Walmart charging more for WS (1 Viewer)

[Gene S]

Checking out the DVD section in Wally World today, I noticed they were selling Flight of The Pheonix FF for 16.98 and then the WS version was 19.98

I wasn't even looking to buy it, but a customer service person came up to me and asked if I needed help. I asked him about the price difference between the two versions, he went on the computer to verify it and it was correct.

Is this something they normally do?

 

[Patrick McCart]

Out of the nine dual-release titles I've purchased from Wal-Mart, all of them were priced the same. I'm guessing it's an error...

That's a really bad error, though. People will end up getting fullscreen just because it's cheaper.

 

[Jeff(R)]

Both versions are the same price at Walmart.com : $16.87.

Jeff

 

[Tom Tsai]

Yeah, but I've also seen cases where people decided to pick up the WS version because they think that if it's more expensive, it must be better

 

[James L White]

it makes sense, since you're paying for MORE picture in the WS DVD

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Well, to be accurate, James, depending on how the film was shot, the customer is paying more for the correct composition rather than more picture.

What Tom said is essentially correct, the more expensive one is the better one since it's in it's OAR. But sadly, what Patrick said is more likely to become the case with most people. I'm no conspiracy theorist by any means, but maybe this is some sort of plot devised by Walmart to hurt the sales of OAR versions.

I'm just being paranoid, i'm sure, but I wouldn't put anything past those clowns.

 

[Mark Maltais]

I doubt very much wal-mart would come up with any plot that will hurt sales on anything!! Their whole existance is to pump out as much crap at super low prices as fast as they can. Keeping anything on the shelves would not be good business.

Then again they are shutting down a Quebec store that tried to form a union, trying to make us believe that they are losing money (is there such a thing as a wal-mart that loses money?)

My guess is this is a goof. I've never seen it price differences at our local wally for movies!

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Yeah, my logic says your right, as I said I was just being paranoid.

To quote Lee Cobb from The Exorcist...

 

[Dave H]

I have seen where only the full screen version is on sale...this was at Target recently, I believe. It was specified on the sales sign next to the movie that the price was for full screen. I don't remember the title.

It was something like: " Title X - Full Screen - $9.99"

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

More picture or not, I'm sure the WS version IS worth more...

 

[Mark Kalzer]

Technically the Pan n' Scan should cost more because it can only take a huge amount of time doing the painstaking process of pan n' scan. Having to literally pan and scan for every single shot of a feature has got to be a demanding task and the expense is great, especially considering the feature already HAS been composited for it's OAR. The time it takes, not to mention the equipment that must be needed to do it, (Not just a regular video transfer, but one that zooms in or crops depending on the shot) has GOT to be damn expensive. The widescreen copy can only be easier to produce.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Alright, so here's my little suggestion to the studio's on how they can save enormous amounts of money...don't pan and scan.

Mark,
yep, it's called the telecine process, and to me the word 'telecine' is the same as 'guillotine'. You've described the execution of a film in your post and I wouldn't give a paper cup full of my own piss for a copy of their handywork.

 

[Keith I]

I have seen this happen several times at one of my Wal-Marts, so it's not an isolated incident. It was for titles that were marked on sale, not the regular price. This thread might be moved to the Retailer Feedback section.
-

 

[Michael Osadciw]

the customer service person was pocketing the difference

Mike

 

[Tim_Stack]

Don't give your money to this force of evil in the world...

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Don't worry, Tim, I look upon Walmart much the same way the Rebellion looked upon the Galactic Empire in the Star Wars films.

 

[Ralph Jenkins]

Regarding Target, it looked to me like they probably just purchased a bunch of overstocked full frame titles cheaply. Their $10 DVDs are catalog titles, not new releases. Most likely, the full frame versions of those titles aren't selling anymore and the studios are trying to unload some inventory. Target probably figures the $10 price point will be more important to the majority of its customers than whether or not the film is in its OAR.