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4K DISCS SKIPPING? HERE’S WHY…(AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2021
- I get questions about 4K discs skipping, fragile 4K discs, 4K disc scratches, all sorts of stuff. So here’s a video to answer some of these questions for old and new collectors alike on why the 4K UHD disc seems so fragile, and what you can do to help the situation on your end.
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Horrifying moment in childhood was when you went to a friend's house and you see them handle discs all wrong :P
But back then it was Ok, couse DVD cant go bad.
The most annoying thing was that when you borrowed them something, a game or something and it came back full of scratches and finger prints or they never returned the thing just said they don't have it. It drove me nuts and I stopped borrowing to people. All my newly bought discs are perfect, even after 30 years or something.
@@dealerovski82 No it wasn't.
Yesss
Regular DVDS can go bad after only a few years in storage. Had a bunch of brand new sealed unopened DVD movies in storage for only a few years and 80%-90% wouldn't even play. Many still looked brand new with no indication of rot while some showed some signs of rot. This was first time unwrapping them and they wouldn't play at all in any of my DVD players at all. Found out later that DVD movies and CDs can rot and deteriorate over time even when they were never ever used and even if they still look perfect. The do not last and have several year life expectancy just like hard drives and SD cards. The M-DISC is supposed to last the longest out of all discs.
Working in a library it amazes me how much abuse DVDs take, and still play well enough for folks to keep watching them. Of course some players will have issues with blemishes on the discs where other players don't. We have discs that have circulated 100 to 200 times with possible multiple viewings on each circ. Blu-ray discs are better at resisting scratches. I have very few come back damaged, and that is usually from someone just abusing them in how they transport and store the discs while they have them. Food, mud, bodily fluids and boogers, we see it all on the discs.
Oh, and keep the kiddos away from anything you plan on keeping long-term.
thanks for the input
Something I don't think I caught you mention, is when you buy a NEW 4K disc, always check them to make sure they're clean before you play them. I've had a number of discs straight from the shrink wrap needing to be cleaned because of smudges from the manufacturing robots that suction cup the discs.
Very true; I've heard a few people clean brand new 4Ks and subsequently get a lot less or zero problems so this is well worth mentioning.
How do you clean 4K discs properly? I would think doing anything would potentially scratch the delicate surface.
@@Akhenatonio I usually use a micro fiber towel to clean the smudges
Yeah I’ve had two disks straight out of the packaging brand-new skip on me. And It turned out it was a speck of dust. It’s probably the one thing that sucks about the format.
Technically the front of the disc has the data underneath the picture, so you don’t want to scratch that either because it could go down to the data as well, but it would be somewhat harder to damage the data this way. The plastic on the other side is where the laser reads through and scratches causes the laser to bounce around and not read perfectly good data, so buffering the plastic can help with that, but buffering won’t work if the other side(picture side) gets scratched and damaged the data. So be careful with both sides.
good to know thanks
CDs have the data layer directly underneath the label. However, in DVDs (and HD-DVDs), the data layer is sandwiched in the middle of two pieces of plastic, and in Blu-ray discs, it is very close to the side closest to the laser instead, basically the opposite of CDs, allowing the laser to focus more precisely so that more data can be stored (25 GB per layer compared to the 15 GB of HD-DVD).
dude, I love your videos, the style of you just relaxed talking to the camera, informing us of your knowledge is just so pleasant and interesting. you don't see this kind of honest reviews and in-depth product explanations these days on youtube, everyone seems tempered by sponsorships and whatnot. You on the other hand, come across really honest, kind and authentic, I love you for what you're doing. Thank you for your hard work of research and sharing!
DO NOT SCRATCH THE TOP (ARTWORK) SIDE! If the scratch is deep enough the data is destroyed. If you can hold the disc up to the light and see thru a scratch on the disc, it is not repairable (by buffing) as the data has physically been destroyed.
I scratched my name into an old cd when I was little. Big mistake
@@lurkkker oof
Oh really ? I always make a few light razor blade cuts, front and back, whenever I get a new disc. It hasn’t effected them at all as far as I can tell. Of course, I don’t actually watch movies, I just collect them.
@@willparker8498 no the data is etched or burnt into the Polycarbonate layer of the disc the metallic or top/front reflective layer does exactly that it reflects the information from these pits similar to how a record player works but digitally back into the unit to decode the video, music, data for playback or use, scratches to the underside of the disc if deep enough can corrupt the data, video etc being read pretty much like a scratch on a vinyl record or a crease in a cassette tape
@@MyFireVideos That would have to be one hell of a scratch and would have to be done deliberately.
Great tips! Also, thank you for being one of the few of us I've seen to actually notice that disc rot is more than just a manufacturing problem.
thank you for this. I have had way more skipping and freezing with 4K than I ever had with blu ray
This is very good to know because while I've been collecting physical media for a long time over 26 years 4K discs are kinda new to me, which I've been collecting them for 2 years now and have been having these issues with disc skipping and freezing and I treat my discs very carefully all the time but it could be like a spec of dust or a minor scratch from the manufacturer or it could of got damaged during shipping, I never even touch the back of the disc and handle my 4K and Blu-ray discs the same way as shown in the video.
