DVD Disappointments -- Wish I had Stayed with VHS

Amy Steppe

Amy Steppe

Cathlete
First of all, I love Cathe's videos and do not mean this to be construed as anything but a question to everybody and as a general comment on DVD versus VHS.

I have every DVD Cathe has made -- and I auctioned my VHS copies at Ebay -- BIG MISTAKE.

I am disappointed because not one but two of my Cathe DVDs fragment -- I own two DVD players (one is brand new). I cleaned the DVDs and the DVD players and tried again with no luck in making them work.

I was especially frustrated last night. I decided to do IMAX -- I had not done it much since IMAX 2 came out.

It fragmented in TWO places during the workout -- at Interval 5 and at Interval 10. I never could get Interval 10 to play -- it would stop in the middle of an interval blast in Interval 9 every time. Even when I tried to play Chapter 10 alone, it would not play -- and that is the capstone of IMAX and my favorite interval!

Being athletic as we all are, you can imagine my FRUSTRATION at losing my heartrate, repeatedly try to get in a decent workout -- I ended up dong Interval 9 three times....and then skipped to the Cooldown.

I have had the same problem with the Circuit Max/Kickbox DVD. I reordered it --

I live in fear that my newest DVDs will do the same thing. I think I will go off the deep end if I lose IMAX2, Boot Camp, etc.

I wish I had pre-ordered VHS -- I pre-ordered DVD and feel I have made a huge mistake. I take superior care of my DVDs and I paid too much for them to have this happen no to one but to two Cathe DVDs.

I do not have this problem with any other mass produced DVD; however, I DO use Cathe's DVDs 6 times per week...

I hate to be critical - I was not going to post about this -- I just bid on a used IMAX at Ebay because I am no longer working and on a very limited budget and can't afford to buy brand new copies of the Rhythmic Step/IMAX/Maximum Intensity Cardio DVDs.

My question is this: Has this happened to anybody else or am I just doomed to bad luck when it comes to Cathe DVDs?

I remain a Cathe fanatic -- I just wish I had stayed with VHS.

Thanks for reading this if you made it this far!:-( :-(

If you have had this problem, please let me know -- I am so upset -- I wish I could change my pre-order to VHS. At least they don't fragment.
 
You might want to contact Cathe's customer service and see if you can have them replaced, I think they give a lifetime guarantee  on the DVDs.
I'm new to DVD but I haven't had anything happen with any DVDs yet- I only have 3 (2CTX) Cathe DVDs. The CTX DVDs I bought from a woman who said she had them for 2 years, and they play fine for me. Even thought I'm converting to DVD being the packrat I am I'm still keeping all of y VHS workouts just in case.
 
This has happened to me as well. I do not have the IMAX DVD, I was waiting to get it when my VHS tapes started to go, but I have had the same problem with the Cardio Kicks/Circuit Max DVD. I agree, it is VERY frustrating/annoying/etc to be interrupted in this manner in the middle of a workout - the heart rate goes down, the blood pressure goes up.

I wish I had a solution for you. I think you should definitely bring it to the attention of SNM, perhaps they have a solution. I do not have the problem everytime I do the DVD, so it has not become a huge issue for me yet. If it begins to happen more frequently, though, it will be an issue because the DVD's are not cheap. Contact SNM, at the very least they should be able to change your preorder to VHS, if you are more comfortable with that. They should also be willing to replace your DVD's that are defective.

Good Luck! Lynn
 
I have occasional problems with fragmenting on my BC/ME DVD. I'm not sure why I have this problem, but usually it's better if I hit stop and then play again. It doesn't happen every time I play the DVD, though.

Unfortunately, almost all of my Cathe VHS tapes are starting to fail, so I'm not sure that's a better format. (I've been doing Cathe workouts six days a week for several months now, and about two days a week before that.)
 
I too switched over to DVD's because of the increased workout options. So far, I have been VERY pleased. The problems you are having does raise a little concern for me also, because when I ordered I thought they came with a lifetime guarantee, but now on their new homepage it looks like a limited time guarantee. It is under Our promise on the bottom right hand side of the homepage and it says they will replace any defective DVD/video within 90 days of purchase at no cost to the consmer. I believe DVD's used to come with a lifetime guarantee which was one of the reasons I switched to DVD's. So far my DVD's have been fantastic, but I would be upset if something happened to one of them now, because I would be over the 90 days purchase mark for most of them! Good luck and let us know the outcome!
 
