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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?"

3 of 583 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why bother? by bmetzler · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    Loading up a DVD with commercials for other DVD's in such a way you can't skip them is.

    Ok fine, so you may have to have up to 5 minutes of time to spend on something else. You still shouldn't have your time scheduled that tightly. Spend that time chatting with friends, or reading a longer article, or making a sandwich.

    The fast-paced society that people have bought into these days is overwhelming. Why do people have such a problem with relaxing and waiting a few minutes.

    -Brent

  2. You lose! by chefren · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Hahaa! You lose! MY Mitsubishi is 13 years old and *still* works! My dad's stronger than yours too!

  3. Re:Solutions by aminorex · · Score: 2, Flamebait

    > As technically-minded people, we should never back
    > an inferior technology purely for political
    > reasons.

    Like avoiding genocide? Would you build a
    website in COBOL.NET if it would avert a century
    like the last one in which 170 million human beings
    were killed by their own government? I'm reducing
    your statement to absurdity in hopes that you will
    realize that a balance of technical and political
    considerations is required.

    --
    -I like my women like I like my tea: green-