You gave some amazing advice, but I have one caveat. Yes, the data is stored on the "label side" of the disc, and so you should never scratch it. That said, it's perfectly fine to "smudge" the label side since that's not the end the laser shines through. If you have to touch a side, touch the label side, but NEVER put anything hard or sharp against it.
@@willparker8498 That's correct, but you still want to avoid them since the act of cleaning up said smudges just adds to the risk of a potential scratch.
You should never touch the label side, as the oil penetrates through the layers and destroys the data.
@@maryjane9221 Seriously, I've NEVER had a disc's data be erased from my skin oil "ruining the data" from the label side. The data is UNDER the label you know. You've got nothing to worry about. You've got to touch the disc by SOME part after all. We don't have telekinesis.
@filmsathome: Actually Jeff, you are completely incorrect on the data being on the bottom. The data layer is actually on the top. Under the silk screen layer. This has been the same since the inception of laserdisc, CDs. 4K, Blu Ray and dual layer DVD discs. Discs with multiple layers are actually “sandwhiched” between clear layers. And the bottom is a clear protective layer. It has absolutely no data at all on it. This is why when you bought CDRs back in the day, with no layer on top and you scratched the top, you were actually scratching the data off the disc. And it didn’t matter what you did on the bottom to polish it out. It would never play again. Disc rot is mostly an issue with cheap or early Gen CD’rs DVDrs and Laser Disc. And discs with exposed data surface on top. They have changed the formula to manufacture discs today. And so disc rot is extremely rare today. Blu Rays may be a lot harder to scratch. But my experience is they have errors much, much easier than DVDs with scratches. DVDs are actually more forgiving for reading of errors from our players. And the materials the discs are manufactured from have actually changed. Substantially for some manufactures. Usually you are right on my friend. But this video actually has a lot of incorrect information. The data is not more “compacted” on the disc as you said. It is actually “stacked” on multiple layers, which line up with more of each other. This is why the errors are so much more obvious. Because a scratch in one place is actually interfering with the reading of multiple layers. Remember, I have owned a small media label imprint for over 20 years. And have studied this topic extensively. I suggest you do some more study on this particular topic….
I forgot to mention there are also multiple methods of making disc copies. Duplication and replication. Duplication was done on media at home. Where the data is “burned” by a laser into the layers. And then a “stamper” master is used to replicate discs. Replication done at the factories for store releases. And they use a dye process injecting into the layers. Both are different processes. But still have many of the same fundamentals when it comes to the physical disc itself. This is obviously a very, very condensed description. But it is the basics.
@fatopossum not sure. And I don’t want to be an ass about it. I like Jeff and his videos. But in order to keep as many of my fellow physical media collectors buying media as possible, I want the facts to be given correctly. So people don’t get mad and stop buying physical media because of skips, freezes, ect..
I think it was obvious he meant the bottom is where the data is being READ. He didn't get into any details about layering. Therefore the top (printed side) doesn't matter so much if it gets fingerprints.
There always has to be one nerd know-it-all jackass in the crowd though.
@@charlesknowlton7198 you would know about the jackass part wouldn’t you?
Do you happen to know if there is as talk of "planned obsolescence" in the 4K disk space?
One thing I think you forgot to mention is that there are the occasional manufacturing issues, and consumers can request replacement disks directly from the publisher. I had to do this for my copies of Apocalypse Now and Donnie Darko.
I play my 4k discs in my computer with a pioneer 4k drive and never a single skip. But if i use my sony 4k player, with 100gb discs, some skips. I think is something related to bad optics or laser, or something badly calibrated
I find that too; the Sonys have improved but I must say they generally don't seem to like the second/third layer change especially, or at least are very sensitive to ANY minor things that would be fine in other players. I'll probably move to a new 4K player away from Sony when I can because of this but I need 4K, 3D, Dolby Vision and separate audio and visual output plus a player that I can get that's BD Multi-region so my choice (at a fair price) is limited for now.
@@blujustin4175 yes. I think 4k disc is the most delicate format ever. With blu Ray Just a little, i ruined many discs because i used spindles and stacked them together. That psuedo protective coating is just defficient.
Bullshit Sony makes the best players on the market.
@@catsbyondrepair not anymore, Panasonic beats Sony recently with the 4k lines of players. weird that my 4k bd100 films skips with a sony, and my 4k drive from pioneer, spins fasts but no skips, and still quiet.
@@antoniach4190 wrong ..Panasonic don't even make players any more they buy cheap made garbage from China and put their name on it.
You missed a big part of it - a lot of discs, more from certain manufacturers are coming with a film of residue on them that’s causing the skipping to happen. The recent release of The Thing is one example as well as Arrow’s release of Dune and 2001: A Space Odyssey. It seems to affect triple layer discs more, but a wipe down with a microfibre (or fiber if you’re in the US) cloth removed this layer of film on the disc. In all instances it’s resolved the problem for me.
