with newer discs, slow start of playback, etc.

I have two players and they both skip in the same spot on the movies. One PS3 and one also sony but a dedicated player. Yes they are up to date, but that shouldn't effect skipping. I get three at a time and usually 2 out of the 3 will skip. Sometimes all 3. Thanks for the advice, but I was mostly just putting my problem out there so people might think twice before using BB.

The reason I'm still around is I have about 100 movies in my queue and don't feel like switching them to a new rental service plus they have games which I've had on "Long wait" for about 6 months and I'd hate to lose my place in line

I have kind of been thinking this recent decline in quality was because of their recent bankruptcy I heard about. But who knows.

 

[jerryez]

Why would we want to think twice about BB, because your disc are skipping. What do you think BB did to make your disc skip?

 

[CubsWin]

Why would we want to think twice about BB, because your disc are skipping. What do you think BB did to make your disc skip?

This isn't exactly difficult to understand. They are shipping scratched/damaged discs. Maybe you have been lucky and haven't had that problem, but if I was someone considering purchasing a service I would definitely want to consider other users' negative experiences.

 

[jerryez]

I agree that they lack quality control, I do not believe they even inspect a returned disc, let alone clean it.

 

[satjay]

I agree that they lack quality control, I do not believe they even inspect a returned disc, let alone clean it.

When I drop off my disks at our BB it's just scanned in and put in what looks like a shipping area

 

[odbrv]

I have a panasonic 3d BluRay player. I keep the sw updated. I am now at 6 bad discs out of 13 rentals. The last was the Immortals and it stuck so many times that I gave up. If you report a bad disc to BB too many times, they penalize you by not sending you a second copy. It must be your player not their crap for qc service.

 

[e061137]

I've also had horrible experience with BB blu-ray discs lately. I've received 3 bad discs for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 1 bad disc for In Time and the latest was a disc cracked the full radius for Killer Elite. The last one they said if i want this movie I must put it back in my queue. My blu ray player is up to date and other discs have played just fine.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I tried to play a This Means War BR this weekend, and it kept restarting a chapter in the same exact spot every time. In between attempts, I inspected the disc and it looked fine. I cleaned it and tried it again to no avail. As a test, I got a BR of the same film from a local Redbox. I looked at that disc and it was filthy. I tried playing it and it played without issue.

 

[mpeltz]

I've had at least two bad blu-rays. They would skip/freeze at the same spots on two different blu-ray players including a PS3.

 

[nmfiredawg]

I have been having the same problem with the latest rentals. Even went and bought a new player, didn't help, three different players/computers and still having problems. I hate to say it I might have to go back to netflix, even though they pissed me off. Love the extra channels, but this BB blu rays are very annoying.

 

[1886]

I have had this problem with a few discs, even tonight Margin Call bluray I had to stop after 30 mins and after cleaning still would not work. Also obvious they don't even clean the discs with fingermarks all over them.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I tried to play a This Means War BR this weekend, and it kept restarting a chapter in the same exact spot every time. In between attempts, I inspected the disc and it looked fine. I cleaned it and tried it again to no avail. As a test, I got a BR of the same film from a local Redbox. I looked at that disc and it was filthy. I tried playing it and it played without issue.

Same thing again last night, this time with the Sherlock Holmes movie. I reported the disc and this time asked for another copy of the same movie. We'll see what happens with that one...