My fullscreen DVD experience for the week. (1 Viewer)

[Michael Harris]

Unfortunately, as I've found out elsewhere on this forum, that won't work either. What is labled "full screen" can be something that is "pan and scanned" or it can be a film that was "opened up" and had the mattes removed thus giving more, sometimes unintended (such as microphones and booms), info from the top and bottom of the screen.

When I suggested that a DVD be labled as "modified for 4x3 TV" or "OAR-original aspect ratio" I got comments, with examples, that the term OAR is variable, e.g. the difference between the so called "approved" AR of the DVD version of "Apocalypse Now" and the AR when it was first shown in the theaters. I am sure you've seen many times when posters have argued what the OAR of a film was and have pointed out that refs to an OAR in IMDB.com are known to be incorrect.

Guess we have to try to come up with something we call can agree on.

 

[Marc Colella]

When $$$ is involved, people are more willing to alter their ideals.

We shouldn't pick on just Lucas, when $teven $peilberg seems to promote P&S. His DVDs are OAR, but there are P&S DVDs available from his company.

 

[Jonathan_Clarke]

Another example of how Star Wars just makes people angry.

 

[JamesED]

Not to mention easier storage, no more rewind and chapter stops.


When I said I would have give the same response as the fullscreen buyer, I mean for any purchase, not to justify fullscreen. Assuming the thread author reenacted the same conversation he had in the store, that is a terrible way to approach someone. You are attacking him and not educating him. If someone said something like bebind me inline, I would definately tell him to fuck off.

On the topic about the uncle and the brother buying fullscreen for their wide scren TV, my dad does that too. He also has a Bose system. I thought he understood Bose sucks, because he reconized the Bose system in his vette blows and that the Monsoon system is not only cheaper but better. I in no way think my dad is dumb, just ignorant on the subject which is much different.

 

[Jon_Are]

Every DVD I own is OAR. I would rather watch an episode of Mr. Ed than a full screen version of a film I love.

That said, the superior attitude and unsubstantiated arrogance of some folks toward those who don't know and/or don't care about the differences is disappointing.
It's fine to want to "educate" others, but when speaking of doing so conveys an air of smugness and disdain toward others, we come across as not superior, but juvenile.

I know I'm a sheep wandering into a pack of wolves here, so go ahead and pounce. I can take it.

(and by the way, I'm not so gullible as to believe for a minute that the "F*** You" retort actually occurred; it has urban legend written all over it)

Jon

 

[Jeff_HR]

My attitude Mr Jon_Are, about OAR in DVDs is not juvenile. Please pick your words more carefully when referring to persons you do not know. Thank you for your attention Sir.
:frowning:

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

Much to my surprise, my local Wal-Mart, located in rural Utah, has piles of fullscreen versions and very few widescreen versions in stock. There's lots of empty space where the widescreen versions used to be.

The tide is turning, albeit very slowly.

Charlie

PS I didn't buy either, BTW. I'll just make do with the laserdiscs until George gets it right.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Suncoast in downtown Seattle reports the Widescreen Star Wars is outselling the "Fullscreen" version at a ratio of about 10 to 1.

Still, I wonder why the P&S version was released at all. If I remember correctly, THE PHANTOM MENACE, when it was released, became the #1 selling DVD of all time despite the fact it was originally available only in widescreen. The DVD it topped, GLADIATOR, was likewise widescreen only.

 

[Jon_Are]

I don't know if it is or is not, Jeff; as you said, I don't know you.

In any case, that is not what I said in my post.

Regards,

Jon

 

[Jimmy M]

Huh?

Jimmy!

 

[AnthonyC]

Always a good thing.

There is only one way I will get a fullscreen DVD: if it's the only version available. I'm not such a widescreen fanatic that if a movie isn't in OAR I won't buy it. But if I can get the widescreen version, that's the one I'm buying.

A few years ago a friend came over to my house to watch Spaceballs. I put the WS side in the player and as soon as the movie started, he just goes: "What the hell? Where's the rest of the picture?" I explained to him how this was indeed the full picture, even if it didn't take up the whole screen. He didn't understand this, so I begrudgingly watched the fullscreen version, the ONLY time I've ever done anything like that.

