Dude, then I'd have to stand up, brush the cheeto crumbs off my lap, go all the way to the store, lift the stinkin' box up, stand in line....oh forget it I'll just watch half the movie, I'm sure nothing exciting happens after they head out on their quest anyways.

Also, if you absolutely, positively NEED to watch the whole thing in one sitting and don't care much for the video or audio, there's always our old friend VHS. Somehow they managed to fit the entire movie on one tape. Go figure.

Must resist urge to stand up and walk 10 feet to DVD player...

Can some one get me my marshmellow couch so i can just eat that when I run out of porkrinds and lard. Getting up to change a disk is way to hard and take to much effort for me.

Well ill hold out for the 4 disker cause the DTS rocks, this is such and awesome sounding set and I cant wait for the TTEE

Even if it was all on 1 disc, when you eventually have all 3 LOTR movies on DVD, you would still have to switch out the discs to continue the story.

The Extended Edition VHS is 2 tapes. If the movie is entirely on one tape, what's on the second? The review on Amazon says the movie is spread over two tapes. I wouldn't know, since I'd rather have monkeys gnaw on my nads than own it.

K

It was probably the theatrical cut he saw on VHS, but that's also on one disc on dvd, the second disc with extras.

Ewww... that would mean he watched Lord Of The Rings in pan and scan. That's like attacking his manhood. Say it ain't so, Rizor, say it ain't so!!

K

man, for a bunch of people who probably can't live w/out their remotes, willing to waste 3+ hours of their lives sitting in front of their tv's, there's a lot of name-calling in there. i know... that one intermission makes you a carl lewis.

as for watching the theatrical cut, i don't want that. i want the movie - extended cut... well, b/c that's why i get dvds. the extras are nice but b/c they're the extras, in my opinion, they're the first to go. so all the non-lazy people must watch another 12+ hours of commentary laden footage? i know, i know. the changing of the dvd saves you... yeah, you're not a couch potato.

i forgot... some people liked the intermission b/c they needed a bathroom break.

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if you're telling me that you can't get a pristine 3+ hour movie and the dts/dolby 5.1 (or the latest 7.1) soundtracks on one side of a dvd, then ok. fine. 2 dvds or flippers are ok.

if you can, then give me the pure dvd (ala superbit). i don't want an intermission... those are for weak bladder people.

why can't someone not want the commentary of a bunch of spoiled actors? do i need to hear that rudy was a control freak? or that sean bean was deathly afraid of riding the helicopter? are you studying the film? or are you enjoying the movie?

imho, a lot of you guys are so enthralled by the "extras" you can't even appreciate the film anymore.

The audio and video quality is so high on the EE, that I don't mind having it on 2 discs. If it would make a noticeable difference I'd want it on 4.

Remember Laserdiscs? I still have my Star Wars Definitive Collection. If I want to watch all three movies...I'm in for many many trips back and forth to the player.

And now people are complaining about 1 trip?

I don't *need* an intermission, at least for DVD's, that's what the pause button is for. I certainly would not mind a suitably-timed intermission in the theater; those seats are not that comfortable, plus, invariably, my wife misses ten minutes of the movie when she has to use the facilities.
Once I get to watch a movie, I do like to sit down and watch it, but I guess it's not a huge deal if I have to swap disks; plus I am planning to get a multidisk changer, so that will be a benefit.
Personally, I could care less about commentary tracks, especially four of them; I don't really understand the appeal with them, except for someone who is really interested in the industry or moviemaking. Even the commentaries for the Simpsons, I only watched about a third of. I do like to watch the extras, though; usually. I have the theatrical FotR, and watched all those extras, in part because just seeing the scenery in New Zealand was breathtaking : )
But yes, even on a single disk, I'd prefer to swap disks if that means I get an excellent picture and sound mix.
I don't have any Superbits, and probably won't get them just for that, simply because my setup isn't high-end enough to take good advantage of it. Plus in some cases I would want the extras. Now if the Superbit was the same price, or a dollar or so more, than a barebones version, or one with crappy extras [IMHO], then I'd splurge, but I haven't upgraded anything I already have that's out on Superbit.
Actually, I did get a good bit out of Roger Ebert's commentary for Citizen Kane. But even then, I only watched/listened to half of it before it had to go back to Netflix. [I later bought it, so I've got it to listen to.] To me, the commentary is too much like watching the movie again. If I listen to the commentary very soon after watching the movie, I feel like I'm repeating myself. If it's been a while, I want to watch the movie again to have it fresh in my mind. Catch 22, I guess. [Plus--if you put a commentary track on the disk, it *needs* to have subtitles or captions, imho.]

