Another Gray Netflix Disc

Here's another gray DVD from Netflix (Everything is Illuminated):

Note the "Rental Only - Not for Resale" notice on the bottom of the DVD. Netflix has said that they do not duplicate movies. The gray discs are provided by the studios, probably to deter theft and save on color printing.

Comments

[gir]

I've gotten a fair number of these disks and never thought anything about it. They play like the full retail disks, so what do I care.

However, I did get a disk a while back that had a NetFlix customized menu and virtually nothing in the way of extras. *That* I didn't like. When I rent a DVD, I expect to get the same content I'd get if I bought it.

[BoB]

I get these gray discs quite often. Harry Potter & Goblet of Fire was a gray one.

[bbv_employee]

Actually, when Blockbuster stores got their huge stock of DVDs to pad the older releases as we whittle out VHS, almost the entire shipment from Warner Brothers were all gray label disks. Not all of them on the disc say "Rental Only" but all of the packaging the stores received explicitly say "Rental or Previously Owned Sales Only - Not for Retail Sale."

[CJ]

So why don't the studios make the bland grey disks more a little more useful, if they don't want to do art work - like put the DVD title, the Copywrite Year, and the Running time in Big Bold Black letters so you don't have to get a magnifing glass under a strong light to figure out what you're looking at.

On DVDs I own, I frequently add such info to the existing artwork on the disk with my fine-point sharpie pen. I also pitch those ludicrous Keep Cases and put the DVDs in those paper sleeve with the plastic windows.

[corey3rd]

I wonder if this is done for accounting purposes. A normal DVD is covered under sales agreements with the profit participants - the grey discs come under the rental breakdown.

I have rented a few titles with grey discs that lacked special features including Jerry Lewis' Nutty Professor.

[C Nyze]

I swear I once received a grey disk that said Netflix on it as well. I'd say 60 to 70% of the disks I get are of the grey variety. I usually only watch the movie so I'm not sure about any special features that may be missing.

[BoB]

"I swear I once received a grey disk that said Netflix on it as well."

Yes I have as well.

[bbv_employee]

I might be pulling this out of my rear, but I swear I read somewhere when the grey label DVDs are made, the type of plastic holding in the data layer is different because the plastic doesn't have to handle the color imprinting. Apparently the grey label DVD can handle more wear and tear because of what kind of plastic is used.

I remember reading this years ago, and the only companies that used it for everyone was Buena Vista but this has since stopped. Again I could be inventing this in my head.

[calig]

Netflix does get a few disc specially made for them. Like Alfred Hitchcock series. It's a 3 disc double sided set when you buy it. But when you get it from netflix its comes as 6 single sided rentals.

This goes for other items too when its double sided or multiple discs.

[nickb]

Gir - Was the movie that the NetFlix customized menu a NetFlix exclusive DVD? (e.g. was it only available on DVD from NetFlix because they worked with the producer to get it to DVD. They've had a number of these deals.)

I'd have trouble believing that a studio would go and master a whole grey disc just to rip the extras out. It seems more likely they'd not include them all together, or go after a initial release with just the movie, then a second release four months down the road with all the extras, just so they can sell joe sixpack the same disc two time. Of course after selling joe sixpack the disc a second time, they'll come out with the director's edition so they can sell joe sixpack a third copy.

I noted season one of six feet under was the normal full color discs. When I got to season two I switched to grey "For rental only" discs. The content appears pretty much the same as the full color discs..

[gir]

It may very well have been. I can't remember which title it was, but it might have been Primer.

[gir]

I take that back. Primer is available for sale on Amazon. I don't think I've rented any other titles that are likely to be NetFlix exclusives.

[calig]

::I'd have trouble believing that a studio would go and master a whole grey disc just to rip the extras out::

They've been doing it since VHS days. This is nothing new. Look at blockbuster for years have had different versions of films.

It doesn't have to be an exclusive. When they make the new version they do offer them to retailers. Just it takes the one big retailer to ask for that special version to be made.

But like I said in my previous post. Check out the listing about Alfred Hitchcock Presents. They made a 3 disc set into 6 DVD set!!! For what?? (1)They were double sided and they wanted something more durable so they dont break. (2) Takes longer for us to rent them getting more of our $$.

But that's just one option. There are lots of DVDs like this. Most of the DVDs drop features like deleted scenes. Which personally I love! That's why now I double check everything before I get them from netflix. My local vid store carries the whole versions and rents the TV shows like one rental for $4 for 7 days. When they don't carry something then I use my netflix but I have noticed big differences in some of their stuff after going thru my local shop.