Page 1 of Special Edition DVDs

Hi there,

I am a freelance worker for one of the major production houses as I am trying to do somoe research on what peole want ut of a Special Edition Disc. The information on this thread will be shown to the company so your voiuce really will be heard, so say what you want to see and hopefully we can change the SE DVD`s for your later viewing pleasure.

What do you think of Easter Eggs?

What would you like to see in a Special Edition DVD?

Is packaging and a free gift important?

Would you evre re-buy a title for the Special edition Version?

Thanks for all your help with this and I will keep you posted on the progress!

Gabs

x x

Personally I`m not that bothered about Easter Eggs, or even a commentary.

What I expect is a top quality transfer of the film & a top quality soundtrack (preferably including DTS)

Packaging is more important than some people think. A cardboard box puts me off. I prefer an Amaray case (they last a lot longer).

Not interested in free gifts (I`d rather have some money off the price of the DVD)

Decent extras help (e.g. A genuine documentary, rather than some publicity material, full of people gushing how wonderful the film is)

But ultimately, it`s improved picture & sound that would make me buy another copy of a DVD

And yes, I have re-bought DVDs (as I suspect have many other people on this forum)

What do you think of Easter Eggs? - Fun but not essential.

What would you like to see in a Special Edition DVD? - Something that really sets it apart from a previous bog-standard release. Whether it`s a first-time or re- release, the transfer should be the main consideration. Extras are great for enthusiasts (in which case they need to be things like audio commentaries, documentaries, vintage promo materials etc., not lightweight puff-stuff.) Have a look at Warner`s release of The Adventures Of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) as an example of how to do a good SE, and The Cat In The Hat as an example of too lightweight. The Bond series SEs set the bar for SE releases. Suffice to say, a trailer and "interactive menus" don`t add up to an SE.

Is packaging and a free gift important? No, unless the free gift is something special like the Universal Monsters Gift Set, the Lord of the Rings Gift Sets or even the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Gift Set. Something like an "Elf" alarm clock is adding insult to injury ;)

Would you evre re-buy a title for the Special edition Version? Absolutely - as long as the SE is something special, like the Gone With The Wind SE with the new ultraresolution transfer and the extras. However, if you are going to do an SE of a title, you should only take one stab at it, because repeated versions of SEs like the Matrix variants or the Evil Dead variants will ultimately get peoples` backs up if they think they`re expected to triple or quadruple dip on a beloved title.


J Mark Oates

What do you think of Easter Eggs?
I`m not that bothered about them - I wish they would just put the extra content on the menu and not make you search for it.

What would you like to see in a Special Edition DVD?
A commentary or two, featurettes and improved sound and picture quality.

Is packaging and a free gift important?
Packaging is only if the SE has an amaray case improving on the original`s case, such as `snapper`. I don`t really care if a DVD comes with a novelty gift or not.

Would you evre re-buy a title for the Special edition Version?
I have done and will do again.


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What I would like to see, is that when I`m getting a Special Edition is that I`m not going to find a year later that there is an Ultimate Edition or something similar. You never know when you are getting a definitive version of a film. :(

Also, I do think the cases are very important. I would rather pay a couple of pounds extra for a nice fold out case or something that will look nice sitting on my shelf.

What do you think of Easter Eggs?
I wonder how many easter eggs are on my DVD`s that I don`t know about, because I don`t bother to look. I`d rather they were freely available in all honesty.

This item was edited on Monday, 10th January 2005, 18:07

What do you think of Easter Eggs?
Not interested in them.

What would you like to see in a Special Edition DVD?
Something that makes it feel special - I have a couple of releases that just seem
[Optional] branched-in deleted scenes.
Deleted scenes *with* commentary.
Highest picture (anamorphic) and sound (DTS) quality possible.
Making-of feature

Is packaging and a free gift important?
Yes.
I prefer fold-out (digipac) packaging - like LOTR S.E`s - but these do seem prone to wear :(
Free gift. Nope, I`m interested in the film, not a toy! (albeit I`d conceed they had some nice toys with LOTR - didn`t make me buy them though!)

Would you evre re-buy a title for the Special edition Version?
Usually. However, have to *absolutely* agree with previous - a company should not milk the consumer for another few quid when they come up with yet another Special Edition.

What do you think of Easter Eggs?

I think little easter eggs are quite good fun such as a hidden out takes reel, but it annoys me when considerable amount of easter eggs are on a disc. For example the day today dvd has got quite a few easter eggs, including specially recorded sketches which are hidden away. Surely it makes the dvd look better with a long list of extras?

What would you like to see in a Special Edition DVD?

Put bluntley: the best dvd possible for the particualar releases. The extras should be specially produced for the dvd such as decent making of not promotion fluff slapped on!

Is packaging and a free gift important?

I don`t think I`ve ever brought a dvd based on free gift. But I do think packaging is important, after all this is what attracts the customer in the shop!

Would you evre re-buy a title for the Special edition Version?

I have done, and I`m sure I will again providing the special edition looks like a dramtic improvement on the original disc!

Tend to agree with the above. My only stipulation is that a Special Edition should be exactly that - something different from the previous version, not just some crappy extras. Maybe a Directors Cut, or a version that allows deleted scenes to be viewed in the film as an optional extra.

Meet The Wife

Agree with all of the above, adding that any Special Edition should be the definative release and shouldn`t be considered for re-release again for at least 10 years, if ever...

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As far as I am concerned there is only ONE real `Special Edition`.

That is: T2: Judgement Day - Ultimate Edition (R1)

3 versions of the film, DTS and DD mixes, endless extras, easter eggs and everything you could wish for on DVD.

That`s the Benchmark of any future `Special Editions`.

`Special Editions` a few months after a DVD release has hit the shelves is just taking the p***. What`s so special about them anyway?