Extended LOTR film over 2 discs? (1 Viewer)

[Torquil]

So I'm going to have to eject and replace the disc in the middle of the movie?
I sure as hell hope not.:frowning:
Please tell me I'm wrong.

 

[Damin J Toell]

You're not wrong. Them's the breaks if you want a high-quality presentation.

DJ

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Makes me glad that the last player I bought was a changer.

 

[Torquil]

you mean it won't even fit on a DVD-18?

The DVD format still has a long way to go. Bring on them there blue lasers.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Changing discs is a lot less painful than watching a 208 min. movie stuffed onto a DVD-9.
Even Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, Gone With The Wind, and Cleopatra REQUIRE more than one dual layered side (whether it's a DVD-18 or two DVD-9s) because of their length.
The Fellowship of the Ring's intermission will be placed at the end of disc one, anyways, so it's not like it's a change right in the middle of the scene.
Hey...it's a small price to pay for 4 commentaries, DTS 5.1 ES, and a new director's cut.

 

[Rob Gillespie]

you mean it won't even fit on a DVD-18?

There's no more effort involved in swapping a disc than there is in flipping a DVD-18.

 

[Christian R]

Don't take this the wrong way, but....
DOESN'T ANYONE EVER GO TO THE BATHROOM ANYMORE?
OR GET HUNGRY DURING A DVD MARATHON LIKE THIS?
OR THIRSTY?
HOW ABOUT JUST SOME PLAIN EXERCISE - getting up and changing discs just isn't an issue for me with such a long movie - ya actually get to pump some blood through the dying nether regions.
I'd rather have a great presentation IMO. It's not like in the heyday of laser where you had to change discs every 1/2 hour on CAVs!!!

 

[Joshua Moran]

Yeah it will fit on a DVD-18. But there are concearns with quality control. Also most people like to have the silk screen artwork on one side of the disc. Even if it was DVD-18 you would still have to get up and flip the disc over. So whats the difference.

 

[Craig S]

As far as DVD-18, here's the way I look at it - with DVD-18, EVERYBODY is inconvienced. Doesn't matter whether you have a single-disc player or a changer, you've got to get up & flip that disc. With a 2-disc set, only the single-disc player folks are inconvenienced. The 2-disc set is the lesser of two evils.

But really, I agree with Christian R. I can't believe so many people make such a big deal about this.

 

[Craig_T]

DVD-18 would be even worse. People with multiple disc changers would then have to get up and flip the disc over. DVD-18 sucks.

 

[DavidBL]

I doubt if this would ever happen, but I think it would be interesting for New Line to actually author and make a very small run of FOTR-Extended Cut squeezed onto a single DVD-9, complete with the 4 commentaries, DTS6.1, DD, etc.

Then they could send that version, along with the REAL version, to all of the popular DVD review sites, who would then spread the word loudly (complete with A/B screencaps to compare) about what a correct decision it was to force people to spend 60 seconds changing discs in the middle of the movie (or in my case, pressing "Disc 2" on the remote of my 5-disc changer).

 

[Tony Whalen]

I have to agree with Christian R and Craig S. God forbid people should have to get off the couch.
I'd rather go through the "trouble" of getting up for a couple of minutes than having an inferior picture and/or sound.
Of course...maybe they'd do a one disc-verison...without DTS. Then imagine the uproar we'd be seeing.

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

It's a 208 minute movie! You're going to have to get up to go to the bathroom, to get a drink, or to get a snack sometime during the movie, so why not change the disc while you're at it?

 

[Torquil]

All - I think you're right, and I stand convinced that this is the best way to go given current technology limitations.
I had no idea there'd be an intermission, rather than a cut off "mid-scene", so I guess it'll just be like putting in the second episode of a series, like say Frank Herbert's Dune.
Of course the DVD changer is the way to go - but I haven't seen any here in the UK (although I'm sure Dan will correct me ).

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Agreed.

If you don't want to interrupt your 4 hour movie then get a changer. There are many movies spread accross 2 discs so this would benefit you with them as well.

I hate DVD-18. The idea of "flipping" a disc is more of a pain bcs you can't load the disc into a changer like you could with 2 separate discs. Also, I enjoy silk-screened art. I like knowing which end it up when I load the disc without having to get out the microscope to read the small print around the hub.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Of course the DVD changer is the way to go - but I haven't seen any here in the UK

Oh there's a few I believe. Toshiba had a 2 disc changer out at one point, Sony put out one of those insaine high capacity changer players a good while ago, but I have no idea if that model is still in circulation, and I'd personally question how good it was given it could hold 100+ discs, something will be lost in process surely.


To be fair, we don't yet know if Fellowship of the Ring will feature a true intermission sequence. Given that the set seems to be doing everything else right, it is perhaps fair to have faith that Peter Jackson is ensuring a profressinal break between the two discs. I'm not too worried about it.

I certainly have no issues with the film spreading two discs. Like everyone has said, a film of that length, plus DTS, DD EX, DD 2.0 and 4 commentaries, I don't want to see it forced onto one side of an RSDL release.

Dan

 

[TheoGB]

This is also a special movie. We can be 99% certain the change will occur as it does in the book: don't forget that LOTR is actually made up of 6 'books', two to each part. The change will be at the white out at the ford...

 

[Tom Ryan]

I agree! Why should we have to go through the monumental effort of GETTING UP and exchanging that HEAVY disc for another? These movies aren't worth it! The Godfather Part II, Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence Of Arabia, who needs that overrated trash? This crap isn't worth all this hassle, pain and suffering! I hate the DVD companies!

-Tom

 

[Jefferson Morris]

The change will be at the white out at the ford...

God, I hope not. Has this been confirmed at all? That's a terrible place to break the side, in my opinion. You're interrupting a cliffhanger, and you'd also be breaking up that rather nice, dreamlike flow of images that occurs before Frodo wakes up.

Provided there are no new scenes added at this point in the new cut, I feel the perfect place to put an intermission, both dramatically and aesthetically, is right after the fellowship leaves Rivendell. Side 2 would open with Merry and Pippin sparring with Boromir as the Fellowship discusses its next move.

Provided the intermission break is handled artfully, and well integrated into the film, I have no trouble with it at all (although I am another one of those spoiled yanks with a 5-disc changer).

--Jefferson Morris

 

[Sean Bryan]

Sorry, I know it's already been said in this thread multiple times but:

you mean it won't even fit on a DVD-18?

How would that be any better than two separate discs??!! You still have to "eject the disc in the middle of the movie" and flip it over.
And as it's been said above, at least with two discs there are some people who will have multi disc players and won't even have to swap out discs. There are no players that will read both sides of a DVD. So in this case, there can be no argument that 2 discs aren't better than one.
Sure, we'd all prefer it if the DVD technology would allow for the same high quality picture that we are going to get spread over two discs to be possible when cramming it all on one side of a dual layered disc, but it isn't. Get over it. It's not a big deal.
If after sitting for 1 hour and 45 minutes (a span of time longer than most films run) you can't tolerate getting up and switching discs (taking all of 30 seconds) before you sit for another 1 hour and 45 minutes...is a problem.... well, I don't really know what to say to that without sounding horribly rude.
So just enjoy the film and plan a bathroom/snack break for 1hr45min after you sit down. That really doesn't sound so horrible does it?
Sean