I didn't know 4K were so fickle compared to DVD & Blu Rays, cause I've been growing my 4K collection and about 3 times now in the course of a year a 4K disc just randomly stopped playing or skipped while watching it but after watching this video it makes a lot more sense now, and what you said about loose discs in the case is something I never thought they could get scratched rattling around in the case... and it doesn't help that a lot of my movies I buy are from online so they've been tossed around who knows how many times before they make it to my front porch
Great explanation but I must *add* there are also a few 4K players that don't seem to like layer changes (especially - could be the finger oil right near the edge where it's easy to wrap the finger pad around the disc edge of course to add to the potential problems) and, for some reason, seem to prefer it if you don't pause and restart when watching... but generally I do agree that if I get a freeze/skip and then eject and clean the disc usually plays fine through that point and your information has been useful - I think I'll do a proper clean of 4Ks before playing just in case
It does seem like the format is broken. Some players are more prone to these issues but it seems that the triple layer discs are the culprit here. There's just too much data cramped up in the same physical size of a DVD, which makes it more susceptible to read error. What I've noticed is that the error occurs when the player tries to jump from the second to the third layer - sometimes it does it right,.sometimes it's a slight skip but then it continues just fine and sometimes it freezes completely. Try to pause or reset, then skip to the chapter after this jump and there's no issues.
This shouldn't be an issue even with the low end players but they seem to be more prone to this but this also occurs on 500 dollar players like the ub820. They gladly take 30 dollars for a new release and several 100 dollars for a player but the reliability is shit.
We're duped.
My The Martian extended edition was skipping. Even replacement disk was skipping or freezing at the same scene. I use Panasonic UB820. It doesn't skip on PS5 console.
Unfortunately, this seems to be a common issue for the UB820. I've seen the exact same thing with a lot of my titles.
I have had playback issues with both BD-66 and BD-100 on my DP-UB820.
The only problem I've had with 4K Blu-ray disk playback was due to manufacturing error. There were defects in the surface layer (debris fused to the outermost layer). It has probably happened 5 or 6 times with brand new 4K movies purchased from Best Buy.
I've never had this issue in the past with DVDs or standard Blu-ray, only the 4K UHD disks.
This is most definitely a quality control issue. Those rooms are supposed to be static free and dust free. The techs usually wear full dust suits, breathing apparatuses and even shoe covers. So wherever these were made (probably in an Asian facility today, as most American ones have closed), the quality control may be really bad.
Indeed. This is my experience too. The very reason I stopped buying them. I just can't deal with buying defective things and pay a lot more than for regular Blu-ray or just in that matter streaming. What's the point if I don't get the extra quality anyway? Meaning I have to put the regular BD (no wonder they still mostly include it in the box) into the player to keep watching or go stream it.
I think it's just asking too much from an aging media, we never had 3/4-layer DVD's probably for a good reason! At about the same time they introduced these 4-layer Super-HD discs they also introduced M-Disc (rock type layer) which can be played back on any Super-HD player. I'm thinking this might improve stability
One that was odd for me was when I watched The Thing last night. It froze, but a little while later, it played just fine in the same part of the disc. The disc looks really good and scratch free. The player plays regular Blu-rays just fine. Might have been an isolated issue.
Very informative video, Jeff. Another thing to consider is making sure the disc player is kept clean, free of dust and/or smoke. If your shelf space is dust ridden, then imagine opening and closing the player tray door multiple times in that environment. Dust particles are drawn into the player and could settle on the laser pathways. I've non-invasively cleaned blu-ray players that have skipped, and the issue was resolved. My advice is to keep the player as clean as possible as well as your discs.
Good point; I should check mine... *CAREFULLY*
I have had so many frustrating problems particularly with the Universal collections like the Fast and Furious, Back to the Future and Alfred Hitchcock ones
I agree. I feel like Universal's 4Ks have been the worst for me too. Back to the Future is my favorite movie and I showed it to my fiance and her mom when she was visiting us and it was a shitshow. Kept freezing and the volume would just cut out. Super embarrassing to try to justify owning a physical media collection to other people when your discs keep having problems.
I also had the same prob with my 4Ks for BTTF. 2 out of the 3 (1 and 2) were bad. Number 3's 4K was fine.
Both bad ones started glitching right between the 40 to 45 mark, like clockwork.
I have the same problem with Oppenheimer 4K disc …Universal sucks
Thanks for the video Jeff. Really hoping that I don't have to come across such issues. I remember it being a thing of the past with CDs and VCDs.
Interestingly enough, the data is actually stored on the front of the disk and then covered. But the laser shines through the back of the disk which is why that side needs to be kept clean.
Some personal tips: 1) keep canned air next to the player to blow your discs before use. I check in the light for dust before playing. 2) keep a micro cloth that is new or kept very clean next to the player. If there arete finger prints on the disc you can use the cloth to remove and then the canned air to remove dust. 3) Keep you player clean!!! If that is full of dust in a room with a lot of dust it will start skipping at some point. I always check points 1 and 2 and once a month when I put a disc in the player, I use the canned air when the disc tray is open and blew the dust from the tray away from the player. So not blow it Into the player… Never had real issues to be honest but I just want to keep everything up and running!
I clean my players with canned air every two weeks. It really helps prevent skipping.
