Best reasons to get a DVD player

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I'm just about to buy my first DVD player (this after FINALLY healing up from the wounds of investing lots of money and time into laserdiscs so long ago) Wondering what some of the favorites are out there to go after in terms of extras/deleted scenes...realy nice transfers.

Waiting for Guffman sounds like at least one good reason to begin again....as well as Double Suicide...

― Phil Dokes (sunny), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Monty Python Search For The Holy Grail is worth it just for the two scenes of subtitled translation of the Japanese dub. The incredibly bizarre exchange between the French knights and Arthur takes Monty Python to the next level.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Dawsons Creek
Buffy
My So-Called Life
The Long Goodbye
Battle Royale

― Mary (Mary), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Best reason: sneering at people who only have a VCR.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm getting a DVD player on Saturday!

Must gets:
Transformers series 1
Neon-genesis Evangelion
Back to the Future Box Set

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Almost anything Criteirion releases.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't have a DVD player because money is tight.

Anyone care to mock me for having money problems?

That would be so NICE.

― ChristineSH (chrissie1068), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Homicide:Life on The Street
Sports Night

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

As great as DVDs are, I would advise against buying too many of them since they'll be replaced by something better eventually - nb, I own a bunch of them. If you're in the U.S. you should get to netflix.com and start renting on the cheap by mail.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:13 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah netflix is grebt, I need to join that shit already (and get another DVD player of my own for the downstairs)

― Millar (Millar), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretty much whatever you like about movies is improved by a DVD player, unless it's greasy popcorn or back-row blowjobs.

Most of these are not on the market anymore, I believe, but be wary of DVDs which were released very early: a surprising number of them require flipping the disc over halfway through the movie, because of sloppy production. (There's a certain charming arrogance in asking me to actually put any effort into watching the second half of Stargate.)

― Tep (ktepi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I would advise against buying too many of them since they'll be replaced by something better eventually

such as? I mean, fine, this could be true, but it would have to be something appreciably better (like, for example, the difference in quality between VHS and DVD) before it's going to make a rat's ass of difference. I don't think it's worth considering at this point.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

all I said was:

replaced by something better eventually

I didn't say when, ok?

It's just that I've decided personally to never build a video library. Renting the latest format from something like Netflix is so much cheaper in the long run, and who knows what kind of digital (read: downloadable) solution may not be far off...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Orson Welles.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Downloadable movies will not take off until it costs less than $10 to download them (including broadband connection) and you can get them in minutes rather than hours.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

If Orson Welles replaced DVD, that would be the bestest thing ever.

― Tep (ktepi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

But the two have converged! To make the bestest BESTEST thing ever!

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Downloadable movies will not take off until it costs less than $10 to download them (including broadband connection) and you can get them in minutes rather than hours.

but Dan, what if movies become traded like music? (note that I still buy music, but my buying habits are different)

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"in 2 years VHS will be obsolete" says the DVD restoration man who visited my class.

― Honda (Honda), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it already was.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

A DVD player relete with Mp3 cd playin' techno-nology only costs 67 euros from Carrefour Lisbon! Whooo-peeee!!!!!!!!!

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:24 (twenty-two years ago)

cassettes, vinyl, VHS, Super 8 film, they're all obsolete. but they all still get used.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Gatinha, beware as some DVD players only like certain mp3 bit rates...

Jim, I don't know what else to say. Of course those things get used. I have cassettes, vinyl, CDs, VHS tapes, film movies - but I'm not going to build anymore home libraries on a large scale. ok?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Spencer I'm not having a go at you, sorry if it comes across that way. I don't have any problem with your stance. I just find it a bit redundant to 'advise against buying too many of them since they'll be replaced by something better eventually' because that's basically true of any media technology. I'd be less concerned about this being a problem with something like DVD because I imagine (hope?) that future technologies would be backwards-compatible anyway.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim thanks for the clarification, I'm just saying that the downloadable future calls collection of any media format into question. They're already selling 250 Gigabyte hard drives which makes me joke that I'm going to rip all my CDs to my hard drive as wav/aiff files.

