DVD sales figures: WIDE SCREEN vs FULL

[Mistwell]

ok, i have to ask...

WHY oh why do you prefer FULL SCREEN?

do you prefer having 1/2 the movie chopped off?

It isn't half. It isn't even a quarter.

do you not plan on buying a HDTV in the next few years to take advantage of all the TV shows that are already or soon going to be broadcast in widescreen HD?

Do I not plan on it? Yes I not plan on it. My current TV is just fine.

the only way i can see someone preferring FULL SCREEN is if they have a TV smaller than 25 inches. and if thats the case, they should be buying a new TV before they buy a DVD player.

steve

While not as small as 25 inches, it is small enough, based on the distance my furniture has to be from the TV. Nor would a bigger TV even fit in my entertainment center - which would cause a massive cascade of new furniture at this point. I prefer the look of a full screen, rather than losing about 25% of my viewable area. It is better to be able to SEE details in the larger viewing area (even if there are fewer of those details to see) than NOT see details in the widescreen version (even if there are more details to be seen, except I cannot see them because they are too small).

I'm not the only person I know with this opinion.

 

[WizarDru]

It isn't half. It isn't even a quarter.

.....

I'm not the only person I know with this opinion.

Well, the actual ratio depends on the individual shot being 'panned-and-scanned'. Sometimes it really IS half of the image. More commonly, though, it's about a quarter to a third. It depends on the aspect ratio of the original movie, and the compositions of the shots. Some old movies have ratios that almost match a normal TV.

That said, while I hate Hate HATE P&S movies, there's nothing wrong with them, inherently. I personally wouldn't want to watch a film like "The Seven Samurai" or "Ran" in a full-screen presentation, but I can understand why it would not be the preference for some folks. At least, I don't mind now that I can actually get widescreen presentations at home. Choice, for both of us, is a good thing.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

do you prefer having 1/2 the movie chopped off?

Nonsense. Do you think such hyperbole serves you in any way?

I prefer full screen. I have compared the two enough times to realize what is "chopped off" is rarely of much value to my entertainment of the movie.

SD

 

[Ristamar]

That said, while I hate Hate HATE P&S movies, there's nothing wrong with them, inherently.

I think filmmaker's who have their work butchered by P&S may disagree.

But seriously, I just wish Fullscreen would always be referred to as Pan 'n' Scan, even on the packaging. I have a feeling fewer consumers would be duped, or at they least they may become less ignorant of what they are purchasing. Of course, Fullscreen sounds beneficial and cool, which is easy to market, so us Widescreen folk will simply have to keep fighting the good fight.

 

[WizarDru]

I think filmmaker's who have their work butchered by P&S may disagree.

One might make a case that the Hollywood system probably did that before they MADE the movie, but that's just me.

Make no mistake, I get downright uppity if I find I can't get a widescreen version of a film. I just think that a person can enjoy the film with P&S....but they're not getting the whole film, certainly. Watching a visually powerful film like, say, "Blade Runner" is a different experience in widescreen than fullscreen. Of course, with the proliferation of the new TVs, fullscreen is no longer an appropriate descriptor.

 

[Kai Lord]

I think filmmaker's who have their work butchered by P&S may disagree.

But seriously, I just wish Fullscreen would always be referred to as Pan 'n' Scan, even on the packaging.

Yes, there's a reason its nicknamed FOOLSCREEN.

 

[Kai Lord]

It isn't half. It isn't even a quarter.

More evidence that many who enjoy Pan and Scan are just ignorant. A 2.35:1 aspect ratio film (like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Crouching Tiger, etc.) cropped and displayed on a 4:3 television is losing almost exactly half the picture.

But I do understand that some people just don't care about what was actually shot and intended to show up on screen.

 

[KnowTheToe]

I prefer widescreen, but fully understand why others like the Fullscreen. What is chopped off is usually not missed, well unless it is some nudity in the background, but that is besides the point.

Some movies are a pain in widescreen, the black lines take up too much of the screen and really as mentioned above you use more of your TV, but get less of the background of the film. It seems a fair trade. After all, I bought a 35" TV and rarely see movies that use the whole thing. Did I waste money on a big TV?

No I also don't plan on buying a HD or widescreen TV for several years. The price, while dropping, is still way too expensive for my budget. Anyway some French company is designing a TV that you can roll up like a mat and store in your cabinet when you are not using it.

 

[coyote6]

I don't understand why movies that have a fullscreen version don't have both versions on the same DVD. Ought to be plenty of space -- heck, it might be able to use the same track, and just show part of the shot. You'd just have to encode data so it could pan & scan appropriately.

I have a DVD player that can be set to show a DVD in fullscreen, even if the DVD is widescreen. I don't use the feature, so I don't know if it distorts the screen, pans & scans, or what. But it's there.

Me, I'm glad CostCo sales widescreen; they're not likely to sell two versions of one product, and I'm not going to buy fullscreen DVDs, and I like buying DVDs at CostCo. Good prices.

 

[WizarDru]

I don't understand why movies that have a fullscreen version don't have both versions on the same DVD. Ought to be plenty of space -- heck, it might be able to use the same track, and just show part of the shot. You'd just have to encode data so it could pan & scan appropriately.

Some DVDs do just that. But some, like Fellowship, are packed with so many extras, there really isn't room. Some put them on the flip side of the disc, but I really hate that solution.