|
|
 
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Anyone consuming HD or Blu-ray?
|
Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 01-09-2008 11:17 AM
The little bug that might be appearing on HD DVD's is probably the U-Control indicator on Universal movies.
That indicator has to be turned on in the menu for it to appear during the movie. I've never been a big fan of Universal's implementation, but maybe I'm just too impatient to figure out their logic in navigating the in-movie extras effectively.
I do wish that movies would display the most commonly used feature on the first menu displayed after inserting a disc, which is the sound and subtitle choice. If no choice is made after x amount of time, shift to the main menu. I believe that there is the capability of storing such things as soundtrack choices in the storage on the player, but it requires the individual movie title to support such a feature, just like the bookmarks/resume feature. That would enable the movie to start automatically using the previously selected options, or perhaps it would go to the main menu first, depending on the choice you made for that disc. All sorts of things are possible, they just have to have the imagination to do them!
I think it's going to take studios some time to figure out how to best use the features of the new formats. My guess is they have people monitoring the AVS Forums and other major forums for HDM to gauge people's response to new features and other feedback.
Discussions there have actually persuaded Sony Pictures to drop Dialog Normalization on their Dolby TrueHD releases. I don't know if they just did it as a one or two release experiment, or if they are still doing it, but that was a direct result of feedback they received on the AVS Forums.
I've got Warner Bros. already asking if I'm going to be doing Blu-ray reviews, so I have to get cracking on picking up a Blu-ray player. I really would like to have something on the order of the Panasonic DMP-BD50 that was just announced, but I think that it's going to be priced around $500 initially, which is too high for me.
That means trying to find some sort of deal on a low-end PS3. A price cut on the 40GB unit has been rumored for this week or next, so it will be interesting to see what deals I can find, if any.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Mundell
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 120
From: Silver Spring, MD, USA
Registered: Nov 2007
|
posted 01-09-2008 08:49 PM
It's not entirely the machines fault, it's also the studios! My Warner Brothers blu-ray discs do just that, put the disc in and the movie begins playing immediately with no ads, no menu, etc... (well, ok, there's a few seconds of FBI warning but at least that's it). The technology works just fine, it's specific discs that you have to skip past numerous ads, wait for the menu to load and all that nonsense. My remote has a button "top menu" which is supposed to take you to the menu, but some discs (Disney!!!!!) disable this during ads/loading/other screens.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
|
posted 01-09-2008 11:32 PM
I have to jump in with resounding agreement to that complaint.
This is essentially why the marketing sales fuck people in the home video units of movie distributors seem to have more sway over how movie discs are authored than anyone with any common sense.
Warner Bros. indeed GOT IT RIGHT with many of their very first DVDs. When you loaded the disc into the player, the movie just started playing. That is the 100% absolute CORRECT approach. All others are WRONG. Any other scheme is a veiled agenda from some asshole whore in sales.
Next thing, when the movie starts playing automatically, I should only have to press the "audio" button to change the audio track from Dolby to DTS or Dolby True-HD or DTS-HD Master 7.1 or whatever the hell. I should NEVER EVER have to go out to some stupid menu to select the audio track I want from there. It should only ever need to work from pressing a button on the remote.
It's high time for all that user interface trash, as well as all the FBI and Interpol warnings, to get the hell out of our faces. If we spent $20 to $30 on the disc (or even just $4 renting it) we shouldn't be subjected to any of this nonsense.
Honestly, I know absolutely for sure ALL of these film industry people have heard these complaints, know that these are common sense solutions and should absolutely be implemented. And that's why it makes me fairly irritated when they choose to take sides with the sales whore jerk-offs instead. Gaaah!!!
I think I need to fire one of my handguns into the sky to vent some steam! Ugh, sadly I cannot do that. Too scared of getting arrested for discharging a firearm within city limits. One next door neighbor is a police dispatcher. Another neighbor down the street is an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman. I'll just get control of myself. Sorry for the profanity in the post.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
|
posted 01-10-2008 12:31 PM
Yes, Steve, it would be great if one could set up default audio preferences in a DVD or Blu-Ray player and get the disc to play them. To add to that, it would be nice if you rank different audio formats in various levels of preference and have the player go down the list if the top ranked formats weren't there.
quote: Steve Guttag
I'm amazed at how important a feature of "skip the menus/ads/warnings" is. We sell a couple of standard DVD players (professionl versions though) that have this feature and it is the most requested feature and most appreciated.
DVRs wouldn't be so popular if they didn't make it so easy to skip over commercials.
quote: Joe Redifer
While I agree with everyone about all of the extra nonsense that's on discs for no reason, has anyone tried the chapter skip buttons? I do this all the time on regular DVD and it usually works great. Very rarely is it disabled.
I have quite a few older DVDs where both the chapter skip button and menu button are disabled on opening menu logos, FBI/Interpol warnings, etc. I can't remember the specific recent movies I've rented where the chapter skip button was disabled on forced movie trailer previews and even TV commercials. But such discs are out there and it seems like that tactic is a growing trend. You're stuck with holding down the fast forward button. Not quite as bad as trying to get to a certain part of a David Lynch movie (most of his have only 1 chapter for the film). It's still aggravating.
Anyone remember how angry so many DVD enthusiasts were when Disney started sticking all their "coming soon" stuff on their DVDs? Now that stuff is pretty common on a lot of new DVDs. I guess DVD-V is the new VHS.
quote: Blaine Young
I was playing the "Workprint" version of Blade Runner last night on Blu-ray. It dropped straight into the feature. In this instance however, I wish they had started the auto-play with Ridley Scott's introduction.
IMHO, such extras like director's introductions should be an optional, not default setting.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Ron Funderburg
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 814
From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA
Registered: Nov 2007
|
posted 01-10-2008 01:52 PM
We seem to have the horse down now! Yes I think breathing has stopped but wait we should keep beating after all that is the purpose of the thread right?
Entertainment is the most arrogant of all the service industries (well except for maybe computer software and hardware phone support). What the customer wants is not part of the equation it is what they ram down our throat that is important. "We will, by God, hammer them with previews. We will, by God, make it difficult to change defaults. We will, by God, make it the way we want and not give a rip at what they want. By God we know what is best! We will make films that no one wants to see and they, by God, better go and see them!"
Which system is better HD-DVD or Blue-Ray is relevant it who is given content by the film makers that will determine who wins. Unless we refuse to by either one in mass for a long period of time and that isn't going to happen because those film company's know you want the entertainment far more than you care how it is delivered. People shell out good money to see films and then say "I was disappointed or that movies sucked" and once in while they say "WOW".
But if you think film companies give a rat's back side about anyones opinion you haven't been in this business very long!
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
Printer-friendly view of this topic