Lessons learned on DVD, What they should NOT do on Blueray & HD-DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Rutgar]

Thank you Mark. I knew someone here would get it.

 

[CraigF]

Just about everything everybody has mentioned has nothing to do with a limitation of the DVD format, but rather the choices made by the studios/manufacturers. I haven't got the impression the hi-def format is going to be more friendly to consumers so I don't expect things to get much better in areas that are "studio choices".

But I do like to air my gripes about studio choices, especially since some are such obviously bad decisions...I often wonder if somebody important at a studio even watched a DVD before it got the go-ahead for production...they're people too, and surely they must get annoyed at the same things that annoy us (I'm not talking about the legal and advertising things that annoy us, but the other stuff).

Re the hi-def packaging again: I bet most people with more than a couple hundred DVDs would like to see a more "space-efficient" choice. I understand the massive cost of industry-wide shelving for a package change, and of course it's my cost for shelving and the space it takes up that I'm griping about...might as well be selfish. But retailers can benefit by getting more items in less space too. Going from LP to CD (as currently packaged) probably quadrupled items-per-unit-space, and from VHS to DVD probably doubled it. Space is expensive, and you never have enough, so let's not waste it for no good reason.

And I really don't care about cover art...I don't dislike it of course, but I never look at it after I buy the disc. I have read that some people get all whacked out if they don't like the cover art, but I only care about the disc content. To reiterate: I NEVER look at the art again. If I had a dozen discs they might be like ornaments that I fondle and drool over, but to me they're just mass-produced thingies, not ART. Art requires some soul and emotion, and these have none of that. It's marketing and packaging, packaging I can't see (except the edge) when it's filed. As I mentioned long ago in a cover art thread, they could put the movie poster art etc. on the disc in files that people could print out, or even just in files you could view (for copyright reasons). Then you'd have your "art", and we could have less wasted packaging. Of course there could still be special unique packaging, but I mean something smaller for a general release.

I know there's a whole thread about people re-packaging their DVDs to take up less space. Packaging is one thing that could change *for the better* with hi-def, and would differentiate it from SD-DVD. When I spoke of jewel cases, I was talking of height/width, not an actual jewel case, which IMO is too flimsy for something somewhat delicate. I have some "keepcases" that are the size of jewel cases but keepcase-thick (thanks AOL!) and IMO they're perfect (at least for me).

 

[Rutgar]

I don't have a problem with the packaging. It's already difficult enough to find a particular DVD out of the 1,000+ DVD's that I own. I can't imagine trying to find one that has a spine that is only a 1/4" thick.

 

[Vincent_P]

And I strongly suspect that 16:9 HDTVs will be the cause of classic Academy aspect ratio films (1.37:1) being "tilt-and-scanned" to 1.78:1 in the future. I have a hard time believing that most average viewers will tolerate black bars (or grey bars) at the sides of their new 16:9 HDTVs.

Vincent

 

[Mike Wadkins]

they learn lessons now when did this happen ???

if i see a snapper on either format i will scream we need a hard wearing box like the tin the r2 duel came in.
they may not be light but they will be safe.

and vincent i dont see the masses getting used to bars no matter where they are, more's the pity :frowning: and i can see the cropping that will go on in my worst nightmares

 

[CraigF]

Read again if you're referring to my comments, I wasn't suggesting a change in package thickness! That's why I think slim keepcases aren't so hot. It's the height I have issue with, we could reduce it to 60% of current height, so you could store DVDs on racks with CD shelf spacing...much more efficient. I've long bemoaned the waste of space keepcases are, but looks like I'm a minority...so be it.

 

[Rutgar]

I agree that this is a very likely scenario, and hopefully the studios will decide not to do this. However, with that said, I must say that the lesser of the two evils (pan & scan of a 2.35:1 film on a 4:3 set vs. cropped 4:3 on a 16x9 set) would be the cropped 4:3 on a 16x9 set.

 

[MarkHastings]

I knew this was going to be the rebuttal and I do agree that this is a very likely possibility, but I would HOPE (Mark crosses his fingers) that people would be more tollerant of the black bars on the sides because they are already used to seeing a 4x3 image, so it won't seem as jarring as the 'widescreen' black bars do on a 4x3 tv.

