The omnibus UNIVERSAL forced trailer complaint thread (1 Viewer)

[dpippel]

No go for me on my Denon 3800. I'm forced to fast forward through the trailers if I don't want to watch them (I don't).

Thanks Universal.

 

[Joe McKeown]

Seems Bruce Almighty has forced trailers on the front. There's nothing like BV's "hit the menu button" screen first, and while the trailers are playing, chapter skip is locked, menu is locked. Essentially all I can do is Fast forward.
Is this another Universal screw-up or is there something me or my player is doing wrong.

 

[Joe Fisher]

Is this another Universal screw-up or is there something me or my player is doing wrong.

This is something Universal has been doing for awhile. So it's not you or your player.

But there is a way around it. When the FBI warning comes up, hit stop on the remote. Then hit the menu button. This should take you to the main menu's of the DVD. The key is doing it from the remote.

The real sad thing is the same forced trailers can be accessed via the menu, so what gives.

The only other thing I can recommend is contacting Universal and telling them of this horrible practice. There customer service # is 972-293-5903.

Joe

 

[Christian Preischl]

On the last Universal disc I bought those trailers were encoded as seperate tracks. Even if you pressed FF on the first trailer, the player would go back to normal speed when the second one started. Highly annoying.

Chris

 

[AaronMK]

This was a title I was on the fence about. Thanks Universal for pushing me to the "no buy" side.

I don't buy DVDs to have trailers shoved down my throat.

I have sent them messages about this on their feedback page on their site. Does anyone know a snail mail address, since those usually get more attention?

 

[CraigF]

Here's something even stupider IMO: a non-anamorphic forced trailer with an anamorphic main feature. Absolutely guarantees a skip. Had this on a disc I viewed last week. Or for me, any non-anamorphic trailer that comes before the anamorphic feature. As though I'm going to adjust my set just for that, when it's set up for the movie.

I usually *do* watch the trailers anyway, and I bet most potential buyers do too, so please let me choose when I watch them. Forcing me to watch them doesn't make me more friendly towards your products.

 

[Neil Joseph]

I commend Paramount for giving the viewer a choice (Y or N) for viewing the trailers right on the first menu. Wish more studios would do the same.

 

[Chad A Wright]

On most of them, the menu button works fine. Maybe Almighty is different.

 

[Lyle_JP]

Universal locks out the "Menu" button, and the FBI Warning trick only works on player that can jump to the main menu from the disc being in Stop mode (not all players can do this).

I bought my last Universal disc some time ago. They're product is worse than most of the no-name thrird rate video company junk now.

-Lyle J.P.

 

[Troy LaMont]

I had almost forgotten about this until I saw this thread!!!! I was soo friggin pissed when I went to watch this movie.
I tried all the above and I couldn't get it to skip the forced trailers! The sucks big donkey ----! They shouldn't take their failing revenue out on the consumers and force them to be bombarded by their insinious ads!
If a resolution isn't found, I'll boycott Universal DVDs also. I'll still do their D-Theater titles, which do applaud them for that!
Troy

 

[Gavin_L]

I just fast forward through the trailers which are forced....

 

[todd stone]

POC is the same I believe.....

 

[Robert Crawford]

Please, no further discussion regarding the issue of copying dvds. Thank you.
Crawdaddy

 

[Rob Gillespie]

I commend Paramount for giving the viewer a choice (Y or N) for viewing the trailers right on the first menu

I can't agree Neil. Paramount's method is just the lesser of two evils. Trailers have no place at the start of discs on titles bought to own.

As for Universal, they just mess everything up.

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

Luckily Universal is making less and less good movie each year. I think the only DVD of theirs that I'm waiting for is Intolerable Cruelty.

Tho, I am worried that Lost in Translation my suffer the same fate, even tho it's a FOCUS Feature.

 

[Frank@N]

Gak! I thought Universal learned it's lesson after the 'Animal House' uproar!

Forced trailers blow.

 

[Tony-B]

At least you can fast forward them. However, it would be better to not have them or to have them skippable with chapter skip.

I commend Paramount for giving the viewer a choice (Y or N) for viewing the trailers right on the first menu.

I do too. However, you have to sit through their DVD intro, then choose your option, and finally sit through the forced warnings and stuff, which can also get annoying.
The absolute best option would be doing like New Line did with LOTR:EE. Just cut the crap, and go right to the menu!

 

[Reginald Trent]

My Zenith DVD player goes straight to the movie by skipping all menus and trailers. I find this feature very useful.

 

[Aaryn Chan]

I tried Fast and Furiously to skip the 'no-skip-trailers' played before 2 Fast 2 Furious and.. you know the ending..

 

[Aaron_H]

I watched "American Wedding" last night and was sorta ticked to see Universal has started putting forced trailers on their newer DVDs. You cannot skip past them using the >>| or MENU buttons. You are forced to fast forward through them just like a VHS tape.

I don't have a problem with the trailers being on there, I just want the option of using my >>| or MENU button like the new Disney DVDs do.

Didn't Disney used to do this? What convinced them to stop? What can we to do to convince Universal to stop?
I've already shot off an email to Universal, but what else can we do?