Rental Edition DVDs?

[rayden54]

I just rented Toy Story 3 from Family Video, and it popped up on my laptop as "TOY_STORY_3_RENTAL." I've never seen that before so it got me wondering: what's the difference. Google revealed that the disc is missing the commentary and the featurette.

Is this normal for rented DVDs?

The special features are the only reason I rent DVDs, and if they're good enough is usually the only reason I'll buy them. Not only are the features the only real advantage over DVRing a movie, a lot of people buy ex-rentals (which I certainly won't be doing without the features). I'm certainly not spending $24 to find out that the commentary puts me to sleep, and the features are recycled crap.

Is there a list somewhere that tracks this sort of thing so I know which movies to not rent?

[redwudz]

I've seen this fairly often, most recently with Netflix rented videos. Probably a move by Hollywood to encourage people to buy the video instead of copying it. I imagine they give Netflix a discount price for the purchase. Now if they would just make a rental version without all those #$@* trailers. Disney really likes to add a lot of them.

I'm not aware of any site that lists which movies are made in 'Rental versions'.

[hech54]

When the local rental place sells off their stock, many of them have "RENTAL" stickers on them...stating that some languages and special features are missing from what is stated on the cover. Apparently these are shipped in normal DVD cases with the standard cover but are not the same as the retail ones.

[Case]

Now if they would just make a rental version without all those #$@* trailers.

Trailers on rentals make perfect sense, but I hate the first play kind. I do miss the extras though, like commentaries and background featurettes. I enjoy those, although I'm aware that polls show that the majority of the viewers doesn't care for those.

Disney really likes to add a lot of them.

Even the retail versions of Disney DVDs have non skippable first play trailers. If I buy a DVD, I want to see the movie more than once, but not the trailers more than once.

[redwudz]

I play all my DVDs on a PC, so skipping the trailers is all but impossible. Some DVDs I see you can hit the play button again if you use a set top player and skip them. I use FF on them a lot. I do watch the extras most times, though. Usually after I have watched the main movie. Sometimes they are very interesting.

I'm thinking the 'Rental' disc setup is more of a anti-copying marketing ploy as I don't see how it would save the studios any money on production. It would also make copies less desirable for torrent distribution in foreign countries because the extra languages and subs would be missing. But who knows what Hollywood is thinking.

[lordsmurf]

Missing features.
The Jonah Hex I watched, for example, didn't even have a menu.

It would also make copies less desirable for torrent distribution in foreign countries because the extra languages and subs would be missing.

Logical and astute. I like this -- makes sense to me.

[intracube]

Even the retail versions of Disney DVDs have non skippable first play trailers.

Touchstone/Disney DVDs are some of the worst for trailers. Warner Bros., on the other hand should be commended - the WB DVDs that I own have a brief logo (which can be skipped), and the main menu follows right after.

I play all my DVDs on a PC, so skipping the trailers is all but impossible.

Probably due to the software responding to the UOP flags. Why not use a player that ignores them? I use Xine, and it's liberating being able to skip through them instantly.

[jagabo]

I rip first, then go straight to the main movie. Hate FBI warnings, menus, logos, previews...

[yoda313]

Touchstone/Disney DVDs are some of the worst for trailers.

I want to add that FOX dvds are usually the best at trailers. They are usually fully skippable. EVEN THE FBI WARNINGS! That may have changed recently. But at least the Stargate SG1 tv dvds that were on fox distribution discs (fox printed them in other words) let you skip the promos and fbi warnings.

The Star Wars dvds do too