They do come with a lifetime guarantee, or so it says in the brochure...check where they start selling the DVDs and the reasons you should buy them. That is why I sold my VHS' and bought DVDs - because of this warranty and what they said about their DVDs being the best - and those DVDs were not cheap. Contact SNM. I am sure they will replace them.

My C&W / Imax2 DVD freezes sometimes in the middle of a workout, also. And, yes, while it resolves itself, you get angry, your heartrate goes down and your blood pressure goes up.

Let us know what kind of response you get and what is done to remedy the situation. I also preordered the new series in DVDs.

You should also know that when the Ab Hits DVD came out, they had major problems. They replaced EVERYONES' dvs to make sure every person that bought it had a good copy. Now, that is business! I commend them for it. They got a lot of goodwill from their customers. I know they will take care of you.

Blessings from our home to yours...Runathon
 
I just found the statement that says they will replace any defective DVD. I apologize for the incorrect statement in my previous post. Go to the homepage and click on Customer Service. There you will see a link that says email us. You can't go wrong with Cathe DVD's. Once this is corrected you will be happier in the long run with DVD's I'm sure!
:)
 
Thanks, everybody.

I just Emailed Customer Support about the problem. I just copied my original post.

This fragmentation problem has me very upset --

I did notice that when I emailed Customer Support that they said they would replace any defective merchandise up to 90 days -- I have had the IMAX DVD for about one year -- this fragmentation just began.

I did tell Customer Service that this was evidently happening to other users.

Rather than deal with the fear of fragmentation, I still wish I had pre-ordered the VHS -- they are released faster and they don't fragment.

I will keep everyone posted on S&M's response.

I had no idea DVDs had a lifetime warranty!

Thanks again for your guidance, everybody!:)
 
That's too bad. I hate DVDs. The last one I rented skipped throughout the first half hour so we returned it, got another one and it skipped as well. I would think workout DVDs would hold up a little better since you aren't handling them as rough as say a Disney movie that the kids might play with. I thought that the Cathe DVDs were guarenteed and if their was a problem you could return them for a replacement?

Beth
 
One of my CTX DVD's had a crack in the middle but it still played okay. I noticed the crack starting to get bigger and they replaced it for me after the 90 day mark. The only thing is I had to send them back the cracked DVD. I sent it overnight delivery with delivery confirmation and insurance just in case. I received a new DVD 3 days later!
 
Amy
If you want to change your pre-order to VHS I am sure that SNM can accomodate you. Last pre-order I switched to DVD at the last minute and there was no problem.

Send them an email.

Also, I have only had one problem with a Cathe DVD (I have all of them) and tried to put up with it but recently decided it was too frustrating and it must be a defect. I have sent in my DVD to be replaced.
 
I am beginning to dislike DVDs too. My Circuit Max DVD had a crack in it. I emailed S&M and got no response, so I ended up buying a new copy.

So far I have not heard anything, but I am sure they are innudated with Emails.

I think I will ask for VHS format -- even though it costs less -- it seems more reliable.

I am so tired of being in the middle of a workout and all of the sudden the DVD stops, jumps, or fragments. It completely ruins the workout.

Until DVDs become more durable, I think I will go back to VHS.
 
I've had problems with several of mine also. When I contacted customer service, I was basically told "it's not our problem, it's your DVD player." Well, we have three. I didn't know if I should just send it back or not, I was not given that as an option.

I'm glad so many of you haven't had any problems. But Amy, I'm with ya!
 
I have all Cathe's workouts in DVD format and do several several times a week--we recently bought a multi-disk DVD player, and I have it loaded with 5 disks (generally both CTX's, both IMAX's and their accompanying workouts, Boot Camp and ME) to mix and match cardio/weightlifting segments each day. I love it!!! This idea never would have occurred to me had I not seen others post doing this here. I went running the other night on a dirt road and towards the end of my run I was amazed at how strong and not-tired I felt--I owe it to Cahte's interval training, and making my own "Terminatrix" combo's from her workouts. I praise the gods of multi-disk DVD players and Cathe's wonderful chaptering daily!!

I wish you better luck--it's a great technology, when the disk is encoded correctly. May you know many peaceful fitness days.....
 
I wish everyone luck also. I have had very few minor problems that were all fixed with using a repairer/cleaner for the DVD.
 
