who watches the special features? - Page 3 - Blu-ray Forum

gand41f · 09-25-2007, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKRUhddvd

watched FLATLINERS on blu the other night. what struck me was how fast the disc loaded and how easy it was to "just watch the movie". this is an older movie lacking all the special features found on releases like POTC. don't get me wrong, theatrical trailers and some of the deleted scenes are nice to have available. i was just amazed at how quick i got from inserting the disc to watching the movie. do you think their would be a market for lower priced disc's without all the extras?

For the record, the question in the thread title is somewhat unrelated to your experience there. POTC are one of the extremely slow-loading titles due to extensive use of BD-J for menus and are really special cases. The rest of Disney/Buena Vista take time because they contain trailers at the beginning. They are skippable with the forward chapter button but they disable menu access so you need to skip them one by one, hence the long time it takes until the movie loads.

Most other studios (Sony for instance) will give you one generic Blu-ray ad and then it's the main menu. That's fast enough. Warner is somewhat different because they give you the warning pages (some of which are not skippable) and starts the movie without a menu. Some people like this; some don't.

As for your question, I don't mind the forced trailers as long as I can fast forward them (Disney style). It gives me a little bit of the theater feeling.

The rest of special features, the ones I need to use the menu to dig them out, I almost never watch. (There are probably a lot of people like me, which explains why Disney is doing it this way.)

enjoy
gandalf

w_tanoto · 09-25-2007, 04:28 AM

not always, but i am

lch · 09-25-2007, 06:03 AM

i watched all the 21 james bond documentary/making of/... dvd extras.
wow, they are even longer than the movie themselves.

and also star trek extras at the end of each seasons to see the cast talk about each others and the process of making budget tv sfx.

DNR7265 · 09-25-2007, 09:05 AM

I personally do not like all of the extras. One of the reasons I don't go to the theaters anymore is because of all the b.s. they tack on in front of the movie.

jccca · 09-25-2007, 12:52 PM

I only watch them If they're on high definition, which is the reason I bought high-def media. If it's SD there's no chance in hell I would watch it lol

MOONPHASE · 09-25-2007, 12:53 PM

i will watch any extra feature because i paid for it so why not do everything the disc can do if you pay for the speical features along with the movie?

JennyBunny · 09-25-2007, 12:58 PM

I've probably watched most of the special features on my dvds, but usually never more than once. If they have a "special edition" with a second disc of extra features and a regular edition, I usually buy the regular edition since they usually cost a little less.

Lord_Stewie · 09-25-2007, 01:00 PM

I don't know but when it comes to special features, i think they should be part of the films. sometimes they have documentaries and stories about development that are worth checking out.

SS316SRV · 09-25-2007, 01:03 PM

I watched Apocalypto's I also watched the special features on Taxi Driver (SD) and also on Day of the Dead (SD).

SS316SRV · 09-25-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadblz

I don't know but when it comes to special features, i think they should be part of the films. sometimes they have documentaries and stories about development that are worth checking out.

I agree fully. However, special features should not be the reason why one format is superior to another.

Blaumann · 09-25-2007, 01:11 PM

I´ve hardly watched any of the extras for the SD DVDs over the time. On HDM i´ve checked out a few of them out of curiosity and because the format is new.

Don´t want to spoil the Hollywood magic with knowing too much technical behind the scenes stuff. I like to listen to a director's/crew comment track now and then though.

Intamin · 09-25-2007, 02:25 PM

I think out of all my dvd's/blu rays, I've maybe watched 2 special fetures sections. I look at what they are, but I never actually view, just give me the movie.

chris_617 · 09-25-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jctash

I haven't bothered to look at them. Its not that big a deal for me

same here, i only care about the movie. after 2 or more hours of watching the movie, i don't think i have extra time for other features. But i can watch another film tho....heheh!

Kristin Simard · 09-25-2007, 05:55 PM

It's interesting the difference between a Hollywood "making of" feature and ones for foreign and/or "art house" film. The later can be very interesting, the former somewhat dull. This is a generalization, I can now think of many exceptions after writing this...anyhoo...When the features carry intelligent interviews with the actors, director, writer, composer, cinematographer; these can be very interesting. Commentary by professors can be dull, with only little insight. The closer to the actual filmmakers, the better. I can interpret films myself. Alternate takes can be insightful or boring. Trailers are usually dull.

But usually I'll watch this stuff only once.

Lord_Stewie · 09-25-2007, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS316SRV

I agree fully. However, special features should not be the reason why one format is superior to another.

you are right, people shouldn't pick a format just for the special features. Come to think about it the public is looking "CONTENT" in other words content matter nowadays. and BD is the best provider so far content when it comes to their films.

Frumious Boojum · 09-25-2007, 06:31 PM

There is definitely a huge market for lower-priced featureless movies. They've already tested this with DVD. I guess mostly, at the moment, they're thinking, what's the point when you only have one disc anyway? DVDs are normally sold in single and two disc editions and the single tends to be a bit more mass produced for a good reason.

Really, most people don't watch the special features unless they're bored. Commentaries are only for the minority that are obsessed with the film.

Disney actually did a study a few years ago and found that only about 25% of the people actually use the special features. So, they stopped putting out a 2 disc for every single release after that study starting with Lilo & Stitch.

