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USA Today Story on DVD--Need Help!! (1 Viewer)

Thomas Arnold

Auditioning
Joined
Oct 11, 2001
Messages
12
Hello, everyone. My name is Thomas K. Arnold and I am working on a story for USA Today on fourth-quarter DVD. I'd like to put a consumer angle on it, so if you can help me out, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to know how avid a fan of DVD you are, why you like it, what got you into it, and which DVDs you are going to buy that are coming out in the fourth quarter (Mummy Returns, Snow White, Godfather, Phantom Menace, Shrek, etc.). Please email me your response by the end of today, Saturday, October 13. What I'm looking for is some information like this:
"Thomas K. Arnold, 43, has been an avid DVD fan since March 1997, when the format was launched. He bought one of the first Toshiba players to come on the market and has since amassed a collection of nearly 1,000 DVDs. He's picking up copies of all the big titles coming out in the fourth quarter, and has already brought home The Mummy Returns and Snow White. 'Snow White is absolutely stunning, because they completely cleaned up the visuals,' he said. 'And I'm going to buy the Godfather tomorrow because I can't wait to hear Francis Ford Coppola talk about the making of the film; plus, I want a permanent copy of all three movies." Arnold says he has a copy on VHS, 'but that won't last forever. Besides, videocassettes are starting to look like eight-tracks.'"
That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. And I've been told there's no better place to find consumers who like DVD than here at the Home Theater Forum.
Please email me at [email protected].
Thanks.
 

David Lambert

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
11,377
Welcome to the Home Theatre Forum!
I hope you don't mind me asking, but can you verify your credentials in any way? Would you mind pointing us to an online article that you've written?
I checked over the USA Today web site, and didn't quickly find a story with your by-line on it. However, I couldn't find a good search mechanism for it, either, so I'm sure that's the problem. But I betcha you can find a story you wrote, pretty darn quickly.
Thanks for humoring me. I'm sure most of us will agree that it's better to get this out of the way up-front before we e-mail you all of our holiday buying plans. It could be a clever marketing ruse, after all!
biggrin.gif

Thanks again,
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DAVE/Memphis
TV-DVD.jpg

MORE TV ON DVD, PLEASE!
 

Thomas Arnold

Auditioning
Joined
Oct 11, 2001
Messages
12
You can go to the USA Today Web site at www.usatoday.com click on the "archives" button on the left, and type in "Halloween and video" in the search field. That will get you an abstract of my latest story, on Halloween videos, which ran this past week.
 

David Lambert

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
11,377
Gotcha; thanks!
I'll think through what I'd like to say to you for the story, and try to send it before the weekend's out.
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DAVE/Memphis
TV-DVD.jpg

MORE TV ON DVD, PLEASE!
 

Thomas Arnold

Auditioning
Joined
Oct 11, 2001
Messages
12
Thanks, Dave. I need info by the end of today; I have to write the story tonight for an 8 a.m. Sunday deadline. I'd also like some views on the importance of special features and on the fact that unlike VHS, all movies arrive on disc priced for direct sale to the consumer.
 

Jack Briggs

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
Welcome, Mr. Arnold. Some points to consider:
* the highest-resolution home-video format of all time (it's like owning actual copies of the films)
* anamorphic widescreen
* original aspect ratio (OAR--as in everything from 1.37:1 to Ben-Hur's astonishing 2.7:1)
* better sonics than what one hears in commercial theaters
* special value-added features (commentary tracks, alternate endings, deleted scenes, documentaries--i.e., check out the Citizen Kane boxset)
* convenience, ease of use, pride of ownership
* looks awesome when line-doubled on a widescreen digital display
* incredible value for the money (ask anyone who owned laserdiscs)
And these are just a few points.
Good luck with your story.
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WoodyH

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 23, 2000
Messages
228
Well, I just sent off a small blurb... :)
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Woody Hanscom
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george kaplan

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2001
Messages
13,063
If you want to write one of the best mass-media pieces ever done on dvd, be sure to accurately explain Original Aspect Ratio and Pan & Scan. :)
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13-time NBA world champion Lakers: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001
 

Mark Cappelletty

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 6, 1999
Messages
2,322
Sent you an email, Thomas!
Be sure to mention the OAR vs P&S debacle with Warner Bros. finally breaking down and giving us a 16x9 WS Willy Wonka!
 

Stephen Orr

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 14, 1999
Messages
1,099
Thomas,
Just sent you an input one of my many "n2dvd" email accounts...
I can even send you a picture of my N2DVD license plate, if you'd like. :)
 

Blu

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
1,360
When will the article be in the paper? I will really want to read it! This should be very good :)
 

WoodyH

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 23, 2000
Messages
228
Hrm...the deadline was Sunday at 8am - mayhaps this will be in Monday's edition?
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Woody Hanscom
Link Removed
 

Robyn Young

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 23, 2001
Messages
113
Yep, a fluff piece. Really too bad, because he had the opportunity to educate a lot of folks about oar.
 

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