Why do some Blu-rays have very few special features?

[ReduxInflux]

with what few blu-rays ive checked out, i noticed that special features, unless 2 discs are involved, aren't standard (and not that they're incredibly important anyway). but i'm wondering why, with 50gb of space, aren't bd's packed with extra featureage? does the hd film itself - in all its brilliance - really take that much space? can someone explain to this tech ignoramus why this is? gracias.

[GasCat]

Only 20 percent of the buyers think extras are important. I think our poll here was less than that. I love extras myself. It all depends on the disc you buy. Some have a lot and some have nothing.

I checked out the two pirates movies. There is over 15 hours of extras on both of the discs. Now if only they were filmed in HD.

[coolwavepic]

I really want to get Silent Hill on blu-ray but I am not paying $25 for a movie with absolutely nothing. I accidently did that with Lord of War.

I got bashed big time on another thread pissed off about the 300 special features being on HD-DVD and not blu-ray. Everyone here said who cares about special features.

I for one do care and I also expect new movie experiences that raise the bar from DVD.

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by coolwavepic

I really want to get Silent Hill on blu-ray but I am not paying $25 for a movie with absolutely nothing. I accidently did that with Lord of War.

I got bashed big time on another thread pissed off about the 300 special features being on HD-DVD and not blu-ray. Everyone here said who cares about special features.

I for one do care and I also expect new movie experiences that raise the bar from DVD.

i know exactally what you mean i love extras thats why i buy them on blu-ray or dvd instead of watching it in the movie theater because if you dont want extras then just watch it in a movie theater but for us who love extras should own the movie and to buy them on blu-ray of course with high definition extras instead of the hd-dvds hogging all of the glory. and besides with extras you get deleted scenes you wouldnt see in the movie theater anyways.

[gamer4eva]

what's the max u see special features for once maybe twice so i don't think it matters really the only special features i liked is the one deuce bigalow european gigolo if ne1's seen it they know which one

[ReduxInflux]

okay so i agree and disagree. i agree that the special features may be expendable due to their limited reviewability....and im not one for deleted scenes, trailers, etc...but i do appreciate a making of featurette here and there but again, i wont complain if it aint included. now that being said, there are special features that i find necessary...especially on a disc of blu-ray's magnitutde - and those are the mini documentaries to compliment fact-based stories such as ...for example... black hawk down, remember the titans, invincible, 300, etc. or if it's a book adaptation, i want the down low on the author. i.e. the chronic of narnia, lord of the rings, etc. and a big for instance, when transformers is released on blu, it better have a second disc with a couple of documentaries. i want the film companies to do it for the fans and not simply go half ass on their releases when they could invest in the capabilities of the disc. make sense? ...i knew it would...awesome.

[dakota81]

Originally Posted by coolwavepic

I really want to get Silent Hill on blu-ray but I am not paying $25 for a movie with absolutely nothing. I accidently did that with Lord of War.

I got bashed big time on another thread pissed off about the 300 special features being on HD-DVD and not blu-ray. Everyone here said who cares about special features.

I for one do care and I also expect new movie experiences that raise the bar from DVD.

The main reason I bought into Blu-ray, and probably the same reason you did too, is the movie selection. Beyond that, I really don't have much control over what's put out. The movies released in 2006 were all on BD-25 discs, which had the space limitations on how many extras could fit, and now most new releases are on BD-50 discs so you should start seeing more and more special features as time goes by.

As for the features on 300, there's features I think I'll use, and features I know I won't. The scene arrangement feature on 300 is not something I would use. Just like the games included in the Pirates movies I will never use. So you've also got to factor the quality of special features, not just the quantity.

But it still comes back to the original issue - I would rather purchase a movie with no special features, than to not have the movie available at all for purchase. Though I probably won't re-buy movies I've already got on dvd if there are no new special features. The only dupes I've got are the Pirates, and Goodfellas just because my dvd copy is double-sided, half-way through movie playback stops and I have to turn the disc over. Yeah, that one required updating.

[Shu76]

I'm not really big on extras,I buy Blu-Ray for PQ,Audio and the movie itself.

