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

Just had to share this:
I was in Best Buy picking up my widescreen copy of Star Wars Trilogy, and I noticed that the guy behind me had the fullscreen version. I wasn't going to say anything, but he looked like a nice enough guy and I figured maybe I could convince him how much picture he would be losing by buying the fullscreen version. In the past, people have been very thankful if I mention the difference because sometimes it isn't very clear that there are multiple versions of the movie.

So, I said "Fullscreen, huh? You know that cuts off a lot of the original picture, right?"

The man looked me dead in the eye and said "F**k you."

What do you say to that? I was kind of flabbergasted, so I just turned around and walked out. I'm amazed that someone was SO passionate about getting the fullscreen version that they reacted that way!

Jeremy:

Funny story.

What CAN you say to that? Nothing, I guess. But it was a good civil attempt on your part to engage a SW enthusiast in a discussion of the WS/FS debate. An attempt to communicate with your fellow man while sharing the experience of standing in a long line together.

May the force be with you.

The guy didn't look like this, did he?

I think the WS/FS debate is turning into the smoking debate... they know it's bad for them, buying fullscreen, but don't care and don't want to discuss it. I say this as an on-again, off-again smoker, so I'm not casting stones. However I've never knowingly bought a MAR DVD

But that is pretty funny!

That's a good story. I also had one last night.

I was at my local Best Buy looking through the discount DVD rack, and a saw a woman with a BB employee who was carting a TV back in for a return. The conversation went roughly like this.

Employee - "What's wrong with the TV?"
Lady - "We took it home and plugged it in last night, then we put a movie in and it was really small" (Holding her hands up in a squished rectangle)
Employee - "Well, that depends on the movie."
Lady - "Yeah" (In an obviously ignorant tone)

I almost broke out laughing. It would have been interesting to see how that story finished. I could see her getting a replacement TV, and it has the same problem, and bringing it back also.

Is there no end to the ignorance?

Whoa! Well, at least he was able to eloquently defend his position on the issue.

That's pretty interesting. Imagine for a second if someone said the reverse to one of us. What if I were standing in line and someone saw me holding a widescreen copy of Star Wars and said "You know...that creates black bars at the top and bottom of your TV screen and makes the picture smaller." How would I react? Would I say "F**k you?" No, I would see that as a golden opportunity to educate the other guy.

Astouding. Absolutely astouding. Of course, this goes far beyond the MAR/OAR debate. I just cannot understand how people can act that way, regardless of the subject. Lately I've been wondering if basic social skills and common courtesy are simply outdated concepts.

It's a pity some people are a little edgy!

Once, I was in a Wal-Mart (looking for DVD's, of course) and a man asked me what the difference between fullscreen and widescreen was.



I basically stated that the widescreen versions preserve the theatrical presentation and the fullscreen versions don't. He bought widescreen. (I think the movie was either 28 Days Later or Seabiscuit)

LOL!

I bet its better than even money that you were not the 1st guy to try to convert him from the dark side. Seems like he was cocked and loaded just waiting for someone to try to get him to see the light.

BGL

This blew my mind:

I have an older brother who lives out of state, and has a beautiful, drool-worthy 67" widescreen TV, and has had it for a little over a year. I went back to visit him recently, looked at his collection of DVD's...and was astounded to find the large number of titles he had in FULLSCREEN! I've told him when he first bought the TV how and why it was imperative for him to start buying movies in widescreen...but I he still confuses the term "fullscreen" to mean it will fill out the whole width of his WIDESCREEN television. What can ya do?

If someone openly bitched about my purchase while I stood in line, I think I would offer him a hearty "Fuck You", too.

From your reenactment, you don't sound like you approached him well.

I got Star Wars Widescreen monday night at Walmart. Believe it or not, but the vast majority of everyone else there was scooping up those beautiful widescreen platinum editions, leaving the butchered versions on the stand. I almost shed a tear... =)

My fiancee (see her lovely photo in my signature) is a teacher and after hearing how the 8th graders she has to deal with act, I think I would say that this may be true...

I'd like to blame rap music...but since that's not the topic of conversation here, I'll say it is the fault of incorrect aspect ratios on some releases of our finest films...

There were maybe a dozen peoiple gathered around the racks of SW DVD's at Fry's. 1 rack was FS the other WS. The girl that was handing them out was nearer the FS rack and when it came my turn I said (in a little louder than normal voice) "Widescreen please... always widescreen". About 3/4 of the people that already had FS in their hands put them back and got WS. The other either weren't paying attention (cuz they were reading the box) or just ignored me. Well, that just made my day that much better.

As much as I hate when people buy FF DVD's, I can see where a pro-FF'er would get tired of us pro-OAR constantly telling them they are chosing an "inferior" porduct.

I agree that "F*** you" is very harsh, but it's best not to try an "educate" people because some people don't like to be educated, or just may take your concern for something worse.

It's best to leave them alone. Shopping in stores is stressful enough.

You have to realize, the majority of people out there really don't know or don't care about the difference between wide and full screen. Movies aren't important to them, just something to watch when they have some free time.

The best way to say it, let them know that in a few years, the fullscreen discs won't look as good on a widescreen TV. Essentially, they will be obsolete. Scare them that way.

Tell that to my widescreen TV-owning brother (see above).

Scott, have you actually demonstrated the difference to him with a disc that has both widescreen and foolscreen?


Bryan, you're my hero!

When he first bought his TV, one of the first discs he got was "Attack of the Clones", in fullscreen. He wondered why, in the TV's "stretched" mode (or whatever it's called; I unfortunately do not own a WS TV yet), the picture looked so grainy. I explained why. I also explained how much picture information he had been losing, and how now on his 67" TV, those "black bars" would not seem nearly as intrusive (he hated them before on his previous 4:3). He seemed to have understood; he returned ATOC and brought home the proper, widescreen version.

Then I go back last month and see copies of "The Last Samurai", "Under the Tuscan Sun", etc.--all foolscreen! I explained to him yet again why he needs to stick with widescreen movies only. He said he still gets it mixed up which version to get; i.e. what's "full" and what's "wide". I think, as Jon said, a lot of people like my brother really don't give it a lot of thought one way or the other, and just grab the first disc off the shelf without checking the differences.

I guess I don't quite get it. Why would anyone condone putting out a fullscreen version of Star Wars again?

Keep at it, Scott. The lesson for all us seems to be, "don't underestimate the power of the Dark Side." The fight for your brother's soul is too important to give up on.