Terrific films on DVD & video ... Any suggestions?

As suggested elsewhere, a mixture of 25% alcohol, 75% pure water (not tap) in a sprayer and a soft cloth like flannel or a diaper. If the disc merely has fingerprints (the oil acts like a lense and deflects the laser), spray a couple of times and wipe only from the center to the outer edge as a precaution (in case something got only the cloth, radial scratches are usually handled by the error correct but those in line with the travel of the laser can make the DVD freeze or skip).

I have two different appliances that polish more severe scratches but usually these would be returned to NetFlix or Blockbuster as unplayable and they are discarded. If a disc doesn't play, there's a button to click on which allows a replacement or the next film on the gueue to be sent out ASAP without their receiving the damaged disc.

Good information, thanks.

So does Benedictine work for the alcohol?

If you want a sticky disc. Actually Vodka would work! If you don't have Isopropyl Alcohol around. It does have a bit of oil in it but doesn't seem to hurt. Just make sure you use filtered or bottled water.

lol

Love it.

I am so excited about getting some movies!

I've had tetanus and have been bed bound for nearly two years. Two years come Sept. I got it on August 15, 2004, but I didn't know it for awhile.

Thank you for your help.

Also, I'm really glad you said not to use tap water. I made a joke of the alcohol thing which you weren't as specific about, but I am really glad you told me about the water.

I'm not sure... can I use filtered water... or do I need to have someone buy distilled water for me?

Sad to hear you are ill -- hope you get better!

Tap water has minerals, ammonia or chlorine, and small bits of rock and such in it, among other things. Just a good drinking water is okay but distilled is also fine.

If you can't get out to the yardage store, order some unbleached flannel online -- when I was a design engineer in the aircraft control industry, it's what we used to polish "reticles," the acrylic window onto navigation data.

Online, you will find various polishing appliances if you want to go that far (I have two different kind and in unison, they have saved many discs). There are also CD, DVD polishing "muds" in a tube for polishing out superficial scratches. Just put into Google:

CD polishing compound


Have a great day and get well! Also, welcome to A2K and all of us crazies in the film forum.

That's very clear. I should be able to follow that.

The unbleached muslin... can it be washed? I'm pretty sure I have some, but it's been through the wash with regular tap water...

Did I mention that I have some brain damage... I see that you really wrote "flannel" not "muslin" --

By the time I order it... I guess my best bet is to hope the first disks are fine and don't need cleaning.

Do you remember how much the cleaning appliances cost, about?
And are they tricky to use, like, are they easy for you to use because you're an engineer?
But for me...

The one I would consider, "cause the other one is quite complicated:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5849091406&category=58057

Buy some extra buffing wheels.

You just plug it in, slip the disc into the slot and it automatically starts and stops. It also helps to finish this off with some of the plastic polishing compound or, simply, toothpaste! It is lightly abrasive and rubbing some on with the aforementioned cloth in a circular motion, first clockwise and then counterclockwise will remove a serious scratch! Also, your disc will be minty fresh and never get cavities. But make sure your CD's and DVD's see a dentist twice a year.

I'm familiar with the disease -- hang in there, modern medical miracles can come about just around the corner.

Not sure whether this film is available in the US, but it has an international issue with English subtitles on DVD.

Mosku (2003, IMDB listing) is a western Finnish style. During the first World War and the ensuing Civil War the North of Finland was a lawless place where boundaries were unclear. Mosku was a typical he-man, a law unto himself. More at home in the woods than betwen four walls, he struck out his own path in life, a very complex personality, which the film actually fails to display in its attempt to present a coherent story line. In the end the Mosku of the film becomes the victim of his own toughness especially in the relationship with his common law wife and children. For non-Finnish viewers the silence of the protagonist may be unsettling, but it is true to the nature of Lappish men, especially the Sami.

The great drawback of the DVD version is that the film was shot in wide screen so as to do right by the splendour of the Lappish nature, but the DVD version has cut the screen to TV size leaving out the width of the landscapes.