[ReduxInflux]

Originally Posted by coolwavepic

I got bashed big time on another thread pissed off about the 300 special features being on HD-DVD and not blu-ray. Everyone here said who cares about special features..

why did wb do that with 300? decide to load up the hd-dvd (which has less space) and starve the blu-ray? is this a test? to see if the blu-ray outsells the hd-dvd despite hd-dvd's content superiority?

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by Shu76

I'm not really big on extras,I buy Blu-Ray for PQ,Audio and the movie itself.

Same here. I don't have the time or need for all the Fluff Stuff !

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by GasCat

Only 20 percent of the buyers think extras are important.

That might be true in a casual survey. But the flip side of that is if you see an HD-DVD of a film that has special features, and then the BD version of the film has none, even if you don't intend to watch them, as a consumer you feel as though you're getting "less" with BD. It's consumer psychology at its best (or worst, depending). Plus, Sony is using "extra special features/bonus material" as a selling point for BD.

As Dave Ramsey says, "Everybody likes to brag about buying stuff they don't really need to impress people they don't really like."

Personally I rarely take the time to play the special features unless it is on a movie I or my family are really in to, like the Harry Potter films, or many comedies have a lot of outtakes and deleted scenes--that stuff we DO like to watch.

It's one thing to buy a movie that has no bonus material. But to know that the bonus material is AVAILABLE, but I'm not getting it on BD while those HD-DVD owners are... well, that's BS. I agree with the OP.

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

It's one thing to buy a movie that has no bonus material. But to know that the bonus material is AVAILABLE, but I'm not getting it on BD while those HD-DVD owners are... well, that's BS. I agree with the OP.

If the fluff is really that important , maybe the person requesting the filler should go to the dark side (hd dvd)

[jedisinclair]

read my sig regarding the dark side

[jedisinclair]

Sorry... just playing (regarding previous post)... I do see the point. Why does HD DVD have more special features on their movies when they have less storage space than Blu-ray? That is a valid question/point... I personally would prefer to pop in a BD... and have nothing on it but the highest possible quality Picture and Audio (PQ / AQ) and nothing else (not eve the FBI warning screen- ha ha)... but I understand some people want the little extras.

[NutsAboutPS3]

Originally Posted by jedisinclair

I personally would prefer to pop in a BD... and have nothing on it but the highest possible quality Picture and Audio (PQ / AQ) and nothing else

But did they do this with 300, or has the BD got exactly the same movie encode as the HD-DVD?

[atomik kinder]

When I first bought DVD I thought it was kind of cool to have the extra little features, making of documentaries, etc. But now they are just tiresome. If they are there, fine, but if not , I don't really care. Come on, how many different ways can they tell you, this was filmed in front of a green screen (or blue screen). When I bought the Lord of the Rings extended editions, I started watching the documentaries after a while, I nearly fell asleep. They are boring as hell. There isn't much new lately in the land of film making, nothing terribly inventive. I mean, look at when Jurassic Park came out, I even bought the Making of JP laserdisc because it wasn't included with the movies, but that was because it was innovative, nothing like it had ever been done before. I don't think there is anything in 300 that Sin City of Sky Captain didn't already do, so who really cares?

[Merc1785]

Originally Posted by Shu76

I'm not really big on extras,I buy Blu-Ray for PQ,Audio and the movie itself.

Amen!

[reiella]

Originally Posted by NutsAboutPS3

But did they do this with 300, or has the BD got exactly the same movie encode as the HD-DVD?

That's because of Warner's bleh. Now it's a nice shift in their line of not releasing titles for Blu until the pip stuff is finished. Pretty much the difference comes in that right now, HDi/PiP is better than what blu-ray offers.

[jorg]

wow just relized it kinda of newbiee thread lol

but the answer is we will see bds special feture on par and bettwer then hd dvd but end of novmenber the reason why there is next to no pip or audiot comenatrys that becuase the second video and audio decorder arnt standed untill oct.31 and also blu-ray uses bd-j which is very new oposed to hd dvd that used ihd which its self is not entieraly new and is like last generation dvds

[Dadds]

Because most people just watch the movie(like me) and want the best PQ and SQ. The pip thing and someone talking in the background just ruins the movie for me. I also like how different people look at the movie and get something else out of it.