View Full Version : Aargh! Blu-ray Previews are driving me crazy!
Is it the disc? The player? It seems that every BD movie I watch lately has about 10 previews that play automatically and I can't just jump to the top-menu for the movie or play the movie. Instead, I have to turn on display and switch the time to "time remaining" to see how short the title is so I can then hit SKIP to get to the next title. If I hit "top menu" it says "Not an option" ... this is driving me crazy! I want the menu to appear first, not after sitting through or painfully skipping several previews ....
Bad BD! Bad! :mad:
hdtvfan0001
08-09-09, 11:28 AM
It is mostly the player, as some allow going right to the main menu....but honestly, most players block you setting up anything other than sequential viewing based on how the Blu Ray disk itslef is constructed (including previews).
Yuck indeed.
In my case, my Panny and Magnavox units perform a bit differently, but my universal solution is to fast forward from the beginning to get to the main menu.
rebkell
08-09-09, 12:50 PM
I always just chapter skip, it normally, if not always gets you to the main menu finally and I don't think you can skip chapters or that it does anything when you get to the main menu. It's like TV, you pay for it and still have to sit through commercials.
Stewart Vernon
08-09-09, 02:42 PM
I don't like the inability to skip either, but I also understand the necessary evil nature of it. Much like how commercials and promos infested the movie theaters years ago (and you certainly can't skip past real life!)...
I use that time to go fix my snack or a quick trip to the bathroom or something, so all is well.
What I actually have more of a problem with is the Warner releases that start the movie for you... it kills my ability to go fix the snack because I have to wait to be able to pause the movie. Also bad for TV-on-Blu releases because it starts the "play all" automatically and I only want to do that the first time through.
Stuart Sweet
08-09-09, 02:52 PM
It is incredibly annoying especially on the second or third watching of a film. Disney has been doing this with DVDs for some time but now it seems like every studio does it My only advice is to make friends with the chapter skip button.
Stewart Vernon
08-09-09, 06:53 PM
Oh yeah, and for some movies that disable the skip or stop functionality... I've found sometimes the "Top Menu" or "Disc Menu" button will work.
With my Toshiba HD-DVD player, it skipped over previews and the menu entirely and automatically started playing the movie, and I've looked 10 times so far and can't find any option on my Sony BD player to automatically start playing the movie, so I've been using CHAPTER SKIP. Boy is it annoying though.
BattleZone
08-09-09, 07:28 PM
The discs are authored to prevent you from skipping ahead; blame the studios for that.
paulman182
08-10-09, 05:25 AM
I like movie trailers.
PCampbell
08-10-09, 06:47 AM
The Blu-Ray disks I rented at Blockbuster or bought at Target have a lot of previews on them but the ones I get form Netflix so far go to the movie or the menu.
hdtvfan0001
08-10-09, 08:09 AM
With my Toshiba HD-DVD player, it skipped over previews and the menu entirely and automatically started playing the movie, and I've looked 10 times so far and can't find any option on my Sony BD player to automatically start playing the movie, so I've been using CHAPTER SKIP. Boy is it annoying though.
Same here....I still use that unit for its superior upconversion of SD disks, even though most viewing now is Blu Ray.The Blu-Ray disks I rented at Blockbuster or bought at Target have a lot of previews on them but the ones I get form Netflix so far go to the movie or the menu.
That's highly irregular....they should be the exact same commercial releases.
Stuart Sweet
08-10-09, 08:10 AM
I'm thinking you got lucky. The ones I get from Netflix are loaded with previews.
PCampbell
08-10-09, 10:48 AM
Only had Netflix since April so time will tell. The copy of Michale Clayton I watched last night went straight to the movie no menu or previews.
Same here....I still use that unit for its superior upconversion of SD disks, even though most viewing now is Blu Ray.
That's highly irregular....they should be the exact same commercial releases.
I'm thinking you got lucky. The ones I get from Netflix are loaded with previews.Same here ...
