Terrible Quality Control and Support

[Citizen Erased]

So yet another purchases turns out to not encoded in 5.1 (Optical -> 5.1, Vudu -> Two channel stereo).

Here's the response I go from the email support team.

"Unfortunately the movie you are inquiring about is only available on our service in Dolby Digital Stereo, in all definitions. That is strictly due to the licensing rights for the movie and what the Movie Studio provided to us."

'Licensing Rights'? They think studios are holding the rights back for the surround mix? This sounds unlikely.

'what the Movie Studio provided to us' - That sounds more like it. The studios gave you a master with a gimped soundtrack and you just happily pass this crap on to your customers.

Here's something you can try next time it happens.

Studio: "Hi Vudu, here's a master for a big Hollywood production that does have a full surround mix, but just to make sure every knows Vudu is at the bottom of the food chain, this version is in stereo."

Vudu: "Actually, we've decided we would like to taken be seriously as a HD movie delivery service. Please give us a copy with 5.1 to encode."

Too much to ask?

[jeffpn]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Customers sure do make Vudu's business operations sound so easy!

I think it might be possible that you don't have the entire picture.

[Guest]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

So yet another purchases turns out to not encoded in 5.1 (Optical -> 5.1, Vudu -> Two channel stereo).

Here's the response I go from the email support team.

"Unfortunately the movie you are inquiring about is only available on our service in Dolby Digital Stereo, in all definitions. That is strictly due to the licensing rights for the movie and what the Movie Studio provided to us."

'Licensing Rights'? They think studios are holding the rights back for the surround mix? This sounds unlikely.

'what the Movie Studio provided to us' - That sounds more like it. The studios gave you a master with a gimped soundtrack and you just happily pass this crap on to your customers.

Here's something you can try next time it happens.

Studio: "Hi Vudu, here's a master for a big Hollywood production that does have a full surround mix, but just to make sure every knows Vudu is at the bottom of the food chain, this version is in stereo."

Vudu: "Actually, we've decided we would like to taken be seriously as a HD movie delivery service. Please give us a copy with 5.1 to encode."

Too much to ask?

Which movie are you referring too? I'd be happy to pass it on to our content team to see if it's possible to obtain a version with updated audio quality.

[Citizen Erased]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Which movie are you referring too? I'd be happy to pass it on to our content team to see if it's possible to obtain a version with updated audio quality.

Night Watch (Russia, 2006) was the title I emailed support about. The reply was somewhat defeatist, so I just asked for a refund.

I have to say I've been seeing this exact issue a lot lately. The impression I'm starting to get is that there is very little pride in the integrity and the quality of the product your company delivers.

[sarasdad]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Night Watch (Russia, 2006) was the title I emailed support about. The reply was somewhat defeatist, so I just asked for a refund.

I have to say I've been seeing this exact issue a lot lately. The impression I'm starting to get is that there is very little pride in the integrity and the quality of the product your company delivers.

ok

[SynapseDon]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Not to add to the pain, but since Dan is paying attention here...

Watched RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE D2D HDX version I got and the sound mix is also only 2-channel.

[Guest]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Not to add to the pain, but since Dan is paying attention here...

Watched RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE D2D HDX version I got and the sound mix is also only 2-channel.

I just passed that on to the team. I see we have it available in 5.1 for HD, but only stereo for HDX. I'll let you know what i hear back from them.

[Guest]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

I just passed that on to the team. I see we have it available in 5.1 for HD, but only stereo for HDX. I'll let you know what i hear back from them.

Our content team has already been in contact with the studio on this issue. We hope to have the movie available in 5.1 very soon.

[SynapseDon]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Thx Dan! Glad I could help remedy this issue.

[OSUGrad2X]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

I have to chime in here and blow the whistle

Dan, i have sent multiple movies to the support team and received the same blanket statement. That that is the encoding vudu has and i can find that info out on the "more info" button for each movie.

I am sure i'm not the only one who thinks some obvious blockbuster movies should have 5.1 and to say that this random movie as opposed to something like Matrix, LOTR or 300 is coming soon seems a bit dishonest or misleading. Dan no disrespect you are very helpful with a lot of things but the content team doesnt appear to be. I had one movie (15 Minutes) that didnt even include the whole movie.

[Citizen Erased]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Please go away!You are acting like a spoiled brat.

Perhaps you miss understand my relationship to Vudu. You see I pay for these movies, sometimes I even pay more than current amazon prize for the HD disc (you know with director's commentary, subtitles, and physical delivery), although I'm beginning to question why.

You pay for a product or service and you expect it to be delivered. It's called capitalism. Welcome to western civilization, son.

[MaxH]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Here's something you can try next time it happens.

Studio: "Hi Vudu, here's a master for a big Hollywood production that does have a full surround mix, but just to make sure every knows Vudu is at the bottom of the food chain, this version is in stereo."

Vudu: "Actually, we've decided we would like to taken be seriously as a HD movie delivery service. Please give us a copy with 5.1 to encode."

Too much to ask?

Well, I want to agree....but then people would be mad that the selection was so limited. I think the approach of "put everything we can out there in the catalog" is a good one, but you're right that they should also be trying to improve their current offerings by reencoding, which I know they do sometimes. But there's really no excuse for offering HD in DD and HDX in 2-channel, especially because they offer the sound quality in the "More Info" section, so obviously someone goes in and notes that information before it is added to the catalog. Maybe that should be part of their QC when adding titles.

[aaronwt]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Wouldn't it also make sense for a person to check the specs to see if it's offered in 5.1 before buying it or renting it? The info is there. Now it's one thing if it says it's in 5.1 and it's really in stereo. But if it shows it's in stereo, then the person who bought it has no one to blame but themselves if they are expecting it to be in 5.1 when it's clearly listed as being in stereo.

[OSUGrad2X]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Wouldn't it also make sense for a person to check the specs to see if it's offered in 5.1 before buying it or renting it? The info is there. Now it's one thing if it says it's in 5.1 and it's really in stereo. But if it shows it's in stereo, then the person who bought it has no one to blame but themselves if they are expecting it to be in 5.1 when it's clearly listed as being in stereo.

Thats what happened to me as i didnt even know that stereo was an option since Dolby Plus is touted throughout the site. So during my first D2D session is when i realized it during playback of 300. Then i sent in my complaint and was told of the "more info" button. Since then i have been looking at that before doing anymore D2D.

So i think that it should be made known that not all movies are in 5.1 because no one goes through and clicks the more info button. They see the movie and press "rent/own" and see HDX and expect nothing but the best.

[SynapseDon]

Re: Terrible Quality Control and Support

Not only that but, if you are doing D2D and you click on the "Convert DVDs" link on the Vudu site to add your titles to the list to print out, it DOESN'T tell you the specs of the titles... it just tells you whether they have SD, HD or both to purchase. You'd just assume that an HDX version would be equal in quality, especially since the whole idea for HDX is to replicate a high-def experience of your current Blus in the cloud.

And, sometimes, the "More Info" button is useless in telling you anything about the stream. I just converted ALIENS with D2D over the past week. Clicking the "More Info" tab on ALIENS says absolutely NOTHING about the quality of the stream/audio.

Thats what happened to me as i didnt even know that stereo was an option since Dolby Plus is touted throughout the site. So during my first D2D session is when i realized it during playback of 300. Then i sent in my complaint and was told of the "more info" button. Since then i have been looking at that before doing anymore D2D.

So i think that it should be made known that not all movies are in 5.1 because no one goes through and clicks the more info button. They see the movie and press "rent/own" and see HDX and expect nothing but the best.