Okay, I have to post a couple of gripes I have about the Blu-Ray movies I've been buying. By the way, this isn't a complaing about Blu-Ray specificially since I presume these apply to HD-DVD as well.

1. Don't you wish you could insert a disc into your player and after it loads up you just start watching the movie? Okay, I think it's fine to have a bunch of previews but why can't I bypass them by pressing the "menu" or "disc menu" buttons and go straight to the movie? The only thing I can do is to use the "skip" button to skip through each preview individually until I get to the main movie menue - extremely annoying!

2. Prediction: the next big thing in home theater after 1080p projectors will be 2.35/2.40:1 anamorphic aspect ratios. So please stop making Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) discs that only play 16:9. Yes, these are great on HD sets especially if you don't want the black bars on the top and bottom of your screens, but I for one want to see the whole screen shot, and with an anamorphic screen setup and projection equipment you get the true cinema experience. I'll only purchase movies that are 2.35/2.4:1, or ideally both anamorphic and 16:9. (Incidentally, "Night at the Museum" is labelled as being 2.35:1 but it's actually 16:9, so I returned it.)

Of course I'm being nit-picky here and the bigger and more important issue is the format war, but don't these simple things make sense? What are your gripes?

1. Don't you wish you could insert a disc into your player and after it loads up you just start watching the movie? Okay, I think it's fine to have a bunch of previews but why can't I bypass them by pressing the "menu" or "disc menu" buttons and go straight to the movie? The only thing I can do is to use the "skip" button to skip through each preview individually until I get to the main movie menue - extremely annoying!

Its funny, I wanted to start a thread asking this EXACT same question! But figured people would insult me right and left of being picky. But this is a definite factor that drives me nuts when it comes to Blu-ray! HD DVD does not force a bunch of lame movie previews ahead of their movies like many of these Blu-ray's I've bought and I find it unexcusable that you can't hit the Menu or Disc Menu buttons to avoid it but have to one by one skip through each of them. Geeze, I feel like I'm back in the theater again! Is there no way around this stupidity??

Forcing me to watch 3-4 trailers, Interpol/FBI warnings, *AND* a commercial telling me that "Stealing Movies Is Bad/Illegal" is beyond obnoxious.

I paid for the movie and shouldn't be forced to watch this stuff. Having to hit the chapter skip button multiple times is also irritating. I should, at very least, be allowed to jump straight to the menu.

Neither of these are limitations of blu-ray.

Easy solution to the movie preview issue:

1. Pop in the disc to start it up.
2. Hit the restroom so you don't have to go during the movie
3. Go to the kitchen and fix your meal/snack for the movie
4. Check AVS Forum for the lastest posts
5. Return to your HT room and enjoy the movie (assuming the previews are done by then!)

2. Prediction: the next big thing in home theater after 1080p projectors will be 2.35/2.40:1 anamorphic aspect ratios. So please stop making Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) discs that only play 16:9.

When they release a movie (99% of the time) that is 1.85:1 aspect ratio, it's because the movie was filmed in that aspect ratio...it's called OAR, or original aspect ratio. I have a scope set-up and yes, I really enjoy movies that are filmed in cinemascope, but I don't think it's appropriate to screw with the director's aspect ratio for home media....just to fill my 2.35:1 screen.

Ron

PS: When I talk about 1.85:1 or 2.35:1...I using generic terms..I realize that there are many variations on those aspect ratios.

I'm also annoyed by all the crap at the beginning of the BRDs I own, but at least they're skippable. It's just annoying to have to skip each one.

Okay, I have to post a couple of gripes I have about the Blu-Ray movies I've been buying. By the way, this isn't a complaing about Blu-Ray specificially since I presume these apply to HD-DVD as well.

1. Don't you wish you could insert a disc into your player and after it loads up you just start watching the movie? Okay, I think it's fine to have a bunch of previews but why can't I bypass them by pressing the "menu" or "disc menu" buttons and go straight to the movie? The only thing I can do is to use the "skip" button to skip through each preview individually until I get to the main movie menue - extremely annoying!

