This is a stupid question and might have already been answered -- but I searched.

Why do Universal DVD's make you go through the menu to pick DTS sound and they won't allow you to do it by pressing the "audio" button on the remote while the movie is playing. I have only seen this "problem/feature" on Universal DVD's...Most other studios allow you to switch from DD to DTS with the audio button during the movie. I just wanna know if anyone knows. It is so annoying to have to go to the menu, then select DTS then watch a piano playing that advertises DTS (in a very widescreen ratio I might add).

Universal must have disabled that feature during DVD authoring. For instance, Criterion disabled the fast forward/rewind buttons during the movie play on the Knife in the Water DVD at the request of the director.

You know, I was just wondering this last night, but I didn't know it was limited to Universal releases. But now that I read this, it was one of the BTTF movies I was watching last night, and I was irked that it wouldn't let me switch to the commentary track after I had started the movie unless I went back to the menu. The next thing that irked me further is not only would it not let you switch audio tracks from the remote, the menu for BTTF won't let you turn off the commentary track after you turn it on! I had to basically eject the DVD, start the movie again, and chapter select back to where I left off. I also now realize that it's other Universal titles that won't allow you to jump right to the menu after the disc starts playing. You have to sit there and watch the logo, the disclaimers, and any previews they may have decided to include.

Fucking Universal.

if you hit menu during the trailers they will skip...sometimes

That happens to me on some of MGM's discs as well, such as the 007 films.
I'd like to get to the menu when I put the disc in, rather than watch the advert I've seen 30 times.

Maybe they just think it's really important that you see that DTS trailer every time. (Schindler's List makes you sit through it not just at the beginning of the film, but again after you flip the disc over to watch the second part!)

the world may never know...but as far back as i can remember, Universal dvds have never let you change the audio options "on the fly".....like you can with most other dvds.