I've noticed something recently: the wait times on DVDs these days are terrible. By "wait time," I mean those portions of the DVD (usually when you first put it in) that cannot be fast-forwarded or skipped through, or clicked through for the menu. You have to watch them, every time you put in the disc.
They usually consist of a short montage telling us which studio/entertainment group/channel created the disc - sometimes, there are several of these, back to back, for the different companies who all had a hand in the disc's creation. Then, there are a few copyright notices, each with their own screen, often in three different languages. If it's a movie with commentary, then we get the warning that the commentary is pure opinion and does not reflect blah blah blah - again, in three languages. Sometimes, even trailers for upcoming movies are un-skippable, though I think there are fewer of those on newer DVDs. And finally, my favorite: "You Wouldn't Steal A Car."
(To which my mind always responds: "but what if they would steal a car? What then?")
In my experience, the worst offenders on DVD wait time are Bob the Builder, Baby Einstein, and anything from Excel films. The best seems to be VeggieTales (really!).
Don't even get me started on excessively animated menu transitions, which are often so wrongly billed on the DVD case as a "special feature."
And while we're talking about things that should not be called special features, here are a few, taken straight from my copy of The Last of the Mohicans:
- anamorphic widescreen (so I can see the movie)
- interactive menus (so I can select "Play Movie")
- scene selection
- Audio: DTS English (so I can hear the movie)
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
I think we can all agree that the above items should be considered "standard," not "special."
Just so we're all clear on my high personal standards for a DVD. Thanks.
They usually consist of a short montage telling us which studio/entertainment group/channel created the disc - sometimes, there are several of these, back to back, for the different companies who all had a hand in the disc's creation. Then, there are a few copyright notices, each with their own screen, often in three different languages. If it's a movie with commentary, then we get the warning that the commentary is pure opinion and does not reflect blah blah blah - again, in three languages. Sometimes, even trailers for upcoming movies are un-skippable, though I think there are fewer of those on newer DVDs. And finally, my favorite: "You Wouldn't Steal A Car."
(To which my mind always responds: "but what if they would steal a car? What then?")
In my experience, the worst offenders on DVD wait time are Bob the Builder, Baby Einstein, and anything from Excel films. The best seems to be VeggieTales (really!).
Don't even get me started on excessively animated menu transitions, which are often so wrongly billed on the DVD case as a "special feature."
And while we're talking about things that should not be called special features, here are a few, taken straight from my copy of The Last of the Mohicans:
- anamorphic widescreen (so I can see the movie)
- interactive menus (so I can select "Play Movie")
- scene selection
- Audio: DTS English (so I can hear the movie)
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
I think we can all agree that the above items should be considered "standard," not "special."
Just so we're all clear on my high personal standards for a DVD. Thanks.