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Egbert Souse
Nov 6, 2008

I picked up an obscure 40s Jazz film Syncopation. While the film interested me (William Dieterle directed), the real star of the disc are seven fully restored Paramount jazz shorts from the 30s starring the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway included as an extra (and in full 1080p with uncompressed sound!)

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Syncopation-Blu-ray/118457/

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King Vidiot
Feb 17, 2007

You think you can take me at Satan's Hollow? Go 'head on!
First DVD I owned was Moulin Rouge. It was the first time I was ever really fascinated with that whole new DVD thing, and I rented a copy of it to watch when I stayed over at my mom's. Then later my dad bought me a DVD player and I had to buy Moulin Rouge because I thought it was amazing that they had so many features and commentaries. Then I discovered that Easter Eggs existed and it blew my mind.

I kind of miss feature-packed DVDs and creative menus. Blu-rays now mostly just have footage from the movie playing on the main menu, and then a side menu popping up from the side. With DVDs you would have creative poo poo like the menu being something straight out of the movie. Like Hot Fuzz had the police station as the menu, House of 1000 Corpses had Captain Spaulding's store as the main menu, etc.

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.
My first DVD was the non-anamorphic widescreen/fullscreen flipper of True Lies that somehow had anamorphic menus. One special feature: a trailer. I believe it is still the reigning North American home video release.

ruddiger
Jun 3, 2004

My first DVD was I Spit on Your Grave. First Blu-Ray was Prometheus.

One of the last VHS tapes I remember buying was City of the Living Dead for 24.99. Years later I rebought it on DVD for like 5 bucks.

ruddiger fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Apr 12, 2018

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.
First HDDVD was Goodfellas. First BluRay was Bullitt, which is a profoundly boring movie when it's not the car chase.

roffels
Jul 27, 2004

Yo Taxi!

First DVD was Tim Burton's Batman. First DVD player was a piece of crap divx player from Circuit City, but returned it for a Toshiba Dual Disc SD3109.

CPL593H
Oct 28, 2009

I know what you did last summer, and frankly I am displeased.

TheScott2K posted:

First HDDVD was Goodfellas. First BluRay was Bullitt, which is a profoundly boring movie when it's not the car chase.

If it wasn't for that chase scene no one would give a poo poo about Bullitt. I can't even remember anything else that happens.

Empress Brosephine
Mar 31, 2012

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
First dvd was happy Gilmore first blu Ray was Pineapple Express first hddvd was Pitch Black first 4K was goodfellas I have bad taste

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.

CPL593H posted:

If it wasn't for that chase scene no one would give a poo poo about Bullitt. I can't even remember anything else that happens.

The movie spends 5 minutes cutting between men standing motionless in a room and a fax printing a picture line by line.

Egbert Souse
Nov 6, 2008

King Vidiot posted:

First DVD I owned was Moulin Rouge. It was the first time I was ever really fascinated with that whole new DVD thing, and I rented a copy of it to watch when I stayed over at my mom's. Then later my dad bought me a DVD player and I had to buy Moulin Rouge because I thought it was amazing that they had so many features and commentaries. Then I discovered that Easter Eggs existed and it blew my mind.

I kind of miss feature-packed DVDs and creative menus. Blu-rays now mostly just have footage from the movie playing on the main menu, and then a side menu popping up from the side. With DVDs you would have creative poo poo like the menu being something straight out of the movie. Like Hot Fuzz had the police station as the menu, House of 1000 Corpses had Captain Spaulding's store as the main menu, etc.

I initially rented the DVD and my reaction was basically :stare: Then I immediately re-watched it the next day and loved it. Still one of my all-time favorite movies. The original 2-disc DVD was a thing of beauty. Before getting the Blu-ray (which looks and sounds incredible), I was surprised by how well it held up.

Some menus could be really amazing, though, like the Terminator 2 ultimate edition.

Cemetry Gator
Apr 3, 2007

Do you find something comical about my appearance when I'm driving my automobile?
I scoff at all of you with your DVD purchases, when the real future belongs to Divx.

Now, let me hook the phone line up to the player, and mind you we got 48 hours to watch this. And in glorious 4x3 full screen - they know that audiences don't care about things like widescreen.

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.
Divx very impressively got wrong everything that was possible to get wrong.

Unmature
May 9, 2008
First DVD I owned was X-Men but that was a gift. First one I bought with my own money? Shrek.

FilthyImp
Sep 30, 2002

Anime Deviant

TheScott2K posted:

First HDDVD was Goodfellas.
I actually purchased The Fountain for my HDDVD player (later got the Blu, too).

Then I got a 5 pack of those mail-ins with The Thing and Fullmetal Jacket and I think The Frighteners.