Isn't that "Moskau?" Not on Blockbuster online but I didn't check NetFlix as I dropped out. However, I can still browse through titles there. They could have it when Blockbuster would not.

Nope that's German for Moscow!

"Mosku" is not available at NetFlix either. There is a DVD, though. Worth buying, I guess, Paaskynen? I have a pretty extensive foreign film DVD collection myself. I've been labled a film snot, you know, by the fruitcake factor on this forum

So when the movie freezes... is that because of a fingerprint or something?

and what is someone supposed to do?

also, the sound seems a little faint.... any suggestions?

Mosku is a Sami name, I do not know what it means myself. The film is worth seeing, if not buying (but then for its of curiosity value only); although you have to be prepared for lots of frowning and silence, Finns are men of few words. The story features lumberjacks, outlaws, reindeer thieves ("cattle rustlers"), the wife left alone in the homestead, the hero left behind to die and a few shoot outs as elements that remind of a western, but with essentially different cultural and historical background. The crew tried to connect the story to nature (instead of focusing on pure action, which, considering the number of people allegedly killed by Mosku, would have been an option). This worked in the cinema where the widescreen scenes could be displayed, but unfortunately the DVD version is mutilated in that respect.

A fingerprint is as likely to cause skipping or freezing as a radial scratch or series of scratches anywhere on the disc. Faint sount would not be a data misread but something to do with the level the soundtrack was recorded. Just have to use your volume control.

I had the volume control cranked. It was still faint. but, I watched it three times in order to get past the freezes, so in the end I pretty much got it all.

After awhile I realized that I could move that little thing in the progress bar and get past the problem. But it took three tries.

Did you like The Constant Gardner?


Today I was looking at speakers for my laptop. The Tech at Toshiba said that external speakers would be louder than the internal ones.

Do you know if that is true?

Oh, you are trying to play a movie using the internal speakers on your PC. Those will be really inadequate. I recommend headphones over external speakers. There's the SONY or Panasonic buds-in-the-ear type click on Shop at the upper right to shop at Amazon which is also linked up to J and R Music and Computer in NYC. They usually have a good sale going on for headphones and extension speakers. If you want to use extended, make sure they have a good sub-woofer and a booster amplifier (they usually do).

OHHHHH.

OH!!!!!!!

That's really good to know.

As an aside I worked at the telephone company when I was first out of university, in management. (Green Bay - hence being able to go to the Ice Bowl.) What I learned was that the operators who always put their headphone on the same ear..., they went relatively deaf in the other ear.

So, it's good to alternate.

Thank you so much. I really Really appreciate your help.

You probably know this place:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/

They have some amazing bargains. I found a couple there. I'm going to order the one with free shipping.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yes, but try this! I got my Jensen Pro Sub-Woofer for $40.00 ($175.00 retail).

www.overstock.com

Hi, wow, you are so helpful, I just really appreciate it.

I get a lot of things from Overstock now that I'm not in poverty. Love it!
(not being in poverty and Overstock)

I have links on my web site, and I use those.

But, you know what, I looked there for the buds, and all they had was for psp, games, I think that is. One of the reviews said the sound was "crisp" I think it said, and great for games, But...
I focused on the But.

I got my laser printer through pricegrabbers, and it was about half or less the normal price, plus it came with some really useful accessories: 500 sheet paper tray, etc.

I won't have another movie until Tuesday or maybe Wednesday. I don't know how long it takes for them to receive what I ship back.

by the way, I did not understand Syriana.

I finally figured out how the car blew up but not the other guys.

But I cannot figure out the end. It must make sense, but I cannot see how.

I don't want to give anything away to people who maybe are looking forward to seeing it. But from what I wrote I think you can tell what I mean.

Yes, I thought "Syriana" was overly complicated with enough holes to be mistaken for Swiss cheese. It was enjoyable but I won't be returning to see it again. Terrific performance by George, though.