2. Prediction: the next big thing in home theater after 1080p projectors will be 2.35/2.40:1 anamorphic aspect ratios. So please stop making Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) discs that only play 16:9. Yes, these are great on HD sets especially if you don't want the black bars on the top and bottom of your screens, but I for one want to see the whole screen shot, and with an anamorphic screen setup and projection equipment you get the true cinema experience. I'll only purchase movies that are 2.35/2.4:1, or ideally both anamorphic and 16:9. (Incidentally, "Night at the Museum" is labelled as being 2.35:1 but it's actually 16:9, so I returned it.)

Of course I'm being nit-picky here and the bigger and more important issue is the format war, but don't these simple things make sense? What are your gripes?

1. this is being improved on. if you purchased a disc recently, at least from sony, you'll notice there are no more preview trailers at the start of the disc. yes we would like to bypass the warnings as well, are these warnings not present on other formats? i know it's rampant on DVDs also, dunno about HD DVD cuz i dont have one. i havent bought a disney title lately so dunno what goes on there. lionsgate and fox titles dont have opening trailers. would indeed be nice tho pressign the menu button take you straight to main menu on the disc. this is how it works on pirated discs

2. you returned a disc b/c it was presented in its original aspect ratio? what excuse did you give them b/c i couldnt even exchange a gift fullscreen dvd i received and opened (found out after i opened) for the widescreen version. i threw the dvd in the trash.

Neither of these are limitations of blu-ray.

And there are a lot of Blu-ray movies that just start.

As for point number 2: I wouldn't want a 2.35 TV. There are a lot of movies in 1.85 or 1.78. 16x9 is perfect for TV content. I wouldn't want a TV with an AR of 2.35 and have lots of content pillarboxed.

1. Don't you wish you could insert a disc into your player and after it loads up you just start watching the movie? Okay, I think it's fine to have a bunch of previews but why can't I bypass them by pressing the "menu" or "disc menu" buttons and go straight to the movie? The only thing I can do is to use the "skip" button to skip through each preview individually until I get to the main movie menue - extremely annoying!

AnyDVD HD can strip out this junk. The forced titles before the main movie won't be going anywhere soon, this still appears on DVDs as well.

2. you returned a disc b/c it was presented in its original aspect ratio? what excuse did you give them b/c i couldnt even exchange a gift fullscreen dvd i received and opened (found out after i opened) for the widescreen version. i threw the dvd in the trash.

You know what? My bad. I had no idea that the OAR on Night at the Museum was 1.85:1. However, the back label clearly stated an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and on that basis Best Buy gave me no hassle on the return. But why is "The Shining" coming out on Blu-Ray at 1.66:1 when the OAR was 1.85:1?

When they release a movie (99% of the time) that is 1.85:1 aspect ratio, it's because the movie was filmed in that aspect ratio...it's called OAR, or original aspect ratio. I have a scope set-up and yes, I really enjoy movies that are filmed in cinemascope, but I don't think it's appropriate to screw with the director's aspect ratio for home media....just to fill my 2.35:1 screen.
What could have been nice is to have a anamorphic mode for 2.35:1 movies so it would be possible with the right display to see the movie in 1080 actual lines instead of between 200 black lines encoded on the disc. Unfortunately the number of displays that could take advantage of this mode is very very small but it still would have been nice to know it's there.

You know what? My bad. I had no idea that the OAR on Night at the Museum was 1.85:1. However, the back label clearly stated an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and on that basis Best Buy gave me no hassle on the return. But why is "The Shining" coming out on Blu-Ray at 1.66:1 when the OAR was 1.85:1?

http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/faq/html/shining/shining.html
13/ What aspect ratio was The Shining filmed in?
The entire negative was exposed, meaning that there was no in-camera hard matting so the film was effectively shot in Academy 1.37 but it wasn't intended to be shown in cinemas that way. The film was shot and conceived for 1:1.85 ratio screening (and the camera viewfinders had the 1.85 framelines marked on them) This is the standard ratio that widescreen films in the US are projected in. The 1:185 crop was achieved when the film was projected onto cinemas screens.

As for point number 2: I wouldn't want a 2.35 TV. There are a lot of movies in 1.85 or 1.78. 16x9 is perfect for TV content. I wouldn't want a TV with an AR of 2.35 and have lots of content pillarboxed.

