Customer Rating:  
Summary: Great transfers, Wonderful films, Defective discs
Comment: I bought this set back in October and ran into the same quality problem so many others have experienced. However all eight discs played fine on my Toshiba HD-A35, albeit some were a bit noisy. (Rebecca being the worst) Since they did play, I did not return them fearing I would get a set that was worse. I recently set up my old Liteon region free player to take the workload off of the Toshiba, as the vast majority of my viewing is in SD. I have been watching the reviews here and decided to take another look at these discs on my Liteon player. The vibration was tremendous on Rebecca and it refused to play. Notorious was almost as bad as it would spin up freeze, spin down and back up again, freeze again, stop, start, etc. About 4 of the 8 discs have no problems; the others do with varying degrees. My curiosity was up, so I had to experiment. I was able to rip all eight to my hard drive with no problem. This is a good test of the data. I made a copy of the worst one, Rebecca, on a DVD+R DL disc and tried it out on the Liteon. It played perfectly, nice and quiet. This tells me there is no problem with the data on the disc. I know some have commented on the funny look of some of the discs, and think that it is due to de-lamination from warpage, and therefore gives read errors. Mine also look like that but I have seen this on other discs of mine that were packaged properly in standard cased. They have never given me a problem. The next step was to open up my Liteon and see just what was going on. I put Rebecca on the spindle with the magnetic clamp on top and slowly spun the disc. With an eye loupe I could see no indication of warpage, but did notice that the two layers of Polycarbonate that sandwich together to make the disc were not exactly lined up. There was a bit of adhesive on the edges also that was not consistent. I did the same inspection with the DVD-R DL that I made, and the difference was amazing. The edge looked like a perfectly machined surface with the slightest hint of adhesive. The telltale test was actually starting up the disc to play. The vibration and out of round blur of the center of the spindle was tremendous. It was obvious that the disc was grossly out of balance. The disc has to spin faster when playing the beginning of the movie since that data is in the innermost part of the disc. DVDs play from the inside to the outside on the first layer, and from the outside back in for the second layer. The menus, studio logos, and FBI warnings are stored after the main movie, and end up about in the middle of the disc depending on move length. When I play Rebecca on my Toshiba, the noise doesn't start until the main movie starts, and as the movie progresses, the disc spin slower and the vibration slowly dissipates. The menu, logo, and FBI warning play silently. If the problem was warpage as some have speculated, the movie should play better at the beginning, and slowly get worse as the laser travels farther out, where the warpage would increase at the edge of the disc. To prove my theory, I took a piece of an Avery label with a couple of layers of copper foil for weight and attached it to Rebecca's topside. After testing in several spots I found the right place and Rebecca played just fine, with no noise or vibration, on my Liteon player! This is of course not a solution, but merely a demonstration of the actual problem with these discs. The discs are obviously defective. It is a sad state when I can go through hundreds of DVD+R's at about 25 cents each and never see a problem like this, and spend $10 or more, each, for a classic movie, and get the cheapest piece of junk, made by the lowest bidder that the studio could find.
P.S. Please don't lecture me on the legalities of the ripping and burning of this disc. As Doc Brown said in Back to the Future, "It's a science experiment". Besides I paid my money, and nowhere have I advocated or given instruction on how to circumvent any copy protection scheme.
Customer Rating:
Summary: design and quality-control issues
Comment: What a shame that MGM spoiled such a beautiful collection of remastered and restored films -- replete with wonderful extras -- by lack of care.
Start with the packaging. While the box is interestingly - even cleverly - designed, the plastic slipcase is prone to damage and cracking. I received one with an entire corner missing, making the jagged edges truly Hitchcockian in their inherent danger. I don't mind, as others seem to, the cardboard slipsleeves that hold the discs. Not the best, maybe, but also not serious enough for all the hysteria. Slip the disc in lightly, just enough to hold it in place, and all is well.
Strangely, considering all the interesting tidbits included about each film in the 'notebook', none of the actual film credits (cast, duration, etc.) appear anywhere. This basic information can only be found on the removable sheet which surrounds the plastic slipcase. What are they smoking at MGM?
I, too, have had disc problems on two sets. They may freeze, jump to another chapter, cause player to make noise, or have difficulty loading in. As I have four different players, I was able to find one to overcome these errors. But this is a serious problem for anyone with a single player. What is surprising is that the price remains so high, even on used sets.
Although seems almost incidental with all the problems, the film transfers are uniformly beautiful and the commentaries are informative, entertaining, and apt. The Lodger is probably the most beautiful silent film issued on DVD, with full orchestral score and near-pristine transfer. Amazing. Perhaps that is why I, and others, keep trying to get a perfect set. I second the motion that MGM re-issue a clean set, make amends to previous purchasers, and restore the reputation that these films - and the care which went into their restoration - warrant.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I got an email response from company
Comment: i sent an email to the company (FOX) and this was their response:
At this time our corporate office is aware of this issue they will be looking into the matter in regards this set. We do not have a time or date when this issue will be resolved. You may check back in the near future for any further information on this box set.
Thank you,
Fox Consumer
Customer Rating:
Summary: Terrible disappointment on a long-awaited product
Comment: After purchasing my second defective set of these DVDs, I am giving up because of the poor quality of the discs. The three movies that I most looked forward to- Rebecca, Notorious and Spellbound don't play at all, just make a loud grinding noise in the DVD player. I tried them in several DVD players, including my computer and none work. I am too annoyed to bother with the others and will just send the collection back. I did leave a message on Fox's customer service number (1-888-223-2FOX) and emailed MGM, for what it's worth. I hope they release these movies with a new format. This was such a disappointment.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Set For A Good Price, Some Minor Technical Issues
Comment: 3 and 1/2 Stars.
Fortunately, none of the discs in my box set are defective (as some Amazon reviewers have complained). They do make a bit of noise in the DVD player, which can be somewhat distracting, but otherwise the movies play just fine. The other issue I have is with the packaging. Sure, it's a very nice set with a beautiful book but the discs are kept in cardboard sleeves which can potentially damage the DVD's (I suggest buying some cheap jewel cases to house the discs). Otherwise, I am happy with the set.
That being said, the transfers are exceptional and most of the special features are interesting and well-produced. I would have liked it if MGM had included more excerpts from the Hitchcock/Bogdanovich and Hitchcock/Truffaut interviews, but the included material is still topical and are likewise welcome additions.
Of course, that's not to mention the real star of the box set-the film's themselves. While I think the set is missing a few movies from this era of Hitchcock's career (1930's-1940's), it still includes some remarkable peices of work. My favorites included are Rebecca, Spellbound, Sabotage, Notorious and The Paradine Case.
Overall, you may want to wait and see if MGM recalls the package for the technical issues. However, I've had no issues with my set and have enjoyed watching and re-watching the movies.
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