Content Censoring DVD players (1 Viewer)

[ScottAndrew]

I'd like to better understand why someone would object to what someone does or does not choose to watch edited in their own home. No one reading this forum can even tell whether I watch the original or edited version of a film. It's a tree that falls in a forest with no one around; my decision has no effect on anyone other than myself.
I keep reading that people can select other movies. That is a true statement, but I don't see the relevance. It's not an argument. I can watch edited movies and select other movies. It's an opinion. Why should some people's opinion on a matter that doesn't personally affect them be upheld by a court?
What, precisely, is anyone's interest in which version of a movie I watch?

Scott

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

So people can judge you based on their obvious moral superiority.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Sheesh.. this is quite a debate here... and I don't see why.

No one has the right to tell me what I can show my child. If I want to sit my 4 year old down in front of Kill Bill, I am perfectly entitled to.

On the flip side, no one has the right to tell me what I can't show my child. If someone is providing a tool for me to control what my child sees. I am perfectly entitled to use it.

Personally, I don't see Clearplay taking off. We live in a world where a majority of people's VCR's still blink 12:00, do you really think they'll take the time to program what levels of profanity and nudity their DVD players will play? It'll wind up like DIVX and Disposable DVD's and someone will start a thread saying "Do you remember those Clearplay players?"

 

[Jeff Jacobson]

I don't think it will reduce the complaining that much. Although there is a TV ratings system and the V-chip, people still complain about what they see on TV. (For an example, search the TV forum for "Keen Eddie".)

This player doesn't really bother me, as long as it's not forced on everyone like the V-Chip. I think it's kind of silly, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Very good point. Take, for example, my 11-year-old daughter.

1. There are some movies I allow her to watch. (ex: Ghostbusters)
2. There are other movies that I allow her to watch, provided I pre-screen and then watch with her and effectively censor or skip certain offensive sections ("offensive" being defined by me, of course). (ex: Forrest Gump)
3. There are also also other movies that I will not let her watch at all for one reason or another. (ex: Pulp Fiction)

Now, I will probably not invest in this technology. However, I also wouldn't have any great objections to owning such a player if it could possibly assist with category #2 above.

 

[Richard Stammer]

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Where were these so-called video purist Directors when they allowed their films to be shown on network and local stations scanned, panned, edited for content, commercialized, and literally destroyed before our very eyes? I'll tell you where they were, lined up at the bank collecting their money for selling to tv. How can you condemn one practise and remain quiet on the other? Sheer hyprocrisy.

 

[Anthony Hom]

Isn't this kind of like V-chip for DVD players? So what's the difference? What do people here care if Joe-Sixpack buys this player? You'll never buy one, so it won't affect you. If most are afraid stores wil sell these players only, your crazy. There's money to be made in both types of players, and they want to sell these players to people as electronic babysitters, so they don't have to take the time to watch a film first before their kids do to see if its objectionable. Good or bad, you decide.

 

[Bob_S.]

It baffles me how this argument has lasted 4 pages. It's very simple folks, it's called CHOICE. When I plunk down 19.99+ for a dvd and take it home it's MINE. If I choose to watch an edited version in MY OWN HOME, it's my right. It's not like you can't watch your full R-rated version. That's what I can't understand about this whole topic. No one is taking away your right to see the original version!

There are many R-rated(and PG-13) movies I would love to own but don't due to unecessary nudity and language. There are many movies I would love to let my kids watch but can't due to only a few curse words. If I can somehow be able to edit these words out,I'd buy these in a heartbeat meaning more money for movie studios. For example, I happen to see "The Boy Who Could Fly" on dvd and was thinking about getting it for my 7 year old daughter. Then I remembered that it had the word "piss" in it so I didn't buy it, no money for the movie studio. I WOULD buy it if I could filter out the language, money for the movie studio. Personally, I own only a couple of movies that my daughter can't watch (PG-13 movies due to cursing) because I like to be an example to her. If she shouldn't be exposed to it then why should I? But, like I said, filter out the curse words and/or nudity and they would be on my shelf. Titanic is a great example.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Exelent points in this post Bob. Plus, despite what many people here seem to be afraid of, if you were to buy one of these machines and play Titanic in it, it would skip all of the material you find objectionable, and yet if you leant that disc to someone else it would play in their player as normal.

Its simple, this player is not doing anything that you yourself couldn't do, its just doing it for you automatically. What is the difference between my muting of an objectionable word, or skipping over a sceen I find offensive with my remote and having the player do it for me automatically? There is absolutely no difference. I don't want to hear about director's vision or whatever either, because I'm pretty sure that it is not George Lucas' vision for me to pop in AOTC and jump right to the battle on Kamino between Obi-wan and Jango, yet that's what I do.

You know what, they could put this on every single DVD player made, and as long as I could make the choice whether or not I wished to use it I wouldn't care 1 way or the other if the player had it, the only way I would care is if I had to use this feature. But there are many features on DVD players I don't use, and if this became a standard it would just be another feature I didn't use. As long as the choice lies with me whether or not I wish to use it I don't have a problem.

