Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

My biggest gripe about DVDs these days are the fancy menus. I detest
those things. More often than not, these menus will show snippets,
pictures, & clips of key scenes in the movie... spoilers, if you will.
I plug in the Crouching Tiger DVD, and voila! Before I even watch the
movie, I already see the penultimate combat sequence playing in its
entirety right before my eyes. I plug in one of the discs in the "24"
2nd season set, and voila! Before I even watch the show, I'm treated
to a picture of a main character's death scene. WTF are these DVD
makers thinking, anyway?

And this isn't just a gripe about spoilers either. It's also about
practicality.

A whole bunch of these DVDs will have looping sequences in the main
menu. You plug in the DVD, and the sequence will loop over and over
and over again (ad infinitum). This causes the DVD drive to start,
read, and stop with each loop. You can have the DVD drive
start-and-stop about two or three times a minute... making it
extremely annoying to have the main menu on-screen while you're
waiting for people before a movie (fixing munchies, going to the
bathroom, talking, etc).

And as we all know, we have ALL made the mistake of forgetting to turn
off the DVD at night after we turn off the TV. If you happen to leave
your DVD running in the main menu, you'll have the DVD drive going
through the "start-read-stop" loop 2 or 3 times a minute every minute
for the next 12 hours or so. Something like that could signficantly
shorten your fancy DVD player's lifespan.

So in conclusion, I think DVD menus should go back to having simple
point-and-click interface without spoilers and without active
backgrounds. And all the DVD producers responsible for that crap (you
can see their names in the DVD credits) should be shot dead and
dragged to the streets for display as a warning for future DVD
producers. Thank you for your time.

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

opticreep@yahoo.com (Opticreep) said:

> extremely annoying to have the main menu on-screen while you're
> waiting for people before a movie (fixing munchies, going to the
> bathroom, talking, etc).

That what the extras are for. I usually play a few short extras while
everyone is getting their **** together. They can damn well wait 20
seconds once they're ready for the movie to get started.
--
McQualude

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

> I plug in one of the discs in the "24"
> 2nd season set, and voila! Before I even watch the show, I'm treated
> to a picture of a main character's death scene.

They seriously did that? Holy crap.

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

Barton Fink too, shows you a significant scene right near the end of the
film
idiots!!

Sean


"Opticreep" <opticreep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9e1f277e.0402211648.45000974@posting.google.c om...
> My biggest gripe about DVDs these days are the fancy menus. I detest
> those things. More often than not, these menus will show snippets,
> pictures, & clips of key scenes in the movie... spoilers, if you will.
> I plug in the Crouching Tiger DVD, and voila! Before I even watch the
> movie, I already see the penultimate combat sequence playing in its
> entirety right before my eyes. I plug in one of the discs in the "24"
> 2nd season set, and voila! Before I even watch the show, I'm treated
> to a picture of a main character's death scene. WTF are these DVD
> makers thinking, anyway?
>
> And this isn't just a gripe about spoilers either. It's also about
> practicality.
>
> A whole bunch of these DVDs will have looping sequences in the main
> menu. You plug in the DVD, and the sequence will loop over and over
> and over again (ad infinitum). This causes the DVD drive to start,
> read, and stop with each loop. You can have the DVD drive
> start-and-stop about two or three times a minute... making it
> extremely annoying to have the main menu on-screen while you're
> waiting for people before a movie (fixing munchies, going to the
> bathroom, talking, etc).
>
> And as we all know, we have ALL made the mistake of forgetting to turn
> off the DVD at night after we turn off the TV. If you happen to leave
> your DVD running in the main menu, you'll have the DVD drive going
> through the "start-read-stop" loop 2 or 3 times a minute every minute
> for the next 12 hours or so. Something like that could signficantly
> shorten your fancy DVD player's lifespan.
>
> So in conclusion, I think DVD menus should go back to having simple
> point-and-click interface without spoilers and without active
> backgrounds. And all the DVD producers responsible for that crap (you
> can see their names in the DVD credits) should be shot dead and
> dragged to the streets for display as a warning for future DVD
> producers. Thank you for your time.

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

"Opticreep" <opticreep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9e1f277e.0402211648.45000974@posting.google.c om...
> My biggest gripe about DVDs these days are the fancy menus. I detest
> those things. More often than not, these menus will show snippets,
> pictures, & clips of key scenes in the movie... spoilers, if you will.


I'd guess the trouble is that the menu designers will assume you've already
seen the movie at the cinema, or the TV series on the TV, so you won't mind
too much,

I find it worse to open the case and see what amounts to a plot resumee on
the booklet or inside cover (the chapter listing) where I have to avert my
eyes!

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

Mark W wrote on [Sun, 22 Feb 2004 21:00:42 -0000]:
>
> "Opticreep" <opticreep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:9e1f277e.0402211648.45000974@posting.google.c om...
>> My biggest gripe about DVDs these days are the fancy menus. I detest
>> those things. More often than not, these menus will show snippets,
>> pictures, & clips of key scenes in the movie... spoilers, if you will.
>
>
> I'd guess the trouble is that the menu designers will assume you've already
> seen the movie at the cinema, or the TV series on the TV, so you won't mind
> too much,
>
> I find it worse to open the case and see what amounts to a plot resumee on
> the booklet or inside cover (the chapter listing) where I have to avert my
> eyes!
>

I find it worse that some stupid DVDs don't let you get to the control
portion of the menu for way too long. Sure, I may be able to push skip
or whatever, But a menu should be active the second it's shown, not
after some random video clip has been loaded and starts playing, or a
soundtrack or whatever.

And look at the original Planet of the Apes for the ultimate in BS
spoilers

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

The Criterion version of The Lady Vanishes has a photo from the movie on
the essay booklet that gives away a spoiler.

--
"Get rid of the Range Rover. You are not responsible for patrolling
Australia's Dingo Barrier Fence, nor do you work the Savannah, capturing
and tagging wildebeests."
--Michael J. Nelson

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

<< A whole bunch of these DVDs will have looping sequences in the main
menu. You plug in the DVD, and the sequence will loop over and over
and over again (ad infinitum). This causes the DVD drive to start,
read, and stop with each loop. You can have the DVD drive
start-and-stop about two or three times a minute... making it
extremely annoying to have the main menu on-screen while you're
waiting for people before a movie (fixing munchies, going to the
bathroom, talking, etc). >><BR><BR>
How's about those video/record stores that play a DVD on the TV that hangs from
the ceiling, and don't bother to turn it off once the movie is over? Guess
what, it goes back to the menu and plays forever and makes for an irritating
shopping experience.

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

"Opticreep" <opticreep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9e1f277e.0402211648.45000974@posting.google.c om...
> My biggest gripe about DVDs these days are the fancy menus.

Besides your reasons, which I agree with, I think of them as sheer bloat,
that serve no useful purpose with regards to content whatsoever. I wish all
DVD menus were simply that: text menus with a background behind them.
Simple and to the point, without wasting my time watching pointless
animations that add nothing to the presentation except annoyance.

Mike

Re: Spoilers in DVD main menus
 

"Mike Kohary" <spam@be.gone> wrote:

>Besides your reasons, which I agree with, I think of them as sheer bloat,
>that serve no useful purpose with regards to content whatsoever. I wish all
>DVD menus were simply that: text menus with a background behind them.
>Simple and to the point, without wasting my time watching pointless
>animations that add nothing to the presentation except annoyance.

To a point. Not all animated menus are created equal. A lot of them
*are* far too elaborate, but some are simply enough and can provide
their own amusment value. The ones one the FUTURAMA sets, for example.

-- jayembee