OT: DVD Special Features - a small rant

[jakdin]

Something that drives me absolutely crazy is how companies list "Interactive Menus" as a DVD Special Feature. :evil:

Now, since I live in Japan, it might just be the way things have been traslated, but I am positive I have seen this listed in English on DVDs from the States.

Has anyone noticed this? It is not listed on every DVD I have seen. It seems like most of the lower end DVDs which have zero exciting or fun extra features list this just to take up space in the EXTRAS area on the DVD case and make the buyer THINK they are getting a DVD with cool added bonus things.

From my point of view, Interactive Menus are what make a DVD a DVD and without them, you would just call the thing an enhanced video which plays when insterted.

And while I'm on this little rant, why do they also list "Chapter Select" when that is so common, that I have NEVER seen a DVD without it....here again, space filler to trick us?

[Shane R. Monroe]

I've actually seen DVDs without scene selectors.

And some WB flicks have really no menus ... just comes up with PLAY, basically. I dunno if I'd call that interactive.

In order to put "interactive menus" on a box, they should be moving, well-themed menus. That's just me.

[jakdin]

Yes, I see what you mean. I am talking about the DVDs which have full menu systems and have the page for selecting individual chapters. I hate most WB DVDs, and don't ever buy them if I can help it.

Hmmm, so maybe some of the lesser known companies would add "interactive menus" so people don't think they are getting a WB type DVD?

Ok, maybe my rant is not as valid as I at first thought....damn. Owned by Shane. :oops:

[rolisme]

I hate interactive menus, one more reason to buy Criterion DVDs. Those are how menus should be. No FBI warning at the beginning, simple and easy to navigate menus. Within 10 secs you are watching whatever feature you want on the disc. The menus are tasteful and generally compliment the movie well. All DVD authors should learn from Criterion menu design.

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

I hate interactive menus, one more reason to buy Criterion DVDs. Those are how menus should be. No FBI warning at the beginning, simple and easy to navigate menus. Within 10 secs you are watching whatever feature you want on the disc. The menus are tasteful and generally compliment the movie well. All DVD authors should learn from Criterion menu design.
I am totally with you there. Shane totally gets off on the menu intros and gadgets they come with and they simply irritate the fuck out of me. I am not a big behind the scenes fan, i don't like the extra dvds full of useless tripe like interviews (most actors do lousy interviews anyways. Act don't try and sound intellegent). I don't care how they made the movie or the behind the scenes look. I do like deleted scenes and outtakes. Thats about it. But like i said, people like Shane, they live and die by that shit. Not me.

[Demolition Man]

It all depends on what kind of extras are on the disc for me. Sometimes the stuff is great (the "Lord Of The Rings" extended boxsets), and sometimes its pure crap that they make look like there is a LOT there but when you sit thru it you feel like its almost all filler ("Lion King" is a pure one on this - lots of stuff listed yet nothing good... the Laserdisc boxset just OWNS the DVD as far as the extras are concerned).

But I do agree Bryan, sometimes actors and such can really sound like pure idiots. Don't let that knock you down from some of the better more well produced and put together documentries/audio commentaries/etc that are on DVD (a recent good example are the three audio commentaries on the SE for "Rain Man" - great stuff)

[jakdin]

Well, I must be a Shane then. I absolutely LOVE DVDs stuffed to the rim with goodies. They gotta be nice and enjoyable though. I also really get off on all the animated menus and such, being a motion graphics artist myself.

I really enjoy watching interviews of actors that I LIKE and respect, same goes for directors (only a few of whom I respect). Now, I wouldn't care less, nor really watch some stupid arse actor whom I had no interest in.

Before I go too much farther, what do you all deem an Interactive Menu? My definition of it is a menu item which can be clicked to advance to a different portion of data. I think there is a difference between that and a menu item which comes whizzing into the screen with explosions and sound and eye-candy....that, to me, is NOT part of the Interactiveness....that's called animation. I am not talking about animated menus. I love to watch that stuff though! ;)

[Shane R. Monroe]

I love menu animations that are FULLY SKIPPABLE.

I should be able to get into the feature in like 5 seconds of the DVD picking up. Now, I've seen GREAT menus that allow you to skip directly to the root quickly. THAT is the way to do it. Don't MAKE me wait 50 seconds to get there.