 

[MarkHastings]

Yeah, people need to take it easy in arguing about the "intent" of something...

Example: Region Coding...

The intent of a Region 1 DVD is meant to be played in REGION 1! Anyone in America or Canada, playing anything other than region 1 or 0 DVD's, needs to look in the mirror before bringing up the 'intent' arguments.

 

[Malcolm R]

Then let them watch kids films. I have said this repeatedly. Buy kids films for kids, leave the adult films for adults. Kids don't have any reason to be watching adult films, they have plenty of films made just for them. As they mature, then expand their choices. But why is it so crucial for for young children to view "Titanic" or "Forrest Gump" or "The Matrix"? Why not just save them for the mid- to late-teen years?

I know there are plenty of films I avoid due to content I find distasteful or offensive. Yet I have no desire to watch "cleaned" versions of these films either. There are thousands of other titles I can spend my time and money on rather than modifying entertainment created for a different audience to suit my own sensibilities. I don't understand why anyone would. Is it some weird kind of curiosity? You don't want to watch it with the cussing and nudity, but are afraid you're missing something if you just don't watch it at all?

 

[RobertR]

No one's modifying anyyhing. People are merely skipping over what they don't want to watch. Have you ever done that? No? None of the things in post #38?

 

[Malcolm R]

Nope. I just sit back and enjoy the film, confident that in purchasing this DVD I've made a selection that fits my outlook and sensibilities. Those titles that do not remain at the store.

 

[Brandon Conway]

There are countless "kids films" that have material/content I wouldn't want a kid of mine repeating/mimicking. E.T. has already been mentioned, and I personally think the violence in the Harry Potter films, especially the second one, is too intense for the intended 8-9 year old audience.

So, saying that there's a black and white difference between kids films with no objectional content and adult films is simply untrue.

 

[Bob_S.]

Malcolm, I love movies. Like I said, there are many movies that I would love to own, they have great storylines, characters and special effects but don't due to the profanity. Profanity that if taken out would not
change the story one bit. Why can't I enjoy these movies like anyone else? Is a bunch of f-words that vital to a director's vision? I don't know how Hollywood ever made it back in the 30's, 40's and 50's without any profanity and nudity in their movies. In fact, most of my dvd collection consists of movies from that time period because they are movies my whole family can watch together and I don't have to worry about screening them. Movies made for ADULTS and KIDS.

 

[Rob T]

The government is getting involved now.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr..._id=1000500579
WASHINGTON -- A powerful House committee chairman is pressuring for a settlement between the DGA and ClearPlay, the company that offers technology that allows DVD players to skip over violence, swearing, nudity and other potentially objectionable content in movies.

 

[Richard Kim]

In certain cases, yes it is.

 

[Jaxon's Dad]

When you play said disc in your non-Clearplay DVD player, you're playing it on 3rd party hardware developed by for-profit companies to give you the option to edit (ie. modify ) presentations (chapter skips, different surround audio streams) of copyrighted works. All with the blessing of the studios who encode the discs to function within the parameters of the content-editing hardware. Whether one chooses to take advantage of said editing features is up to the user. Clearplay technology is no different. I'm quite amused at the hand-wringing and moaning present on this thread , all by those who will not be personally affected by Clearplay players. These folks would have a home theater world that includes no choice for anyone. Of course that would mean that they would have to pitch their own non-Clearplay DVD players since they offer choices as well. Right...

 

[RobertR]

Exactly. I wonder if Malcolm advocates banning the pause, chapter skip, and slow-mo/reverse buttons on players? After all, people can use them to watch movies in ways not explicitly "approved" by the studios.

I also wonder if Malcolm has ever chastized anyone who's posted that he skips to a favorite scene in a movie, such as watching a favorite surround demo scene.

 

[Ryan Wishton]

This whole thread has just gone straight to hell and is out of order.

Where is Judge Judy when you need her?

Unfortunately, I was laughing at Bobs "The Boy who could fly" comment (I really did think it was a sarcastic post) until I found out he was serious.

Bob,

I can guarantee that your daughter has heard much worse than piss just at school by now. If she hasnt repeated words yet, you are fortunate. But, she has heard something. Wait till Jr. High. It gets much worse. High School. Forget it. It's all over.

By the time I was in 2nd grade, the teacher was already drinking out of a paper bag and swearing every 5 minutes. Ask her a question during donut break and she would crack your hand with a ruler. Lets not even get started on how the students behaved.

It's an unfortunate world we live in, but we sometimes have to manage.

P.S. About the player. I wouldnt buy it. Why would I buy a player and pay a monthly fee to edit a movie I bought? I have fast forward right on the remote for free. Although, I mostly use that as a boredom feature.

But, I could care less what people spend their money on as long as it isnt mine. So, I say buy what you want and what you feel you must have. It's your money and I could care less.