When I first started getting DVD in 1998, I would always watch every special feature of every single DVD. Spending an entire day devoted to a single movie isn't very good for me anymore.

gearyt · 09-25-2007, 07:30 PM

only while waiting for family to join for feature viewing

Right of Might · 09-25-2007, 07:35 PM

The only special features I usually like are the behind the scenes specials and the History Channel or Discovery Channel specials that are some times based on the movie. Like 300, The Patriot, Pearl Harbor and the like. My problem is those rarely make the disc. Other than that I could care less. My MAIN concern is that the MOVIE is why I'm buying the disc not the special features.

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09-25-2007, 04:28 AM	#42
w_tanoto Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Hatfield, UK / Jakarta, Indonesia Blu-ray collection:37 Blu-ray reviews:47	not always, but i am

09-25-2007, 06:03 AM	#43
lch Senior Member Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:103 Blu-ray collection:813 Blu-ray reviews:1	i watched all the 21 james bond documentary/making of/... dvd extras. wow, they are even longer than the movie themselves. and also star trek extras at the end of each seasons to see the cast talk about each others and the process of making budget tv sfx.

09-25-2007, 09:05 AM	#44
DNR7265 Active Member Member since:Aug 2007	I personally do not like all of the extras. One of the reasons I don't go to the theaters anymore is because of all the b.s. they tack on in front of the movie.

09-25-2007, 12:52 PM	#45
jccca Member Member since:Sep 2007	I only watch them If they're on high definition, which is the reason I bought high-def media. If it's SD there's no chance in hell I would watch it lol

09-25-2007, 12:53 PM	#46
MOONPHASE Blu-ray Duke Top contributor Member since:Jun 2007 Location:California 4K collection:8 Blu-ray collection:520 DVD collection:820 Blu-ray reviews:18 Trading Score:29	i will watch any extra feature because i paid for it so why not do everything the disc can do if you pay for the speical features along with the movie?

09-25-2007, 12:58 PM	#47
JennyBunny Member Member since:Aug 2007	I've probably watched most of the special features on my dvds, but usually never more than once. If they have a "special edition" with a second disc of extra features and a regular edition, I usually buy the regular edition since they usually cost a little less.

09-25-2007, 01:00 PM	#48
Lord_Stewie Blu-ray Baron Member since:May 2007 Blu-ray collection:396 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	I don't know but when it comes to special features, i think they should be part of the films. sometimes they have documentaries and stories about development that are worth checking out.

09-25-2007, 01:03 PM	#49
SS316SRV Blu-ray Guru Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Appleton, WI Blu-ray collection:74	I watched Apocalypto's I also watched the special features on Taxi Driver (SD) and also on Day of the Dead (SD).

09-25-2007, 01:11 PM	#51
Blaumann Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:verge of breakdown	I´ve hardly watched any of the extras for the SD DVDs over the time. On HDM i´ve checked out a few of them out of curiosity and because the format is new. Don´t want to spoil the Hollywood magic with knowing too much technical behind the scenes stuff. I like to listen to a director's/crew comment track now and then though.

09-25-2007, 02:25 PM	#52
Intamin Power Member Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Houston Home Theater Gallery:38 Blu-ray collection:318	I think out of all my dvd's/blu rays, I've maybe watched 2 special fetures sections. I look at what they are, but I never actually view, just give me the movie.

09-25-2007, 05:55 PM	#54
Kristin Simard Special Member Member since:Aug 2007	It's interesting the difference between a Hollywood "making of" feature and ones for foreign and/or "art house" film. The later can be very interesting, the former somewhat dull. This is a generalization, I can now think of many exceptions after writing this...anyhoo...When the features carry intelligent interviews with the actors, director, writer, composer, cinematographer; these can be very interesting. Commentary by professors can be dull, with only little insight. The closer to the actual filmmakers, the better. I can interpret films myself. Alternate takes can be insightful or boring. Trailers are usually dull. But usually I'll watch this stuff only once.

09-25-2007, 06:31 PM	#56
Frumious Boojum Active Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Columbus, OH Blu-ray collection:115 Blu-ray reviews: 4	There is definitely a huge market for lower-priced featureless movies. They've already tested this with DVD. I guess mostly, at the moment, they're thinking, what's the point when you only have one disc anyway? DVDs are normally sold in single and two disc editions and the single tends to be a bit more mass produced for a good reason. Really, most people don't watch the special features unless they're bored. Commentaries are only for the minority that are obsessed with the film. Disney actually did a study a few years ago and found that only about 25% of the people actually use the special features. So, they stopped putting out a 2 disc for every single release after that study starting with Lilo & Stitch. When I first started getting DVD in 1998, I would always watch every special feature of every single DVD. Spending an entire day devoted to a single movie isn't very good for me anymore.

09-25-2007, 07:30 PM	#57
gearyt Power Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Henderson, NV Home Theater Gallery:8 Blu-ray collection:33	only while waiting for family to join for feature viewing

09-25-2007, 07:35 PM	#58
Right of Might Active Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:New Mexico	The only special features I usually like are the behind the scenes specials and the History Channel or Discovery Channel specials that are some times based on the movie. Like 300, The Patriot, Pearl Harbor and the like. My problem is those rarely make the disc. Other than that I could care less. My MAIN concern is that the MOVIE is why I'm buying the disc not the special features.

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