Do you upgrade DVDs?

[Adamant]

Or, like me, are you getting sick of constant reissues. Are you even becoming afraid to buy a DVD knowing it's a waste of money as a better version will no doubt be out soon?

I've bought Night of the Living Dead (1968) no less than 3 times, Dawn of the Dead twice (nearly 3) and Day of the Dead 3 times. I've bought Nosferatu 3 times, Metropolis twice, Farscape season 1 twice, The Prisoner twice, Zombie twice, Armageddon twice, Dr Who - The Five Doctors twice, Goldeneye.... and I could go on and on. Mostly it's not even for better print ( I don't mind this when I do if it's very much better) but just for extras. I don't even like most extras! They seem to be put together on a factory line, completely impersonal.

I have the original R2 releases of Spartacus, still unwatched only to find that being a Kubrick film (one of my fav. directors), I might have to rebuy it for extras without ever watching the early release...

I should become a DTS snob and only buy editions with DTS, then I'd save a few hundred a year....

[LV426]

Sometimes. Maybe exchange an early non-anamorphic version for a newer anamorphic one. Or cut one for an uncut one. But always when the price has dropped. Never on release day.

[chris21]

I've just bought the R2 Special edition of Scarface and give my girlfriends dad the old R2.

[Kryten]

I have bought quite a few "upgrades" over the years. e.g. True Romance (R1SE over R2 original), Alien Quadrilogy over Legacy and a few others. I tend only to upgrade to ones with better picture and/or sound quality and preferrably uncut/directors cuts and lots more extras.

[Soprano]

Replaced 1st R1 release of DIE HARD for the last 6 disc boxset (got last year, still have not watched :oh-hum: )

Bought X-Men 1.5 and sold X-Men (Still have not watched
:oh-hum: )

This week got the 3 disc (and CD sound track) of Black Hawk Down (hope to watch this week)

Now thinking about CON AIR, just because of the DTS sound...

[staffyman]

I've upgraded a few times - the Alien Series, Battle Royale, Underworld (Hey, I like it) and I'm mulling over getting the Panic Room SE...

Are you even becoming afraid to buy a DVD knowing it's a waste of money as a better version will no doubt be out soon?

This is true... Although unless it's something you NEED straight away, it's probably wise to hold off buying DVD's on release day as the prices drop so quickly now.

I don't so much mind companies double-dipping when we're warned in advance that another version will be out at some point. So kudos to Jackson and now Del Toro for their honesty... Even 'Paul W S Anderson' was a sport when he advised that there would be a second version of Resident Evil (although it's yet to appear - what're the odds it'll be released at the same time as the sequel's theatrical debut?)

It's also hard to hold a grudge against companies who are updating their bare-bones, very early releases to SE's now - for example Columbia/Tri Star updating Bad Boys and Groundhog Day etc.

Sometimes it is a mickey take though. The whole 'Underworld' experience has left a rather nasty taste in my mouth and I will be a lot more careful in the future, especially with regards to Columbia/TriStar releases.

Anyway... They're just a few random thoughts...

[HighlanderTM]

I bought a slew of Buena Vista titles (The Rock, Crimson Tide, Starship Troopers etc) when they first came out and ditched the lot for the new anamorphic transfers. Same for The Hightmare Before Xmas. Bought the SE and gave the regular version to a friend.

These days i tend to use dvdcompare.net to find out the best version available. Dutch R2 dvd's turn up a few surprises...

[richdmx]

Originally posted by Kryten
I have bought quite a few "upgrades" over the years. e.g. True Romance (R1SE over R2 original), Alien Quadrilogy over Legacy and a few others. I tend only to upgrade to ones with better picture and/or sound quality and preferrably uncut/directors cuts and lots more extras.

Pretty much sums up what i look for in an upgrade :)

[TheDot]

I am reconsidering my decision to buy KILL BILL R2, even though I love this film and think it will look ace in my dvd collection

The reason for this is I know that the extras on the upcoming dvd are cr@p, theirs gonna be another edition of Volume 1 with a edit load of extra's and exactly the same thing will happen with Volume 2, then their is gonna be a Volume 1+2 boxset!!!

So I might hold off until the better versions come out, I am stilll very tempted to buy the dvd as I speak now, but I know thats what Mr. Tarantino and his distributors want me to think:nono:

So I might fight the temptations and not fill the greedy sellers pockets with my hard earned £ (I must add I bought revolutions too complete my trilogy even though I will be buying it as the boxset when that IS released:cry: )

Please read the T&Cs (http://www.thedvdforums.com/) regarding masked swearing. Also your sig is too big.

