Vudu and other services showing movies not in the correct aspect ratio (1 Viewer)

[Tino]

The Longest Day and The Cowboys are in the wrong aspect ratio on iTunes

Among many many others.

 

[Todd Erwin]

After opening a ticket with Paramount Customer Support, I received the following response today from Paramount:

Support (Paramount Customer Support)

May 22, 2023, 3:40 PM PDT

Dear Customer,

The replacement 16x9LBX of TROPIC THUNDER (DIRECTOR’S CUT) has now been delivered to Vudu.

Best,
Support Team

Now we are all waiting on Vudu to encode and load the corrected file.

 

[Todd Erwin]

As of this morning, Tropic Thunder: Unrated Director's Cut is now playing on Vudu in its proper 2.39:1 aspect ratio. It only took several e-mails to Vudu's Customer Care manager, since trying to even report this issue to a customer care agent was futile.

Speaking to a supervisor at Vudu, I was told that "Customer Care does not deal with content issues." I guess that explains why reporting an issue with a title is often quickly dismissed by Customer Care as being related to a customer's equipment or setting, or "what the studio sent us."

I was also told by that same supervisor that the reason they are slow and often unresponsive once a ticket is opened is due to the high volume of customer calls and e-mails. Gee, I wonder why...

 

[Todd Erwin]

You might find the following link of interest.

https://forum.vudu.com/forum/vudu/g...-The-quot-Incorrect-Aspect-Ratio-quot-Thread=

That thread has not been updated in quite some time, and that forum has pretty much gone dark, at least with respect to anyone at Vudu actually reading or responding.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Customer service at Vudu is worse than the cable TV or airline industries.

My recent interactions with them on the phone were unbelievably unprofessional and inconsiderate. It was like calling someone who was at a very loud party, with lots of laughter in the background. When I asked the agent to please ask her fellow co-workers to quiet down because I could barely hear her over the *party* in her adjacent cubicle(s), and told her how unprofessional that was, she promptly disconnected the call. When I called back and asked to speak with a supervisor regarding both my issue and the experience of the previous call, as soon as I mentioned the word "unprofessional" the call ended.

 

[Bartman]

I've had a better experience with Vudu Customer Service. My first 4K purchase, The Maltese Falcon, was an awful experience, wrong TV settings & sudden changes in brightness mid scene. I complained immediately via email, heard nothing but Vudu did not charge my CC. At least I now have the previous 2K presentation to watch whenever.
Yesterday I made some 4K movie suggestions via email, The Driver (1978) & Get Carter (1971) and received a positive reply.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I've had a better experience with Vudu Customer Service. My first 4K purchase, The Maltese Falcon, was an awful experience, wrong TV settings & sudden changes in brightness mid scene. I complained immediately via email, heard nothing but Vudu did not charge my CC. At least I now have the previous 2K presentation to watch whenever.
Yesterday I made some 4K movie suggestions via email, The Driver (1978) & Get Carter (1971) and received a positive reply.

Did you call, e-mail or chat? Vudu Customer Service is always cheerful in responding to a title suggestion, but if you have an issue with a title, it is usually a very stand-off approach, immediately blaming your equipment or internet provider, or laying blame at the content provider. The company doesn't even respond to Better Business Bureau complaints anymore.

 

[Bartman]

Did you call, e-mail or chat? Vudu Customer Service is always cheerful in responding to a title suggestion, but if you have an issue with a title, it is usually a very stand-off approach, immediately blaming your equipment or internet provider, or laying blame at the content provider. The company doesn't even respond to Better Business Bureau complaints anymore.

Email in both cases.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

My recent interactions with them on the phone were unbelievably unprofessional and inconsiderate. It was like calling someone who was at a very loud party, with lots of laughter in the background. When I asked the agent to please ask her fellow co-workers to quiet down because I could barely hear her over the *party* in her adjacent cubicle(s), and told her how unprofessional that was, she promptly disconnected the call. When I called back and asked to speak with a supervisor regarding both my issue and the experience of the previous call, as soon as I mentioned the word "unprofessional" the call ended.

It's been awhile since I have dealt with their customer service, but I had two horrible experiences with them. The last time, I had a trouble ticket that was supposedly escalated just sit there with no updates for 9 months, and then was simply closed at their end.

My solution to Vudu's customer service issues is simple -- I just do not buy anything from them anymore.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I had a trouble ticket that was supposedly escalated just sit there with no updates for 9 months, and then was simply closed at their end.

Try 22 months...

Now I only redeem a digital code on Vudu when I am forced to do so, such as A24 titles distributed by Lionsgate and MGM titles distributed by Warner. Otherwise, if it's a non-MA title, I redeem on iTunes/Apple TV. I'll only purchase on Vudu if it's MA and they have the best price.