Forced pop-up menus at end credits on recent Sony titles

[8traxrule]

This has been mentioned a bit in some threads here, but needs to be formally called out. Here is what happens at the end of "Bloodshot" on both the 4K and regular Blu-Rays:

Annoying forced menu on recent Sony 4K and Blu-Ray discs! - YouTube

It automatically disappears after about 10 seconds as shown here- if you click "Extras" then all of the extras play in sequence- though I honestly don't think anyone who would skip the end credits would largely care about them. They also play if you let the movie run to the very end. The main menu is already accessible at any time using the Top Menu button.

The pop-up menu here is different than the standard one that appears when you hit the Menu button- that one also lets you go to the main menu or extras but also lets you select languages and scenes. I've played around a bit and this menu is set to ALWAYS appear at that point- putting the player on A-B repeat brings it up again for example.

As someone who has ALWAYS (for more than 37 years) let movies at home play COMPLETE to the end, and stayed til the very end in theaters longer than that, this is just unacceptable. I'm sure some here will say it's "no big deal" but this makes it impossible to show the complete movie with zero intrusions. I've always thought the regular pop-up menus were cool because they show off what the format can do, but they ONLY appear when the user hits the Menu button and aren't seen otherwise. I don't even know what good these pop-ups will do anyone else. Streaming services doing similar things is a big reason why I still prefer discs, but ironically redeeming the digital copy of Bloodshot will allow for an experience free from any annoyances. If Sony is trying to discourage people from buying disc media, I would say they are doing a good job here.

Other titles that I have heard do this include Mask of Zorro, Bad Boys For Life, Fantasy Island and the Resident Evil 4K set. Regardless of how minor an annoyance this may be, it is unacceptable and I will not be buying any more Sony Pictures titles as long as it continues. I have already sent printed letters to the top people at Sony pictures about this. I'm glad that many of their older titles are being licensed to other labels which likely won't be doing this.

[metsfan1545d]

Originally Posted by 8traxrule

This has been mentioned a bit in some threads here, but needs to be formally called out. Here is what happens at the end of "Bloodshot" on both the 4K and regular Blu-Rays:

Annoying forced menu on recent Sony 4K and Blu-Ray discs! - YouTube

It automatically disappears after about 10 seconds as shown here- if you click "Extras" then all of the extras play in sequence- though I honestly don't think anyone who would skip the end credits would largely care about them. They also play if you let the movie run to the very end. The main menu is already accessible at any time using the Top Menu button.

The pop-up menu here is different than the standard one that appears when you hit the Menu button- that one also lets you go to the main menu or extras but also lets you select languages and scenes. I've played around a bit and this menu is set to ALWAYS appear at that point- putting the player on A-B repeat brings it up again for example.

As someone who has ALWAYS (for more than 37 years) let movies at home play COMPLETE to the end, and stayed til the very end in theaters longer than that, this is just unacceptable. I'm sure some here will say it's "no big deal" but this makes it impossible to show the complete movie with zero intrusions. I've always thought the regular pop-up menus were cool because they show off what the format can do, but they ONLY appear when the user hits the Menu button and aren't seen otherwise. I don't even know what good these pop-ups will do anyone else. Streaming services doing similar things is a big reason why I still prefer discs, but ironically redeeming the digital copy of Bloodshot will allow for an experience free from any annoyances. If Sony is trying to discourage people from buying disc media, I would say they are doing a good job here.

Other titles that I have heard do this include Mask of Zorro, Bad Boys For Life, Fantasy Island and the Resident Evil 4K set. Regardless of how minor an annoyance this may be, it is unacceptable and I will not be buying any more Sony Pictures titles as long as it continues. I have already sent printed letters to the top people at Sony pictures about this. I'm glad that many of their older titles are being licensed to other labels which likely won't be doing this.