Jeff, I understand how 4K disc are more sensitive than blu-ray and dvd. one thing you didn't discuss was how to clean a disc. I've viewed a number of youtube videos where they suggest using a microfiber cloth and your breathe. One person suggested using the cloth in a circular motion. However that was something I was 'taught' not to do when I needed to clean my dvds (back when there were only dvds). the cleaning system I bought basically had a small holder to place your dvd in, you'd spray a bit of their cleaner (basically alcohol) and you were told to use their cloth to wipe starting from the inside (center) out in straight lines... never circular motion. In searching youtube for videos on how to clean a 4K disc pretty much all of them suggest a similar motion (start from the center and wipe in straight lines outward). However one of the channels I watch regarding 4K movies (they compare 4K movies to the blu-ray version) suggested cleaning in a circular motion. I thought I'd check with you regarding what you do if you need to clean a disc of smudges or as some other channels mention some of the disc have a 'film' on them already when you first open them so they need to be cleaned.
I replaced my LG UBK80 4K because of the incredible loud buzzing from the disc spinning much faster than the blu rays which played perfect. So, I purchased a "Top Of The Line " UB9000 by Panasonic. I don't have disc skipping I have disc FREEZING. Out of 25 4k Movies I have 4 that freeze and one that won't play at all! "Interstellar" (they played fine on the LG player (but with the loud buzz). You mentioned freezing one time in this video. I found out too late that this is an all too common complaint with the PANASONIC 4K players. I take extreme measures protecting my discs
(it's an old habit from years of playing LP records) my discs are perfect. It sounds like these skipping issues are all about keeping your discs clean and proper handling, I agree. But knowing these discs I have played before on a "cheap" 4K player and now having some freeze on this top of the line Panasonic just makes me sick. Honestly, for me the difference between 4K and Blu Ray is minimal or non existent anyway. sadly, I'll never purchase another 4K movie because of the freezing and skipping issues. I should sell my small 4K collection I won't risk putting them in my Panasonic just to have it freeze at some point during playback. All of my 4K movies I already have on Blu Ray anyway and don't give a rats ass about Dobly Atmos My 7.1 system is plenty for me.
Do you have any suggestions for good cleaning methods? I don’t wanna make the problem even worse by wiping it the wrong way
Microfiber cloths and rubbing alcohol. Anything else I wouldn’t mess with.
Microfiber cloth and alcohol or purified water out of a small spray bottle. Do not scrub or push hard on the disc surface. Lightly clean away from center to edge and if you have a stubborn spot, small, very light circles to remove it. Never use anything besides a microfiber. Make sure all streaks and spots are removed. And any lint, ect..
@@DangerousDevilOfficial Did you used just a regular mircofiber cloths to clean the disc?
@@jurassic_zilla_01 yes. Make sure it doesn’t have sown seams or anything. I got one of those even just the thread in the seam left micro scratches in my disc. A small electronic microfiber cloth.
I think the Apple Polishing Cloth might actually be quite suitable for cleaning physical media. It's been specifically designed not to leave any scratches when cleaning the screens of Apple devices, so I expect it to be quite usable for cleaning physical media as well.
I’ve had too many discs falter with even their first play through, 4K is infuriating. BTTF, Jaws, Alien, you name it. Never an issue with BDs or DVDs.
I read about all the issues with this format and the solution is simple. Go Blu and DVD only. This would drive me absolutely bonkers. I feel for you. This new 4K format was rushed and not properly tested before it went out. These issues shouldn't be happening. It's ridiculous. It's not worth the headaches. I just want to put a damn disc in and sit back and watch. I can do this with DVD and Blu and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm so glad I didn't take the plunge to 4K. It's not worth it for my mental health. I do feel for all of you struggling though. Just leave it be if it's affecting you negatively.
It’s such a brilliant format at its best, though. Shame.
One thing that would help somewhat, though, is if a place on the web - a YT channel or otherwise - could start a Watchdog List of bad 4Ks to avoid. This would certainly save tons of time and money trying to "fix" bad batch movies that will never come back to life. That way we could at least take note and then check back in the future to see if they put out a new improved release of each former dud.
Great info Jeff! I was having same issues, even the disc is fine. Movies keep freezing & its very disappointing. Probably its my Sony player, but it plays ok with BD.
I've had a small skipping issue with the terminator 2 4k wow I did not know about this at all thanks Jeff I'll take care of my disks much more carefully now especially with my DVDs and 4k disks yeah disks are sensitive on the back for sure I hate when cases force you to stack disks on top of each other
Protect BOTH sides! The top is actually equally important. As it contains the data.
@@DangerousDevilOfficial Oh absolutely I handle all my disks as if I were handling a time bomb that's how much they mean to me I don't even like to go shopping at thrift stores that much for disks because we all know what goes on with disks at those stores.
You know what's worse? The cases that hold the disc not by the center but by 4 tabs that hold the outer rim. And those discs are impossible to get out unless you want to break the disc.
@@nicholashartmann4525 Yeah your right I can't stand that disks are so sensitive and need to be put in a way that's easy and safe to take out and put back in
I just cleaned 2 of my skipping/freezing 100 gig 4k discs, and now they play perfectly.
