Aliens in Alien Quadrilogy set: Weird screen glitch

[Stone Cold]

Hello everyone. I have a Panasonic DVD player, model A120. When I play Aliens, the Special Edition, from the Alien Quadrilogy set, the movie plays fine up to 1:44:09. At that second, I get some weird stuff on the screen......I don't know what you call them, but they look like really huge pixels that shouldn't be there. They appear right next to Ripley's hair on the left side of the screen. I cleaned the disc itself and I cleaned the lens with a DVD lens cleaner. Does anyone else have this problem and what can I do to fix it? Thank you very much.

[Stone Cold]

Update: Today I returned the set to exchange it for another one. The exact same problem occurs on the newer set. I informed the place I got it from, and they told me they probably got a bad batch from the factory. I will return this set to get my money back, and just buy it from somewhere else.

So everyone who buys the Alien Quadrilogy beware: look on your Aliens DVD to see if you have this glitch. This is a factory production glitch. As said before, it occurs in the Special Edition of Aliens, at time mark 1:44:09. It is pixelation. If you see this glitch, you have a defective disc. Your DVD player is fine. So return the your Alien Quadrilogy ASAP to where you got it from, and don't bother exchanging it there for another one, as most likely they have a bad batch as well. Just get your money back and buy it somewhere it else. Peace.

[tomdkat]

Or it might just be a "quirk" with that disc and your DVD player. I don't own this box set so I can't test it myself. If this was a widespread problem, more people would have commented on it.

Take your current copy and try it on another DVD player and see what happens.

Peace...

[RK1StCloud]

I'm having the same problem with the Alien Quadrilogy. I haven't watched Aliens yet, but noticed the identicle problem with Alien. There is pixelation in one specific scene (although it is very brief it is very annoying). I also noticed that the directors cut does the same thing with audio dropout at the same exact time although it is a different point in the scene. I have the Panasonic RP91. I exchanged the set and found the same problem at exactly the same point. I own roughly 600 dvds and have seen this pixelation problem only twice (The Pianist and Staying Alive). I exchanged both those discs and then they were fine. I also suspect it may be due to a bad batch, but it could also be that the disc is using "seemless branching" which may be throwing off our players. I am returning the set once again at a diffent branch tonight and will let you know if I get a "good" one. I'll also check out Aliens at the marker you posted. By the way, it happens in Alien in chapter 18 at around 1:08 right as Ripley leaves the meeting. Then you might want to check out the same scene in the directors cut (I think it might be Ch 24, but I'm not sure) Same thing happens but it is when Tom Skerrit is talking during the same exact TIME as the theatrical cut. Let me know if you do get a "good" copy at another store.

[Stone Cold]

RK1StCloud, I returned the set, got my money back, and I went to Wal-Mart to buy a new one. This new set works fine, and there are no glitches, thankfully. So I recommend you get it from Wal-Mart, hehe. Good luck to ya!

[JFelix]

My 9th disc is glitching, and I returned it to Costco, and the disc has errors the same exact place where the first set started glitching,
14-15 minutes in the "Bob Burns Alien Collection" documentary.
Anyone else having the same problem?

Oh yeah, have a Jaton PSD7611K.

[JFelix]

I contacted fox, and they mailed me back saying they hadn't heard of any glitches so far, that I was the first they heard from when talking about this, and they could replace it- only I'd have to send in the entire box set, and it would take 6 to 8 weeks to get a fresh copy.

...I think I'll do a quiet disc-switch with Netflix

[tomdkat]

Can someone send me their problematic discs so I can give them a whirl? I'll send them right back.

Peace...

[optimalautobot]

has anyone else noticed this?

i dont think its necessarily a glitch as much as a spot with poor transfer, but here goes:

in aliens: special edition, right after bishop lands the shuttle remotely, ripley and hicks enter the screen with bishop, and ripley asks bishop, "how much time?"

during that one shot, has anyone else noticed that the picture quality drops CONSDERABLY; it gets extremely blurry and the color rendition isnt even close to the rest of the movie - it looks like crap. i checked out that spot on the theatrical cut of aliens as well, and have the same results.

i've tried it on 2 dvd players, and my dvd-rom. same thing. it is obviously the disc itself or the transfer

it happens in the shot in aliens: special edition at approx. 2:05:20

i was wondering if this bad transfer spot was on other people's discs? i hope its not just mine...