You have to flip discs so that the major studios don't get sued for any ensuing Deep Vein Thrombosis deaths because fatass DVD fans (like myself) don't get off their lazy duffs for hours on end.

I'll skip right over your insulting actors, since I'm not one. But first of all, who is to say one can't sudy the film while enjoying the movie? Sometimes, without even noticing it, I find myself noticing certain shots that appeal to me or make feel a certain way, and thinking about the actual mechanics of that shot. That's the point of movies. The thing is, not everyone wants to know how to perform the magic trick. That can ruin it for some people. Not for me. Does knowing how they made Gandalf (Ian McKellan) so tall next to Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean "Control Freak" Astin) ruin the effect for me? Nope. It's not like I was ever under the impression that what I was seeing was real. On some level, I know it's not. But while I'm watching it, it very much is. That's the power of storytelling. To me, "extras" can even be our reward for our true and deep appreciation for the films.

K

Hey, at least it has an insert.

Actually, that is exactly what people are saying.

You can't squeeze a 3 1/2 hour movie onto one disc, and expect the quality to be as good as the same movie spread over two discs, and it most certainly wouldn't be "pristine" in appearance if you tried. That is just common sense. Whether or not the resulting compression would be acceptable to you is purely subjective. I just know it wouldn't be acceptable to me.

For someone who starts off with a bit about namecalling, you sure start throwing the crap around quick.

I have long since gotten over the fact that all DVDs are not made specifically for me. Some have commentary, some don't, some have "extras" which these days are more commonly called "Special Features", as they are hardly extra anymore... most disks have something, and some are barebones. And just because I may not want to watch the commentary track on a movie now doesn't mean that I don't want it there. I do enjoy the occaisional commentary. And with a movie like FotR or TTT hell yes I want the commentary and as many special features as I can get. It is just amazing to see and hear what these people went through while making these movies. Learning as much as I can about a movie that I love is all part of appreciating the film.

Anyway, my point is, DVDs aren't meant to cater to you or I or anyone else individually, so get over yourself.

Honestly, couldn't this question have been answered in ONE post...not FORTY something!

People like to bitch and moan....hehehe.

Jeeze, didn't we have this exact same discussion LAST summer?

I was thinking that too. I got the answer I was looking for a long time ago but it's interesting to see everyone's opinions on the topic.

i am over myself. i've already said i'm in the minority opinion on this. i don't expect them to change the dvd for me. but it certainly is ok to "want" it on one dvd.

appreciating the film is not the same thing as appreciating the process. does it help? maybe. it's like reading about paris instead of going there. hey, if that makes you feel better about yourself, good for you.

i've got a secret... most people here ARE joe-six-packs who don't know it. so i find it ridiculous that people are bashing the thread originator over this issue.

and yeah, if name-calling is going to be tolerated, i can throw some around myself.

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btw, the examples i used are from the LotR commentaries. you think those tidbits of info help you appreciate the movie more? i didn't so, yes, i thought the actor's commentary was worthless (unlike the director/writers).

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reading about the bowling for columbine dvd being a flipper... i wonder why this isn't the same issue? like i said, if there is some technical reason why it needs to be on 2 sides, it's ok. but if not, then to me, it is undesirable to interrupt a movie. and i value the movie's integrity more than an extra commentary or language track.

DING DING DING!

Uhhhhh Bowling For Columbine isn't a flipper. It's dual sided (or some people got a 2-disc version), but the movie is only on one side of the disc (or disc 1).

Flippers would include Gone With The Wind (which has an intermission), and GoodFellas.

i don't mind the break in the action. the extended edition is so lengthy (and superior) that when you factor in the transfer, audio, language tracks, etc. it physically cannot fit on one disc. i'll take the 10 second pause to crack another beer, take a piss, strectch out my legs, etc.

another thing to think about is that the books are split into six parts, and now, with the EE of each on my shelf (eventually), the DVDs will be too. which i think is sort of neat.

yes, i know it's not a flipper. but the thought of it is anathema to most people here.

don't forget my old copy of Das Boot.