*** FOX goes PAN&SCAN? 10 Fox discs re-released in MARCH (1 Viewer)

[Robert Dunnill]

For your viewing enjoyment, 20th Century Fox is re-releasing 10 DVD titles in Modified Aspect Ratio, so that you get the whole pitcher, not just that strip in the middle.
Read about it here.
RD

 

[Kevin Leonard]

As long as Fox releases a version of a movie in its OAR, they can crank out all the seperate P&S discs they want.

 

[David Wilkins]

I remain optimistic about the short and long term prospects for OAR, though this news does suck warm buttermilk. I'd like to know what sales figures reflect, when both ratios are offered for a given title. Relying only on personal observations, there seem to be a lot more pan & scan titles left sitting on store shelves, and they bring consistently less bid activity on eBay.

 

[Richard Travale]

They will probably charge more because after all, you are getting more of the picture right?

 

[Kurt N]

This makes it sound like Cast Away, Independence Day, and Abyss are remaining 2-disc sets. Is this how others are taking this?

 

[Patrick McCart]

Widescreen can sell great if you force the public to accept it.

If the only version of ID4 on DVD is widescreen, there will be no choice. If the stores decide to stop selling Fox product because they won't give in, people will complain about why no Fox DVD's are carried.

When the public has no choice but to buy the OAR version, they'll accept. In one of my high school literature classes, we watched Michael Mann's 1992 film of The Last of the Mohicans. Guess what? Not one person complained about the fact we were watching a 2:1 widescreen image on a 17" TV screen.

Take pan & scan out of the market for good and you'll see less demand for it. If people get used to the fact that P&S isn't sold anymore, they'll have no choice but to purchase the regular version.

 

[george kaplan]

What's most depressing is seeing Peter Staddon making those statements. He used to come here regularly and simply put, he knows better. He is (or should be) well aware of the severe flaws in the data that some studios have used to try to justify pan & scan as being more popular. Very disappointing to see him making such statements. :frowning: Of course, maybe this is why Ron won't review Fox dvds anymore.

 

[Nate Anderson]

Well Shit...I had faith that Fox and Paramount were sticking to their guns on the OAR only position. I feel kinda betrayed.

Paramount, don't you go getting any ideas now!

I guess as long as they keep releasing widescreen titles as well, I won't complain too much.

 

[David Lambert]

What's most depressing is seeing Peter Staddon making those statements. He used to come here regularly ...

He still hasn't posted since January 2nd, as of when I happen to have checked earlier this afternoon. That's just over 3 weeks, hardly in the "used to come here" category.
However, in 2 separate threads I discussed some of the things that Fox wasn't being too swift on lately, such as lower Customer Service response on glitchy discs, and the changing of 2-disc SE's into 1-disc bare-bones items, and potentially some kids' titles hitting in Non-OAR.
Now this.
The speculation as to the reason for Peter's absence grows (along with speculation for Ron's position on Fox reviews)... :frowning:

 

[Carlo_M]

Just to put things in a little perspective.

I've actually met the man. Twice. Let me tell you that he is every bit as passionate a movie lover as anyone here, perhaps moreso. That quote of his was probably cut out of a larger quote. And quite frankly, it's true. As many of us love OAR, we are outnumbered by those who want "the screen filled up."

Fox releasing separate P&S versions is probably their way of caving in to the people who complain about "the black bars" and still give those of us who love OAR what we want. They aren't releasing MAR only versions with no OAR in sight.

So while I would love for people to embrace OAR, I do not really see this as any betrayal. They are a company, and they want to make as many customers happy as they can.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

"That is a reflection that the mass market demographic doesn’t want those black bars," said Peter Staddon, senior VP of marketing for the supplier. "They want to fill up the screen."
He speaks the truth. I don't know what anybody here could be mad at him for.
Me, I have no problem knowing that I am not in the mass market. Heck, I'm a little proud of it.

