foiled by technology again

[ratcreature]

So I bought Iron Man 3 on DVD today, and at first my computer didn't want to play it at all, then after some reading of online how-tos I found that sometimes disabling the menus makes the DVD work with linux players. And it did become playable but jumps in places so that a bit repeats and the stuff immediately after is missing. Now I don't know whether my DVD is defective or whether it just won't work on my computer but would on a DVD player. I actually reactivated my DVD player to see, but it turns out that it got broken somehow since I last used it (it wouldn't play that DVD nor another one I tried). I guess before I return the DVD to exchange for another I'll have to check it in someone else's working DVD player, whether it glitches there too. And now I have spend 14€ on a DVD, wasted two hours on fiddling with various techonology, and still don't get to rewatch Iron Man 3. Things like this make illegal downloads so attractive... >:(

Comments

[astridv]

Yeah, I think it's that shitty Disney pirate protection. Disney DVDs never run on my computer so I'm not even trying any more, I'm pirating the hell out of that shit. I still have the DVD for IM1 because back then it was still Marvel-only and the DVDs ran fine.

Can you give the DVD back and get your money back? It's a faulty product if it doesn't run, no question.

[ratcreature]

I don't think you can return for your money, just exchange a faulty one for a new one, especially if you have opened it. I mean, they'd just fear you copied it and returned it then, I assume they'd only guarantee that it plays on regular DVD players (if that -- maybe DVDs have fine print terms of service like software somewhere now that say that they don't guarantee that the product functions like it is intended...)

I will have to check the thing on my brother's player. It's really annoying. I was looking forward to hear the commentary and watch the extras. It's bizarre that doing the legal thing and giving them my money (and quite a bit of it, since they made the version with any extras, like the Carter short film 5€ more expensive than just the DVD with the movie itself) generates a lot more hassle and worse experience than "pirating" it. (though honestly "pirating" as term ought to be reserved for the crime that is people hijacking ships for extortion, stealing shipments and killing crew and all that, it's ridiculous that copying files without permission got slapped with that crime label, why didn't they expand the "bootlegging" definition from illegal recording to copying? at least there the non-copyright version of the crime is smuggling goods that seems more apt.)

Anyway, you ought to be rewarded for buying the proper thing rather than obtaining copies from somewhere, and instead you are punished. It's crazy.

[madripoor_rose]

I just had a problem with Transformer Prime dvds....tried four of them, from three different Target stores. All had the same fault. But with the last one I explained that, and they refunded my money as a defective.

[ratcreature]

I think I would give up before returning something four times, considering the time, commuting and nerves involved. I still suspect they just crippled it so much that my computer simply can't play it properly, which in a way is even worse, because I won't be able to use my DVD at all until I get a new player then (having found out that mine apparently is broken).

And considering how seldom I watch DVDs on a player, because the tv I have is ancient, and has an atrocious picture quality that's not exactly a priority. I mean, my brother told me that because he got the giant flatscreen tv my father bought himself shortly before he died, I could then have one of his flatscreen tvs, but somehow it's now a year and a half later and that still hasn't come to anything, so I don't know. If I that happened and I managed to get a decent new tv without having to buy it, I might think about getting a new blueray player, but that's quite hypothetical.