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Avoid Netflix!!!!!

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I've rented a dozen or so DVDs from Netflix now, and about half of them are so badly damaged that pixellation and loss of soundtrack is the least of the worries. I've had to skip over chapters of "Life of Brian" and "Time Bandits" , "Thomas Crown Affair", "The Great Train Robbery", and last night "Life is Beautiful" wouldn't even start--but froze solid at nine seconds into play. Not a single chapter will play. I've tried cleaning the disk surface, and even tried the Auric Illuminator, but the scratches are just too deep. I have new DVDs that play fine, so I know it's not the Dennon DV5000.
I had worried about this with DVD rentals--as bad as VHS is, even an idiot has a hard time making them entirely unplayable. But I know from first-hand eyewitness that a majority of people think CDs and DVDs are "indestructable", and put them down label side up.
I suppose I'll have to cancel my subscription and go back to the satelite dish. Pity, it was a nice idea, but they apparently have no quality control, and are unresponsive to my complaints.

Follow Ups:

Re: Avoid Netflix!!!!! Rod M 11:19:43 11/07/00 (0)
Interesting, our local video store (that recently closed under the weight of Block Buster and Hollywood Video competition) stopped renting Playstation games for just that reason. He told me that he was losing his shirt and was lucky to get 2 or 3 rentals before the kids would destroy them.
What bugs me is that they do nothing, even when you tell them about the problem. Sherry likes to rent JC Superstart once a year. Hollywood has one with a screwed up soundtrack. We told 'em last year and got a refund.
Yup, got the same bad copy this year.
I'm happy with Netflix, so far! TomP 11:11:02 11/07/00 (4)
I have been using NetFlix for almost a year now and my DVD player is a Pioneer DV-09. As far as I remember, the Pioneer has never had any problem playing the movies I've rented from Netflix, at least not yet anyway. This is not saying there is something wrong with your Denon nor discs rented from Netflix were always as clean or new as they should have been but I'd check into the player itself as some DVD players are pickier than the others. At one instance, my friend's DV-05 could not play the same disc that my DV-09 had no problem playing. Good luck!
- hmmm,,I suppose I need a second opinion. petew 13:58:57 11/07/00 (3)
  This copy of "Life is Beautiful" is the worst I've had yet, so I guess I'll keep it and take it around to the HT stores and use it for my "acid test". Just got an invitation for a DVD-A demonstration sponsored by Kenwood. If their machine can play this disc, I'll have to buy it.
  Have you any experience with the "lazer lens cleaners"--those CDs with the tiny brushes? I'm afraid to use them, but I have tried cleaning the lens on my old JVC with a Q-tip and 100% IPA . Funny if it's the lens, because the CD performance of the Dennon is flawless, and not a single glitch on brand new DVDs. I understand the error correction is not as good on high-end players though. Oh well, you get what you pay for: less is more. I'm thinking it's time to buy the JVC S-VHS deck that Audio Advisor has been pushing so much lately.
  - Re: hmmm,,I suppose I need a second opinion. TomP 16:59:39 11/07/00 (0)
    Just found this out from my buddy at work who once rented a HK flix from Netflix that would refuse to play in his Sony DVD player. The reason: Wrong region coded disc as he later found out. DVD players manufactured for N. America is coded for region 1 as I understand.
  - Re: hmmm,,I suppose I need a second opinion. Victor Khomenko 14:45:30 11/07/00 (1)
    ***Have you any experience with the "lazer lens cleaners"--those CDs with the tiny brushes? I'm afraid to use them,
    ...and rightly so. If you have dust on the lens, the brushes will leave the streaks - you can see these clearly under the microscope. Use air duster instead.
    - Central Station: (it's not my player) petew 21:29:49 11/08/00 (0)
      Got "Central Station" in the mail the other day, and it plays beautifully, so I'm convinced it's not the player (Dennon's top of the line machine, I should hope not!).
      I'm concerned about the idea that somebody is ordering NetFlix DVD's and swapping them with disks coded for another region. Is there a way to find out the region code of the disk?
      Isn't there a way for Netflix to check the disks for damage and proper code before shipping?
      I still haven't received any feedback from Netflix.
      Oh, Central Station looks good so far, but I had to stop so I can watch the election scandal.

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