I thought it was a player problem with the transfer to the 3rd layer.
I have an LG UBK80 and read that it had 3rd layer freeze issues, so I thought that was the problem.
Anyway, the problem discs were Hulk and Leon The Professional which I had bought months ago and they would freeze and glitch towards the end of each movie.
The discs looked perfect, so I assumed it was the player.
Last weekend I tried cleaning the discs with diluted isopropyl alcohol, and now they both play through perfectly!
Thanks for taking the time to provide this info!! You’re appropriated. Question: Is this the same for playback stuttering? (Apologies if you’ve answered this question already.)
I have an expensive LG 4k Blu-ray player that was listed as one of the best in the price range. My only issue is with how the sound will cut out for about a nano second sometimes, every so often. And the discs are brand new and untouched. I’m Very careful not to touch the playing surface
I've had this happen as well, but I have a Panasonic DP-UB820, not an LG.
I completely geeked out when Jeff coincidentally held two of my favorite movies of all time just for this simple video 😂❤
Literally bought a disc yesterday and am having this issue
Same. It’s infuriating. Jaws, Alien, Batman have all given me headaches on 4K. BTTF 3, on its very first playthrough.
Sony lasers suck at reading 4k discs, videos like this just try to cover up that fact.
He’s talking about skipping and the video at times looks like it’s skipping 😂
Seems like either UHD players are more sensitive to scratches and blemishes. I'm guessing it has to do with the laser and the massive amount of data it has to read but that's just me bro-sciencing. I had a movie skip the other night and there was the tiniest of smudges on the disc. Wiped it away with a microfiber cloth and then no issue. If you getting skipping, check your disc - especially if it's a Disney disc. All of the Disney discs come double stacked and 50% of the time have scratches it seems.
The skipping from the 4k discs is becoming madening.
I have one that is driving me insane.it has to be dirt because it skips in a different spot everytime i clean it.
Maybe the players need to be upgraded or something.
Could you make a quick guide on how/where to get replacement disks? I've searched around before on different sites related to the products and can never find a place to do it, save for massive recall issues.
@@TackJorrance I have tried that before with Amazon and Best Buy with mixed success, especially if it is one defective disk out of a larger set, I am usually told to take it up with the manufacturer, and have been unable to find a place to ask for a replacement disk on the different websites.
If disc is returned within the period of purchase with a receipt, stores have NO right to tell you to take it up with the manufacturer.
Even in larger disc sets like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones…etc…
@@BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAthroggofthunder Big point is *if returned within the period of purchase with a receipt*... I often get discs that (due to my large collection and backlog) I may not open and watch for month or even years, at which point you have to deal with the manufacturer, which is almost impossible unless the seller is very kind.
@@blujustin4175 Exactly, how am I supposed to test every minute of every episode of a nine season show before the meager return window expires? If anybody has any tips on getting replacement disks from the manufactures I'd appreciate it.
My 1917 4k got a tiny scratch on the top. Won't work. Now an expensive coaster. Take care of both sides of the disc FYI
Because the top layer actually contains the data. Not the bottom as Jeff said here. Please see my post in the comments. I explain discs correctly. I like Jeff’s videos a lot. And usually he is absolutely on the money. But he has a lot of incorrect info in this video.
@@DangerousDevilOfficial Right. Would have thought he knew that 🤷♂️
@@shawntaylor7442 I am not trying to be an ass here to him. I enjoy his videos. I just want to educate fellow physical media lovers correctly on their discs. Because these fundamentals will actually help to keep your discs working well for decades to come! I literally have CDs from the mid 80’s that still look brand new. And play brand new. Back then, we were told the cd shelf life was 10 years! And here we are nearly 40 YEARS later!
I mostly buy steelbooks and to protect the cases I just use large disc wallets and thus less disc handling.
I’ve had many 4K discs that are brand new, spotless, mint condition, zero fingerprints or scratches, skip or even freeze. This was on a Sony x800. Would reboot the player and sometimes it would play fine. My firmware is always updated. I got a ps5 and currently it’s only skipped in one movie. I can reproductive the skip in the exact same spot of the movie every time. Oddly I play the exact same disc on the x800, plays fine… it’s not simply fingerprints or dust etc, it’s just at the limit of what’s possible as far as how tiny the laser is vs how crammed the data is packed on the discs making it extremely fickle media. I’m just happy it’s rare on my ps5 but my x800 it was frustratingly frequent and intermittent. I am spoiled with blu ray, I can’t think of a single blu ray I’ve ever watched that gave me issues.
Blu-ray is a solid format,no doubt.Never had problems ,not once.
My silence of the lambs had a big chunk of crap on it right out of the case brand new. Maybe they were eating hot dogs or something while packaging??? It was fine after cleaning, but I shouldn't get bonuses with brand new discs. Now, time for apple pie !! Good video Jeff.👍👍
i had some 4k discs freeze on me with a 4k player i bought a while back but then i got a ps5. i have been using that ever sense and i have not had any issues at all
Running a Panasonic UB820. So far no skipping issues at all. I'm wondering if the issue is more down to the hardware than the format. Lots of console owners reporting issues. Maybe they cheaped out on the drive in the consoles?
