I recently submitted a contribution to add a group to a cast list and received several No votes saying that the group end divider I put in was not needed and against the rules. I disagree with this, but I withdrew the contribution and decided to see what the general population thinks.

This was a contribution for Angel series four disc 1, containing 4 episodes. The group in question is the last set of cast members for the third episode, and directly following it are the new episode divider and the cast for the fourth episode.

First, here is a screenshot that shows what DVD Profiler looks like with the group end in, as I submittted.



As you can see, everything looks nice - the group is indented and the cast members for the next episode are correctly aligned to the left.

Now, a screenshot if you remove the group end divider. See how the members of the episode after the group are indented as though they are part of the group even though they they should not be.



Just for fun, I added a fictional group divider to the following episode. With the otiginal group end omitted, the following group keeps the same indentation as the cast, and things are out of alignment until the group end divider.



All this shows that the program needs the group end divider as I had submitted.

As far as the rule is concerned, it states "Groups should be ended with a "Group End" type divider, unless the next entry begins a new group. Do not add a group end divider at the end of the cast, or at the end of a crew section."

There are two relevant parts here:

1.  Groups should be ended with a "Group End" type divider, unless the next entry begins a new group.

In this case, the next entry does not begin a new group but a new episode, so a group end divider is needed.

2.  Do not add a group end divider at the end of the cast, or at the end of a crew section.

The way I understand this, and the way that DVD Profiler currently works, the phrase "end of the cast" does not mean the end of the cast of the episode, but the end of the entire cast listing for the disc. I can see where the other interpretation can be made, but it makes no sense with the way the software is programmed, as seen in the screenshots above.

Ok, so can of worms opened. Any thoughts?

Looks like a bug to me

I have always read that to mean that each episode (or movie for more then 1 movie per single side) is the end of a cast list... so no group end dividers for any of the features of the disc. So at least until Ken states otherwise... that is how I will contribute and vote.

I see nothing in the rules that makes me think it is the end of the entire field only. I see it as there is 4 separate features on this disc... each containing individual cast lists.

This is nothing more then a format bug that Ken needs to fix in the program itself. You will notice that the name of the name of the divider does not continue on into the next episode. So the divider does do it's main job... it just don't stop the indent of the names.

Now if Ken want to clarify it that he meant the end of the entire cast field... no matter how many cast lists there is... that is all well and good. But till that time I will continue to contribute and vote as I read it.

Interesting! I submitted similar changes to a few profiles recently (actually, for the same show!) and I hadn't noticed this. Looking at it again, I can confirm the observations. Should I withdraw them all and resubmit with the group end divider or fix them later after they go through?

I don't believe that we're supposed to use group end divider at the end of an episode's cast list either. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a bug in the program, and I'd rather see the bug fixed than to apply some sort of manual workaround that'll only have to be undone later on.

Looks like it to, also

I understand where you are coming from... it isn't about the different kind of dividers... but that it is the end of the cast for that episode. Some believe that isn't enough... that there just can't be an end divider at the very end of the cast field. Not the feature. Others of us believe that it can't be used at the end of any of the features on the disc.

Which is something only Ken can clarify. Until such time as Ken clarifies I have to vote and contribute per how I read the rules.

Maybe it is a bug or maybe it is not a bug.
Only Invelos could make a decision.

But as long as there is no decision I will use the Group End divider in this specific case. Because that's the only way that all Episodes get equated. And not that one is indented and one not.