 

[Jason Smalley]

I echo the sentiments of the individuals who don't mind these inferior versions of movies being available as long as the OAR is still on the market. The thing that has me seeing red is that they believe there is enough of a market for "Lake Placid" to release it MAR, but they seemingly don't have plans to release it in anamorphic widescreen. I realize I'm in the minority here, but I find the movie to be hilarious. I would repurchase it in a heartbeat.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

I wonder...

If all these studios' so called "marketing research" numbers point to the mass market crowd crying out in agony over OAR widescreen titles then perhaps what will finally happen to us on this and other big forums is a big F.Y. (do I have to spell it out?) from the studios and they won't want our input anymore, even though from what I've read many times before in the suggestions posted most of us "audio and video philes" and "movie buffs" have far better ideas than many of the "suits" at the studios making the decisions.

Dan

 

[Andrew Walsh]

The terrifying side of this is the continuing stance of the studio to kowtow to the lowest common denominator rather than EDUCATE the consumer and EXPLAIN why they've got them there black bars cuttin' off their pitcher.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I would prefer to see more studios taking the dual format approach on a single disc, rather than simply going MAR, which Fox has done on at least two of the discs I've reviewed recently (To Walk With Lions 2.35:1>1.33:1 and Silent Trigger 2.35:1>1.33:1), to the exclusion of OAR. They have also released a dual format disc (My Bodyguard). It seems a little odd that the fastest growing format in the history of home video, which has been until now primarily OAR, suddenly needs to abandon the OAR format that has helped make it so popular....

 

[Jeff Kleist]

As long as Peter Staddon is at Fox, I'm sure he's fighting the good fight.

 

[Brian Harnish]

What?!?!?!! Fox shouldn't be releasing P&S crap at all. They're the studio that's supposed to release awesome DVDs in anamorphic widescreen! Why would Fox take a step backward? Weren't they the ones that were going to put an OAR educational bit at the front of every DVD? I would have thought Fox would know better than to release P&S versions at all.
It just goes to show: Joe Sixpack is/are dumb @$$hole whores. It's a wonder any of them graduated from highschool in the first place. This just makes me hate Joe Sixpack even more!!

 

[Jim A. Banville]

"the continuing stance of the studio to kowtow to the lowest common denominator rather than EDUCATE the consumer and EXPLAIN why they've got them there black bars cuttin' off their pitcher."
Sounds to me like those of us who prefer OAR are the "lowest common denominator" as far as revenue is concerned. And I don't think patronizing the P&S crowd by insinuating that they speak like backwoods rednecks helps the OAR cause either

 

[AaronMK]

I think it is a sad fact that, even when presented with the facts, most want their screens filled at all cost.

If Fox releases bare-bones MAR editions and packed OAR editions, good for them. It is just like them saying "let us make it even more clear that you are missing out when you decide to purchase a MAR only release.

MAR supporters will wonder why they don't get as much bonus material. The logical response would be that they must not care much about the movie in the first place if they would butcher it, so why would they care about bonus material.

Considering this, I think Fox's response is very appropriate. It is not the "you watch right or don't watch at all" response I would have liked, but appropriate none the less.

 

[Jeff Whitford]

Ok guys let me say first and foremost that I wont buy a DVD in P&S in fact lately I wont buy it unless its anamorphic but the reality is that I sell DVD players for a living and our best selling brand of DVD players is Toshiba.....do you know why? Yes they make a good product but they have a zoom button on them. No matter how I try and I preach every day people dont want the bars on the top and bottom. Fox as a business would be silly to not have P&S versions if they dont put both on one disc. There are people out there(as warped as it is) that won't buy a DVD if its in letterbox. Fox im sure has seen the success that Universal has had with seperate P&S and widescreen versions and is saying why not take our share of the pie. They never said that there wouldnt be widescreen versions did they? You know what the best part is??? In 5 years when all tv's that are being sold are 16X9 these people who bought the P&S discs will be pissed.
Hey Peter how did I do for answering that for you? Email me and i'll let you know where to send the free t shirt or DVD's to.