Edward Mass
Sep 14, 2011

𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen
𝅘𝅥𝅮

TheScott2K posted:

Divx very impressively got wrong everything that was possible to get wrong.

The Divx’s lasting legacy will be as a minor Penny Arcade character.

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.

Edward Mass posted:

The Divx’s lasting legacy will be as a minor Penny Arcade character.

Also the pirate codec of the same name

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe

TheScott2K posted:

Also the pirate codec of the same name

That's what I remember most, a single codec dominated my entire freshman year of college. I barely attended any classes.

Iron Crowned
May 6, 2003

by Hand Knit

TheScott2K posted:

Divx very impressively got wrong everything that was possible to get wrong.

Why yes, I would love to buy a physical copy of a movie, and then have to pay for it again each time I watch it!

Detective No. 27
Jun 7, 2006

Remember that weird temporary DVD format? I remember there was this alternate DVD rental service that tried to take off where the DVD self deteriorated after being watched once or opened (I can't remember.) What weird times. I don't remember what they were called and I don't even know how I'd parse it in a Google search to find an ancient article about them.

RichterIX
Apr 11, 2003

Sorrowful be the heart

Empress Brosephine posted:

First dvd was happy Gilmore first blu Ray was Pineapple Express first hddvd was Pitch Black first 4K was goodfellas I have bad taste

3 of those movies are good so you're doing alright as far as I can tell.

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe

Detective No. 27 posted:

Remember that weird temporary DVD format? I remember there was this alternate DVD rental service that tried to take off where the DVD self deteriorated after being watched once or opened (I can't remember.) What weird times. I don't remember what they were called and I don't even know how I'd parse it in a Google search to find an ancient article about them.

Yea that was during the time when Blockbuster Video still dominated, and so late fees and returning movies was still considered a major annoyance. So those DVDs worked kinda like a streaming rental does now, you can watch it however many times you want but after X days it won't work anymore.

Iron Crowned
May 6, 2003

by Hand Knit

Basebf555 posted:

Yea that was during the time when Blockbuster Video still dominated, and so late fees and returning movies was still considered a major annoyance. So those DVDs worked kinda like a streaming rental does now, you can watch it however many times you want but after X days it won't work anymore.

Were late fees really that big of a deal though?

95% of the time I was watching the movie I rented that night, and it wasn't hard to return it within a day or two. The VHS rewinding policy was typically more of a pain in the rear end, but even that wasn't too difficult to do. I guess maybe if you lived in the sticks and had to drive 45 minutes to the nearest Blockbuster :iiam:

gey muckle mowser
Aug 5, 2003

Do you know anything about...
witches?



Buglord
My dad bought us a DVD player in 1999 or so and the first movie I remember owning was The Matrix, which looked so awesome to me at the time. We didn't really own many movies at that point, just rented/Netflix, it wasn't until blu-ray came out that I started collecting physical media.

I couldn't tell you what my first blu-ray was, possibly The Searchers or Kingdom of Heaven. Those were among the first ~10 or so I bought anyway.

Iron Crowned
May 6, 2003

by Hand Knit

gey muckle mowser posted:

I couldn't tell you what my first blu-ray was, possibly The Searchers or Kingdom of Heaven. Those were among the first ~10 or so I bought anyway.

Mine was The Neverending Story, I got it at Target for $6

Detective No. 27
Jun 7, 2006

Iron Crowned posted:

Were late fees really that big of a deal though?

It's crazy how fast Blockbuster is fading from memory. But yes. They were pretty ridiculous. And they wouldn't hesitate to send collections after people. I'm pretty sure late fees were their main source of profit.

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.

Detective No. 27 posted:

Remember that weird temporary DVD format? I remember there was this alternate DVD rental service that tried to take off where the DVD self deteriorated after being watched once or opened (I can't remember.) What weird times. I don't remember what they were called and I don't even know how I'd parse it in a Google search to find an ancient article about them.

Making disc rot a feature

FilthyImp
Sep 30, 2002

Anime Deviant

Iron Crowned posted:

Were late fees really that big of a deal though?
Yeah. It was thw incentive to prevent people from turning their hotly anticipated 2 night Aladdin rental into "Have the kids watch the tape for three weeks and return it"

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.
Blockbuster once lost the DVD copy of Sneakers that we definitely returned and charged us $39.99 for it. It was at Target for like $12. gently caress Blockbuster.

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe
I worked at Blockbuster during it's death spiral and the absolute worst of the worst was when they instituted their new "NO MORE LATE FEES" policy.

Late fees were always a sore point for customers, they hated them, but of course even worse than late fees is telling people there are no more late fees and then figuring out an end around way to still charge them late fees. Which of course is what Blockbuster did, you'd have X number of days with no fees and then if you go over that number by even a single day you now own the movie and Blockbuster will no longer rent anything to you until you pay for it. This fee was known as a "restocking fee".

