I got my review copy of American Wedding Extended Unrated Party Edition and there are once again forced trailers. I wouldn't have started a thread on this, but I noticed that they now added a line on the Universal screen saying "You can fastforward past the previews to the menu." Of course, this means manaullly doing it.

There is what seems to be about a 40 minute preview for The Rundown before the movie, so beware.

Okay, that sucks. Looks like I'll have to fire off another letter to Universal, informing them that they lost some more of my money, because I will not buy a DVD with forced trailers. You'd think they'd learn...

Wow, how considerate of Universal. Here's a better line for them: "Press Menu button to skip ads". Looks like people complaining is working, and thus the added line.

.. or buy it and return it as faulty because it start by 40 min of crap and no movie

Still not as annoying as 20 minutes of forced trailers in the movie theaters!

What?!? 40 minutes of forced trailer? You got to be kidding me. I swear I won't buy this DVD just because of this.

I know this if off topic, but come on thats just asinine. Oh wise one how do you decide to see a movie? Please inform us all of your wise ways.

Previews can be the best part of movies, look at Matrix Reloaded for christ sakes. The only redeeming quality of that movie was the previews beforehand.

Yes I have a huge problem with Regals "The 20" and the god save america (recycle)/Coke Football/Piracy garbage, but the Previews are great.

I'm guessing he meant either 40 seconds, or 4 minutes, not 40 minutes.

Rob

Do you really decide what movie you want to see based on the previews? Even crappy movies can string together a two minute trailer that looks interesting -- e.g., Battlefield Earth.

Yeah, but at least we won't be watching the same content on "The 20" two years from now...

Why would you even care how I decide what to see - why would you value the opinion of someone you've branded as "asinine"?

Too bad your wisdom ignored the wink.

The end.

Forced trailers in front of movies.

Forced trailers in front of VHS.

Forced commercials in front of TV.

IMO, I think this is a silly issue. Not buying a DVD becuase Universal wants you to see other movies? That's been part of the game since crowds thought the train was coming through the screen!

You can fast forward them. Just do that and enjoy the movie you're watching. You'll spend more time writing letters Universal won't read than actually watching the trailers!

Somebody at Universal is reading those letters or they wouldn't have included the "You can fast forward..." line.

I dont decide right then and there, but itll be in the back of my mind to go find out more about the movie. And no, when I saw the preview for Battlefield Earth, I knew right then and there I would not be spending any money on that.

Okay marty, you got me on that one, I did not notice the wink until I read your response.

Or some suit didn't like it, and popped over to the cubical where the work is being done on the DVDs and asked them to add a disclaimer... Who knows?

And if they are reading the letters, you can see they haven't stopped the practice...

...but they are one step closer to acknowledging the problem.

I was exaggerating, that's why I said "What seems like 40 minutes..." but it's still damn long.

Amen brother. This is what they should have done instead of making you fast forward. But forced ads won't keep me from buying the DVD.

When I know I have to fast foward through them on my DVDs, I just pop it and and let it run while I'm getting my beverage, adjusting the sound, lights, etc.

Yep.. This totally sucks, I wouldn't have purchased this DVD at any rate. But to state "oh, you can fast forward these trailers by hitting your fast forward button" is a total slap in the face.

It's like saying "well, we have the ability to put these trailers on the main menu, heck we could even have even allowed you to hit your menu button to skip them totally, but we're to freaking cocky for that. Instead, we'll force you to fastforward through them. Ha.. ha ha... HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA!!!!"

Just a reminder, there is a petition online to get Universal to Stop this crap.

it's located at

http://www.petitiononline.com/ForceAds/petition.html

Please sign it, pass it on to everyone you know. Get the word out.
We need more signatures.

I could live with that. It seems like a simple concept.

I hate these forced trailers, and I did write to Universal about the problem (snail mail, not e-mail) and I got a response back. They are aware that people are unhappy with this practice, so if it's an issue you feel strongly about, please take a few minutes to write Universal Home Video a letter (the address is on the back of the DVD).

In the meantime, I've posted these instructions before, and they've worked for all the Universal DVDs I've tried:

1) Press Stop during the copyright warning at the beginning of the disc. If you wait until after the copyright warning, you're screwed.

2) Press Menu.

See . . . I told you that Mr. Salty is very smart . . .


I like trailers at the beginning . . . in the days of VHS (and sometimes now), that's where I learned about some of the little known gems that I would never have known about, but know I really enjoy (mostly artsy and/or foreign films . . . example: Shooting Fish . . . which arrived yesterday from the DDD sale ).

But, I can see how it could be annoying to other people, so I signed the petition. You guys owe me one.

I wouldn't mind as much if they did this, but The Rundown is hardly an artsy gem.

Previews at the movies=OK
Commercials at the movies=homicidal killing spree

At least that's how I feel sometimes...

Thanks Mr. Salty; hadn't seen that yet. I'll have to try it.

I don't mind the trailers you can skip by using the menu button, ala Disney; but forcing fast-forward is just frustrating as hell, especially every time you want to watch the same movie. Personally, I like the discs that go straight to the movie without opening to the menu and let me pick the audio track with my audio button, without having to navigate through menus. I still like a main menu, but don't want to use it if I don't have to. Let 'em put all the hokey, long menus; shameless advertisements; and, experimental navigation on bonus discs, where it doesn't ruin the reason I bought disc 1 in the first place...for the movie. [useless rant over]