Exactly.

16x9 is the HDTV transmission standard. That's why programs filmed in HD fit the screen.

What doesn't fit are the movies filmed in other widths.

1. I think WB has this as the movie just starts. But the preveiws are the disc it self not the player. Some componeys want you to watch their movies any way they can.

2. Like said its all OAR so far so you will get all ARs. Its a good thing not bad

Easy solution to the movie preview issue:

1. Pop in the disc to start it up.
2. Hit the restroom so you don't have to go during the movie
3. Go to the kitchen and fix your meal/snack for the movie
4. Check AVS Forum for the lastest posts
5. Return to your HT room and enjoy the movie (assuming the previews are done by then!)

The problem for me is I don't always want to watch a whole movie. When someone comes over and I want to demo my set-up, I just want to play a scene from several discs. It takes freakin' forever to go from one disc to the next!

So please stop making Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) discs that only play 16:9.

Agreed.

Loading screens.
If they're going to add extras that cause me to sit through load screens (The Day After Tomorrow one of the worst), I'd rather not have the extras that I probably will never watch anyway.

Easy solution to the movie preview issue:

1. Pop in the disc to start it up.
2. Hit the restroom so you don't have to go during the movie
3. Go to the kitchen and fix your meal/snack for the movie
4. Check AVS Forum for the lastest posts
5. Return to your HT room and enjoy the movie (assuming the previews are done by then!)

Good idea...DAMN GOOD idea. :)

Wolfie

AnyDVD HD can strip out this junk. The forced titles before the main movie won't be going anywhere soon, this still appears on DVDs as well.

Latest update from AnyDVD has this little message on it:

we would like to inform you, that a new version of AnyDVD
has been released. Here the list of fixes and improvements:

6.2.0.1 2007 11 20
- Note to people considering to invest in HD media: Please buy HD DVD
instead of Blu-ray. HD DVD is much more consumer friendly (e.g., no region
coding, AACS not mandatory, no BD+). Don't give your money to people,
who throw your fair-use rights out of the window.

Everyone who has the Cars and Ratatouille BD, the previews are hella annoying.

I agree about the 2.40:1 ratios, most of my HDs are at that ratios.

So please stop making Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) discs that only play 16:9.

That makes no sense to me. Are you there to watch a pretty image or watch a movie? That's like telling Ansel Adams to only shoot a 4x6 image so it fits in the frame you bought at Walmart. The technology serves the art. Not the other way around.

Easy solution to the movie preview issue:

1. Pop in the disc to start it up.
2. Hit the restroom so you don't have to go during the movie
3. Go to the kitchen and fix your meal/snack for the movie
4. Check AVS Forum for the lastest posts
5. Return to your HT room and enjoy the movie (assuming the previews are done by then!)

you forgot to get a beer while you were up

Disney films have a cr*pload of previews at the beginning and I find it *seriously* annoying. I really wish I could just hit the menu button and skip them but they force you to chapter skip each preview.

Yeah Disney has always done this going all the way back to VHS. At least we have chapter skip these days.

Easy solution to the movie preview issue:

1. Pop in the disc to start it up.
2. Hit the restroom so you don't have to go during the movie
3. Go to the kitchen and fix your meal/snack for the movie
4. Check AVS Forum for the lastest posts
5. Return to your HT room and enjoy the movie (assuming the previews are done by then!)

I can usually get in a day's worth of work before the movie loads. I even took a weekend trip while waiting for Ratatoiulle to load, and it was still on the previews when I returned.

You know what? My bad. I had no idea that the OAR on Night at the Museum was 1.85:1. However, the back label clearly stated an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and on that basis Best Buy gave me no hassle on the return. But why is "The Shining" coming out on Blu-Ray at 1.66:1 when the OAR was 1.85:1?

