>>>> Spoke to Warner Rep today concerning WONKA & CATS - here is what I was told..... (1 Viewer)

[AaronMK]

I did not see the benefits of OAR until soon before buying a DVD player. Now that I have seen the benefits of OAR, there is no going back. Now my freinds and family have also seen the benefits. Many of them will only watch movies in their OAR.
What I fail to understand is how you can distinct "family buying consumers". Do you think that the person who cares about OAR when buying non-family films will change that preference when buying a family film? It is like assumming that people who prefer OAR do not have families.
The people who buy the most DVDs prefer and demand OAR. Making a realistic conservative estimate, I would say that they buy ten to twenty times as many movies as the average consumer, with or without a DVD player. Many of them are also parents. If they will not buy or rent DVDs that do not have the option to watch the movie in its original aspect ratio for themselves, what makes you think they will buy or rent them for their kids or for the entire family?
OAR must be an option for me to even consider buying or renting any movie. Although I am limited in my puchases by a college student budget, I still buy many times more movies than the average consumer. Many of these purchases would also fall into the "family" catagory.
I have been looking foward to seeing The Neverending Story on DVD for a while now. Hopefully my wait will be able to end with this release.
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My DVD's
If a movie is not available in OAR, than it might as well not be available at all.

 

[Jeff Cohen]

Warner/AOL:
I first want to echo the concerns already presented in this thread. But here is my concern:
Recently Warner merged with AOL. This partnership formed one of the largest megamedia conglomerates we have ever known. You have few rivals, namely GE-NBC, DISNEY-ABC, and NEWSCORP. Your movie industry has become just a morsel of your huge company. I am a true believer that companies such as yours are a danger to society. You try to be a part of everything, and ultimately you take advantage of the consumer.
In this case, you are clearly ignoring the DVD enthusiast crowd. Now, I'm aware of your surveys, but in agreement with previous posts, I believe they may be lacking in numbers. I don't know the breadth of them, and I don't know the depth of them, but if you truly surveyed a large base of consumers (say even 100,000) you would find a great deal prefer widescreen/OAR. Therefore, I believe you did not survey enough people or surveyed from distinct groups only. So we are left out to dry. And that simply, your decision is made.
Maybe you forget that the people you're ignoring now are same who gave the DVD momentum in its infancy. Maybe you just don't care, because you know you can afford to not reap the profits from the widescreen. Maybe you have nothing against us and you want to change. But whatever the case, you need to go back to your roots. You need to be the pioneering company you were before AOL. You need to be supporters of those who supported you. And you need to do it soon.
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Please support the movement against AOL Time Warner and sign this Petition.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

As I walked out of the theater last Saturday after seeing Cats and Dogs, I was thinking to myself "I hope this isn't going to be 4/3 only like Willy Wonka when it hits dvd." My worst fears have been confirmed.
The infuriating thing is that it would be so easy to include both versions. It is downright mean of WB to not even offer the option of an OAR version. I cannot begin to describe how angry I am about this.
From Casablanca, thru Looneytunes, to The Matrix, WB films have been a mainstay for me. Just seeing the WB logo on a dvd case used to be an assurance of good quality--no more.
There is no excuse for Warner's 4/3 only policy. There is no excuse for their arrogant refusal to even acknowledge the huge outcry against this policy.
This example of corporate arrogance and total disregard for a loyal customer base is unconscionable, and truly sad when you realize how easily it could have been avoided.
SHAME ON YOU, WARNER HOME VIDEO
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Steve S.
I prefer not to push the subwoofers until they're properly run in.

