To all studios: The "Super Angriest" thread (full screen only) -SE thread coming soon
05-27-05, 05:29 PM
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To all studios: The "Super Angriest" thread (full screen only) -SE thread coming soon
We all have gripes when it comes to the how's and why's when it comes to the major studios releasing DVDs, some are minor, some more significant and recently it's come to a boil with me. I keep seeing the same practice used over and over as studios continue to dumb down DVDs for the, shall we say, less knowledgable consumer.
Instead of randomly complaining here and there, I've let them stew in this noggin of mine (Danger Will Robinson! Danger!) and now I really feel like letting 'em rip.
1) Studios dropping the proper widescreen/OAR version of movies on DVD. (I'm talking to YOU Sony!)
What exactly is the mindset behind this most boneheaded of decisions? It's especially maddening when there seems to be no ryhme or reason to the titles that are selected for this shameful downgrading.
Sony really seems to be spearheading this movement to fill the junk piles at Wal-Mart. Speculation seems to be that Sony is doing this so that the only way to get the widescreen version is by purchasing a future Hi-Def DVD (I've even heard this recently from certain people at various companies this past week.)
Is this really the message Sony wants to send to the consumer? "We're intentionally wrecking any chance to watch your favorite movie the right way. Shell out more money for our more expensive product to get what you want." I would recommend searching RIGHT NOW for those catalog titles you enjoy lest you be left in the cold (as I have been doing recently.) I will NOT be poked and pinched into following some corporation's greedy line of thinking. It's dishonest and frankly bad for business. It sickens me that Sony now owns MGM - how many more titles will be treated in such a fashion?
2) Double-dipping. (Hello again Sony!)
So many quality catalog titles remain bare bones yet "Men In Black" has been released how many times? How often can you squeeze the consumer dry? How many releases of the same title can be justified? Single disc bare bones, 2 disc special edition, Superbit, Superbit deluxe, 3 disc collector's set, individual widescreen and full screen, it goes on endlessly. Why focus on the same title over and over when you can either simply do it right the first time or spread the wealth and give other movies equal treatment.
Sadly some studios like FOX have recently been double dipping giving the consumer NO advance warning that a more elaborate special edition is forthcoming. Case in point, the recent 2 disc releases of "I, Robot" and "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Man On Fire" and.....you get the point.
I will concede that some people just want the movie, could care less about bonus features and want the price of a DVD to reflect that. Ok good. Some, like myself, prefer all the bells & whistles they have to offer. Just LET US KNOW beforehand so we don't spend money twice. Stop being greedy, be honest with us, is that asking too much? I've now bought "The Day After Tomorrow" twice when, if FOX had been honest with their plans, I would've waited for the 2 disc set.
Now I know some will say "Special editions were announced/released in other regions already so you should have expected it." No you cannot *expect* anything. Some SE's of movies have been released in other countries for a while now but they remain unreleased in America. Some SE's took a few years before they were released in the States. On top of that, a lot of people don't spend all their free time reading DVD sites for this information, they're completely at the mercy of studio greed.
Just tell us, "Here's a single disc DVD now. Buy it if you want but there WILL be a SE within 6 months." I think everybody would be happy with such a simple, honest and straightforward business practice.
3) Making DVDs "dumb."
Just what executive thinks that by branding a new SE DVD with an incredibly stupid title will increase sales? Seriously, what's the point behind it? Paramount's "Holy Schnieke" edition for the upcoming "Tommy Boy" DVD would be an example not to mention the rumored "Don't Call Me Shirley" SE for "Airplane." (Don't get me started on Sony again, ugh "Booty Call"..what was it? "The Bootiest Edition" or something?)
What exactly is wrong with keeping it classy? Special edition, deluxe edition, etc....why is that not good enough? Why does it have to be dumbed down? What can we expect in the future? "Gone with the Wind: Totally on fire" edition? Keep it simple, that always works.
Perhaps this posting is pointless, I'm sure most will agree with what I've said (to some extent anyway) and figure why go on about it? Well, sometimes you need to vent I guess.
Instead of randomly complaining here and there, I've let them stew in this noggin of mine (Danger Will Robinson! Danger!) and now I really feel like letting 'em rip.
