Aspect Ratio Concern
Dear Gary: In Issue 64, September, I must say I was totally and pleasantly surprised by your reaction to my e-mail. Thanks A LOT. I’m really glad you talked directly to Fox’s Danny Kaye because he really gave some good answers. I, too, hadn’t thought that some HD masters simply might not be good enough to use. I agree with Mr. Kaye that it’s a good thing for the format to have the best looking product out there at the roll out. I also acknowledge that it is also a good thing to have a title like Don’t Say A Word available this quickly. I further acknowledge that Don’t Say A Word is a good looking and good sounding transfer. I guess my point was that Don’t Say A Word is not Alien or Fight Club [which has now been released in D-Theater] or, dare we say it, Star Wars. Please pass these thoughts on to Mr. Kaye for me. He sounds like a good guy and I’m glad he’s so supportive. That said, I do wish he had been more forthcoming with news of new titles. I’m sure you will be working on him about that. If I may, I have another topic that has just recently begun to concern me...AGAIN. One that I know is dear to your heart—aspect ratio; original aspect ratio. I am concerned by the increasing number of full-frame DVD releases and MOST concerned about how they are being marketed. I fear the possibility of losing some ground on a battle I thought had already been won and won largely through the influence of you and WSR. I would ask again for you to use your contacts and check into this. I am concerned that the increase in full-frame versions will lead to a decline in availability of widescreen versions either directly or inadvertently. To a degree this is already happening; to wit Wal-Mart and Target. They stock more full-frame copies than widescreen of new releases and will not always give “rain checks” for sale prices and/or restock if the widescreen version has sold out. This is of concern because of the HUGE influence that both of these stores have on the DVD market. I was MOST concerned over an article at dvdfile.com about the sales of Lord Of The Rings (http://www.dvdfile.com/software/ dvd-video/archive/2002/08_15.html). “...But perhaps more interesting to the readers of these pages were New Line’s official estimates of total DVD versus VHS shipments, as well as widescreen versus pan-and-scan breakdown. The studio placed total initial shipments at 65 percent DVD to 35 percent for the VHS, and 54 percent of total DVDs shipped widescreen, versus 46 percent pan-and-scan. “Further sources indicate that more mainstream mass merchants, such as Wal-Mart and Target, made for a disproportionate number of the pan-and-scan shipments, compared to the more “high-end” retailers, such as Tower Records, which reported a sales ratio of 8 to 1 in favor of widescreen. “...the numbers are also doubly surprising (and likely troubling to many).” YES. Surprising AND troubling. I had NO IDEA that the full-frame percentage was so high already, and the fact that the percentage is so high for a title for which I had assumed that fans of the film would not even tolerate pan-and-scan is most troubling. A more oblique thought is that the marketing is feeling like a self-fulfilling prophecy. To quote from the article again: “...From these numbers it is clear that there is no denying that pan-and-scan has become a highly-requested DVD feature for retailers, if not consumers. While I certainly have to respect someone who makes an informed decision to buy a full-frame version, I get the feeling that in some marketing venues the consumer is not given the chance to make that informed decision. I’ve seen big displays for Harry Potter DVDs in supermarkets and ALL OF THE COPIES WERE FULL-FRAME. I’ve seen big displays for Lord Of The Rings in drug stores and ALL OF THE COPIES WERE FULL-FRAME. To me, this seems like an attempt to CREATE a demand for FULL-FRAME rather than FULFILLING an expressed demand for full-frame—at least in certain venues. Gary, I do find this troubling. Hopefully, you have some sales figures and reassurances from the studios to demonstrate that our hard won aspect ratio battle is not being threatened.
Greg Hoey
Editor-In-Chief Gary Reber Comments:
Since the On Screen conversation with Fox’s Danny Kaye, Fox announced D-Theater releases of High Crimes, Cast Away, From Hell, Planet Of The Apes, Kiss Of The Dragon, and Ice Age—which was the first D-Theater title to be released simultaneously with the DVD-Video and VHS release. The release date was November 26. Not only is this the first day-and-date D-Theater title, but Fox’s $180 million smash hit also features the first “Special Edition” on this new HD format, boasting an all-new, exclusively produced five-minute CGI animated short, Scrat’s Missing Adventure. In this issue’s “From The Editor’s Couch” are new D-Theater release announcements from Artisan Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Video, some of which are reviewed herein. There are even more high-profile titles about to be announced for first and second quarter 2003 street dates by the four supporting studios. Stay tuned. The situation with respect to the pan-and-scan and full-frame issue is disgusting and down-right depressing. It seems that until filmmakers can get clauses written into their contracts that their films must be released in their intended original widescreen aspect ratio, or until the majority of TV displays are a widescreen aspect ratio, the situation will persist. Research Editor and Staff Writer Michael Coate Comments: This subject has been covered in previous issues of the magazine, though we will continue to cover it as long as it remains topical. Similarly, a list of recently released “modified,” non-original aspect ratio full screen-only DVD titles is included in our latest Inside DVD article on the WidescreenReview.com Web site in the DVD Release News and Print Issue Attractions sections. In regard to retailers stocking only full screen versions where two versions are available, I would suggest as often as possible attempting to purchase the DVDs that interest you at these stores. That is, if you were seeking a widescreen version of, say, The Lord Of The Rings or Spider-Man or whatever, and you only see full screen versions on display, ask a clerk or better yet a manager if the store has any widescreen versions available. Demonstrate to them that you are a consumer with a preference for widescreen. This way it clues the decision-makers in that there are consumers who have a preference for widescreen/original aspect ratio versions of these movies. I suspect most informed enthusiasts simply ignore these stores never voicing their concerns. If so, then it’s no wonder the buyers for these mass merchants think they should only be stocking the full screen versions... they never or rarely seem to hear from people with a preference for widescreen. If a particular retailer chose not to stock a widescreen version you were interested in, then simply explain to the manager that you would liked to have purchased the title at their store but instead elected to purchase it elsewhere, and explain why. If they hear this enough, then perhaps your concerns will be factored into their future stocking decisions.
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