 

[HenrikTull]

I don't know what would be the best solution to make WB wake up, but I feel boycotting isn't going to do much good. WW is still going to sell just as many copies as they intended (they probably knew that the HFT - community would boycott it when we found out is was P/S only), same for Cats and Dogs. I think maybe the best way is to keep buying their movies released in widescreen, so that they can see how much money they're loosing releasing movies in P/S only.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

To me this is what dvd represents... bringing the theatrical experirence home. 'Cats and Dogs' was not full frame at the theater, and so, I don't want it full frame in my home. Period.
It's the year 2001 for goodness sake, a new millenium, and it's the ultimate joke to think that in this day and age, with digital televisions on the horizon, HDTV, DTV, 16X9 etc... that this mentality about pan n scan and full frame is still going on! This vile format was created 40 or so years ago, and the film lovers of the world are still paying for it, sad.
Let me ask you this Warner, you released 'Ben Hur' not too long ago that has a theatrical aspect ratio of 2.76:1, extremly wide, and beutiful I might add, would you have had the guts to pan n scan THAT film because you deemed it a "family film"? I seriously think not, and if i'm wrong on that, well than your worse off than any of us could even fathom!
O'k' so 'Cats and Dogs' isn't 'Ben Hur', but it's still a film, and alot of work went into it by the director, cinematographer, and the computer effects artists, and it DESERVES to be shown the respect that you would show 'Ben Hur'. I firmly believe, as i'm sure others here believe, that ALL films, even ones as god aweful as 'Battlefield Earth', ARE WORTHY of being presented in thier OAR, at home, a well as at the cinema!

 

[JohnS]

Warner,
Your not getting anymore of my money.
I'm not buying another one of your DVD's, untill you learn about OAR.
NO OAR=NO SALE
WARNER YOU LOST ALOT OF CUSTOMERS!!!!!
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[JohnS]

Sorry for posting back to back but....
WARNER,
HOW MANY WONKA DVD SALES HAVE YOU LOST, DUE TO IT NOT BEING WIDESCREEN?
I PERSONALLY THINK, YOUR FAMILY SURVEY IS UTTER CRAP. IF IT WAS WORKING WELL, WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT WONKA NOT BEING WIDESCREEN.
I THINK YOUR ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS AND THE WRONG PEOPLE.
I BOUGHT A 16X9 TV($3,000) I have OVER 250 DVD's and buy DVD's every week.
TAKE A HINT from 20TH Century Fox, teach people about OAR. Make it the ONLY medium!!!
You have no idea how mad you have made me.
Don't you realise that 16X9 tv's are going to be standard within years to come....???
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[Edited last by JohnS on August 18, 2001 at 05:46 AM]
[Edited last by JohnS on August 18, 2001 at 05:48 AM]

 

[Matt Wooten]

i know the point has been addressed.. im not gonna even discuss how i feel about this.. i'll say this much tho.. i think Swordfish will be the last movie i buy from Warner for a LONG TIME.

 

[Wade K]

It's hard to add any new insights, as almost all concerns have been addressed previously in this thread. I think it's obvious that the "market research" conducted by WB was/is flawed in some manner. Whether it wasn't weighted correctly as to who actually purchases how many DVDs, didn't contain a large enough sample, or didn't ask the right questions, it is still flawed.
I have a bad feeling this comes down to somebody's ego at AOL/Time Warner and they're afraid of looking the fool to both the buying public and their supervisors if they were to do an about face. The fact is they are looking the fool now. As someone said earlier, someone at WB needs to swallow their pride, admit their mistake, and move on.
There have been wonderful presentations of WB films in the past, but I am truly afraid for the release of several films in the future which could arbitrarily be considered "family," but which hold great appeal for adults as well. I have a collection of over 200 films on DVD. Small by some of the standards here, but I suspect much larger than the number of films merely rented by a large segment of the population over the course of a year. Not a single one I own is not in its OAR, nor will I allow one, no matter how much I enjoy the film. Do the math.
Finally, if someone at WB is actually reading these messages, I have to ask if there is even 1/10th as much outcry from people demanding to "fill their screens" as people demanding the proper treatment of OAR for DVDs. I have the feeling those who accept pan and scan / open matte will also accept OAR even if they gripe a little, while those who appreciate OAR won't accept anything less.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Fortunately, Chris Columbus probably has that clout so HARRY POTTER may be safe.