[optimalautobot]

look:

[SharpShooter5]

Originally Posted by optimalautobot

has anyone else noticed this?
in aliens: special edition, right after bishop lands the shuttle remotely, ripley and hicks enter the screen with bishop, and ripley asks bishop, "how much time?"

during that one shot, has anyone else noticed that the picture quality drops CONSDERABLY; it gets extremely blurry and the color rendition isnt even close to the rest of the movie - it looks like crap. i checked out that spot on the theatrical cut of aliens as well, and have the same results.

i've tried it on 2 dvd players, and my dvd-rom. same thing. it is obviously the disc itself or the transfer

it happens in the shot in aliens: special edition at approx. 2:05:20

i was wondering if this bad transfer spot was on other people's discs? i hope its not just mine...

Welll i don't notice any difference in colour, but yes the picture does go a little blurry, but (and i may be wrong), i believe that it has always been there, it was there when the film came out, and its been on every version ever released

seeing as they are on a windy platform and the technology of 1986 was not that great, i think the camera just shakes a little

i don't find it distracting, because its only a few seconds, and it gives a bit more of the "you are there" feeling


as for Stone Cold's problem at 1:44:09, i own a Panasonic DVD RV32K and i don't have the pixelation problem you refer to, that shot looks perfectly finefor me

[optimalautobot]

and

[jtorrance]

As far as I can remember, in every video incarnation of Aliens I've owned (VHS, LD, DVD) that shot looks the same. I think it has to do with the film stock, smoke being blown through the frame, Cameron's soft blue lighting, and the optical processes involved in the shot. The far background (the atmosphere processor and the Tesla coil effects) is a process shot, and I think all plate photography rephotographs a little soft.

I just checked it again, and it looks fine to me...

[optimalautobot]

Originally Posted by SharpShooter5

Welll i don't notice any difference in colour, but yes the picture does go a little blurry, but (and i may be wrong), i believe that it has always been there, it was there when the film came out, and its been on every version ever released

seeing as they are on a windy platform and the technology of 1986 was not that great, i think the camera just shakes a little

i don't find it distracting, because its only a few seconds, and it gives a bit more of the "you are there" feeling

i just checked my VHS copies of aliens.
i have both the special edition and the old theatrical version tapes

it seems like you're more or less right. on the special edition tape, it looked exactly how it does on the dvd. very blurry and a lot darker than the previous scenes.

however, i noticed that on the theatrical tape, although the scene is somewhat blurry, the colors and brightness seem more consistent with the rest of the movie.

so there it is. i wish it wasnt so blurry, but what can you do if that's how the movie is... *sigh*. it must have been the special edition moniker (along with the THX certification?) that drove that particular scene into worse condition... and now it sticks out like a sore thumb to me... ehhhh...

thanks for the info sharpshooter (and jtorrance). im glad somebody replied to me...

[disclover]

I watched Aliens: Special Edition today and noticed the drop in picture quailty at that same point. As others have mentioned, I believe the scene has always looked that way. I think with the sharpness and clarity of DVD, the softness of that shot of Bishop just becomes more noticeable when it's dropped in against the rest of the film.

The glitch in the SE previously mentioned (1:44:09), I did not see. The whole thing played perfectly.

I have not looked at the ninth disc yet, so I can't comment about any glitches there.

[Buffalo Bill]

I've finally got around to watching my Quadrilogy. I have watched all theatrical & just have Resurrection to go & I'll be through all director's cuts. Haven't touched the bonus discs yet. On Alien3 about one second before the end of chapter 29 (1:01:14 TE), & about a second before the end of chapter 40 (1:30:40 DE) the whole bottom half of the picture pixelates solid green. It's the same spot in both versions of the movie. I'm using a Pioneer 563a. It's annoying for the less than one full second but I'm not going to return this whole 9 disc set to Amazon.com or Fox for this slight glitch. If I'd bought it locally (or knew someone who had) I'd give a try to switch my Alien3 but I didn't & don't. Guess I'll have to live with it. Perhaps I can report it to Amazon & when they come out with the individual movies in 2 disc sets they'll swap out Alien3. Only glitch so far (knock on wood). I've been hoping that this would be one glitchless set but twas not to be.

