Things that annoy you beyond reason...(Vol. 7)

[droopsnoot]

DVD menu systems.

I've been watching "24" on DVD recently. The first three series have a "play all episodes" option, which as the name suggests play all four episodes on one disc, I can get to the end credits and hit the right-arrow and it jumps straight to the start of the next episodes. Now I'm on series 4, it's all changed. I have to open the menu, pick an episode, go into the sub-menu, play the episode, then at the end press "menu" which takes me to the sub-menu, then down-arrow a few times to go back to the higher-level menu, pick the next episode, go into the sub-menu, then play the episode.

At this rate I'm not sure the story is worth the faffing around with the menu system, especially as the problem with watching back-to-back like this is that you spot the similarities between series. How many times will CTU have a mole, and how is it so easy for said mole to get out of their building even though it's been "locked down"? Possibly the least secure anti-terrorist unit in the world.

[SteveStrange]

droopsnoot said:

DVD menu systems.

I've been watching "24" on DVD recently. The first three series have a "play all episodes" option, which as the name suggests play all four episodes on one disc, I can get to the end credits and hit the right-arrow and it jumps straight to the start of the next episodes. Now I'm on series 4, it's all changed. I have to open the menu, pick an episode, go into the sub-menu, play the episode, then at the end press "menu" which takes me to the sub-menu, then down-arrow a few times to go back to the higher-level menu, pick the next episode, go into the sub-menu, then play the episode.

At this rate I'm not sure the story is worth the faffing around with the menu system, especially as the problem with watching back-to-back like this is that you spot the similarities between series. How many times will CTU have a mole, and how is it so easy for said mole to get out of their building even though it's been "locked down"? Possibly the least secure anti-terrorist unit in the world.

How technology changes. I don't think I've got an option to play a DVD in the whole house - I'd have to use the kids system in the car! I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player. Funny how quickly thinks become outdated. And to think I've kept VHS cassettes in the loft because "I paid £20 for that, and I was at that concert, not throwing that away!"

[Doofus]

SteveStrange said:

How technology changes. I don't think I've got an option to play a DVD in the whole house - I'd have to use the kids system in the car! I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player. Funny how quickly thinks become outdated. And to think I've kept VHS cassettes in the loft because "I paid £20 for that, and I was at that concert, not throwing that away!"

You can play DVDs with a Playstation, and possibly other consoles too.

[SteveStrange]

Doofus said:

SteveStrange said:

How technology changes. I don't think I've got an option to play a DVD in the whole house - I'd have to use the kids system in the car! I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player. Funny how quickly thinks become outdated. And to think I've kept VHS cassettes in the loft because "I paid £20 for that, and I was at that concert, not throwing that away!"

You can play DVDs with a Playstation, and possibly other consoles too.

Fair point - one of the boys has a PS4 upstairs, so could use that. Even my laptops (1 x personal and 1 x work) don't have drives.

[RizzoTheRat]

SteveStrange said:

I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player.

Apparently vinyl outsold CDs last year so it's not just you. Can't remember when I last bought a CD, DVD or Blueray, although we still have a PS3 that can play them. The thing that always annoyed me with DVD/BR was the anti piracy adverts at the start that you couldn't fast forward. Ironically you wouldn't have to put up with them and could go straight to the film if you'd just downloaded a pirate copy, so they were a good advert for piracy.

On a related note... Netflix, Spotify and the like effectively killed piracy as it became so easy to get the films/music you wanted legally. But now with Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, etc there's so many different services each with different catalogues that it's becoming a pain in the arse trying to find the content you want, which presumably is resulting a rise in piracy again.

[cheesejunkie]

RizzoTheRat said:

SteveStrange said:

I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player.

Apparently vinyl outsold CDs last year so it's not just you. Can't remember when I last bought a CD, DVD or Blueray, although we still have a PS3 that can play them. The thing that always annoyed me with DVD/BR was the anti piracy adverts at the start that you couldn't fast forward. Ironically you wouldn't have to put up with them and could go straight to the film if you'd just downloaded a pirate copy, so they were a good advert for piracy.

On a related note... Netflix, Spotify and the like effectively killed piracy as it became so easy to get the films/music you wanted legally. But now with Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, etc there's so many different services each with different catalogues that it's becoming a pain in the arse trying to find the content you want, which presumably is resulting a rise in piracy again.

I have a top of the line VCR in the attic kept specifically because I've the odd cassette about. But I'm realising that TVs with scart connections are a dieing breed and I'll have to throw one of them up there too .

I really should just get it all digitally remastered but can't be arsed. I still have my graduation video and haven't bothered watching it. Wedding DVD the same. Parent's wedding video the same. Lots of other stuff lying around.

There are companies out there who'll provide cross content catalogue searches for VOD. But the market has moved on from the days where providers had the same content at different prices. They all have their own proprietary content now. I cut the cord from sky a long time ago but multiple subscription services are costing almost as much. I'm technically literate enough to do a dodgy box but wouldn't.

[Doofus]

cheesejunkie said:

I have a top of the line VCR in the attic kept specifically because I've the odd cassette about. But I'm realising that TVs with scart connections are a dieing breed and I'll have to throw one of them up there too .

[SteveStrange]

How 80's does a SCART plug look nowadays?!

I'd love to crack out a VHS to show the kids, "you've got to rewind it before you put it back in the box", "you need to adjust the tracking", etc.

[Halmyre]

SCART development team: we're going to design the worst connector in the world.
USB development team: hold my beer.

[droopsnoot]

SteveStrange said:

How technology changes. I don't think I've got an option to play a DVD in the whole house - I'd have to use the kids system in the car! I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player. Funny how quickly thinks become outdated. And to think I've kept VHS cassettes in the loft because "I paid £20 for that, and I was at that concert, not throwing that away!"