[GuruAskew]

This is a forum where there are all sorts of bizarre OCD freakouts over inconsequential things, like cover art and the dimensions of the packaging. This isn’t one of them. The credits are part of the movie and yeah, this is an intrusion, and a completely unnecessary one. It’s a non-existent problem that didn’t need “fixing.” We can wait until the movie is over or manually press the menu button if we want to watch the extras, that’s worked for decades. And it would undoubtedly draw the ire of filmmakers and the various guilds and unions that represent the people credited in said credits.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by GuruAskew

This is a forum where there are all sorts of bizarre OCD freakouts over inconsequential things, like cover art and the dimensions of the packaging. This isn’t one of them. The credits are part of the movie and yeah, this is an intrusion, and a completely unnecessary one. It’s a non-existent problem that didn’t need “fixing.” We can wait until the movie is over or manually press the menu button if we want to watch the extras, that’s worked for decades. And it would undoubtedly draw the ire of filmmakers and the various guilds and unions that represent the people credited in said credits.

It's all streaming and today's OCD, instant gratification shit now moving to discs. Hopefully it won't infect all the studios.
Does hitting exit or display make em go away at least?

[8traxrule]

You can hit the Down button. Hitting Menu brings up the regular pop-up menu with all the options, which most people would want anyways if they brought up any menu at all.

But the point is this will come up at that point EVERY time you play it, for all eternity. No player firmware updates or anything that involves playing the disc as intended will change it. And that's a bad thing.

[Bn43]

It's almost like they WANT me to rip my own discs and make the discs my backups.

[Monterey Jack]

HATE this trend. Hope it doesn't spread past Sony titles.

[darkness2918]

It doesn’t really matter to me since I never sit through credits anyway. Once the credits roll the movie is over as far as I’m concerned. If there’s an after credits scene I fast forward to it.

[Jay H.]

I haven't personally seen this. Is it just on 4K titles?

[Member-222782]

I thought this was going to be about ads so I feared the worst. This doesn't bother me but I wonder why they're doing this. All you have to do is press the menu button if you want the menu

[8traxrule]

I haven't personally seen this. Is it just on 4K titles?

It seems to have first been just on Blu-Rays (the 4K of Bad Boys For Life is said to not do this, but the regular Blu-Ray does; I have not seen either to confirm however) but currently they are doing it on both formats- which makes no sense because it's a middle finger to people who care about quality presentation. Occasionally in the 90s they would do stupid stuff to dumb down VHS releases, but they'd leave the laserdisc alone.

It doesn’t really matter to me since I never sit through credits anyway.

Well that's very nice. What if it happened during a part of the movie you did care about? Would it matter to you then?

[rdodolak]

It reeks as a carryover from the streaming world.

[Harpers Tate]

Old thread, I know - but I have just had this "experience" with the new Ghostbusters spin-off (it's a UK retail BD, but I suspect that doesn't make a difference; it's region free so probably identical). And yes; it annoys me. This film is one of those you actually need to watch to the end; there is some post credit content. Sony: please cease & desist. If I want a pop-up menu, I'll hit the relevant button. I don't need you to do that for me. And yes, I'm more likely now to make a backup copy - something I guess you'd prefer I didn't do.

[Killer Meteor]

I remember the original BD of Disney's Beauty and the Beast had this problem.

[WBMakeVMarsMovieNOW]

Originally Posted by 8traxrule

You can hit the Down button. Hitting Menu brings up the regular pop-up menu with all the options, which most people would want anyways if they brought up any menu at all.

But the point is this will come up at that point EVERY time you play it, for all eternity. No player firmware updates or anything that involves playing the disc as intended will change it. And that's a bad thing.

yet another reason to use a PC for playback, this is not a problem at all if you use a PC

(of course, the disc should not do this when using a standalone player though)

[unberechenbar]

I was pretty surprised when I noticed this for the first time. I think it was on the Bloodshot UHD.

[bigrob]

I find a similar thing with WB UHD's. when you start the film, on the left hand side a box appears confirming what audio and subtitles have been selected

[BudBaxter]

Hey, it could be worse. When Disney released The Little Mermaid on VHS in the UK in the 90s, it had a voice-over over the end credits telling us to stay tuned for an advert for their theme parks...

[Brian81]

Other Sony titles with forced pop-up menus during credits?...

[drush9999]

I had it on my UK copy of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, irritating as well, as it appears before the mid credit sequence.