Is PAN & SCAN more popular?? (1 Viewer)

[Matt Mediate]

Alright, the story goes like this: I stopped at my local Walmart to check out the new releases after work a few weeks ago. One hour photo was that weeks new release. To my astonishment, Neither of my local Walmarts were carrying the widescreen version of the film. To make matters worse, there was a big sticker on the cover which said something to the degree of NO BLACK BARS!! FILLS YOUR SCREEN!The clerk at the one store claimed that most of her customers want the full screen version. I live in Pittsburgh. It's not the most sophistcated place on earth but it's not backwater USA either. Has anyone else encountered similar strange behavior in their neck of the woods. Does the general public really prefer pan scan?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Does the general public really prefer pan scan?

No, but Walmart thinks they do.

 

[Bryan X]

I found the same situation at my Wal-Mart in Ohio with 'One Hour Photo'. I asked the associate why they didn't have the widescreen version and she gave me some b.s. that they have NO control over what they are sent.....

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

The "FORMATTED TO FIT YOUR SCREEN (NO BLACK BARS)" sticker is a Fox thing....

 

[Malcolm R]

The "FORMATTED TO FIT YOUR SCREEN (NO BLACK BARS)" sticker is a Fox thing....

Amazing how they know for a fact that everybody in the country watches movies on a 4:3 display. :rolleyes

Overall, WS outsells P&S. Wal-Mart simply caters to more J6P's by nature of their size and clientele. But the Wal-Marts around here stock both versions.

 

[Tony-B]

Might I add that The Ring's "Full-Screen" edition outsold the Widescreen edition in the first week. But that doesn't happen very often.

 

[Aaron Cohen]

I ought buy it and return the damn thing saying I expected no black bars since the sticker told me that but got black bars on the sides of my widescreen tv. My Wal-Mart had only full-frame versions of The Ring as well as One Hour Photo. If people were educated about widescreen we wouldn't have this crap. The Wal-Mart employees go out of their way to be ignorant.

 

[WillG]

"Might I add that The Ring's "Full-Screen" edition outsold the Widescreen edition in the first week. But that doesn't happen very often."


Well, from what I read in reviews and such "The Ring" Seems pretty pedestrian. The type that would sell well to J6P, but enthusiasts might more likely skip.

Of course we are the same people who are begging for Special Editions of the "Friday the 13th" series, so go figure.

 

[Dean_Jonesy]

I ought buy it and return the damn thing saying I expected no black bars since the sticker told me that but got black bars on the sides of my widescreen tv.

My sentiments EXACTLY! Quick story. I had a friend who rented The Grinch. She rented it for herself but I told her we could watch it on my widescreen. The frickin' thing was P&S! I couldn't get myself to watch it in Zoom or Widezoom because I hate messing with the aspect ratio the DVD is in. Needless to say it was worthless to watch it at my place.

 

[Clinton McClure]

This is correct. Items are demographically selected and sent to stores. If a white toilet seat sells better in Alabama than a blue seat with a rebel flag on it, guess which toilet seat goes to the hardware/plumbing dept. in Alabama? Store level associates have absolutely no control over the merchandise send by the regional distribution centers. That is all controlled by sales totals automatically generated by the inventory control system when items are purchased. People who intentionally buy P&S DVDs thinking they are sending a message by returning them all are actually shooting themselves in the foot. If 20 DVDs of the P&S version of the Ring are sold, the ICS automatically orders 20 more copies to replace sold inventory. If all 20 people return the P&S version, there are now 40 P&S copies on the shelf waiting to be sold rather than just 20 copies. From a retail standpoint, it makes more sense to just not buy the P&S version than to buy the P&S and return it intentionally. This is why it is vitally important to nicely ask the manager to relay your message to their boss about stocking OAR versions of movies. If you treat the manager like an imbecile, your request will most likely go no further.

 

[Kami]

Might I add that The Ring's "Full-Screen" edition outsold the Widescreen edition in the first week. But that doesn't happen very often.

It could be because every store I went to had about 80% fullscreen, 20% widescreen :frowning:

Oh well, as long as they don't stop offering widescreen versions. J6P is gonna be whining in 5-10 years when widescreen TVs are more standard and they have black bars on the left and right. Or maybe they'll be content with stretching the crap out of it.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> I live in Pittsburgh. It's not the most sophistcated place on earth but it's not backwater USA either.

I would blame the situation on Wal-Mart, not the city you're in.

Whenever I look at sales charts for titles that have separate WS and P&S releases, the WS always seems to rank higher.

Plus you have to consider some people accidentally buy the P&S version, not knowing there's a separate WS version. (In other words they assume all DVDs are WS, based on the fact that most are.)

I really think the number of people who actually prefer P&S, after it's been correctly explained to them, is pretty small. It's more like some don't really care one way or the other.

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

I live in rural Utah, and my local Wal-Mart stocks plenty of widescreen films. While I don't expect them to carry every title I'm seeking, I've never found something I was seeking in widescreen to be available in full frame only.

Charlie

 

[RobD]

Full Screen releases are even rarer here in Europe, only one I can think of is Harry Potter. I think its for the best really that widescreen is forced down people's throats.

What I really hate is the odd film that is chopped from its original full screen aspect to wide screen.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Pan & scan has never been popular...

It has been accepted.

Non-original aspect ratio releases just were the normal way to go. When people get used to something over 20-some years, that's what people are going to be safe with.

It's like getting someone to switch their brand of cigarettes after years of smoking it. And it's addictive.

 

[MarkHastings]

It's like getting someone to switch their brand of cigarettes after years of smoking it. And it's addictive.

Good analogy. It's like greasy foods, I know they are bad for me, but I continue to eat them becuase I don't care that they are bad for me.

It's similar to people who are used to P&S, educating them to the fact that WS is better is sometimes futile because they don't care that P&S is bad.

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Quote: "It could be because every store I went to had about 80% fullscreen, 20% widescreen "

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That could be because the widescreen versions sell and the "fullscreen" versions stay on the shelf.

 

[Rob T]

But the Wal-Marts around here stock both versions.

Same here.
The pan & scan (or open-matte) versions are always greater in number and the widescreen versions are always hidden behind (or under) the pan & scan (or open-matte) versions, but if you look for them, they can be found.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

RobD,

your in a small minority of people, myself included, who's had the balls to say what you did, that OAR should be forced upon the public, that's the only way they'll ever come to accept it.

I have no idea why a smart studio like Fox would put such a sticker on their full screen releases, it undermines the integrity they've built for themselves. It's also false, if someone has a 16x9 their WILL be bars, grey ones, on the sides.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

John, that's why whenever an only fullscreen release is made, we need to write the studios and tell them that it is NOT formatted to fit my screen!

As for the 80/20%, consider that a stupid J6P picks up a widescreen version by accident, and then returns it for a fullscreen exchange. That is considered a 'widescreen sale' as well.

Glenn