My three most recent Netflix rentals all had a plethora of previews:
Doubt
Marley and Me (what a weeper! :()
Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead
Knowing
These are also very recent releases, though, so perhaps older releases is more forgiving than newer releases?
The Merg
08-31-09, 07:46 PM
The Blu-Ray disks I rented at Blockbuster or bought at Target have a lot of previews on them but the ones I get form Netflix so far go to the movie or the menu.
That's highly irregular....they should be the exact same commercial releases.
Actually, the discs that Netflix distributes are sometimes different than the retail versions. You'll notice that sometimes the Netflix DVD's/BD's will not have all the extra material on them that you would get if you purchase the movie. It's a tactic a lot of companies are using in order to get you to purchase the movie as opposed to renting them.
- Merg
hdtvfan0001
08-31-09, 08:34 PM
Actually, the discs that Netflix distributes are sometimes different than the retail versions. You'll notice that sometimes the Netflix DVD's/BD's will not have all the extra material on them that you would get if you purchase the movie. It's a tactic a lot of companies are using in order to get you to purchase the movie as opposed to renting them.
- Merg
I have been to my neighbor at least 20 times and co-viewed his Netflix disks...those were all identical...in fact we commented how we both also were not fond of all the same previews...
But I suspect you could be right that certain studios may issue versions without some of those previews specifically for Netflix and/or Blockbuster.
Circulating back to the earlier posts - we hate all the previews too.:D
I watched my first Blu-ray disc last night that did NOT have previews: Revolutionary Road, from DreamWorks. I was VERY happy about that ...
TheRatPatrol
08-31-09, 09:00 PM
Drew, I have the same issue with Netflix SD discs on my Toshiba DVD player. (No I don't have BR yet. But maybe by Christmas with that new remote ;))
I wonder if they do this on purpose to force you to watch the previews?
And is this only on rental discs or with ones you buy too?
rudeney
08-31-09, 09:53 PM
I haven't had such an issue with Blu-Ray discs, but when playing DVD's in my Panasonic BD player, I absolutely cannot skip the previews with either the "chapter forward" or men buttons. The only thing I can do is use FF. The same disc played in my Philips DVD player works fine and will skip to the menu directly.
The Merg
08-31-09, 11:23 PM
I have been to my neighbor at least 20 times and co-viewed his Netflix disks...those were all identical...in fact we commented how we both also were not fond of all the same previews...
But I suspect you could be right that certain studios may issue versions without some of those previews specifically for Netflix and/or Blockbuster.
Circulating back to the earlier posts - we hate all the previews too.:D
I believe the "different version" thing is something more recent and not all of the studios have taken to it, but from what I was reading a few weeks ago, a lot of studios are thinking about doing it.
- Merg
hdtvfan0001
09-01-09, 07:23 AM
I haven't had such an issue with Blu-Ray discs, but when playing DVD's in my Panasonic BD player, I absolutely cannot skip the previews with either the "chapter forward" or men buttons. The only thing I can do is use FF.
Same here.
Focus Films is one of the biggest self-promoter studios out there that does tons of previews.
I believe the "different version" thing is something more recent and not all of the studios have taken to it, but from what I was reading a few weeks ago, a lot of studios are thinking about doing it.
- Merg
A welcome thing to many...:)
DCSholtis
09-03-09, 02:28 PM
Besides Focus Films, I'd also say Disney does their fair share of self promotion. Seems like every Disney BD I pop in I have to FF through 8-9 previews.
Drew, I have the same issue with Netflix SD discs on my Toshiba DVD player. (No I don't have BR yet. But maybe by Christmas with that new remote ;))
I wonder if they do this on purpose to force you to watch the previews?
And is this only on rental discs or with ones you buy too?Just got a Panny BD yesterday. I had read this thread so when the forced previews came on I was ready. I got up, went to the bathroom then went to the freezer and got out the Rocky Road. Dipped up a bowl full, put the remains back in the freezer and sat down. Just in time for main menu. :lol:
I did play around and on that particular disc Chapter Skip worked like a charm.
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