Extras on Independence Day Blu-ray

[sygnus]

Based on early reviews it's not as though they reinvented the wheel with pq on this (although audio sounds excellent) so I refuse to believe that a 50g release is unable to house at least ported over sd featurs from the special edition. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of the same "we don't even care about special features" as a blanket argument every time we get a lazy release. Love or hate this movie it was technically very elaborate to film and interesting to many as to how it was done. You want more adopters to the format? Try giving buyers at least the same consideration the got when they purchased the dvd. A scavenger hunt game? For those who claim they don't want special features and want everything thrown at the pic and audio, how often are you actually going to play some lame ass game where you try to find things onscreen with your remote control? Talk about waste of data space. That'll get mainstream America to buy into marquee titles "Look! We get to sit and find stuff on screen for two hours! Toss the dvd!"

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by sygnus

For those who claim they don't want special features and want everything thrown at the pic and audio, how often are you actually going to play some lame ass game where you try to find things onscreen with your remote control?

I am one of those who want as much as possible thrown into the PQ and AQ, so to answer your question...never. I don't want a game included either. If I wanted to play a game, I would put in a real game BD into the PS3....

[sygnus]

Then add a damn disc! Now many of the posters here aside, most viewers will NEVER tell the difference between the image quality between a disc with extras and one without. NEVER. Most can't pick between 1080i and 1080p. With a solid tv I have a hard time with it sometimes as well. If everyone wants this format to grow then it should be hoped that special features don't disappear. None of us want to see everything go to downloads, and to the average joe special features are the most noticeable difference. Special Features are value and content that is largely not included in the download experience. You want your precious disc space and still have a viable format that will not go the way of the HD DVD, then let's see an extra disc. For the price Fox charges a disc to not include much else than the flick is abhorrent. To appease fans of bonus content and a/v snobs then add a freaking extra disc. There would be more argument, by the way, if every featureless disc was mind blowing in the most important areas of vid and sound. It is ridiculous for so many blu fans to insist that features are meaningless and will have no impact on the format. Denial at best. I agree that many people will not watch a special feature more than once, and sometimes not at all. But do you really think including less and less of them will actually contribute to this format thriving?

[nycomet]

Originally Posted by Mrcheerful

The extras on the UK Disc are..

1. Scene-specific commentary by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin.
2. Audio commentary by Oscar winning special effects supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith.
3. High Definition trailers of FOX titles.
4. ID4 datastream triva track (watch film with pop-up factoids and intresting notes).
5. Keyword search (Locate all your favorite scenes and charactors in the movie).
6. Alien scavenger hunt java game.
7. Bookmarks (Set and jump to your custom markers in the movie).

You know what sucks?

I cannot play the Alien Scavenger game or do any of the other extras because I have the Japan import. All of the text is in Japanese glyphs. So I got the BD back in early January. But until I learn to read Japanese, this game is Greek, er, Japanese to me.

Hmmph.

At least I have a pristine copy of the movie. The PQ and AQ are literally out of this world.

[Mobe1969]

Anyone know if the Japese version is region locked?

[owa]

Originally Posted by Mobe1969

Anyone know if the Japese version is region locked?

Try this site: http://bluray.liesinc.net/

or the region code thread: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=20656

to see if you can find anything on it.

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by sygnus

Then add a damn disc! Now many of the posters here aside, most viewers will NEVER tell the difference between the image quality between a disc with extras and one without. NEVER. Most can't pick between 1080i and 1080p. With a solid tv I have a hard time with it sometimes as well. If everyone wants this format to grow then it should be hoped that special features don't disappear. None of us want to see everything go to downloads, and to the average joe special features are the most noticeable difference. Special Features are value and content that is largely not included in the download experience. You want your precious disc space and still have a viable format that will not go the way of the HD DVD, then let's see an extra disc. For the price Fox charges a disc to not include much else than the flick is abhorrent. To appease fans of bonus content and a/v snobs then add a freaking extra disc. There would be more argument, by the way, if every featureless disc was mind blowing in the most important areas of vid and sound. It is ridiculous for so many blu fans to insist that features are meaningless and will have no impact on the format. Denial at best. I agree that many people will not watch a special feature more than once, and sometimes not at all. But do you really think including less and less of them will actually contribute to this format thriving?

I agree about adding a disc IF the studios want to add the junk...but like I said, I don't really care if it's there or not.

I also don't think the format's future lies with special features...it lies with PQ and AQ. Do you see features being advertised by the studios? No - I see PQ and AQ being marketed. Did you buy a HDTV to watch SD features? I know I didn't buy my HDTV to watch features...I bought it to watch the movie.

BTW - HD DVD is EXACTLY the model that I don't want Blu-Ray to follow. More often than not they sacrificed the HD audio track to slap on a bunch of useless "features". Exactly what HDM should not be about.

Checkthis out - , outlines the online content use. Granted not the same as features included with the disc, but it does outline that BD's success will not hinge on features and profile 2.

Coles notes version:

Transformers (HD DVD's biggest title) only attracted 80,000 users to visit the site. 69% of that 80,000 never went back.

Universal’s Heroes, Knocked Up and Evan Almighty online content was ignored by 70% of HD DVD owners.

[FW585C]

For me:

1) Improved PQ and AQ is most important.
2) Extended versions by seamless branching would be great.
3) Alternate endings and deleted scenes would be next.
4) Movie Trailer.

All other things like games, production photos, directors comments are pure fluff to me.

[TheTenth]

can't f*** find all the images, got only 7/12 ... anywhere I can find hints?

[Galley]

Originally Posted by TheTenth

can't f*** find all the images, got only 7/12 ... anywhere I can find hints?

There's actually 36. It generates a random list of 12 every time you play it.

[CheapChildren]

I'm really pleased this has so much extra-wise. I just wish they would spice up the cover art for these blu releases.

[sygnus]

Well seeing how Blu controls a very small portion of the market compared to the juggernaut that is SD DVD I think it's important to include as much bang for the buck as possible. HD DVD is not the model you want Blu to follow? How about SD as the model to follow?! I defy you to show me many releases (even schlocky "b" flicks) that don't include a good number of bonuses. I want Blu to succeed (I wouldn't own 2 players and bought one for my Dad if I didn't) but simply forcing mainstream consumers to adopt the attitude of so many here that special features "don't matter" is naive at best. It's this same inflexible point of view that has alienated so many HD DVD guys. Yeah they lost, but they were early adopters too and what Blu needs are supporters. More adopters means more revenue which means more titles, cheaper players and an early demise to all these download formats. Perspective is only correct in the eye of the beholder and may actually be blind to the whole picture. Blu won the first battle and that's great but it is by no means a done deal in the marketplace many fans seem to take for granted. No attention should be spared to make this product as attractive as possible (at least comparable to SD in terms of total value) to more than just those who consider only audio and video as perceivable merit.