Are rented DVD's the same quality?

KoThreads

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I've just rented Sky Captain and thought the quality wasn't that great. On watching the bit rate it varies from betweeen 3.5 to 7. When in my PC the disc capacity is under single layer. The DVD looks genuine.

Are rentals of a lower quality than the retail versions?
 
I have had a few rentals that were very bad quality. I then bought the original dvds and the picture was allot better. Superman was one of them.
I dont think all rentals are worse quality but maybe a certain studio is ?
I know people who have said they rented the day after tommorow on dvd and it was poor picture quality.
 
Where I work we have a pretty good Rental selection and most if not all titles we have are identical to the Retail version, you may get some adverts on the disc that are not on the Retail release and the packaging may have the words 'Rental Version' written on it but apart from that 99% of the time the contents are identical to the Retail release, it is possible though that some rental site/shops dont check their discs when returned and have had pirate copies returned in their place.
 
I also rented Sky Captain. The quality was impressive on my projector setup.

The quality of he picture has always for me been the same as the retail version.

Sometimes you only get the film DVD of a two disc set.
 
My copy did say 'For Rental Only' and if it was a copy was odd as it was a typical DVD silver disc, not purple or any colour. When in the player it went to the menu screen which displayed four options, the first 'play' for the movie and three more for various chapter and other small options. The only video information on the disc was the Paramount logos, the menu intros, screens and the film itself, nothing else. The disc also didn't state a disc 1 or 2? So maybe not from a set?
 
Sky captain is a special rental version. However, it doesn't affect the picture quality of the film. I have compared the rental and retail versions and they are exactly the same.

Other films where there is a rnetal version includes Monster (widescreen but only stereo sound) and Japanese Story (4.3 and stereo sound). These just have a stll menu and the film. A recent one is Motorcycle Diaries (widescreen and DD 5.1).

Most of the time, you do only get the film disc from a two disc set. Examples include Hellboy, Terminator 3, Collateral.

I have had both film and extras discs sometimes. This is mainly old DVD's or non chart ones. DVD's such as The Rock, Basic Instinct to new Tartan DVD's such as Old Boy and Tale of Two Sisters.
 
Idoexist said:
My copy did say 'For Rental Only' and if it was a copy was odd as it was a typical DVD silver disc, not purple or any colour. When in the player it went to the menu screen which displayed four options, the first 'play' for the movie and three more for various chapter and other small options. The only video information on the disc was the Paramount logos, the menu intros, screens and the film itself, nothing else. The disc also didn't state a disc 1 or 2? So maybe not from a set?
Pirate DVDs dont have to be purple, that is dvd-rs, I ment that people could have been buying DVD5 Bootlegs which are pressed in factories so have a gold or silver bottom and they could have switched them with the rental copy but I have never come across this but it is possible.
Also, I dont know about Sky Captain as we havent had it in at our place but some companies do create Rental version which are just the film and nothing else but I havent seen this about for some time, one I remember was Lake Placid which was 4:3 and not Widescreen like the Retail release but Fox stopped doing barebones Rentals ages ago.
 
Indiana Jones said:
Also, I dont know about Sky Captain as we havent had it in at our place but some companies do create Rental version which are just the film and nothing else but I havent seen this about for some time, one I remember was Lake Placid which was 4:3 and not Widescreen like the Retail release but Fox stopped doing barebones Rentals ages ago.

Sky Captain is an example of that. There are still rental DVD's coming out which are barebones (except for a still menu and maybe a commentary).

Japanese Story and Monster were recent examples.

A lot of DVD just have the first disc of a two disc set and still have Rental Copy on the cover. Also, many single discs still have Rental Copy on the cover (ones I have seen - Bourne Supremacy, Resident Evil 2, King Arthur, Man on Fire).
 
Pirate DVDs dont have to be purple, that is dvd-rs, I ment that people could have been buying DVD5 Bootlegs which are pressed in factories so have a gold or silver bottom and they could have switched them with the rental copy but I have never come across this but it is possible.

There is a second hand shop that sells dvds like this, I didnt even notice the difference as the film name was inprinted on the clear plastic round the middle of the disc too!

I think the main giveaway was with the village, there was a head bobbing from side to side in the bottom right hand corner and the picture was atrosious (done in the cinema obviously).

I got my money back as I bought them as originals, the chap still swears blind that they are originals and still sells them now. If he ever gets caught he's in trouble as it is his own shop.

tris
 
nwgarratt is right-rental and retail product comes from the same master so should be the same.
As for the colour of the discs,it means nothing.Columbia are experimenting with discs which have a red coating to try to reduce scratches etc.It appears to work as the number of faulties the company I work for is lower on Columbia than certain other labels.
As for extras,films released initially as vanilla discs tend to be from labels who only acquire the rental rights(in the case of Monster this was High Fliers)whereas another company will hold the retail rights(Tartan in the case of Monster)who will release the all-singing version.
Buena Vista always issue both discs on rental if it's a 2-disc set.eg.Pirates Of The Caribbean,Incredibles.Everyone else(I think)don't issue the second disc with the rental copies sold to video stores.
 
Just rented/seen Alien vs Predator (complete pile of cack, can't believe how dissapointed I was) But great quality from the same shop. Just in case though Sky Captain was good if different to what I was expecting and maybe it is meant to have a 'soft' look.
 
It was suppose to have a soft look. It was a homage to the B movies/Sci-Fi like Flash Gordon from the 1930's.
 
NWG

Thanks, that's what I was expecting before I knew too much about the film. I think it was just that I then expected a 'The Rocketeer' type style and as it was nearly all CGI I expected a crystal sharp image. I only remember the original b&w flash gordon when I used to go to the Saturday morning cinema in the early 70's. OHH! that dates me.
 
It was suppose to have a soft look. It was a homage to the B movies/Sci-Fi like Flash Gordon from the 1930's.

Ask Mr. D and he will tell you the real reason for the "soft look". ;)
 

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