 

[ScottHH]

If there's a market for P&S, they'll continue to sell P&S versions of films, period. Luckily, there appears (at least by the evidence in this thread) to be even more demand for OAR versions of films, so we should continue to get the product how we want them, in OAR.

I have had difficulty explaining why OAR/widescreen is better to family members, so now I show them. I put in Blazing Saddles (the old version), as the disk has both OAR widescreen and P&S versions. I show them the scene near the beginning of the film where Bart smacks Taggert in the back of the head with the shovel. In the P&S version the gag is much less effective, as they cut from Bart to Taggert and back again. In the OAR version you see both men in the shot and it's just much funnier watching Bart sneak up on Taggert as Taggert is chatting with his sidekick.

Since I don't think we're in danger of losing access to OAR releases, if someone is insistent on watching a butchered version of a film, then that's their problem.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I think a better question is - how long will it take before this all backs up?

Let's say a store gets in 200 copies of a movie, half in OAR and half FS. The day will come when the 100 OAR's sell out, and the other 100 FS just sit there.

So the store manager has a problem. I suppose they'll get marked down when the home office lets them, but after a few months this store is going to have their warehouse full of unsold FS disks.

The complaints to the home office would get ignored at first, but it would finally reach the breaking point. What happens when the section of the warehouse that is sectioned off for DVD's gets full of FS's, and more come in?

So they all get shipped back to who knows where. Now, during what part of this will the studios decide not to make FS disks anymore? Talk about a lot of landfill.

This is what I would imagine will happen at Wallmart. This place buys so many that they aren't going to want to tell the studio that "we're having a little problem selling these FS disks, and it is getting worse every month."

In the meantime, if you shop there and they are out of OAR's, you'll shop somewhere else, so their sales will go down.

If we are going through this transition period now, how long will it take before the studios just stop cranking out the FS's?

Glenn

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

The studios can read sales numbers as well as we can. If they don't think it is profitable anymore to put out an altered picture release, they won't do it anymore. Hopefully, the Star Wars release will help convince them that "fullscreen" should be on the way out.

 

[Kain_C]

I worked the Tues morning release of SW and I did my best to let anyone who picked up the fullscreen version know what they were missing.

And we still sell the crap out of SW everyday. Just yesterday, I had to stock our main aisle many times within the hour.

 

[BradleyOlson]

Examples of 2 movies that are only available in "fullscreen" are the classic "Sounder" from 1972 and "Straight Talk" from 1992.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Bradley: I'm not sure what the pertinence of this is...but how about two Best Picture Oscar winners which have yet to see OAR releases: Chariots of Fire and The Sting?

There have been huge lists compiled on this forum of movies in need of OAR releases.

 

[BradleyOlson]

I had forgotten about these lists as I rarely appear here at HTF.

 

[RyanAn]

Interesting story, I feel for you... I was at Wal-Mart once and there was a lady and a man looking at a rack. At first I thought they were a couple, but they guy was just looking and helping her find stuff. The woman was complaining... "Why are all the movies all widescreen?" which, at Wal-Mart, they are not. "I want the whole picture. I softly said to the guy that widescreen is better and he agreed but said he only buys DVDs with both formats so he can choose if he wants... heh. wow.

Are there any director's that prefer for you to watch their movie in fullscreen? Like with T-3?

By the way, my Wal-Mart staff prefers fullscreen. :frowning:


Ryan

 

[Rian]

I accidently rented The Ring in foolscreen and I decided not to watch it at all. That's how bad I got now, and that's after I've seen it in theatres. I knew it just wouldn't be the same. I did however rent The Bourne Identity in foolscreen as it was the only one around and I was miserable the whole time.

I did have a guy behind me in line buying Star Wars in foolscreen on Tuesday. I thought about saying something to him as he looked like a nice enough guy to understand, but I figured he must know what choice he's making so I decided to leave him be. Next time, I'll let them know the mistake their making.