Goodness, I hope you're right there, Greg. With the huge following of Harry P, the masses who see it theatrcially and the masses of (families) who will buy it on DVD, without director's intervention it's completely fu**ed!
I'm dissapointed, Warner, more so for the fact Willy Wonka had both formats, pleasing BOTH markets only for you to then drop and already created widescreen transfer in favour of pushing only pan & scan. What reason was there to offer one over both?
Why is it the studio pioneers in making the best quality releases at the start (I target Warner and Universal specificaly) are putting out such mediocre products at present? It's a grand shame and the less Warner products I select to buy in future the better.
Dan (UK)

 

[Joshua Clinard]

I am very sad to hear this news. I would just like to state that most everyone who buys only OAR DVD's buy a lot more titles than the people that WB are apparently surveying. The people I know that prefer P&S buy only 5-10 titles a year, and they will buy a film in OAR, if a pan and scan is not available. I on the other hand who only buy's OAR releases buy about 20 DVD's a year, and I am a college student, with a low income. The number of DVD's I buy will increase when my income increases. I ask Warner to strongly reconsider this move, as they are going to have a lot more saled if they cater to us. I would also like to know why both cannot be offered. I know that I would still buy the DVD if less extras were offered, if it means I still get a widescreen transfer.
mugglenet.com
Might want to take a look at the news I posted on the site, regarding this issue, which was also carried over to the-leaky-cauldron.com

 

[DannyS]

I have mentioned before that in the UK columbia tristar put a questionnaire in all their DVD's which you can send to them with no postal charge. That's why we don't have any PAN SCAM titles from them here. The educated public told them exactly what they wanted so it's anamorphic OAR all round here. If WB did this or HAD DONE THIS, I think it would have the same effect.
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Panasonic TX-21M2T TV
Sony DVP 536
Old Panasonic Stereo!
[Edited last by DannyS on August 18, 2001 at 10:31 AM]

 

[Travis Hedger]

I was told that Warner Brothers did an
extensive survey and found that family
buying consumers prefer the Pan & Scan
format.

Funny. I never participated in such a survey.
Anybody else here @ the HTF participated in said survey?
By my count of the Wonka petition Warner has lost $280,212.87 from lost Wonka Sales. Currently we are @ 11,213 sigs.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Dear Warner decision-makers,
All of this to-do is simply because you chose not to include a Widescreen version in addition to the "oh-so-popular" Pan N Scan version.
Here's a piece of advice: Stop doing this and simply include BOTH versions!
Seems like a relatively minor adjustment considering how many DVD customers you'd make happy, thereby expanding your profits. Maybe I'm just one guy who won't be buying these two DVDs, but there are a lot of us "one guy"s out here!
I can't believe that we've sunk to the point where we must beg to have a movie presented in its original form. Think about that.
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Scott
Check out my Movie Reviews at Epinions. Help support my debilitating DVD addiction!
AOL IM: TheAngryJew29
[Edited last by Scott Weinberg on August 18, 2001 at 11:04 AM]

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I was told that Warner Brothers did an extensive survey and found that family buying consumers prefer the Pan & Scan format.

You know, another MAJOR company made such a radical, equally silly decision, that was the Coca-Cola company with New Coke.
I will not buy Neverending Story from you, I will not buy in Pan&Scan, I will not buy them unless they are OAR. You seem to love DVD-18 Warner, if there is no other solution acceptable to your thinking, than DVD-18 the suckers. I promise I won't complain
Jeff Kleist

 

[Jeff Rogers]