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

And therefore: (quoting myself from earlier in this thread):

"I would suggest a really easy-to-use zoom function for "those people" who just need to have their screens filled."

That would be a nice and easy solution to the problem. That way the needs of "those people" wouldn't ruin the (HD) DVD experience for the rest of us.

 

[Will_B]

Not a fan of CDs then, I assume.

'Course the 12" albums spines were even thinner.

You must be a tape cassette man, then!

 

[PeterTHX]

No. But things like music rights, copyrights, distribution and such vary from country to country. It's NOT as simple as you would like. Not to mention it protects the ignorant from purchasing a Region 2 PAL disc and trying to play it on their NTSC TV/DVD player or vice versa.

 

[Marko Berg]

Region coding has nothing to do with copyrights and music rights. Absence of region coding would not prevent studios and distributors from releasing multiple versions with different music or different cuts of a film for different markets. Copyright violations should not be dragged to discussion about region coding as any legal release is still a legal release when played back in a different market.

Prohibiting region coding would only affect distribution rights positively, because it would force regional distributors to compete by offering quality releases. Currently, region coding gives them the possibility of releasing inferior crap and protects them from competition.

Personal imports didn't kill bookstores where I live when Amazon.com opened for business, even though thousands of people order books from them each day -- books they are unwilling to buy from local retailers because they charge more for the exact same product. I haven't read a single account of a retailer complaining about this and demanding protection from competition; the idea is completely ludicrous in what is supposed to be a free market economy. Why should filmed entertainment be granted a special status?

I don't buy the 'protecting the innocent' argument either. Region coding does not prevent a person from buying a DVD that is incompatible with their equipment. Instead of region code symbols, the packaging should state the DVD is incompatible with equipment not capable of playing back a specific format. In Europe and Asia, this isn't even a problem, since all DVD players and TVs are multi-standard. This won't be a problem in the future either as all high definition displays sold as 'HD ready' in Europe must be multi-syncing and be able to accept 50Hz and 60Hz signals via HDMI.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

I'm interested in that. Could someone please give a link to that?

 

[Rutgar]

Remember what they say about the word "ass-u-me".

Exactly what about not wanting thinner spines on "DVD's" would lead you to believe I'm a "tape cassette man?". Oh, I get it, this is just your lame attempt at being funny. Don't give up your day job.

 

[Norm]

I agree the smaller Keepcases are great I had a few, but there is always someone out there that flips out & thinks we want Jewel cases when we only mean case height.

 

[Will_B]

So long as you promise not to give up the cliches!

I was pointing out that slim spines are standard for other products, and that your preference is, if not irrelevant, at least not based on anything that matters.

 

[MarkHastings]

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=131165

Note: I replaced almost all of my cases with slim lines and cut my stroage needs in HALF! My 500 capable DVD rack now holds 1,000 DVDs!!!!!

 

[Rutgar]

It's a thread about preference's. And mine are just as relevant, or irrelevant as yours.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

My BIGGEST hope as well.
We will 'see' digital grunge in HD, sadly.
Just like the digital muck on D-VHS.

 

[Ilias_Mas]

Well, they could put all those legal warnings, ratings (why the blinding blue or red screens?) and stuff in the main menu, under "disclaimer" or something like that. That way it is on the DVD and it doesn't bother us, the legal buyers. Also, the "Copy is a theft" trailer is a joke! I f****** bought the dvd, put the posters in video clubs and places like that!

As for the region coding the only excuse I can understand is that another studio may have the rights to release the film and/or DVD in other countries. For example, I have the UK dvd of Gladiator and even though it has the Universal and Dreamworks logo it is also printed "Distributed by Columbia Tristar Home Video UK"... Nothing prohibits a German to buy it though. Studio people are stupid.

I don't have a problem with the menus or studio logos as long as when I hit "Play" the menu is the first thing I see and not the latest crappy dump action release promo with sound louder than the movie I'm about to see.