Also, there is something called HD-DVD which means that I'll have to buy 2001: A Space Odyssey again someday...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Ten years from now people will get nostalgic about grainy pan-scan and mono sound and rewinding noise, leading to pricey limited VHS editions of Videodrome and Ringu. Betcha.

― Frühlingsmute (Wintermute), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm all for buying DVDs as it happens. Why? If I rent them, there's some I rent repeatedly. Add that to any overdue fees I inevitably end up paying, and I may as well pay $20-30 for a DVD, as it really does work out cheaper. And then you have things to haul out and watch when friends pop by.

OTOH, based on this argument, I don't know why I didn't buy videos, and this puzzles me. I own a couple, but it never seemed as great an idea. Maybe more DVDs are readily for sale now than vid casettes ever were, or something.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't be pre-rec videos for the same reason I wouldn't buy a pre-rec cassette. The media simply doesn't stand up comparably well to repeated use.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, good point.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Get a multi-region player and capitalise on the cheap deals from www.dvdboxoffice.com and www.dddhouse.com (for your Eastern needs). Some great discs that I have bought are:

Godfather trilogy
And of the Disney Treasures sets (you'll be lucky to find them now though)
Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Suspiria 2 disc set
Brass Eye
Twenty Four Hour Party People
Any of the Bond flicks (personal fave is On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but they all offer tons of extras)
Jaws

Yup, that lot should keep you entertained.

― Calum, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Trayce, netflix has no late fees. Also Jim, as I've confessed up-thread, I do buy DVDs, but I'm much more cautious about it these days.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, hold out for the Back to the Future set as they're having to re-release it. Universal has fucked up the widescreen transfer on Parts 2 and 3 and have masked parts of the image at the top and bottom (do a Google search if you need more info).

― Calum, Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Fair enough. Heck, I only own three DVDs (no money left after buying all that vinyl)

Goddamn i gotta hurry up and get me the 24hpp deev..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 April 2003 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Didn't they already or did they simply announce the re-release date? I got some mail about it the other day, but deleted it because I don't have the money to pick it up yet.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Spencer: sorry for sounding dim but whats Netflix? A rental chain? Or an online thing? (I'm not about to download moofies on a 33.6 modem! heh)

If its a chain, I'm not sure it exists in Aus, and even if it did, it isnt one I've seen/I'd use...

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I only own one dvd (Slam), but my wish list for when I move in with my girlfriend's dvd player (um, and my girlfriend) includes:

Family Guy (!)
Spirited Away
Six Feet Under
Sopranos
Sports Night
Star Trek DS9 & Babylon 5 boxes
the Criterion Kevin Smith editions
Apocalypse Now Redux
Scratch
Pulp Fiction & Jackie Brown special editions

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Jim! are you in the UK or USA? The UK 24HPP has a ton of awesome extras. If you're in the US and own a PAL converting player, it's the way to go.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah the UK one is what i've got my eye on. plus the "artwork" on the US version is, uhm, strange.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:40 (twenty-two years ago)

oh and Trayce, netflix is an online thing. http://www.netflix.com

I'm not sure if there's an Aus version, but I imagine there will be one soon (as Netflix is making a bunch of money).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, the US artwork is sucky. My neighbor works for MGM DVD production and I complained to him directly!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I think ESOJ is in Australia (?)

― Mary (Mary), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

yep!

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Spencer: hmmm interesting, hows it work? they ship you disks on a rental basis? Seems kinda odd if they dont charge o'due fees!

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 03:37 (twenty-two years ago)

You can only have a certain number out at a time (I forget how many), so if you don't return em, you don't get more -- makes up for the lack of overdue fees, a different motivator.

― Tep (ktepi), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 03:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Get a DVD player cuz you want to check the Meth/Redman commentary track on How High, I PROMISE.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I have 4 DVD's

Perfect Blue (haven't watched this yet, it's not porn)
Blood The Last Vampire
Transformers - Five Faces of Darkness
Iron Maiden - Videos of the Beast

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

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