I think so and have a lot of problems 4k with ps5 console.
Great video Jeff. I will do my best to follow this advice. Normally I'm pretty careful with my discs though.
My Xbox One X plays 4K discs surprisingly well
Great video. Do you take requests? Obviously if you already have the movie in your possession?
What’s the best way to clean them?
I'm SUPER careful with discs, even when I have a brand new disc in a good case this still happens, and way too frequently. Is it possible that a more expensive player might solve the issue? I got that 500 dollar Panasonic player
As if that top of the line player is the issue lol. I was thinking of getting a cheaper one because that's way too much. I don't think it's the player
@@jnagarya519 I get something can break or there can be defects. I was referring more to in general. Like I've heard a lot of people having problems with a specific Sony model. Where as he has the top of the line Panasonic. So unless something did screw up, it's probably not the player is all I meant
@@NYC_Goody The only reason why I was thinking that is when I play discs on my Oppo they load fast & I very rarely have issues on that player.
IMO I do think something is going on with UHD disc manufacturing because the discs I'm getting are brand new and some skip like crazy, some from botique labels too.
I got the Dawn of the dead box set which I think was like 80 dollars and that disc scipped in 5 different spots. Very frustrating when laying down all this cash :(
Just had to send my Panasonic (cheaper one) back after 11 months as wasn't reading any disks anymore.🤣
I wonder if this is a Panasonic issue. Because mine is the same way. All of my Sonys are fine. But my Panni is so temperamental. And it freezes on some discs that barely have the slightest smudge.
What do you suggest when you open a brand new disc (in my case MI Fallout 4K) and it constantly freezes?
If you scratch the label side wouldn’t that make the player skip? Does the 4K disc act like a CD where the under side of the cd logo has the mirror finish to reflect the laser back and needs to be intact because the data is on that. I know with cds you can scratch and resurface the playing side many times, not that I do I take care of all my disc based media, but one scratch on the label and it’s impossible to be repaired
Your apple 🍎 analogy made perfect sense. 👌
When I was watching Game of Thrones Best Buy steel book set (brand new), I ran into a few discs that had some kind of residue on them. I wound up having to examine each disc before playing (and if it did have residue, spray the disc with cleaner and wipe with cloth). Normally, I've sometimes had to use compressed air to make sure the surface stays clean. Also, with data "density" of 4K. A 4K movie is going to have at least 4 times the data (just with resolution, then you add HDR bit depth, and 3-D audio metadata). In order to store that much data, a new compression codec is used (h.265 vs h.264). That helps keep density down....but a 4K disc can also be more sensitive as its likely to have 3-4 layers vs BDs having 1-2.
The data is NOT on the bottom of the disk! It’s on the underside of the label! Bad information bro! Never scratch the top of the disk!
I have all manner of 4K UHD blu ray discs (I use some 128GB BDXL Sony BD-R discs as well) and I can confirm that if not scratched, the discs are very faithful in integrity. The issue is not letting any defects develop on the mirror side of the disc. Once, I had tiny blotches on 1 of my 128GB BDXL discs, and 2 or 3 of the video files were not reading properly, so I went to the sink and washed with detergent and the disc reads perfectly. This media is much more reliable than DVDs if handled correctly (i.e., not allowed to be scratched).
The apple pie comparison made complete sense, haha! I've had skipping issues with my Star Wars discs since I got that stupid ass collectors set with the cardboard inserts, and so I'm glad to see a video explain the fragility of these discs.
Really? I haven’t had a scratch with those yet thank god. I opened up the sides of the cardboard on each disc so it be a lot easier to pull them out. I did the same with the mummy collection but the gold shit scratches up the first disc but it still plays fine tho.
Actually, I am a fan of Jeff and his channel and videos. But he is completely incorrect on the things he says on this video. Check my post in the comments. I explain this with correct information. I have owned a media imprint for over 20 years. And have spent two decades learning about physical media extensively. He is flat out incorrect on most of his information in this video.
I hate that collectors set, it's cool packaging but so impractical, I transferred the discs immediately to an older box set and used the collectors box as a display case
I bought the 4K Star Wars movies separately and have still had playback issues (The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith).
Thank you very much for this information. I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why brand new dis was lagging and skipping. I even bought new 2.1 hdmi cables and was about to buy a 4k player thinking my ps5 disk drive was the problem. I cleaned the disks and they run perfectly. I never touch the playable side of disk and didn't realize it could be dirty from factory. Now everything runs perfectly, Thanks.
Useful video-thanks.
Just a note for others:
When I got rid of my Sony and bought a Panasonic player (without Dolby Vision, alas), all of my freezing/skipping issues stopped instantly. I had done everything everyone recommends on every forum, and was about to just give up on the format. The forum advice can verge on gaslighting. Sometimes it really is the player, not the disc (or the user).
I was starting to think, specifically, that Blue Underground was somehow a defective source of 4K discs-I had never been able to get a BU disc to play all the way through. On my replacement player, they all play perfectly.