I just keep seeing threads like "has <some programme> been removed from <some streaming platform>? I was half-way through it" or "only on iPlayer for x days" so I've been hoovering up DVDs when the rest of the neighbourhood is getting rid of them. And while I've very limited experience, some of the streaming platforms seem to be rubbish - any time I try to watch something on All4 it gets to the end of the first ad break and then starts again from the beginning of the programme. Compared to having to fast-forward to try to fix that issue while not falling foul of "you must watch our adverts", even the DVD menu system I've been complaining about is an improvement.

[Zumbruk]

mko9 said:

Yahoo wouldn't let me use Niger, despite the fact that I was referring to the country of Niger. Capitalized and everything.

That's because the moderation systems on social media are not there to provide a "safe environment" but to convince the regulators that the social media companies are actually doing anything. These systems do not have to work, and they don't; they do not understand humour, sarcasm or irony, and generally try to impose the morals of small town America on the whole world.

[captain_cynic]

Halmyre said:

SCART development team: we're going to design the worst connector in the world.
USB development team: hold my beer.

Clearly someone who doesn't remember the myriad of terrible connectors USB replaced.

Good luck trying to bend that pin back into the exact position on an RS232 that some oaf has tried to force in.

USB was almost oaf-proof in comparison.

[Zumbruk]

captain_cynic said:

Clearly someone who doesn't remember the myriad of terrible connectors USB replaced.

Good luck trying to bend that pin back into the exact position on an RS232 that some oaf has tried to force in.

USB was almost oaf-proof in comparison.

Almost ...

micro-USB sucks donkey dick down 20ft of garden hose. Polarised, but just possible to force the plug in and ruin the socket if you try quite hard.

And a USB-A plug will fit into an RJ45 socket.

[Langweilig]

Doofus said:

cheesejunkie said:

I have a top of the line VCR in the attic kept specifically because I've the odd cassette about. But I'm realising that TVs with scart connections are a dieing breed and I'll have to throw one of them up there too .

If you had a Sharp Aquos 32 inch smart TV, it has a scart socket fitted as standard.

[SteveStrange]

Langweilig said:

Doofus said:

cheesejunkie said:

I have a top of the line VCR in the attic kept specifically because I've the odd cassette about. But I'm realising that TVs with scart connections are a dieing breed and I'll have to throw one of them up there too .

If you had a Sharp Aquos 32 inch smart TV, it has a scart socket fitted as standard.

32 inches? Show off.

[stemll]

droopsnoot said:

DVD menu systems.

I've been watching "24" on DVD recently. The first three series have a "play all episodes" option, which as the name suggests play all four episodes on one disc, I can get to the end credits and hit the right-arrow and it jumps straight to the start of the next episodes. Now I'm on series 4, it's all changed. I have to open the menu, pick an episode, go into the sub-menu, play the episode, then at the end press "menu" which takes me to the sub-menu, then down-arrow a few times to go back to the higher-level menu, pick the next episode, go into the sub-menu, then play the episode.

At this rate I'm not sure the story is worth the faffing around with the menu system, especially as the problem with watching back-to-back like this is that you spot the similarities between series. How many times will CTU have a mole, and how is it so easy for said mole to get out of their building even though it's been "locked down"? Possibly the least secure anti-terrorist unit in the world.

What you need is MakeMKV and Handbrake. Can't remember the last time I actually used a DVD in a DVD player, they all sit on the NAS now and play through Plex and not a menu in sight. The discs themselves are all in archive sleeves to remove the massive waste of space (in comparison) that a DVD box uses up. Each one now barely takes more shelf space than the disc.

[M4cruiser]

glenrobbo said:

If you want digital ears, just stick your fingers in them.

glenrobbo didn't get the credit he/she deserved for that one!
No one else seemed to get that joke
so let me explain it
digits = fingers

[Doofus]

M4cruiser said:

glenrobbo said:

If you want digital ears, just stick your fingers in them.

glenrobbo didn't get the credit he/she deserved for that one!
No one else seemed to get that joke
so let me explain it
digits = fingers

Not laughing is not the same as failing to get the joke.

[bigpriest]

RizzoTheRat said:

SteveStrange said:

I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player.

Apparently vinyl outsold CDs last year so it's not just you. Can't remember when I last bought a CD, DVD or Blueray, although we still have a PS3 that can play them. The thing that always annoyed me with DVD/BR was the anti piracy adverts at the start that you couldn't fast forward. Ironically you wouldn't have to put up with them and could go straight to the film if you'd just downloaded a pirate copy, so they were a good advert for piracy.

On a related note... Netflix, Spotify and the like effectively killed piracy as it became so easy to get the films/music you wanted legally. But now with Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, etc there's so many different services each with different catalogues that it's becoming a pain in the arse trying to find the content you want, which presumably is resulting a rise in piracy again.

CD is definitely on the road to extinction but I think the Vinyl v CD sales are based on financial comparisons rather than units sold. It shows up the fact that vinyl fans are being rinsed by 180g Heavyweight Super Deluxe Edition Re-Issues costing about £30-£40.

[mko9]

SteveStrange said:

How technology changes. I don't think I've got an option to play a DVD in the whole house - I'd have to use the kids system in the car! I can find a cassette player and a record player, but not a CD or DVD player. Funny how quickly thinks become outdated. And to think I've kept VHS cassettes in the loft because "I paid £20 for that, and I was at that concert, not throwing that away!"

I remember what a great thing it was when your photos came back with a CD included, forever preserving them digitally. Fast forward 20 years and there doesn't seem to be a computer sold today that comes with a CD/DVD drive. In another 20 years, all of that (fairly useless) data will be lost forever.