So far I have five DVDs from Cathe: IMax2, ME, Terminator, AbHits and PH. I haven't experienced any problems with them. But I must say: I am very picky in handling my DVDs - you won't find any fingerprints on my DVDs.

I also tried them on all of our five DVD Players. One is a combo, one is a small portable and the other three ranged in price between $70 and $130. They all work.

If I rent a DVD from Movie Gallery, I usually have problems with skipping, fragmentation etc., too but thanks to Cathe's DVD school I usually am able to fix the problem.

I never had problems with Cathe's customer service. They don't even require you to keep the receipt as proof of purchase because they have you in the system. That's great.

If my DVDs go out five years from now I would purchase them again and wouldn't hold SNM responsible for the "lifetime guarantee" - because I would have used the DVDs so much that I would have gotten my money worth.
 
One of my DVD players was bought last month and the other last year and I am meticulous about the way I handle them. I do not own a multi disk DVD player -- that is a thought, although as I said right now I am not working and am on a very tight budget.

I am not trying to hold S&M responsible, but if they state a lifetime warranty, then I do hold them to their word. I honestly did not know of such a warranty until I began this thread, but if they have stated it then the ball is their court to make it right.

Perhaps you would not hold them to the lifetime guarantee, but I do not have a lot of money to spend and if a company guarantees something then they should stick to their word. It's called good business practice. It shows they are a great company if this is true and only speaks well for their business ethic.

I am not going to begin a war here. My husband, a friend, etc. all have looked at the disk -- there are NO visible blemishes on it. I will be glad to return it to S&M to prove my point.

I did "Rhythmic Step" on it today with no problem. But IMAX sticks at Intervals 5 and 10. Inteval 10 will not play at all -- so should I be happy as much I paid for this DVD?

I am not trying to disparage S&M in an way -- I am one of their most loyal fans and buyers. But the fact of the matter is their products are expensive and I've already replaced one with a crack in it (Circuit Max) at my own expense.

All I wanted to know was if this had occurred to other people -- and evidently it has.

That is why I bid on IMAX in VHS format at Ebay. I can't afford a new copy.

You are implying through your response that:

1: I mishandle my DVDs -- I do NOT!

2. I should not hold a company responsible for an express warranty that they offer.

I do not feel you are offering anything constructive to my thread; only acting as though you are on a pedestal in an ivory tower and I am a liar trying to scam a company.

I read the DVD School and I have done every single thing it suggested. And my DVD players are not cheap -- one is Panasonic and the other is a Sony.

Bottom Line: I have a defective DVD.
 
I understand your frustration having gone through a similar situation where I kept being asked to try this, try that, clean the disc etc. But I think that no harm was intended and that people here are just trying to be helpful. :+
 
As I pointed out:

1. I have cleaned the DVD

2. I have cleaned the DVD players where I tried the DVD and it fragments on both -- they are not cheap players -- Panasonic and Sony

3. I should return the DVD to S&M so they could view it themselves

4. I handle my DVDs and players with care -- it is not like I fling them across the room like Frisbees. I am so careful I removed them from the original box (its design is awful the way you have to push that button to release the disk) and keep them in a special EXPENSIVE padded DVD holder.

5. I understand MOST people are trying to be helpful, but one post was just too self righteous for me. Perhaps SHE can spend over $500 to replace all HER DVDs if they deteriorate or break down, but I can't.

6. I have Emailed S&M and asked to have my pre-order changed to VHS because I have had nothing but bad luck with Cathe DVDs. One cracked and one fragmented is too much -- and these DVDs are no inexpensive.

7. I have not heard one word from Customer Service.

8. It seems some other folks here have had similar experiences.

Thank everybody who tried to help -- I appreciate it very much, but one person began to pontificate about the joys of her DVDs and how she would gladly pay for more, etc. etc. And kudos to the person who can afford a 5 tier DVD player and keep it loaded. I CAN'T.

I additionally wanted to point possible DVD problems to others and to see if anybody else had a similar problem. I know how to care for DVDs and players since I have owned and used DVDs from the time they were introduced to the market (my two players are new though. One is one to two months old and the other was purchased last year).

I have had CDs do the same thing and despite cleanings, etc. they were unusable and stuck.

In some ways DVDs resemble the old 8 track tapes -- nice IF they work, but not so nice if they don't. Nobody is going to convince me that DVDs are the ultimate -- they are NOT!
 
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