I've never felt more hated than during those months when I worked there under that policy.

gey muckle mowser posted:

I couldn't tell you what my first blu-ray was, possibly The Searchers or Kingdom of Heaven. Those were among the first ~10 or so I bought anyway.

If I wanted to show someone what blu ray brings to the table with just one scene, it would probably be the opening shot of The Searchers. I gasp every time I see it.

Basebf555 fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Apr 12, 2018

Iron Crowned
May 6, 2003

by Hand Knit

TheScott2K posted:

Blockbuster once lost the DVD copy of Sneakers that we definitely returned and charged us $39.99 for it. It was at Target for like $12. gently caress Blockbuster.

I preferred to go across the street to Hollywood Video anyway. They had a cute clerk that I got flustered around once and ended up calling Election "Erection."

Enderzero
Jun 19, 2001

The snowflake button makes it
cold cold cold
Set temperature makes it
hold hold hold

TheScott2K posted:

Blockbuster once lost the DVD copy of Sneakers that we definitely returned and charged us $39.99 for it. It was at Target for like $12. gently caress Blockbuster.

I think that might be because rentable stock cost way more than buying the film from a retail store. I seem to remember VHS tapes cost like $120 for a rental store to buy back in the day, since they would rent it out over and over again. They were probably also ripping you off, though.

Iron Crowned
May 6, 2003

by Hand Knit

Enderzero posted:

I think that might be because rentable stock cost way more than buying the film from a retail store. I seem to remember VHS tapes cost like $120 for a rental store to buy back in the day, since they would rent it out over and over again. They were probably also ripping you off, though.

It was my understanding that was normal cost to everyone at the dawn of home video because the movie studios were terrified that it would be the end of cinema.

Detective No. 27
Jun 7, 2006

I worked at GameCrazy, which was connected to Hollywood Video. Since Blockbuster started doing contracts to get exclusive rental rights to certain films, Hollywood Video would send the manager to Best Buy to buy copies of those movies for rent. I'm not sure if they used a company card or were being compensated later though.

Liar Lyre
Jun 3, 2011

Here to deliver
~Bad Opinions~

Since we’re talking about weird physical media and what not, Oddity Archive is pretty good YouTube channel that catalogs this stuff. Here’s the episode on Divx sand temporary DVDs like Flexplay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3KIqgLIrsE

Enderzero
Jun 19, 2001

The snowflake button makes it
cold cold cold
Set temperature makes it
hold hold hold

Iron Crowned posted:

It was my understanding that was normal cost to everyone at the dawn of home video because the movie studios were terrified that it would be the end of cinema.

Doing a bit of research it looks like prices would start around $60-$100 in the initial period when only rental houses could buy, and then prices would drop a bit when they would start selling to retail customers.

TheScott2K
Oct 26, 2003

I'm just saying, there's a nonzero chance Trump has a really toad penis.
The "rental price" bit was a VHS thing.

WeedlordGoku69
Feb 12, 2015

by Cyrano4747

TheScott2K posted:

The "rental price" bit was a VHS thing.

It was an actual thing for VHS, but distributors still charged video stores jacked-up prices in the DVD era, there just wasn't any logistical reason for it.

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



Detective No. 27 posted:

I worked at GameCrazy, which was connected to Hollywood Video. Since Blockbuster started doing contracts to get exclusive rental rights to certain films, Hollywood Video would send the manager to Best Buy to buy copies of those movies for rent. I'm not sure if they used a company card or were being compensated later though.

The same tapes that explicitly say in the intro text that they’re not to be loaned, rented, or watched on oil rigs? I’m surprised he got away with that.

Don’t know if it was the same in the US, but in the UK a big selling point for DVD at the beginning was that you could buy the discs at the same time the VHS was available to rent. Thought that was neat.

WeedlordGoku69
Feb 12, 2015

by Cyrano4747
I remember one of the video stores when I was a kid, Major Video in Baton Rouge, having a side hustle where they'd give out their distributor catalogs and middle-man for people who wanted to buy the crazy-priced rental tapes directly for an extra fee on top. I'm not sure if they ever got in any trouble from that, but they most certainly were not around when I was last back there, so I dunno.

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Boywhiz88
Sep 11, 2005

floating 26" off da ground. BURR!
My first DVDs were Xmas ‘01. I got “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and Episode 1. My first R-rated DVD was Alien, and my first Blu-Ray(s) was the Alien Anthology. My first 3D-BD was probably Prometheus.

I’ve gone a little nuts over the week. Grabbed Rififi, Happy Gilmore, the 2-disc Dawn of the Dead 04 from Scream, and The Thing. Trying to hold back on more but I got some OT on my paycheck, so it’s hard not to justify a couple of BDs.

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