It is rather interesting about the Kubrick movies. He was the lone director that hated letterboxing, so, with the exception of 2001, most of his DVDs were fullscreen by his request despite that they weren't filmed that way. I think 2001 may have been purchased by Ted Turner which released it in 16:9 (although it was a 150mm print). Now that Kubrick is no longer with us, you see his movies being released closer or the same as the OAR. My DVD of The Shining was fullscreen "in keeping with the director's wishes."

you can skip them but they are shorter than the hd dvd load times

I've only had my blu-ray player for a few weeks and I'm already completely sick of the Wall-E trailer. The Disney previews have always been out of hand. It is especially annoying with Disney, because these are the ones I want to just put in for the kids and get playing quickly. I hate to have to wait around to skip through the previews so I can navigate the menus for my 2 year old.

2. Prediction: the next big thing in home theater after 1080p projectors will be 2.35/2.40:1 anamorphic aspect ratios. So please stop making Blu-Ray (or HD-DVD) discs that only play 16:9. Yes, these are great on HD sets especially if you don't want the black bars on the top and bottom of your screens, but I for one want to see the whole screen shot, and with an anamorphic screen setup and projection equipment you get the true cinema experience. I'll only purchase movies that are 2.35/2.4:1, or ideally both anamorphic and 16:9. (Incidentally, "Night at the Museum" is labelled as being 2.35:1 but it's actually 16:9, so I returned it.)

Okay, I feel like I have a pretty firm grip on my understanding of aspect ratios, but you have managed to confuse me just the same. Do you not understand that 16:9 is THE standard aspect ratio of high definition? Do you not understand that in order for a 2.35:1, 2.20:1 or 2.40:1 movie to be shown with it's entire image intact the black bars are required? Yes, CIH (constant image height) setups put some home theaters into a class of their own as far as spiffy display settings go, but this is done through projector settings and lenses. To alter the way the discs display the image would require a whole different standardization that would not be compliant to High Definition, and the would require a whole new line of players as well. Do you think that would be wise, seeing how both Blu-ray and HD DVD are struggling to make a dent in the consumer market right now? Coming up with a new display standard which requires different discs and different players would be shooting the entire HD home theater market in the collective foot. Also, doing so would be ignoring the 1.78:1 and 1.85:1 films out there. There are an awful lot of those, and standardizing displays, players and discs for Cinemascope and other ultra-wide film formats would degrade the resolution of the films that were shot flat.

Video must be standardized because the consumer has to be confident that regardless of which player he/she buys and which display device he/she buys, the player will work with the display properly. That includes aspect ratios. Movies and programs are shot in a variety of aspect ratios for various technical and artistic reasons. 16:9 and letterboxing for wider movies is the best compromise to allow those films and programs to be shown maximizing the capability of HD resolutions. I, for one, think the Grand Alliance was wise in choosing 16:9 as the standard aspect ratio for HD.

But why is "The Shining" coming out on Blu-Ray at 1.66:1 when the OAR was 1.85:1?

It depends on where you saw it. The film was screened in the US in 1.85:1 because that is a standard academy aspect ratio for movie screens here. The European standard is 1.66:1, so that's what theaters are set up for. Kubrick was American, but moved to England and that's where he did most of the production for his films, so he used European standards. The US theatrical screenings of "The Shining" actually cropped a tiny bit more off the top and bottom of the intended frame.

That makes no sense to me. Are you there to watch a pretty image or watch a movie? That's like telling Ansel Adams to only shoot a 4x6 image so it fits in the frame you bought at Walmart. The technology serves the art. Not the other way around.

+1

I like the menu after disc spin-up. I hate having to pause the movie that has started, then go to the menu to double check the correct audio option is selected (usually the default is Dolby Digital), then going back and back-skipping to start over. Big pet peeve. Once a movie starts for me, I don't want it to be interrupted.

I like the menu after disc spin-up. I hate having to pause the movie that has started, then go to the menu to double check the correct audio option is selected (usually the default is Dolby Digital), then going back and back-skipping to start over. Big pet peeve. Once a movie starts for me, I don't want it to be interrupted.

And then try explaining to your wife and kids why you need to interrupt the movie again after you finally got it loaded--just to fiddle with the audio options that no one else pays attention to but you!:eek:

I'll only purchase movies that are 2.35/2.4:1

I really can't see the logic in this. It boggles the mind. It really does.

