Creating Standards for "Features" & "Special Features"

If someone has done this topic before, forgive me, but does anyone know if or how we can get a standard set for features vs special features on all DVDs?
For instance, a disc with 5.1 sound, subtitles/closed captioning for the hearing impaired, cast list with bios, production notes, letterbox, and theatrical trailer wouldn't need all these features listed because they would be "standard" features. Anything else (commentary, multi-angle, etc) could be legitimately listed as "special features".
My list of "standard" features is of course subjective, and needs input from the DVD-file community, but I think the general idea has merit. Comments anyone?

AB

BTW: I think anamorphic should be standard, but it doesn't seem like the studios want to get behind that idea yet.

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Oh Dear God! It's Growing BIGGER!!!

[Taxi]

Well, Di$ney lists the silkscreen on the freakin' disc as a special feature. Basically I think they believe that anything other than the film itself is "special."

Taxi
DDS#42

Actually the chapter stops, menus, subtitles, and even the funky slikscreen are, in fact, special features. The DVD specification does not say that a DVD must have any of the above. Some DVDs don't have chapter stops or menus. You know the funny insert most DVDs have, that is not a requirement either. Paramount is currently arguing with Robert Zemekis over Forrest Gump DVD beacuse Zemekis wants it exactly like the LD with no chapter stops.

Also Letterbox is a special feature by definition since most films can be in pan & scan. The trailer is also a special feature since again it is not in the DVD specs and some studios omit it altogether. Closed Captioning(which is different than subtitles) are also considered a special featuer since Anchor Bay is not using them. The bios you mention are also a special feature by definition since a lot of studios don't include them.

By the exact meaning of the DVD specs: yes, anything other than the film is a special feature. Look it up.

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Bob the Puppet

[LBPound23]

My opinion...
Closed Captioning should just be mentioned like on videos with the little CC image on the bottom of the back of the case. This should be the norm and not listed as a special feature.
Menus should not be listed as features unless they are animated or 3D in which it should be listed as special feature.
Chapter stops should never be listed, inserts listed only when they feature something special like a booklet on the making of the movie.

Widescreen should always be anamorphic...but fullscreen should always be included in addition. These should be denoted, but not as a "special feature". Also, trailers and featurettes should always be listed under features...even though I feel original trailers should be put on EVERY disc.

Just my two cents...JSpartan is technically right, but why must we be so bound to definition. Also, if Zemeckis doesn't include chapter stops, he is a silly, strange little man.

A little clarification LBPound23. Subtitles are listed in the special features. Closed captioning is listed on the back with the CC logo. Closed captions are part of the video information and appear only when decoded by the TV. Subtitles are part of the menu and text overlay information and appear when turned on by your player. Subtitles are listed in Special Features and Closed Captioning is listed on the bottom of the back like a VHS case.

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Bob the Puppet

Not to put too fine a point on it
Subtitles are merely the program's dialoge in a visual format, while closed captioning includes not only dialoge but sound effects (wind blowing, characters sighing, etc) in visual format. Many new disc coming out have "captioned for the hearing impaired" which are subtitles that include sound effects. Hopefully this the third option will become standard on all future discs.
This leads back to the point I was originally trying to make. We as DVD consumers should come to a consensus on what we consider should be standard features for any DVD film. While our desires may have no binding effect on studios, grass root movements have been known to cause changes in industry. Isn't that the point of the Star Wars on DVD campaign?
While it would be unfair to ask studios to *always* include the features we as consumers consider standard, I believe it would be reasonable for there to be controls on the label headings of DVD features.
For example, if studio chose to release a disc with some, but not all, of the "standard" features, they would be listed like this:

FEATURES
-5.1 sound
-Interactive Menus


A disc with all the expected baseline features would be listed like this:

FEATURES
-Consumer Standard

Any features beside the Consumer Standard would be by our definition "Special Features" and would be listed as such.
Now I can see how studios like to list mundane features as "special" features so the disc doesn't appear as devoid of interesting features as it actually is, but so what. Our cash is their bottom line and we should be able to make a difference. Hope this makes more sense . . .

