House Season 1 from iTunes, video artifacts, just me?

[jaw04005]

I downloaded House M.D. Season 1 off iTunes a few weeks ago in HD when it was on sale for $25.

So far, I’ve found three episodes with the digital artifacts in both the HD and SD encode. Does anyone with Season 1 of House have the same problem? The artifacts appear on my MacBook, iMac and Apple TV. Not to mention, they’re visible within iTunes and QuickTime 7 and X on either machine.

I’ve reported them to Apple, but so far all they’ve done is place a single video credit in my iTunes account. I want to make sure the issue is widespread, and not just happening to me before I pursue it further.

Time codes included.

By the way, QuickTime blocks screen captures of protected content. I got around it by opening up screen sharing with my MacBook and using Grab to capture the remote desktop.

Pilot (Episode 1) around 00:00:29
Socratic Method (Episode 6) around 00:00:53
Fidelity (Episode 7) around 00:01:06

 

[roidy]

I've just tried the SD versions of the 3 episodes you listed and mine all play fine in both iTunes and on ATV. I would report it to Apple and get them to let you re-download them as they could just be corrupt files. It just seems strange that it's both the SD and HD versions.

 

[jaw04005]

Thanks for the reply. How long ago did you purchase your Season 1? It is really weird that both the HD and SD file of those episodes would be screwed up at exactly the same spot.

Maybe iTunes was having server issues when I was downloading those episodes?

 

[roidy]

I'm not sure how long ago it was but it was more than a year ago. Even if the servers were having problems the chances of both the SD and HD versions being corrupt at the same place on each of 3 sets of episodes is very small. Like I said report it to Apple, get them to let you redownload them and see if there still the same.

 

[jaw04005]

So Apple put the episodes back in my queue and I re-downloaded them. The problem is still there.



At this point, I don’t know what to do. Trying to respond to form-generated e-mail replies from iTunes Customer Support is PITA.

 

[roidy]

Then you need to contact Apple, tell them it's a problem with the file at there end and if they can't fix it you want your money back. Apple are usally ok about stuff like this. About a year ago I brought Season 2 or 3 of Supernatural and one of the episodes had about 5 seconds of corruption in it. Apple let me redownload it but it was still the same, I complained and got my money back. Then about 6 months later I got an email from apple saying there was a reported problem with one of the Supernatural episodes and it had been fixed and could I download it again. So I ended up with my money back and a working copy of the episode.

 

[jaw04005]

After three days of trying to warn iTunes Customer Service there’s something wrong, I give up.

I’ve received the same form-generated e-mail over and over again. And they keep issuing me video credits (I’ve gotten 6 so far). None of which I care about (since they can’t be used to purchase TV Show Seasons or Music or rent/buy Movies).

iTunes e-mail support is like talking to a wall.

There’s so many things it could be on their end (corrupted encode, corrupted file on the iTunes Store server that serves my location, processing or account problem, etc.). I think I’ve done my due diligence by downloading all three episodes twice on two different Macs and playing each episode on both Macs and an Apple TV.

What Apple executive is over the iTunes Store? Eddy Cue? I might fire him off an e-mail. Surely, they have someone at Apple that can download the files themselves and check it out.

 

[northy124]

I bought the HD and it plays fine, no picture breakups nothing

 

[roidy]

iTunes e-mail support is like talking to a wall.

What country are you from? Have you tried phoning them, I always find that you get more help over the phone than email.

 

[jaw04005]

I bought the HD and it plays fine, no picture breakups nothing

Interesting you’re in the UK again. When did you buy them?

What country are you from? Have you tried phoning them, I always find that you get more help over the phone than email.

United States. As far as I know, you can’t call iTunes Store customer service. It’s done strictly via e-mail.

Edit: Found another episode, Episode 21 - “Three Stories,” time code 00:00:24.

 

[northy124]

Interesting you’re in the UK again. When did you buy them?

I got them from US iTunes in November

 

[jaw04005]

I sent the poor iTunes customer rep. another e-mail. Heh.

I’m glad I didn’t pay full price, $59.99, for the season.