Why?

Published under Movies, Personal, Television.

jurassicpark.jpgI wasn’t feeling well most of this weekend, so I spent some time with the ol’ television.

At one point I found myself fixated on Jurassic Park — the original, not the bastardized sequels.

Jurassic Park was one of the best movies of its time. It was a summer blockbuster the likes of which didn’t really become commonplace until years later.

It’s not really Jurassic Park that I set out to write about today, though, it’s another phenomenon entirely. Perhaps I am alone in the behavior I am about to describe.

Why am I compelled to watch movies on television that I own on DVD? It’s true. I do it all the time. I’m flipping through the channels and I come upon a movie I love — I love it so much, in fact, that I bought the DVD.

Yet I don’t go get the DVD which is generally better quality in every way and would provide an uninterruptible viewing experience. Instead, I watch the tv-edited versions.

Occasionally, I have a good excuse if the movie I’m watching is being played in HD. Although my DVD player has HD upconversion, it’s really not quite the same.

Am I the only one? Does anyone else out there find themselves watching movies on television that they could watch on DVD?

6 Comments to Why?

  1. hemipshire,

    My wife does, and I can’t understand it – I’ll hand her the DVD. I’ll stop for a minute or two, but never the whole thing (unless it’s the edited version of Mallrats).

    Also, I think my upconverting player is almost indistinguishable from HD, plus I liked the sequels (I own 1 and 2, 3 didn’t make the cut to own).

  2. Lykaon,

    Seriously? Jurassic Park 3 is way better than the craptastic Jurassic Park 2.

    The only redeeming part of Jurassic Park 2 was — say it with me now — that Julianne Moore is hot.

    The quality of the picture in a DVD upconversion is usually ok, but the HD movies on TV are aspected to fit my screen better usually. But maybe I’m just doing something wrong.

  3. hemipshire,

    No way – also directed by Spielberg, also based on a book by Michael Crichton! Vince Vaughn is money, and the T Rex finale is way cool.

    The HD movies on TV are often cropped to 1.78:1 from their original 2.35:1. Not as bad as the ol’ “pan and scan”, but not the true “director’s cut”.

    Nice article here you should enjoy.

  4. Rob,

    I have a similar feeling about songs on the radio. Even if I own the CD of some song or band that I like, For some reason, I enjoy it more when it just happens to come on the radio.

    Jurassic Park 1 and 3 FTW. Was there even a plot to The Lost World (movie not book)?

    http://blog.thetechnonaut.com

  5. Lykaon,

    You’re a link whore.

  6. Worf,

    Funny you should mention Jurasic Park, I just saw all 3 again last week on the same day, something I havent done before. I like them all, although I do agree that 2 and 3 werent as good as the original.

    And no, you’re not the only one who watches movies on TV that you own on DVD. I often find myself doing this when there’s nothing of interest on TV (which happens quite often). Here’s the funny thing, if I havent seen the movie before and I’ve been told it was good or I had been wanting to see it but never got a chance to do so, I’de rather walk / drive to blockbuster and rent it than watch it on TV. Call me crazy, but that’s the way I am.. hehe

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