[Stone Cold]

Originally Posted by buffalobill

It's annoying for the less than one full second but I'm not going to return this whole 9 disc set to Amazon.com or Fox for this slight glitch. If I'd bought it locally (or knew someone who had) I'd give a try to switch my Alien3 but I didn't & don't. Guess I'll have to live with it. Perhaps I can report it to Amazon & when they come out with the individual movies in 2 disc sets they'll swap out Alien3. Only glitch so far (knock on wood). I've been hoping that this would be one glitchless set but twas not to be.

Perhaps you could bring your glitched set to a local Wal-Mart or Best Buy or whatever, tell them that it's glitched, and tell them you got it as a gift and that's why you don't have the receipt. They will probably let you swap it for another set.

[Buffalo Bill]

Thanks for the advice Stone Cold. I'm thinking about possibly doing that after XMas (if they'll just swap out the bad disc). I know CC would do it if I could come up with the name of a person who bought it there & gave to me as a gift. They opened up a Bond box set to exchange a glitched Octopussy last week BUT I had the receipt from the 2 box sets which I'd bought there. I've got to check out the bonus discs (started last night) & if they are all okay I'm not swapping a whole 9 disc set & having to check every second out a second time. If I can just swap the bad disc I'll do it.

[optimalautobot]

well, i checked my aliens and alien 3 last night, where you guys said there were problems. stonecold, i didnt have any pixelation or anything in the spot you were saying and buffalobill, mine doesnt pixelate at that scene at all.

have you guys tried using different dvd players?

[optimalautobot]

hi folks. i found another slight "glitch"

this may only apply to those using progressive scan because it seems only visible when viewed progressively, as my other dvd players dont show this (on normal 4:3 tvs). this also may be due to the different in screen sizes though...

in aliens, when spunkmayer says "what's this crap supposed to be anyways", the speed of the video feed speeds up slightly. also in the shot after ripley says "now ive done it, looks like i'll have to do the whole thing" when she begins wiping newt's face, i see the frames speed up again for a second.

these are the only spots ive noticed so far, and the audio stays on pace with the rest of the movie. as i said before, this only seems to happens on my widescreen tv... it may be a result of progressive frames but i doubt it. because i turned progressive scan off and i still saw the speed up.

does anyone else notice this glitch?

*edit* did some tests this morning with some other dvd players on the widescreen tv... i believe this only happens to certain models and it is because of the "seamless branching". my model is the LG DV7732NSC.

[FlukeStarbucker]

I have finally found a disc that works!

I can confirm the glitches reported by RK1StCloud. The only disc I had trouble with was Alien (Disc 1). I tried three sets of the darned things, all from Target, and Disc 1 always had the same goofs. The DTS or Dolby icon on my player's display would flicker, the sound would cut out for a second, then the disc would freeze. It was always at the same points: 68:58 and 69:49 in chapter 24 of the Director's Cut. In the Theatrical Version, the same would happen, only at slightly different points: 68:47 and 70:14 in chapter 18.

These are the numbers I found on the bad Target Alien disc:
IFPI 2729
L803 9661 200984710 @ R31001-21Y
L802 9661 200984711 @ P31009-13Z

I bought a new set at Wal-Mart and Disc 1 works just fine - no flickers or freezes or anything. These are the numbers I found on the good Wal-Mart Alien disc:
IFPI 2F29
L802 9661 200984710 @ P31009-12Y
L802 9661 200984711 @ P31009-13Z

Another thing I noticed: the glitching disc came in sets that had shiny, slightly "bumpy" paint on the label sides of the DVDs. The working disc came in sets that have a dull, smooth paint finish on the labels. I don't know if this matters or not.

There were some reports of problems with Aliens, Alien 3, and Disc 9 listed here and at the Home Theater Forum, but those discs have worked just fine for me.

By the way, my player is a Pioneer HTD-510DV. Hope this helps.

Randy
flukestarbucker@att.net