What's More Important to You on a DVD?

[SHAFTR]

so I have the 2 Disc Lawrence of Arabia dvd...should I be upset?

I saw the link of the comparison, but the pictures didn't load up for me.

[SiliasRuby]

the whole idea of superbit is such a bullshit marketing strategy it makes me sick. they make like they use up all the disc space on picture and sound and couldn't possibly fit one extra feature on there, and if they do, they put it on a second disc calling it "superbit deluxe." let's look at the punch drunk love disc. a dual layer dvd disc fits more than 8.5 gigabytes. the movie is 90 minutes long and, if you don't include the two 5.1 audio tracks, fits on a single layer (4.4 gigs). If you include the two audio tracks, the movie comes out at 5.3 gigs.  This leaves us with about 3.2 gigabytes for extra material, MUCH more than is needed with the mere 30 minutes of bonus material given. so... columbia presents us with two discs, which makes the consumer think, "wow! the transfer was so good that the bonus material had to dip into a second disc! I HAVE TO BUY THIS!" the consumer will now pay a heftier price, b/c, after all, two discs means costs more money and since it's superbit and they had to do a "whole new transfer" (meaning, some lab technician had to enter a higher number on the computer to change the bitrate of the original transfer) the money is well worth it. truth is, superbit DOES offer great picture and sound, but compare this with the moulin rouge dvd. great picture, dts sound, dolby 5.1 sound, spanish 2.0 sound, TWO audio commentaries, a two hour plus running time. THIS is a disc that was so loaded that it required a 2nd disc, not PDL.

basically, all i'm saying is that superbit is an overpriced gimmick and it makes me incredibly angry.


in regards to my feelings on extras or picture, i'd probably buy the one with the better transfer. i have an hdtv now and hardly ever watch extras or listen to commentaries.

Agreed, 100% - about the Superbit thing.

That makes Three of us

[Ravi]

so I have the 2 Disc Lawrence of Arabia dvd...should I be upset?

I saw the link of the comparison, but the pictures didn't load up for me.

I guess you mean the SE, since the Superbit is also 2 discs.

Here's probably the most dramatic comparison I've seen:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=190575&highlight=superbit+lawrence

[SHAFTR]

damn it

[Ravi]

It all depends on how much you notice video artifacts.  I'm fairly picky, but not unreasonably IMO.  I passed on the Vertigo DVD because it had weird digital noise reduction artifacts, as did M, so I'm waiting for new DVDs of those.  I don't expect pristine transfers from even 80s or 90s films, but I want the DVD to be as accurate to the source as possible.  I am often wowed by what Criterion does with older films, such as The Passion of Joan of Arc.  

Some things like edge enhancement you will never stop seeing once you know what it is.

[Born Under Punches]

Sure, extras are swell, but the lack of any wouldn't dissuade me from making a purchase if I really love the movie/show.  If the disc is loaded, it's certainly a higher priority b/c I know I'll get more out of it than just watching the movie again.

But here's a thought that makes me sound like some old man:
With all the whining about 21 Grams, Matrix-rereleases and other stuff, I thought back to the old days before DVD took off.  When a movie came to the video, 85% of the time it was rental priced ($90ish), so your only options were renting it multiple times or waiting for a used copy.  Or waiting 6 more months for the sell-through release.  But now, 4 months after theatrical release, the dvd is out for 20 bucks and all the waiting is lost.  Things have gotten better, the prices have gone down, so if you have to wait a couple extra months for some extra stuff BOO HOO.  It's better than it used to be.

Cosign

[A Matter Of Chance]

Extra features are what they are, extra. Yeah, they're great, but what I really want is the movie. No one would buy a crappy movie if it had tons of special features. I'd rather be able to watch the movie with nice color, sound, transfer, etc., than have special features I hardly watch more than once.