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In the US, at least, I've even seen variations between retail movies and rental movies: The rentals sometimes have both extra crap, and the extra features (deleted scenes, wanking commentary) yanked out...even though it is plainly more expensive to stamp out two different versions of a new movie than just one version.

That said: In this day of Amazon reviews, forums, and Google searches, there is no good reason for anyone so-motivated to be unable to find a DVD player which cannot skip the "unskippable" portions with some minor modification.

A dozen or so years ago, such players (sometimes with an easy firmware hack, sometimes with a button combo) were available at extraordinarily cheap prices Stateside from importers such as Apex, but I remember from that time that players in the UK were even more widely known to be modifiable (mostly because of the nonsense related to regional coding, the solutions for which also often allowed for skipping the unskippable).

Even at the polar opposite end of the price spectrum: I have in my living room a Krell DVD Standard that some schmuck[1] once paid $8,000.00 for (and no, that's neither a typo or an exaggeration, but just the actual MSRP). My Krell's firmware current load allows skipping.

So, I guess my point is this: If someone wants to skip the crap before the movie and has any motivation to do so, it will be fairly painless to do so and/or a Google away.

[1]: And, no, the schmuck was not me. I got the player literally for free and use it pretty much exclusively as a regular CD player, which it excels at. It is also a fine example of engineering overkill on all levels, though I'd never pay anywhere near that much for a single piece of AV gear no matter how pretty it looks inside the box. Meanwhile, the Wal Mart-sourced PS3 Slim beside it does a plainly and obviously better job of playing movies (1080P over HDMI vs. 480P over analog RGBHV on BNC connectors), but then again PS3 can't skip the unskippable bits...

Dude. Buy a Krell

Sorry, but audiophiles generally ignore PC's for serious listning. There hasn't been a sound card invented yet that has the same quality of output as even mid-grade hi-fi stereo equipment. Sure, you folks that consider your Bose system "audiophile" quality won't understand this, but actual audiophiles will.

Find me a sound card with discrete output stages (an output stage that doesn't use an integrated circuit) and I'll eat the server Slashdot is hosted on with a knife and fork. Sure, I listen to my computer as a media center machine, but I understand what I can expect from it. I run the SPDIF output from my soundcard to an Aragon D/A converter, and I suspect thats probably about as good as its going to get from a PC.

Now, if we could only get Krell or Mark Levinson to make a sound card, then we might truely have something to talk about. Until then, the words PC Audio and "audiophile" simply just don't go together.

He actually was given money to try and cluster three X-Boxes together and find out the results. Hmm... time to bug WPI for some funds... Yes, I need an X-Box, PS2, and a GameCube and will try to - uh - "cluster" them. Maybe around an LCD projector, depending on the grant...

Don't forget that THX Ultra certified, Krell powered, 7.1 surround sound system.

Kent

other names are less recognizable like Arcam , Marantz, Rega , Rotel , NAD, and Nakamichi . But all make superlative gear for less than you'd think.

my habit has recently been Krell and Vandersteen

above all, any audiophile will tell you to listen, make adjustments, and buy and enjoy what sounds the best. all it takes is love of music

Too the best of my knowledge (I've looked around a bit) there are no consumer level products that support true Dolby Digital format (preferably with a digital output). Creative labs Live cards support 4 speakers, but not a true 5.1 dolby digital, though they sometimes make it seem like it does by advertising their speakers (cambridge soundworks) as Dolby Digital or whatever. They are not. But the card does have an SPDIF output, which will allow you to connect it to a high quality stereo with a good D/A converter.

I recommend what a previous poster had said, get a high quality Dolby Digital reciever (or seperate components if you can afford them). Regular Sony models and most other basic brands Marantz, Harmon-Kardon and others for good quality sound which can be had for around $1000 (US), or less. I have a Proceed system, but expect to pay $10k+ for something of that caliber (along with Krell and others).

If you get such a reciever, make sure it has at least 2 (preferably more) RCA SPDIF inputs. That way you can use the SPDIF (Dobly Digital) output from your MPEG decoder that the DVD is attached to and the SPDIF of a soundcard to the reciever using a RCA cable. This will move the digital to analog processing OUT of the computer, into the reciever, which has much higher quality components and a much reduced noise floor.

Combine the reciever will a high quality set of speakers and a subwoofer and you have an incredible home theater system. Important: Don't skimp on speakers any more then the reciever. DO NOT BUY BOSE SPEAKERS!!! There are far better quality and better sounding brands that cost less money. Bose, like Microsoft, is based on marketing, the quality of their products is inferior to many others. Go for a traditional bookshelf or floor standing speaker as opposed to Bose type mini cubes (if you get floor standers you may be able to forgo getting a subwoofer initially, though it is recommended). B&W offers some of the finest loudspeakers available, from $250 to $40,000. I highly recommend the 300 and 600 series for an affordable home theater. Match it with a Velodyne subwoofer, and you have a system to die for.

Sorry if I rambled a little off topic here, but Audio is hobby of mine :-) I have a similar situation in my dorm room. Next I want to get a video projecter with a d-sub or RGB input so I can connect my computer to it and project my DVD's on a huge screen!

Spyky

I think this is one of the most attractive computer cases I have ever seen. It has none of the gaudiness of an iMac and all the mod-style. From these pictures, it looks sturdy and well designed, those black boxes from Acer, etc, eminate cheapness. Its two tone dark grey reminds me of a high-end brushed aluminum appliance or stereo, ever seen high end audio gear from a company known as krell? Very cool. Hopefully they won't screw up the keyboard/mouse as much as Apple did on their new machines, thats a major dissapointment to me, esp. on the G3, tho a petite female friend of mine loves the keyboard/mouse on her iMac. Unfortunately for us computer geeks, the old Amiga is dead, this is clearly a consumer product, aimed at the same people who buy iMacs and cheap PCs, but it still looks great, I would love to have one for web surfing and light takes, and leave my ugly, mostrous and beige box for Linux.

Spyky