Poll: The second disc. Do you care?

[tredecim]

By which I mean, of course, the "Extra content" you get with DVDs and Blu Rays nowadays.

It constantly gets on my nerves that I, most of the time, can't just go into a store and buy the movie I want to watch without being landed with an extra disc full of so-called special features, most of which are generally dull vox-pop filled nonsense about how they painted the set or what the director's mum had for dinner the night he came up with the idea.

Occasionally, a release will get it right, and you can buy the 'single disc edition' - which is cheaper and has everything I actually want: the movie itself.

I strongly begrudge being made to pay an extra few quid for a disc that I will never watch. It's surely not good for the environment bundling all these extra discs in, too?

What's worse is that nowadays you just know the movie will have some scenes shot specifically so they can be deleted and added in with the extras.

I understand it was probably done in the beginning as extra garnish to try and convince people that they weren't just swapping their VHS version of the movie for the exact same thing on a more expensive format, but nowadays it's just ridiculous.

All movies should be available in a one-disc "movie only" release, imo. If people want extras, then that should be the 'special edition' release, which they can pay extra for and feel happy they're getting value for their extra.

*deep breath*

Ok, sorry about the rant. What're your thoughts?

 

[Marter]

I like looking at the bonus features, especially if I enjoyed the film. I like to see how it was put together, commentaries and deleted scenes.

I'll agree that a "movie only" version should be released, but that may just cause confusion for people who don't pay very close attention to what they buy.

 

[Frequen-Z]

I always watch bonus features, and will go out of my way to get them.

 

[tredecim]

I always watch bonus features, and will go out of my way to get them.

In which case, you're the very sort of person that special editions should be aimed at, and that's great if you enjoy them.

 

[Abedeus]

Diablo 2 had a Music CD. Neverwinter Nights had a bonus CD with modules, audio and lots of things.

Awesome stuff.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

I almost never watch the second disc-- I think the last time I bothered was when Final Fantasy XII was released with an extra DVD. Now a music disc is a different story-- I love that my Persona 4 came with the soundtrack.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I always watch bonus features, and will go out of my way to get them.

Same here. Half the time watching how the film crew built the various animatronics and all the behind the scenes stuff is more interesting than the film. If I just wanted to watch the film, I'd have just gone to see it at the cinema - the best thing about the DVD/Blu-Ray format is the extras.

 

[tredecim]

I almost never watch the second disc-- I think the last time I bothered was when Final Fantasy XII was released with an extra DVD. Now a music disc is a different story-- I love that my Persona 4 came with the soundtrack.

I'd agree with that - a soundtrack disc is a worthwhile extra. However, it should still, imo, be an optional one.

 

[General BrEeZy]

depends on what i have to do at the time...usually dont watch though, but love the gag reels!

 

[Frequen-Z]

I always watch bonus features, and will go out of my way to get them.

Same here. Half the time watching how the film crew built the various animatronics and all the behind the scenes stuff is more interesting than the film. If I just wanted to watch the film, I'd have just gone to see it at the cinema - the best thing about the DVD/Blu-Ray format is the extras.

Yup, even as we speak, I'm watching the extras of Michael Jackson's This Is It on Blu-Ray.

 

[TheModWolf]

I don't really think I need the second disc, and probably don't use it all that often, but it's nice knowing it's there. Kind of like seat belts, airbags and pants.

 

[Raven's Nest]

I believe in a few years when (legally) downloading a film via the intErnst (no iPhone that is not how to spell Internet) becomes the norm, your problem will be solved... Or when they inevitably switch to using high capacity flash sticks, hopefully all the content will fit on that.

Right now, publishers are greedy enough to force you to buy 2 disc sets simply to make more money. I suspect all that some companies do offer single disc editions whilst others don't...

I love special features so it doesn't really bother me when I buy films. But I rent most of my films via lovefilm these days so often I won't get the bonus disc unless I specifically order it (which is treated like another rental). So in a way I suffer the same problem as you.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

I do not care. I rarely, if ever, have anything to do with the extras on a DVD (an exception being Hot Fuzz, in which the extras contained "The other side of the flipbook" and a film Edgar Wright made whilst at school, which fits firmly into the 'so bad it's good!' area of film-making.)

However, unless there's something unusual and amazing in the special features, I don't usually bother watching them. The cast commentary etc... doesn't enormously appeal to me. I guess I don't have the patience for it.
Some films do have the single disc film DVD and the 2-disc special edition, but it's rare to find both stocked at the same retailer.

 

[Dioxide20]

Depends on the movie and what's included.

 

[tredecim]

Or when they inevitably switch to using high capacity flash sticks, hopefully all the content will fit on that.

Considering the low compression most of the extras on Blu-Ray sets are provided in, they could probably all fit on a single disc anyway, imo. But then they wouldn't be able to charge more.

It's like a parallel to the "theatrical" and "extended" discs, which of course are some of the worst and most transparent money making scams the movie industry has to offer.

Case in point: the LotR trilogy.

Not only does the inital Blu-Ray release contain only the shorter, theatrical editions, but it's not even been very well mastered, just upscaled and a little noise-filtering.

Come Christmas, or next summer (whatever), no doubt we'll be treated to the 'opportunity' to buy the extended editions in yet another package.

 

[JuryNelson]

It constantly gets on my nerves that I, most of the time, can't just go into a store and buy the movie I want to watch without being landed with an extra disc full of so-called special features

Buy used from video stores! They always get stripped-down editions which movie buffs get pissed about, but you would apparently love.

Studios have started as of a couple years ago making single-disc-editions pretty much just for video stores. It's much cheaper to make a lot and sell them.

 

[tredecim]

It constantly gets on my nerves that I, most of the time, can't just go into a store and buy the movie I want to watch without being landed with an extra disc full of so-called special features

Buy used from video stores! They always get stripped-down editions which movie buffs get pissed about, but you would apparently love.

Studios have started as of a couple years ago making single-disc-editions pretty much just for video stores. It's much cheaper to make a lot and sell them.

Yeah? That's a thought - I've not been to a video rental place in years! (I don't even know if there are any in my city...)

Although it does mean waiting for the films I want to be put on 2nd-hand sale by them

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

It all depends on the movie itself for me. If i like it enough i want to know how it was made and how it was thought up, you know all the various elements that go into making the film. If the second disc doesn't have that feature or there's no 2nd disc at all i find there's usually a commentary provided which i also like hearing because that also provides secondary info of behind the scenes type stuff.

 

[BonsaiK]

By which I mean, of course, the "Extra content"

What're your thoughts?

I agree with you that the stuff is usually mostly pointless. Unless I personally know the people in the film I won't bother to look at extras, they bore me. Deleted scenes were usually deleted for a reason, interviews are usually just the same-old and commentary rarely gleans anything apart from trivia to annoy people with at parties. The only extra feature I really appreciate is scene selection and the ability to have both dubbed and subtitles options for films, because while I prefer subs, when I watch films with my girlfriend and she gets really drunk she doesn't like to read too much.

 

[tredecim]

Get a Blu-Ray player and get some Blu-Rays
The sheer storage size negates the need for an extra disc as it all fits on one disc easily

They're doing it with Blu-Ray as well, tho.

My copy of Iron Man, for example, was a 2-disc set and I couldn't find a 1-disc one for sale at the time. (If one exists, then fair enough!)