As for extras, I'm a movie slut, ok? I'm interested in ALL aspects of movies; from the movie itself, to the composition of music, to the FX creation, even stunt work interests me. I like to see making ofs, featurettes on set building (fascinating that Eps 1's sets were only built like 6.5' high), everything. I'm into it. If you just like movies and care nothing about that stuff, then DVD must really piss you off. DVHS might be a better choice. You don't need non-linear playback. You hate menus. You hate extras. Might as well go backwards and use front to back playback with no extras. DVHS sounds like a DREAM format for you.

I work and play in the creation of interactive worlds. When I slide in a DVD, I appreciate and enjoy seeing that world extended there. Yes, I like to build my own DVDs. I like to create my own stuff. I want it all.

[jakdin]

Yeah, if it's nice to look at but takes too many steps to get to whatever content you want, especially just to play the movie, then that's a major detriment.

Has anyone ever seen a DVD where when you hit PLAY, you have to sit through Previews!?!? I have, on a rental or two, and oh my god, was I pissed! Couldn't forward, skip or anything....only way to bypass was to go to Chapter Select and start at chp 2!

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

It all depends on what kind of extras are on the disc for me. Sometimes the stuff is great (the "Lord Of The Rings" extended boxsets), and sometimes its pure crap that they make look like there is a LOT there but when you sit thru it you feel like its almost all filler ("Lion King" is a pure one on this - lots of stuff listed yet nothing good... the Laserdisc boxset just OWNS the DVD as far as the extras are concerned).

But I do agree Bryan, sometimes actors and such can really sound like pure idiots. Don't let that knock you down from some of the better more well produced and put together documentries/audio commentaries/etc that are on DVD (a recent good example are the three audio commentaries on the SE for "Rain Man" - great stuff)
The only time i can say i really enjoyed a overloaded double dvd set was on jay and slient bob. That was a very well put together collection of extras. I sat there for 4 freaking hours and couldnt get enough.

Damn that Kevin Smith :)

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

If you just like movies and care nothing about that stuff, then DVD must really piss you off. DVHS might be a better choice. You don't need non-linear playback. You hate menus. You hate extras. Might as well go backwards and use front to back playback with no extras. DVHS sounds like a DREAM format for you.

Have you lost your damn mind? So you are saying if you dont like all the goofy ass extras then you should watch a crappy quality VHS Tape? You do realize they don't make DTS quality tapes right? And the picture quality blows ass (even for my blind ass). Why are you going to make me beat you?

[Bill_Loguidice]

If you just like movies and care nothing about that stuff, then DVD must really piss you off. DVHS might be a better choice. You don't need non-linear playback. You hate menus. You hate extras. Might as well go backwards and use front to back playback with no extras. DVHS sounds like a DREAM format for you.

Have you lost your damn mind? So you are saying if you dont like all the goofy ass extras then you should watch a crappy quality VHS Tape? You do realize they don't make DTS quality tapes right? And the picture quality blows ass (even for my blind ass). Why are you going to make me beat you?

DVHS is actually better quality than DVD, but frankly I wouldn't touch a tape format again, unless its a DV tape for my digital video camera.

[Bryan 'KidHype' Smith]

DVHS is actually better quality than DVD, but frankly I wouldn't touch a tape format again, unless its a DV tape for my digital video camera.
You couldnt pay me enough money to go back to rewinding tapes no matter how good the quality is. Plus, you cant properly back up tapes. They degrade over time. I've lost so many tapes do to over watchage that again, i am never going back to tapes.

[Shane R. Monroe]

DVHS is DTS and better picture than DVD, that's true.

I can understand its market after listen to people bitch about the menus and extras on the DVD product. I didn't get it until now - who the HELL would CONSIDER buying DVHS, but I get it.

People that don't care about non-sequential playback, menus, or extras :)

[Demolition Man]

DVHS is DTS and better picture than DVD, that's true.

I can understand its market after listen to people bitch about the menus and extras on the DVD product. I didn't get it until now - who the HELL would CONSIDER buying DVHS, but I get it.

People that don't care about non-sequential playback, menus, or extras :)

DVHS is good also for taping HDTV programming with. I wouldn't mind getting a DVHS unit myself but that's a bit down the road for me, it certainly would replace my Sony 4 Head unit in my HT. :)

[crcasey]

Since my 'home' projection system is a white box I guess I have to add in my personal gripe about DVD menu design. What bothers me is a menu system that hides it hot spots. If you were accessing it from a remote you would have four way control. But I have seen several movies that you have to do a mouse hunt like in the old adventure games to get the hot spots.

Box it in and make the whole box active for non-remote users. Please.