[sceptre]

I've never upgraded a DVD yet. I'm tempted to do so with the Casablanca SE though. And with the A Fish Called Wanda SE, just for the Schweppes advert (I missed that when I got the last release). I'm not going to bother with Spartacus though.

Often I find I just look at the extras once - the extras on the likes of braveheart and Gladiator (for example) weren't all that much to write home about. I'd like to hope that my focus is on the movie itself so unless the extras are fantastic or there's something in particular that hooks me, I wouldn't bother.

I've become a little wiser over the last few years - I tend to wait for the discounting on almost everything and there's time for the SE to come out in the meantime.

[Michael Mackenzie]

Yes, I upgrade DVDs quite often. I don't get why people complain when a better version is released: if you don't want it, no-one's forcing you to buy it. While it's definitely true that in some cases distributors are just out to make a quick buck (e.g. releasing an extended edition of Underworld just months after the standard edition), in many cases an upgrade is perfectly legitimate.

[Welshlad]

Ive never once upgraded a DVD and dont think I ever will. Then again I buy DVD's for the movie rather than the extras so I'm never really tempted by the constant re-issues and re-releases

[madstu]

Only upgraded DVD's that I bought years ago, like Scream, Die Hard, True Romance - when much better DVD's came out.

Thing is I probably paid a lot more for the inferior versions that I bought origionally.

[Bish]

TheDot: please make note of the above edit to your post.

[TheDot]

sorry bish, just got a bit angry their with Tarantino :p and as for the sig, will change that- sorry

*edit* the sig ok now bish?

[DeadKenny]

Originally posted by Adamant
I have the original R2 releases of Spartacus, still unwatched only to find that being a Kubrick film (one of my fav. directors), I might have to rebuy it for extras without ever watching the early release...

Being a Kubrick fan, why on earth didn't you buy the R1 Criterion version which has been out for ages? :cuckoo:

:p


(actually the new R2 is apparently going to contain the same extras as the Criterion but significantly cheaper :D. Not sure what the picture quality will be like).

[ryonhilluk]

I have upgraded a few DVD's: Fifth Element, T2, X Men, LOTR, Jurassic Park/The Lost World and Die Hard 3 spring to mind.

However if a better version had already been announced and had a set release date (Like LOTR) then i would probably wait for that instead.

[DVDwishes]

Dvdwishes and a DVD wish list. my name says it all. I own 16 DVDs but have friends who own thousands themselves. I'm waiting until I can build my own home fully stocked with thx certified equipment :D until then the list will get bigger until I have all the special editions and collector's editions. it's a good thing too since I've discovered some of the other regions have even better editions. however, I may not wait for my 'kill bill' jap edition.

[Alan. b]

I have upgraded a couple of disc's over the years mainly getting rid of bare bone disc's for ones that are released with added extras, but on the whole I don't bother as I mainly buy disc's for the films and are not to bothered about the extras so if a new Dvd is released with better extras and the original one already has some features then I will not bother buying the new version.

[thescrounger]

I've given up on replacing films with better versions unless it's a film I know I will watch on the evening I buy it. Otherwise it's wait for the sales.

[Gunbuster]

I do upgrade my DVD's if there's are plenty compelling reasons to do so. I recently upgraded my R1 Neon Genesis Evangelion Perfect Collection for the Japanese R2 Renewal DVD's because of the remastered video which looks stunning and the brand new Dolby 5.1 mix which sounds fantastic. The lack of English subtitles didn't put me off, I've seen Eva enough times to know pretty much what happens and there's always DVD Subber and fan made scripts :)

[carlito8]

I frequently upgrade dvd's If I know a better version is round the corner. Most of the time I can offload the old one on ebay and buy the newer version even cheaper ! Recent examples include :

Fargo - sold the old r2 release for £40 bought the new one for £10

Scarface - Sold the old r2 for £25 and bought the new r1 for £10

The good, the bad and the ugly - sold the old r2 for £25 and preordered the new r1 for £11

Rainman - sold the old r2 for £8, bought the new r1 for the same price.

I've done it with loads of others including the Alien boxset, the original r1 die hard trilogy, one flew over the cuckoo's nest, O brother where art thou, Armageddon etc....

As long as you do it at the right time you hardly ever lose out and in many cases (where the original dvd is out of print) you can make a tidy profit !

It is annoying at times but if theres a better version out I might as well have it as long as it's not costing me anything extra......

There are a load of films I just can't be bothered to upgrade though, especially if it's only for a few crummy extras or fancy case etc...