# Advertising on DVDs We have to Shut the door on this foot! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776 "2003-03-03T16:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/1 "2003-03-03T16:57:03Z")
So I rented a copy of My Big Fat Greek Wedding to placate the Qveen. Well I popped the disk in and watched the usual warning scroll imaptiently waiting out the item I never read anyway. Up comes the menu and then I go to start the film. Suddenly Before my eyes is some guy wiping the (simulated) screen with Windex… (??) Ok cute but what the hell is going on… Then I realized it was an Ad!!! They put an Ad on the DVD, and you can’t skip it !!! My friend who bought the copy found the same thing! He paid money for a movie and paid for a fricken Ad as well. He has since returned it in protest. I’m not sure if this is just the Canadian version of the DVD or not but we all have to stand up against it now! I’m not willing to have Ads on My DVD except for the usual movie previews! Please let me know if you have found the same. How can we organize to fight this? They have infiltrated our movie theatres DON’T LET THEM INFILTRATE OUR HOME THEATRES!! ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/2 "2003-03-03T17:15:43Z")
I couldn’t agree more! When I first got my DVD player, one of my favorite features were how clean the movies were (the lack of ads). But then I bought one had has previews before the movie. NOOOOOO! I hate that! ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/3 "2003-03-03T20:48:35Z")
That’s just vile and disgusting. And a good incentive to buy counterfeit 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/4 "2003-03-03T21:01:23Z")
I almost always check the DVD review sites before buying a DVD (unless it’s an impulse buy.) I don’t mind trailers and stuff on the DVD, as long as you can skip them or they’re in a seperate menu. But I **WILL NOT** buy a DVD that has non-skippable ads. That’s just annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/5 "2003-03-03T22:39:33Z")
I agree. The movie trailers I don’t mind as they are at least somehow related to the movie I’ve bought/rented. If they start doing this on a larger scale, I will just have to find my movies elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/6 "2003-03-03T22:44:48Z")
I understand that you can’t use the chapter skip button on this sort of thing, but does the fast-forward button not work either? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/7 "2003-03-03T22:46:32Z")
In this case, it makes sense, as Windex is a favorite tool of the father in the film. Most of these things are easily killed. Disney’s trailers are skippable. Hopefully it won’t become much of a menace. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/8 "2003-03-03T22:53:43Z")
It seems to be some sort of in-joke with the movie. Was it a full fledge ad? Did they say ‘Buy Windex’ in the bit? Of course you realize that products pay to be featured in the movies nowadays. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/9 "2003-03-04T05:13:05Z")
Bah. I hate this crap. Lately I turn on my player, put in a DVD, and wander off for a few minutes before settling down to watch. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/10 "2003-03-04T15:23:02Z")
Yeah they made sure the Windex logo was available. I hate this because it seems not too many people really care _ **sigh** _\* [Vogon]Apathetic bloody Planet, I’ve no Sympathy at all,[/Vogon] Well we’ll get what we deserve. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/11 "2003-03-04T15:41:04Z")
None of my DVDs have any advertisements on them. But I think I would be really annoyed if they did. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/12 "2003-03-04T15:47:10Z")
I hate that damn Skinny & Sweet product placement right in the middle of _Nine to Five_! 😃 Oh, and can anyone answer my earlier question? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/13 "2003-03-04T16:16:50Z")
The answer is it depends. All the buttons on your remote can be disabled as part of the DVD standard which is intended for things like interactive content and menus. Of course an unscrupulous producer of a DVD can disable those same buttons while an advertisement is on the screen. I’ve seen some that cannot be easily skipped before, though I do not know about the Big Fat Greek Wedding one… ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/14 "2003-03-04T16:28:36Z")
“screen with Windex” Didn’t you notice the whole film was an ad for Windex? It was promoted numerous times. That’s the new ad way I heard. THey are incorporating products into films & tv programs so you can’t skip commericals. Did you watch the greek tv sitcom? no mention of that Windex in it. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/15 "2003-03-04T17:58:57Z")
It could also be that you rented the movie. They sometimes make special versions of DVDs to be rented, with advertisements/previews/etc. I’ve noticed this on a few that I rented first, then bought. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/16 "2003-03-04T18:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*“screen with Windex” > > Didn’t you notice the whole film was an ad for Windex? It was promoted numerous times. > > That’s the new ad way I heard. THey are incorporating products into films & tv programs so you can’t skip commericals. Did you watch the greek tv sitcom? no mention of that Windex in it. \*\* Where have you been? Product placement in TV and movies has been around since the silent era. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/17 "2003-03-04T19:38:45Z")
There’s product placement and there’s being required to view a full-blown commercial every time one watches a movie that one has, after all, already paid for. Personally I hate all the animated menu crap that I am forced to sit through while trying to watch a DVD. Fine, maybe I want to marvel at the wizardry of it all once. After that I’d prefer to skip the Terminator factory or the POV from Wolverine’s motorcycle but I can’t because someone else has decided for me that I shan’t be allowed to. bad enough I can’t skip the friggin’ FBI warning but once that abomination is done I should just be able to hit PLAY and start the movie. Not having seen the DVD in question I wonder if perhaps the Windex “ad” in question is just a menu lead-in like those mentioned above that someone got overly cute with and/or sold. Either way it should be skippable. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/18 "2003-03-04T23:16:52Z")
I watched it, a few times in that film they said that you could spray Windex on anything. So, if they started by spraying it on a screen, it follows the script. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/19 "2003-03-05T00:14:23Z")
I basically got my DVD player mainly so I’d have “permanent” copies of my favorite Disney movies. And when I bought my first batch of Disney DVD’s, I complained all up and down the internet about the interminable ads at the beginning of each one. Basically the same argument as you gave: I already _bought_ the damn DVD; I shouldn’t have to watch more advertising. Everywhere I went, I got the same response. “It’s not that big a deal.” “You can skip some of them.” That’s not the point! I have already subsidized this product by paying for it. My reward should be **no advertising**. ---
**Author:** ![Hepcat421](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/34f0e0/32.png) [@Hepcat421](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hepcat421)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776/20 "2003-03-05T09:18:46Z")
I rent many DVDs and purchase many others. I too have seen a rise in the number of adverts that you may not skip. This is very sad. It is already a terrible thing that I may not skip over the FBI warning. I understand that on some DVD players you can modify their software or firmware in such a way to override the non-skippable behavior, and the warranty. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertising-on-dvds-we-have-to-shut-the-door-on-this-foot/158776.md?page=2)