Consumer Friendly (or Disney Hostile) DVD Players?

solli asks: "After 13 years of relatively faithful service my Mitsubishi(!) VCR has finally kicked the bucket, and I am now thinking of moving on to DVDs. One of the only things preventing me from buying a DVD is the fact that some media companies like to make you watch FBI warnings, trailers, and ads before allowing you to view the actual movie (like Disney's Tarzan). Of course, there is such a large demand for region free players and other specialized needs that niche markets have developed to fill that demand. However, I have seen nothing about players that give you the freedom to navigate through the disk the way you want to, instead of how the content producer wants you to. What DVD players exist that let the viewer take full advantage of the nonlinear properties of the DVD media? Can any of the available players ignore the directives embedded on-disk to disable certain controls at particular times?"

flipbook

[Anonymous Coward]

god i remember the good ol days of flipbooks.....all you had to do was open to the desired page, and start the movie from there.......no ads, no feds, no nothin......course, there was no sound either, but the movies didn't really need it then anyways.

How Lazy do you get?

[raiyu]

Exactly how lazy are you that you cant wait an additional 12 seconds for the FBI warnings to scroll by? Use that valuable time to pick your nose I say.

Disabling DVD Controls

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd tell you, but then the DMCA would require me to kill you.

Re:Use a software player

[coupland]

While I realize this is probably illegal, it drives me up the wall to have to view these things. My solution was to buy a DVD burner and use IFOEDIT to rip my favourite DVDs (which I paid for), remove all annoying crap, and then re-burn them. Most players are fine with the modified disks and it lets me view in peace without those annoying warnings that say "dude, don't even think of doing what you just described..."

Re:I live in Canada...

[Xenographic]

That makes me wonder, does thinkgeek have any 'DMCA toilet paper'? It might sell rather well... :]

Re:why?

[pajor]

Well my DVD player is the Xbox, and every so often it gives me a BSOD. This can get really annoying because it makes me watch the FBI warning over and over again. Most of the time all I get to see is the FBI warning. On most windows applications I tend to work as fast as I can saving every 5-10 seconds so that I can get somewhere, but not being able to bypass the FBI warning makes watching DVDs a real drag on a windowz box.

I called the tech support guy, but all he said was to format and reinstall windows, but my Xbox didn't come with a recovery CD so I don't know what to do. Any help would be hot.

Re:Use a software player

[boomer_rehfield]

"until they make me Dictator for Life"

and your name is "COUP"land???

/eyes you warily

Re:hmmm

[Golias]

I have heard people bitch about this all the time but the dvd player on my pc never makes me watch trailers and i just hit the skip ahead 5 seconds thingy for the fbi warning...

Oh, very helpful!

The "Ask Slashdot" topic question was asking what DVD players let you skip the FBI warnings & stuff, and the answer you gave was "mine."

Could you at least include your address, so he can go watch movies at your house?

Honestly, the things that get modded up as "Informative" these days...

Re:It's not the 12 seconds. . .

[JeffSh]

Books don't have legal warnings beyond the copyright date. Print art has no warnings on it. My furniture and appliances don't warn me that I'll be sued if I use their design to build copies and sell them

You forgot about the evil Mattress tags. UNDER PENALTY OF LAW YOU SHALL NOT REMOVE THIS TAG!!! RAR!

Re:Use a software player

[HalB]

Not to be removed, execpt by consumer

I think being an end-user isn't enough, you actually have to consume it, which I guess means eat it. Like taking the tamper-proof tab off orange juice before you drink it.

Aristocratic Media

[Nomd]

The following indexes provide the Media with exemptions from FEC (campaign finance) law:

• 11 CFR 100.7(b)(2)
• 11 CFR 100.8(b)(2)
• 2 USC 431(9)(B)(i)

Wouldn't it be great if your favorite media company encoded the "required" track of a DVD with political propaganda? That way, we could pay for a strict 2 party system all the while being exempt from campaign finance laws!

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Use a software player

[Anonymous Coward]

Or you could just throw the DVD in and go take a big, stinky shit. By the time you get back, it'll be at the main menu.

For those of us who enjoy the FBI warnings...

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't mind waiting the 12 seconds... ooh, I'm just burning with anticipation by the seventh or eight second. And when the movie finally arrives, it makes it seem just a little more special.

Unless you're watching Battlefield Earth, and you curse the damned 12 seconds on top of the past 117 minutes which robbed you of meaningful existence. I want those 117 minutes and 12 seconds back!!! ARRRGHHH!

Oh, um, sorry.

Quicky scene selection..

[Inoshiro]

So it handles the skip to the "important scene," but does it also handle the multi-angle aspect in case you want to see her from a different one? ;)

Re:Use a software player

[BiOFH]

Whew, boy... that sounds like a real convenience... a real time-saver too. Couple hours later and you're ready to watch! Of course, your wife has fallen asleep and it's time to take the fucking dog out to pee... but dmaned if you don't got you some lean DVDs!

Just close your eyes for the duration of the bullshit. Sheesh. Talk about your '30 pound sledge' solution...

Hey... wait a minute... You don't code for Microsoft, by chance, do you?

Re:Use a software player

[grub]

Or you could just throw the DVD in and go take a big, stinky shit. By the time you get back, it'll be at the main menu.

I'm so fucking lame. 36 years old and I still laugh at poo-poo jokes..