Dear Warner Bros,
As a former Suncoast movie employee for a good number of years I have been privy to many people and reasons as to why there is a tendency of P&S over WS among the average consumer. I think it is ignornace. Day after day as I worked, I met with people who argued that widescreen was inferior.
That all changed when we received a little card illustrating 16x9 showing a clip of Jurassic Park. Easily noticeable was the cropping of the whole dinosaur and the travesty that was P&S. When we showed many people the difference they were shocked. They had gone about their whole HT life thinking they were getting the better end of the stick when they were really getting jilted.
This is irreputable proof that instead of telling us what we want you shoud at least take a step towards informing people that plain "JUST DON'T KNOW BETTER!!" Some people are very open minded and have no problem changing their train of thought once persented with something better.
If anything, you're doing them a favor and saving them some heartache a few years down the road
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If I could go back in time, I'd meet Snoopy
[Edited last by Jeff Rogers on August 18, 2001 at 11:59 AM]

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Dear Warner Brothers:
If it is your new policy to release certain widescreen titles (especially new release and beloved classics) in Pan & Scan and open-matte only you have lost my business. Period. I will also ask my friends to stop buying your product as well. This could snow ball on you, fast. This forum alone has over (I believe) 18,000 members from all over the globe. Think about that for a moment...
I'd respect you more if you at least did a Universal: "Ultimate" Edition type release with 2 or 3 discs with one of them (the second or third disc) having the pan and scan version on those titles you are considering as pan and scan only. I don't want the widescreen version to suffer video and audio-wise by placing both versions on one disc.
Bring back DTS support (and DTS-ES Discrete 6.1) with the best possible audio masters. This would help show that you can be a studio that is progressive: keeping your core customers happy with proper OAR releases in the best video and audio light possible on DVD. Also, please stop cropping hard matted 1.85:1 films to 1.78:1 (this goes for all studios). It's bad enough since the overscan on most consumer TVs and HDTVs chop off part of the picture to begin with.
By being bull headed and going the pan and scan only route you are showing that you just don't care, especially about the people who got DVD off the ground in the first place-- namely the film enthusiasts (many to be found on this and other forums). What about those consumers buying widescreen HDTVs???
At least with Fox they started a supplemental feature that shows why the original theatrical aspect ratios should be adhered to. They have not started pandering to the lowest common denominator, however instead have decided to try to educate the public. They even started support DTS a lot more. Why not do that instead? Your PR points would go through the roof!
I'm very sorry things have taken a turn for the worse at your studio, so please take the necessary steps to get back on track before you lose even more customers.
Thank you for your time.
Dan Hitchman
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Stop HDCP and 5C-- Your rights are at risk!
[Edited last by Dan Hitchman on August 18, 2001 at 12:11 PM]

 

[Marc Carra]

I have a feeling that Warner Bros conducted their survey by including a survey card in one of their Pan'n'Scan only DVD titles. By doing this , they would almost certainly get pro pan'n'scan results.
Marc.

 

[Rachael B]

I quess the Warner discs that I won't be buying will say somewhere on the label ENHANCED FOR NARROWSCREEN TV.
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Rachael, the big disc cat! "...Mandrake, have you ever seen a commie drink water..."
AFI Film Challenge, hey I've only got 1 to go!

 

[Trace Downing]

There's nothing else I can say that haven't already been said. But, in the offhand chance you are still reading this now, let me tell you bout myself...
I own a widescreen TV. I've had it for about 3 years. I plan on getting a second/replacement this winter.
Willy Wonka, Cats & Dogs, Lord Of The Rings, etc, are not modified to fit my screen.
I own about 240 DVDs, have been quite selective of them over that last 4 years. Not one of them is a modified version.
39 titles are Warner Bros. discs alone (by far the biggets studio representation I have in my collecton). NOT ONE OF THEM IS MODIFIED FROM IT'S ORIGINAL RATIO! I will never buy one that is.
What's worse than black bars on the side? Knowing that there is information on both sides deliberately taken off just to satisfy a few luddites.
[edit] PS...those 39 titles are from Warner alone. I didn't include New Line, HBO or early MGM titles in that list.
[Edited last by Trace Downing on August 18, 2001 at 03:14 PM]