Non-negotiable Specs & Features for a Blu-Ray Release (1 Viewer)

While reading through this forum it is interesting to hear the opinions of the members regarding each new release that comes out. Members talk about the quality of the picture, the audio, commentaries, internet features, behind the scenes documentaries and so forth. However, certain releases leave members feeling that they got short changed on certain specs/features that they expected should be present, while others feel that those spec/features are not necessary to the release and should not be worried about. Others feel that some specs/features should not even have been included at all. For you as an home theater expert/nut what specs/features do you feel are non-negotiable and must be included on every release? For the purpose of this discussion (just so we don't bring any biases in) DO NOT use an existing movie people already have opinions about, be it either the movie or its existing (or soon to be released) Blu-ray disc for which we already know its specs/features as an example. Let's just say its a new or old movie that you loved and its coming out on Blu-ray as a two (2 BD50) disc set. Sorry No expansive 12 disc set. And the other rule is no talk of pricing (all this and a bag of chips for 12.99) The average I have found for current prices has been between $24 and $30. So that will be the price range. So once more what specs/features do you feel are non-negotiable and must be included on every release?

For me:
1. 1080p (ALL)
1a. Lossless Audio (PCM/True-HD/DTS Master HD) (Film in Original Language)
2. A commentary (Director/Main Actors/Writer/Producer/Film Historian)
3. 2 hour plus Making of Documentary that covers pre through post
4. An Art/Sketch Gallery
5. Screen Tests
6. Trailers/TV Spots
7. Deleted Scenes
8. (If Needed) seamless branching
9. Blu-ray Live
10. Subtitles (multiple languages)

Thank you in advance for your responses.

I only have two requirements: Well mastered 1080p OAR video and well mastered lossless audio. The rest is nonsense which does not make or break a sale for me. If every release were barebones with the exception of my two requirements, I would not lose any sleep.

Mark: Do you REALLY feel an art/sketch gallery is "non-negotiable?" Or, BD Live, for that matter?

I'm with Clinton on this one. The only "non-negotiables" are the best PQ & SQ possible. I will leave inclusion of bonus features to the whims of the producers and subject to availability.

Commentaries and all are nice...but since I barely have time to watch the movies in my collection I still consider them an optional bonus. The only bonus features I watch without fail are various shorts and features that ran theatrically with the feature film.

And, frankly, if they went bare-bones and prices could come down, I'd be an even stronger advocate for the change.

1080p video is pretty much a given, but the quality comes from the transfer. Doesn't matter what resolution is presented if the transfer sucks.

My one requirement would be that the Blu-ray version offer everything the original DVD had, so there's no requirement to keep that original DVD just to have everything. For all the complaints I've read about Warner, I'm glad that the few titles I have of theirs are the same as their DVD counterparts in terms of extras, so I was able to give those DVDs away.

The film is what matters to me, not the extras. So, a quality video transfer and audio soundtrack is all that is important.

I'll make a slight increase to the list others are providing:

Well- and newly-mastered 1080p OAR video
Well-mastered lossless audio
The original theatrical trailer(s)

The rest is gravy, but these are the essentials for me. Don't get me started on the death of trailers as the fundamental home video bonus feature...

Superior video & audio are what I base my purchase decision on.

However, I think it's in the best interest of packaged media to finally drop the parade of BS that shows up before a main menu. I have skipped purchasing certain TV series on DVD for this reason, and will do the same for TV on BD.

I only watch one episode of a series at a time, so do I need to see:

26 FBI Warnings
26 Disclaimers
26 "We might not agree with silly director's commentary"
26 "We might not agree with the silly director's commentary" in Spanish
26 Preview # 1
26 Preview # 2
26 Logos

and then, whew, the main menu.

For me:

1. 1080p (ALL)
1a. Lossless Audio (PCM/True-HD/DTS Master HD) (Film in Original Language)
8. (If Needed) seamless branching
10. Subtitles (multiple languages)

-These ought to be mandatory in my opinion.