My old Sony model is one that some people insist has no problems. But the NY Times Wirecutter took it off of their recommended list because of freezing issues, so I can’t be the only one.
Anyway: the player is the problem sometimes, no matter what experts say.
I have traded up from the Sony to the Reavon player. I still have the occasional issue but it’s better.
I wear a pair of Nitrile gloves whenever I handle ANY discs and I've been doing this since Laserdisc..
I've learned this with my Braveheart, a tiny mark on the disc, most wouldn't even notice the mark- and the entire movie skips. My JW Fallen Kingdom suddenly has a few spots where it stutters and the sound goes off. I love 4ks but sometimes it's a double edge sword because they cost more but are way too fragile. Good info, many did not know this. Loved the apple metaphor👍🏻
Another reason why I'm not upgrading to 4K. I've rarely had blu-rays skip on me.
The closest I'm getting to 4K is getting Sony X90J 4K television.
So glad I bought a 4K ripper and never have to worry about disc skipping ever again. Oh and I know the disc is damaged when it can't rip certain segments, and I can send the disc back immediately. Have only had to do this 3 times. Gremlins. Charlie Brown Holidays. Twilight Zone set. It's very helpful on a multi-disc tv show set.
That’s why I prefer the 1080p Blu-ray
I understand what you are saying about the 4K discs & I have had the same issues, my questions is, are the company's that produce the 4K disks are they aware of the problem? Are the movie companies aware of the problem? Thanks for all you do!
When I had scratched dvd's, some players loaded them better than others. Can you recommend a 4k player that is less likely to detect unseen scratches?
I've had two discs skip on me, one was the mummy which I bought second hand (which lesson learnt) and the other was lotr fotr which didn't work on my ps5 when it got to the lothlorian section but I then tried it on a dedicated 4k player and it worked fine.
The comment about the front of the disc is largely incorrect. That coating contains the reflective layer, scratch that and you're stuffed half the time. If that layer delaminates (which is the most common disc failure i've seen over the years) you're stuffed. That goes for CDs, DVDs, Blurays, and 4K Blurays.
Could they not put a stronger scratch and finger print resistant coating on the 4K disc compared to Blu-Ray?
some disks have green apples and others have red apples🍎🍏
Jeff, so far 2 out of my 4 movies in the Alfred Hitchcock Col. Vol 1 stutter and skip (Psycho immediately, Rear Window about 50 minutes in) but the discs appear to be absolutely perfect before and after my attempt to clean them and it's way beyond the return window so I'm really bummed about them not playing correctly. I'm playing them in my Xbox Series X (which has played all my other 4k discs w/ no issue) and don't have an alt player to try but considering purchasing a dedicated player soon and I'm hoping that'll play them. If anyone has any other suggestions or know a mid range $$$ 4k player to look out for this black Friday please drop a comment. I'm dropping another 4k disc in this evening not from that set so we'll see how that goes.
Wheter it's the stacking of layers or the data density or a combination of both, it sure is a good idea to protect your 4K discs properly and be aware of this issue. Personally I'm buying 4K discs while not even having the equipment to play them or test them, so I'll make sure to double check even brand new discs for imperfections. Right now I play the bluray's that come with the 4K discs, until I saved enough money for 4K equipment.
Thank you for this video, keep up the good work!
What’s the best way to fix a scratched 4k blu ray disc?
Thanks Jeff that was very informative. Well done.
Thank you for diving into treacherous waters. Data discs remind me of the multiple platters in hard drives, and you could recover data from damaged discs, and it is the same with data discs. It is a torturous process that requires multiple passes and special software. The only thing that I will add is to caution against storage binders. My experience with them is from the early days of CDs, where there would be a chemical reaction between the two, and the disc would be left unplayable. Perhaps it is no longer a problem, and the change in manufacturing process to eliminate disc rot also took care of that issue also, but I don't trust the storage method to this day.
I believe it can still be a problem if you go and buy 'cheap' storage binders but if you are willing to pay out for ones that are designed not to have reactive chemicals you should be OK. Of course with large collections many people instinctively take the cheaper route as it's a lot of money in one outlay otherwise
My 4k discs are having problems about three quarters way through. The sound goes off and there is some pixelation. Is there a layer change around this time. I have a panasonic 420 player.
Good Video It Good to revisit a concern for many. I'm surprised at how many discs that did not have issues with the disc itself but with the transfer and errors in production. This process is finer and more prescion in the process. I noticed decades back that the high end cds and dvds players would play worse than a cheap player. I think the tolerance was to much for better players. In trying to make a quality machines. With anything you need balanced control of electronics. The Goldielocks effect is my best analogy. I have just one disc skip. Cleaned it an it was fine. I'm 54 had 2 strokes and putting a disc in the player is like Pin the tail on the Donkey.The microfiber cloth really helps alot.This is still a relatively new process and great care has to be taken. I remember the carefree days of riding my motorcycle and riding through muddy rain terrain with me cd collection in backpack. Not having problems considering the environment I was putting my cd collection in.What created this carefree attitude was the cd promotion of bending the discs and they still played. At Sears in 1980s this was the promotion not the reality of care we should have taken. A whole generation that only remembers the dvd was of better quality and it had a larger amount of space to allow for error correction. Now you just look at something and it has a problem. My cd of Bark at the Moon was so scratched its amazing it played perfectly for years in car cd player. Good Video 😎
I bought 2001 space odyssey on 4k (no loose disc) & im very careful with my media, but it skipped about 45 minutes into the movie & wouldn't let me do anything. I've always wondered if it was my ps5 acting up or if somehow I unknowingly mishandled it, which is very unlikely. But its the 1st time I've ever had a 4k do that, even blu ray. Caught me off guard
Thanks for the info 👍🏻 so is there a way to fix this? Cleaning a certain way? Anything? Or is the disc garbage after that?
