Content Censoring DVD players (1 Viewer)

[Mark Bendiksen]

I think that's a good thing. However, someone at ClearPlay has to make the call about which films would lose "their sensibility" if edited. Those are three rather obvious choices due to their violence, but I'd be curious to see what other movies make that list.

 

[Richard Stammer]

You know, I'm a big lover of the film-maker's rights, but I feel a lot of this is just hypocritical on their part. If these film-makers were so concerned over their films, why did they allow them to be sold to television and panned, scanned, edited, speeded-up, and colorized. And it wasn't just one of them. Just about eberyone in Hollywood allowed their films to be shown on television horrinly mutilated.

 

[derek]

Walmart.com just posted a screen capture of a section the RCA player's filtering selection menu:



Full details:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...A62055%3A95987

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I just made that screen my work computer's background image! That's hilarious!
BTW I'm offended by the title "Goldmember" on that list, as we all know what that means. I demand they censor the title on that (seriously, does their filter remove all references to said "member"?)

 

[StephenA]

I think it's funny that they put some of movies that are sequels, but didn't put the originals they are sequels to in the 100 filtered titles.

 

[Kevin. W]

If you don't want to watch it don't buy it. Who needs a DVD player to make that decision?

Kevin

 

[Ben_@]

But thats the thing, they DO want to watch it (and indeed pay money to see it) just they don't want this a few swear words, or extra bloody mess, or pointless nudity getting in the way of movies that could actually be shared with a wider audience (keeping the plot and characters and all intact). That being said, now that the demand for this has been met, i think people who watch their movies in "Original Content Ratio"(OCR) can just leave this stupid player alone.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Exactly, I don't care if its included in every future player or not just as long as it is up to me to turn it on/off if and when I choose.

I also agree with Robert R in that this is basically technology doing for some people what they would be doing manually before hand, and I also think that to not allow something like this might set a bad precedent for future events. Look at that list of stuff Robert had, how would you feel if you were suddenly unable to do any of those things because to do them would violate someone elses' vision?

Will I buy one of these? No, because I'm a college student with no children and am only concerned with what I watch, but do I have a problem if a friend or family member would choose to purchase one, absolutely not. The reality is that if I lend them a DVD it may skip over parts on their player but when they give it back to me it will still play as normal on mine, its not like the actual DVDs themselves are being altered which goes back to the Nintendo case Brandon mentioned earlier.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Gee...I'm curious about what the differences are between "crude language...", "cursing", "strong profanity", and "graphic vulgarity"?

 

[MarkHastings]

Wow, it's sad at the negative opinions people give on a product that has no effect on them. :frowning:

If you want some better answers, read this thread:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=193232

Lot's of good points against the paranoia that seems to be going around.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I'm guessing it's simply allowing varying degrees of language. So, off example, you don't want to hear f-words and sexual jokes, but are okay with shit and ass, then you would only check "crude language" and "graphic vulgarity." Or something like that. I'm sure the owners manual spells it out.

 

[Malcolm R]

The type of person that would buy one of these players is far too delicate to handle reading the manual that spells out in graphic detail the differences between degrees of swear words.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Malcom =

Well, as long as I can still buy DVD's and watch them without a problem I don't care.

I just think it's funny that Wal-mart is so big on delivering morally benign products but yet they resort to such cut-throat business tactics.

Ah well, I'll add it to my list of reasons not to shop there.

 

[ZacharyTait]

What made the phone call interesting? Can you spill the juicy details?

 

[Brandon Conway]

I just started to go off a little about how I could at least respect their way of editing where it didn't directly alter the software as opposed to CleanFlicks editing. The guy was agreable, but at the same time obviously not wanting to get into the moral debate about editing films.

They were looking for people with editing skills, by the way, which isn't really my main strongpoint. I'm a critical studies emphasis, and only servicably production oriented.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Yeah, I agree I've got a huge problem with the cleanflix way of doing things, but this not so much as its not a direct change to the software and is under more control from the user.

 

[Jaxon's Dad]

What RobertR said.

 

[DaveGTP]

I must say, I read the other (now closed) thread on this technology. I hope this thread can stay on topic, because I find it an interesting dilemma.

On one hand, I totally, 100%, disapprove of the concept. I hate the idea of people having the freedom to censor the artistic choices and storylines written by some creative individual. My opinion is, if the material is not suitable for a child, then they shouldn't watch it. Period.
This seems like it is merely pandering to the given typical American attitude that
Violence is OK
Sex is NOT
Swearing is NOT




I've seen several references to the fact that they could let their kids watch an action flick with the swearing and sex edited out.

Let's see. Let my impressionable child watch someone being blown up/filled full of bullets/etc
BUT
The naughty language and naughty sex have to be taken out, so they are seeing nice, clean, sanitized violence.




I very much hate this concept. BUT -

No reselling of an individual's copywrited works being hacked up/modified is being done. No profit on the back of the filmaker.

Thus, as it is always with me, I have a lot of respect for personal freedoms. And as much as I dislike, and in fact, thoroughly detest the whole idea behind this, I have to say, it should be OK. If someone wants their child to be exposed only to the violence, and not the sex, or no swearing, or whatever, I guess it's their right as a parent. Since it

1) Gives a freedom/right to someone
without
2) Causing harm to the freedom of someone else

it seems pretty clear cut to me (minus the artistic rights of the filmmakers, but those are pretty much handed over to the companies when it comes to DVD sales, who probably wouldn't care about them.) The 'ol "It's a free country" defense here. It is merely an automation of something you would do yourself, albeit you were a perfect remote-button-punching machine that watched the movie with their kids.


I could point out that the PVR commercial-skip feature that came under intense fire was the same thing - I.E. an automation of skipping something you could do yourself - was pretty much thus banned by advertisers applying legal pressure. But that would be a different discussion thread ONTOPIC!

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

The point is that it allows YOU, THE INDIVIDUAL, to decide what is OK for your kids to see. If you have no problem with your kids watching sex and listening to crude language, but DO have a problem with them watching violence, then you can program your player that way. They are in no way trying to dictate what your kids should/should not be watching, but are rather letting the parent decide.

For example, I know some fairly liberal parents who would have no problem letting their kids watch sex, violence, or cursing, but DO have a real serious issue with racial slurs. This player could potentially solve their problem.

 

[Michael Pakula]

I was watching The Tonigh Show With Jay Leno a while ago and he had a joke about the new player in his monologe saying something along the lines like this "There is a new dvd player on the market where it cuts out certain inappropiate content, see I always thought it would be better to have a dvd player where it skips over the boring characther development and straight to the good parts". I thought it was pretty funny and I must agree with some of the comments here already that if the movie has violence or sexuality or offensive language than why watch it in the first place?. These type of movies aren't aimed at children to begin with. If you also edit out certain scenes than how is the movie sopposed to make sense if it now has plot holes?.


-Mike