DVDs with unskippable commercials/trailers!

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

I've rented a few movies from Redbox lately. Yesterday when I tossed one in the player it opened with a commercial.

Fine, whatever.

I hit menu button, an X pops up on the screen indicating the feature has been disabled.

So then I hit the scene skip button and get the same thing.

Grrrr....

That means I have NO choice but to FAST FORWARD through each commercial and trailer (and there are about 6 of them) INDIVIDUALLY just to get to the stinkin' disc menu.

Now I understand that I only paid $1 for the rental and so I really shouldn't be complaining but there are movies I OWN and have paid much more than $20 for that have this same crap on them.

If I'm throwing down $15-20 on a DVD, I don't feel I should be subjected to ads period. Trailers I'm ok with.

But I think I should have the OPTION to skip all of them if I so choose.

I don't pirate movies but continually putting up with this crap has got me seriously reconsidering that position. After all, a pirated film may not be a legal copy BUT it at least doesn't have any of the junk at the beginning I can't stand.

[Andara Bledin]

I don't pirate movies but continually putting up with this crap has got me seriously reconsidering that position. After all, a pirated film may not be a legal copy BUT it at least doesn't have any of the junk at the beginning I can't stand.

When pirates get a superior experience to actual customers, it tells you that the companies producing the content are doing something wrong.

^-.-^

[blas87]

I cannot agree with you more.

Ok fine, can't skip the FBI/Piracy warning. FINE.

But, how fucking dare they. Seriously. I have to hit skip/FF until I go through all 10 freaking previews.

It's bad enough, at the movie theaters, I have to watch 20 minutes of previews before the movies. I have to do it at home now, too, even with movies I buy, not rent.

[powerboy]

Yeah, it pisses me off every time I get that.

Have you noticed that, that is the only time that they will have 10 commercials before it. Other wise, it is just a few.

[protege]

It's bad enough, at the movie theaters, I have to watch 20 minutes of previews before the movies. I have to do it at home now, too, even with movies I buy, not rent.

I have a problem with that too. Why the hell should I be forced to sit through 20 minutes of fucking previews in my own home? Sorry, but I don't care what flicks are coming out now. Nor do I care what shows are available on DVD. I paid my $20 for the flick, show the goddamn movie already!

[HYHYBT]

One advantage of the VCR: you could fast forward through the previews *once,* reset the counter, and then just rewind to that point every time.

One advantage to watching DVD's on the computer: if you've played a disc before, it remembers where you were and starts there, even if it was years ago. So: trailers, overly-long menu animations (Buffy, season 2 comes to mind), multiple FBI warnings, once and never again.

The couple times I bought movies online (iTunes store) I remember thinking it was a downside that you didn't get the extras that came on DVD's. But it's an advantage, because they don't (at least the couple I tried when they first started selling them didn't) have previews, either.

The only times I want to see those are, 1, the first time through, if I'm in the mood, and 2, if it's old enough to be interesting. In between those points, not only are you stuck with the ads, but they're likely as not for something that isn't even available.

[Racket_Man]

I have a problem with that too. Why the hell should I be forced to sit through 20 minutes of fucking previews in my own home? Sorry, but I don't care what flicks are coming out now. Nor do I care what shows are available on DVD. I paid my $20 for the flick, show the goddamn movie already!

this brings up one good question. at the time the DVD was released the promos (including upcoming theater releases, upcoming DVD releases and commercials) were RELEVANT and timely (yes a matter of interpetation), BUT

say I pick out a DVD that I have not watched in say 3 OR MORE years (got lost in my DVD storage box or some similiar situation), I COULD CARE LESS about some dumbassed lame movie that was released 3 or more years ago or the same dumbassed lame movie released on DVD 2 years ago. If I did not have a desire to see it/view it then I certainly am not going to be Jonesin for the DVD now.

at least my Blu-Ray player has extream FF

[Rapscallion]

They started that in the UK a year or three back. I have a few DVDs with unskippable trailers. These days, though, you can hit 'menu' to get through them - I think they realised with the advent of Netflix et al that they were losing out on the whole battle for the public's goodwill.

Rapscallion

[Ginger Tea]

It's been a while since I encountered the you cannot skip this.
Hell they even had the gaul to have those "you wouldn't steal a car." adverts, smack in the face, what no "thank you for buying a genuine DVD, here is a POV blowjob (on an 18 rated movie of course)"

Regarding Cinema trailers, they don't force you in so you could spend some time in the loby or even arive a bit later, then again I've gone to the screen 5 mins after doors and they had no trailers that I know of cos the film was already running.

My DVD collection is huge, I've got a shelf with 50+ unwatched movies and god knows how many watched and unwatched in a storage unit.
Seeing as I have to keep my movies off site, I tend to keep just those I really want to watch or recently bought at hand, even if Franklyn spent the best part of 6 months at the prefered side of the shelf, superceeded by some random film from a £3 tesco binge.
But as DVD's have copy protection on them, I cannot just rip to my hard drive and watch on demand safe in the knowledge my bought disc's are somewhere safe, so I have on some of my box sets and VHS I have not yet found on DVD (just browsing HMV not looking online) gone and gotten the torrent cos I may fancy an episode of the Xfiles, but I don't want the whole however much it cost complete box set taking up room in the only room I have.

I'm visiting my brother for a week and I should be typing out my DVD's cos most if not all are going into storage, just incase something happens to the house whilst I'm gone.

[DrFaroohk]

On a similar note, someday I would like to see a DVD player that actually has <gasp> BUTTONS ON THE PLAYER!!!! So that when I lose the remote I can still have some control over the damn thing.

[blas87]

Mine has buttons on the player.

I tend to watch/rent movies so rarely at home, the batteries in the remote usually go dead.

[fireheart17]

OK, first of all, one thing that is somewhat relevant here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FqHSTBFONI

The constant trailers drive me nuts as well. Including the ones about Blu-Ray. I DON'T CARE! >.<

[MrsEclipse]

Remember when this was floating around the internet?

I also love the "you wouldn't download a car." Think about it for two seconds, commercial. Do you think the reason that nobody's ever download a car is because there's some unspoken, sacred trust?

They stick so many "Don't pirate stuff!" warnings on DVDs you pay for, I kind of wish one would give me a "Thank you for not pirating!" I mean, sure, you could still see the thank you if you do pirate it, but on the other hand you DON'T see the "don't pirate" when you DO pirate, so I guess it all evens out.


And the commercials! To this day I can't stand the "coming soon to theaters." I was just watching a DVD from over ten years ago. That movie it was talking about has already been in theaters, phased out, been released on DVD, and gone out of print! And the poor disc still thinks it'll be coming soon!

[Daskinor]

pssttt....


Il let you all in on a little secret

As soon as the first preview comes (FBI splash works to) on the screen, press the following sequence on your DVD remote: STOP, STOP, PLAY.

And if that doesn’t work, try pressing: STOP, STOP, STOP, PLAY.

It will work on 90% of dvds that use the UOP commands.

[mikoyan29]

I seem ot remember when DVD's came out and they didn't have all that crap. That was one advantage of them over VHS.