Submitted for your approval
AB

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Oh Dear God! It's Growing BIGGER!!!

An odd thing to fight for. Ever read the back of a Universal DVD? You see that funky grid on the back, it's on Dreamworks DVDs too. Universal never lists Chapter stops, menus, etc. They do list the langauges and surround options. Special features appear in box. How about the back of a Columbia DVD? MGM DVD? For fun try a Warner Brothers DVD? Then try Artisan, then Paramount, then 20th Century Fox, then Buena Vista(Disney). Notice something?

They don't even have a standard way of listing features. Artisan and Paramount use a box in the corner. Universal, Dreamworks, and Goodtimes(same distributor: Universal Home Video) use the grid system with SE features in a seperate box. Warner Brothers and New Line(same company) have a tinny box with the features listed. MGM does not even use a box just an empty space. Buena Vista has a small box somewhere on the back with the features listed. 20th Century Fox has a banner in between the credits listing and the synopsis.

Now you are telling me that you want these companies, companies who can not even decide on a way to display the contents the same way, to adhere to a "consumer standards" feature. I doubt it.

Oh and you do have to list the sound options and video options not just say:

FEATURES
-Consumer Standard

Not everyone knows the standards of things. Why else do companies like DTS and Dolby Digital come up with great looking logos? And also not stating anamorphic, 16:9, 16x9, or enhanced for widescreen confuses consumers.

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Bob the Puppet

Here's an odd "special Feature" I've been wanting for some time now....Closed Captioning/Subtitles for the commentary tracks on dvd's!How many times have you backed up a dvd and turned up the sound to understand what the hell someone is saying?
I think at least Criterion would have thought of this.......of course they only got CC & Anamorphic on their discs just a little while ago so I can't expect too much I guess.

-Dougpirana

[This message has been edited by dougpirana (edited 03-14-2000).]

[Taxi]

I don't like the idea of creating a "Consumer Stanard" feature item. It will confuse the uninformed. ("Consumer Standard? What's that? Does that mean this disc has Dolby Digital or not?") I think it's better to list the discs features on the box, and the famous Grid Box used by some studios is a great feature. You know exactly what you're getting, at least as far as the video and sound are concerned.

The whole packaging issue will work itself out. Look how the packaging changed for VHS and CDs. They both used to come in boxes that were much larger than the actual medium itself. (I'm going to the way-back days of VHS, when they used to come in big plastic book-like cases. And CDs used to come in space wasting cardboard boxes that were twice the size of CDs.)

As much as I like snappers, I still think the keep case is the DVD case of the future, it's just going to take a bit for the change to occur.
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Taxi
DVDFile Moderator

[Greg Solo]

I would have to say that the worst special feature is "Recomended Titles" and the best is commentary. If only every disc could be Criterion Collection.

[LBPound23]

In response to JSpartan, I don't think I mistook subtitles and closed captioning...I know the difference. What I said is the little CC should be standardized...to date, some studios list English Subtitles and Closed Captioning as a Special Feature. Then there are those who are very much trying to defend their decision to include English subtitles on an English film so they write something like English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired. No one's arguing with the English subtitle inclusion...so please have them just write English Subtitles.

[LBPound23]

Actually, now that I think about it, Consumer Standard would be confusing and is kind of silly. They should just not make the special features box take up so much space and Menus and Chapter Stops should NOT be listed. Also, I find that a screenshot of the menu on the back of the package is nice, but few DVDs contain this. Oh well, while I'm at it, the best inserts I have seen in non-SE discs are those in Columbia/TriStar. They have a succinct but interesting article on the making of the movie. It's really nice, and better than those with just catalogs inside (which are cool in their own right). But since DVDs are meant to be the medium of choice for video enthusiasts, and the discs are supposed to be collectible, why not put a little time into the insert since already so much time is spent on production of the disc.

[JHromadka]

How about a standard case? I hate the various inner circles that hold the DVD in the case. Some of them are almost impossible to work with.

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James Hromadka
VisorCentral.com