I really can't see the logic in this. It boggles the mind. It really does.

I should qualify that: I only purchase (as in invest in ownership) of movies that dispaly in their OAR. so if the OAR was 2.35:1 I won't buy a version that's been chopped to 16:9. I'll still watch it through Netflix or an HD channel, but I won't buy it for my collection. On the other hand, if the OAR was say 1.85:1 then that's fine. The logic is that if the movie has been released in a format short of what was originally filmed, chances are that at some point they will get around to re-releasing in all its original glory. Same reason I won't by a standard definition DVD but wait for it to come out in high def. I'll still watch it in the meantime (once again, Netflix) but I won't invest in my own copy until I can duplicate the theater experience. But that's just me.

[QUOTE=txfilmguy;12279694]Do you not understand that 16:9 is THE standard aspect ratio of high definition? Do you not understand that in order for a 2.35:1, 2.20:1 or 2.40:1 movie to be shown with it's entire image intact the black bars are required? QUOTE]

I really don't care what the standard aspect ratio is for high definition, although I absolutely agree there needs to be a standard. And the fact that it's 16:9 is fine too. But the reality is most decent 1080p projectors will scale the image (stretching it vertically) to use all the vertical pixels available. Then with your anamorphic lens and 2.35:1 screen you have the ability to view an 2.35/2.4:1 OAR movie in all its orginal glory AND utilizing all the resolution and birghtness of your projector. And recreating the cinema experience is what it's all about, IMHO. Anything less for the sake of HD standards and the like is fine, but it's still something less, and not utilizing the technology to its fullest. Sure, not everyone necessarily wants or needs it, but why not publish a BLu-Ray DVD as closely as possible to the original and to the fullest extent of the technology (thereby covering all customers and markets) and let any "less than optimal" displaying be a function of user preference or equipment limitations, and not the other way around? In other words, don't let the current HDTV standard, as good as it is, be the lowest common denominator. Your choice of equipment should set the level, that way if you ever upgrade your equipment you don't have to replace your entire movie collection to take advantage of your new capabilities.

It is nice to skip, but if you weren't sitting or just getting ready to get comfy like getting the drinks. I guess you could be lucky for the previews, since you wouldn't be missing anything. If it started playing and you forgot to get your drink and you come back, the movie would have already started and you would have to restart it. Making the movie experience a bit unsatisfactory since you would already have seen some images and heard some of the context along the way.

I should qualify that: I only purchase (as in invest in ownership) of movies that dispaly in their OAR. so if the OAR was 2.35:1 I won't buy a version that's been chopped to 16:9. I'll still watch it through Netflix or an HD channel, but I won't buy it for my collection. On the other hand, if the OAR was say 1.85:1 then that's fine. The logic is that if the movie has been released in a format short of what was originally filmed, chances are that at some point they will get around to re-releasing in all its original glory. Same reason I won't by a standard definition DVD but wait for it to come out in high def. I'll still watch it in the meantime (once again, Netflix) but I won't invest in my own copy until I can duplicate the theater experience. But that's just me.

Well, just about everything has been in its OAR, except for the game Dragon's Lair which was chopped to 16:9 from its original 4:3 ratio. An exception for movies is The World's Fastest Indian, which was shot with Super 35 and played theatrically at 2.35:1. However, the director wanted it opened up (showing more image at the top and bottom) for home video, so it is 1.85:1 on disc.

As for your other comment about using all of the resolution, are you referring to anamorphic enhancement? That has not been put into the specs, probably because the vast majority of HD displays are fixed-pixel. Unlike anamorphic enhancement with DVDs, this would only affect a very small number of people (CIH is a niche within a niche within a niche). For this to be implented, players would have to be able to downconvert the image to prevent it from appearing distorted, just as DVD players are required to do with anamorphic titles.

It's possible that they could still release titles that are encoded vertically stretched that would work on CIH setups, but these could never be issued as "regular" discs because there would be lots of complaints from non-CIH people about the distorted image. Such a thing would have to be a bonus disc included with the standard version, or maybe a separate encoding on a BD-50.

you forgot to get a beer while you were up

He probably already drank that when he popped in th disc. :D