7. Deleted Scenes
6. Trailers/TV Spots (of the film itself, not other films)
5. Screen Tests

- These are the special features that interest me the most, and, since they deal with the film 'proper', I feel they really ought to be on every release where possible.

3. 2 hour plus Making of Documentary that covers pre through post
4. An Art/Sketch Gallery
2. A commentary (Director/Main Actors/Writer/Producer/Film Historian)

- These are 'nice-to-haves'.

9. Blu-ray Live

- Don't have much use for this currently.

Mandatory:
1080p transfer
Quality audio (whether lossless is essential or not depends on the source--I don't need lossless on a 1.0 track from the 30s and 40s, for example)

Anything else is gravy and depends on my love of the film and/or its history; the more troubled the better.

What about the original soundtrack mix? I dislike newly mixed 5.1 pap with new sound effects.

I also want the theatrical cut on the disc. I'm probably the only one on this forum who are not interested in trailers if they don't show cut scenes. They're just as interesting as commercials to me...

I'm not particularly interested in trailers, other than trailers from the 30s and 40s.

Doug

1. 1080p (1080i is unacceptable)
2. Lossless audio on all releases
3. 7.1 audio on new releases (it's understandable if catalog releases are 5.1/6.1 but if they can give the extra effort to make a 7.1 mix then all the better)
4. Extras on a 2nd disc if they are not HD extras
5. Most up to date version of the film (Do not release regular cut if director's cut or some other version with more footage is available i.e. Terminator 2 Judgement Day) I refuse to buy any Blu-Ray release unless it is the most up to date version.

This should be mandatory too in my opinion. Along with original poster art covers. Dare to dream!

For me:

A high quality transfer and 1080p resolution in OAR. (If applicable, theatrical AND extended cuts via seamless branching)

High quality mastered audio. (Lossless {preferred} or lossy original soundtrack {a remix option is ok as long as you have a choice})

Drop the "Digital Copy", that is NOT a two disc DVD.

Drop the price, I mean really, $24 - $30 for a movie?

I don't care for the bonus stuff, just give me a movie with the best picture and sound.

I've never understood the passion for trailers. I already have the movie.

Trailers are things that I all too often find myself waiting impatiently to end, while at the theater, and the things I skip through to start the movie, while at home. But that's just me.

These are some interesting answers. So it seems the 10 plus years of DVD releases (and LD before if you were in to them) with multiple features (commentary, deleted scenes, etc.) has not won many converts or fans. I find it interesting that some of you still say it doesn't matter if you get lossy audio even on a BD50 or that it depends on the title. For me my list was pretty much based upon what I consider were the most interesting features of what I got from DVD and included the things that were the selling points ,the formats specs, of Blu-ray (and continue to be marketed as such) like 1080p video, lossless audio, and interactive online features. Keep the answers coming.

1080p/24 (for film based releases)
high quality audio (lossless is not essential, but a nice to have, as long as the bitrate for lossy is not too low)

nice to have:
original mix (especially for mono sources)
commentaries

fluff:
trailers
"games"
PR featurettes

1080p24 encoding (assuming 24fps film source), or otherwise full-resolution with framerate matched to source
PCM/lossless audio of original mix at least (multichannel remixes can be nice, but they're no substitute for the original)
Original subtitles as applicable

Already non-negotiable for me: quality 1080p and lossless audio in the original language. Appropriate subtitles if a non-English original release.

It's OK if the audio track is the original mono/stereo, doesn't have to have a multi-channel remix.

Nothing else is absolutely needed by me. And for $20 if it fits on one BD50. This is what I call my "don't even think about it...buy" scenario.

Non-negotionable:

1080p with film transfers
Lossless audio (irregardless of codec)


I feel all BD's deserve that.

Some of what i'd love to see standard

Seamless branching between theatrical and extended versions.
Some form of Bonus View material
BD- Live material for all films