Thanks for the info! I just recently started to follow your channel and I'm enjoying all the content. I had no clue that 4k disc can be easier damaged than regular blu-ray. I guess I'll be keeping my new 4ks away from everyone lol!
Well technically the damage you do to them is the same. They have the same manufacturing technique of normal BluRay. It's just they're more prone to not play/skip from the same damage because more data can't be read from the 4k disc than on BluRay. But essentially yes.
I had this with red heat on 4k. Brand new in my series x and it started skipping. In my ps5 no issues, I should probably buy a dedicated player, because one blu ray skipping on console was perfect in my dedicated blu ray player.
thanks a lot for this explanation it was driving me nuts, trying to figure out why the movies were always freezing and skipping.
Are you telling me that I now have to clean my 4K discs before I use them as well as my vinyls? What can we use to dissolve oily fingerprints?
You did not talk about cleaning a disk , our rental place use to wet a cloth with something then wipe every rented disc before sending it out . He would not tell what he was using on the cloth but said it was to prevent freezing up . He would wipe from the centre to the out side edge of the disc , and work his way around the whole disc .
Ive read so many reports of expensive high end players not playing 4k discs anymore, that I think I will just stick to regular old blu ray.
Unfortunately Q.C. has gone totally out the window and I've been getting new scratched discs for a while now.
Omg thank you so much!
I also do the little shake of the case trick to make sure the disc is not loose, however, I bought new blu ray/ 4k disc not loose in the case open them up to find tiny scratches on them they it played fine though.
And what do you think is happening when it simply stops reading the discs. I got a few that played only one then all of sudden it won't be recognized by the player, actually they are Universal Studios.
Thank you. I only have about 9 or 10 movies on 4k disc so far and I swear 7 or 8 of them have this skipping/freezing issue. Its ridiculous.
I guess I missed the part of "what you can do about it", if it already has a micro scratch? or maybe I am mislead by the title of the video... certainly learned about what do to avoid, but that is just common sense in my opinion...
I love 4K, but this is why I can’t buy a 4K disc if it doesn’t come with at least a Blu-ray, and hopefully a digital copy. I was picking up Don’t Breathe 2 last week from Best Buy’s Black Friday sale, and I went with the Blu-ray cause the 4K didn’t come with a Blu-ray Disc.
My LG UBK90 still freezes on longer films.. pisses me off.
Yea same man saving private ryan i noticed it too
I at least HAVE found this with 4Ks: Problems with them (layering issues, etc.) always affect the SAME movies (Back To The Future, etc.) And another thing is if I play any random film title the first few times during the months after I buy it, they always stay good and NEVER just start skipping or freezing out of the blue. But the bad ones do keep playing wrong, and they always freak out in the exact same area of the disk. A bad batch is a bad batch - even pricier players won't help.
Has anyone else had problems with pausing a 4K movie? Sometimes I pause it for a few minutes and when I go back to it it plays sluggish for 1-2 minutes. I’ve never had this happen to me for Blurays.
Just bought the new wonka 4k and it skips bad . I checked the disc and it is flawless so not sure what is going on
I've had random issues with my Panasonic 420 player with pixelating and skipping or stop playing on brand new no scratch discs. Cleaned and tried again and would do it in the exact same spots. Put in my LG 4K player and plays just fine. Had this issue with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K, Firebirds Bluray, and Godzilla vs. Kong 3D Bluray. Very frustrating. Most play alright but now I have my LG hooked up in case my Panasonic wants to act up. I've also cleaned the lens on the Panasonic and it's a crap shoot if it will help.
Guess I jinxed myself with previous post! The other day while watching John Wick 2, it glitched and locked up. I took the disc out and nothing was on it. No hairs, no scratches, no fingerprints. I put the disc back in and played fine.
Wow... I thought you were going to talk about an uptick in manufacturing defects on 4K discs. I recently had to send back brand new copies of The Green Knight and David Lynch's Dune in the steelbook package. I feel like I have to watch every 4K I get immediately, checking any bonus features etc. to make sure I don't have to send it back for a replacement.
If your 4k disc is freezing it’s because the disc player cannot handle 100gb disc. The 50gb disc can play fine but those that have 100gb disc must need a player that can.
This is incorrect information :-( The front of the disc is where the data actually lives. If you scratch the front of the disc, the data is irreparably gone. Yes, scratches on the back of the disc can affect playability, but you *must* protect the front of the disc, since no amount of cleaning or resurfacing can get the data back if it's been scratched off the front.