1) Studios dropping the proper widescreen/OAR version of movies on DVD. (I'm talking to YOU Sony!)
What exactly is the mindset behind this most boneheaded of decisions? It's especially maddening when there seems to be no ryhme or reason to the titles that are selected for this shameful downgrading.
Sony really seems to be spearheading this movement to fill the junk piles at Wal-Mart. Speculation seems to be that Sony is doing this so that the only way to get the widescreen version is by purchasing a future Hi-Def DVD (I've even heard this recently from certain people at various companies this past week.)
Is this really the message Sony wants to send to the consumer? "We're intentionally wrecking any chance to watch your favorite movie the right way. Shell out more money for our more expensive product to get what you want." I would recommend searching RIGHT NOW for those catalog titles you enjoy lest you be left in the cold (as I have been doing recently.) I will NOT be poked and pinched into following some corporation's greedy line of thinking. It's dishonest and frankly bad for business. It sickens me that Sony now owns MGM - how many more titles will be treated in such a fashion?
2) Double-dipping. (Hello again Sony!)
So many quality catalog titles remain bare bones yet "Men In Black" has been released how many times? How often can you squeeze the consumer dry? How many releases of the same title can be justified? Single disc bare bones, 2 disc special edition, Superbit, Superbit deluxe, 3 disc collector's set, individual widescreen and full screen, it goes on endlessly. Why focus on the same title over and over when you can either simply do it right the first time or spread the wealth and give other movies equal treatment.
Sadly some studios like FOX have recently been double dipping giving the consumer NO advance warning that a more elaborate special edition is forthcoming. Case in point, the recent 2 disc releases of "I, Robot" and "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Man On Fire" and.....you get the point.
I will concede that some people just want the movie, could care less about bonus features and want the price of a DVD to reflect that. Ok good. Some, like myself, prefer all the bells & whistles they have to offer. Just LET US KNOW beforehand so we don't spend money twice. Stop being greedy, be honest with us, is that asking too much? I've now bought "The Day After Tomorrow" twice when, if FOX had been honest with their plans, I would've waited for the 2 disc set.
Now I know some will say "Special editions were announced/released in other regions already so you should have expected it." No you cannot *expect* anything. Some SE's of movies have been released in other countries for a while now but they remain unreleased in America. Some SE's took a few years before they were released in the States. On top of that, a lot of people don't spend all their free time reading DVD sites for this information, they're completely at the mercy of studio greed.
Just tell us, "Here's a single disc DVD now. Buy it if you want but there WILL be a SE within 6 months." I think everybody would be happy with such a simple, honest and straightforward business practice.
3) Making DVDs "dumb."
Just what executive thinks that by branding a new SE DVD with an incredibly stupid title will increase sales? Seriously, what's the point behind it? Paramount's "Holy Schnieke" edition for the upcoming "Tommy Boy" DVD would be an example not to mention the rumored "Don't Call Me Shirley" SE for "Airplane." (Don't get me started on Sony again, ugh "Booty Call"..what was it? "The Bootiest Edition" or something?)
What exactly is wrong with keeping it classy? Special edition, deluxe edition, etc....why is that not good enough? Why does it have to be dumbed down? What can we expect in the future? "Gone with the Wind: Totally on fire" edition? Keep it simple, that always works.
Perhaps this posting is pointless, I'm sure most will agree with what I've said (to some extent anyway) and figure why go on about it? Well, sometimes you need to vent I guess.
05-27-05, 07:36 PM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
wow...
I think the reason they are coming with wacky Edition names is because they have ruined "Special Edition" and "Ultimate Edition" by putting out a crappy disc under that title. Alien, E.T., Star Wars, that was Special Edition...something totally different from the film everyone had seen before. Not an extra minute of dodgeball footage, or pissing on a puppets face. Any dvd with a cover has put SE on the box....and it was less than ultimate.
I think the reason they are coming with wacky Edition names is because they have ruined "Special Edition" and "Ultimate Edition" by putting out a crappy disc under that title. Alien, E.T., Star Wars, that was Special Edition...something totally different from the film everyone had seen before. Not an extra minute of dodgeball footage, or pissing on a puppets face. Any dvd with a cover has put SE on the box....and it was less than ultimate.
