Disney DVDs - Why Fullscreen?

[SuperSonicX]

Why do they release the majority of their films on DVD in a pan-and-scan presentation? What's the point of doing such a thing? Do they not have the original versions of the films or something? It's like they're taking the versions they released on VHS, and are just porting them to a new format.

I actually want to buy some Disney films that I've seen and enjoyed, but the fullscreen copies are stopping me.

A lot of their live-action stuff is unfortunately been pan-and-scanned. Also, why did they decide not to anamorphically enhance alot of their DVDs that have been released in their OAR?

[Escapay]

If you'd take the time to click on the big link that says UltimateDisney.com, and if you'd take the time to look around at the other pages on the site instead of just the messageboard, you'd see a page explaining why. Here is said page:

http://www.ultimatedisney.com/panandscan.html

Escapay

[SuperSonicX]

I apologize. I should've looked around more.
Thanks.

[RJKD23]

Why do they release the majority of their films on DVD in a pan-and-scan presentation? What's the point of doing such a thing? Do they not have the original versions of the films or something? It's like they're taking the versions they released on VHS, and are just porting them to a new format.

I actually want to buy some Disney films that I've seen and enjoyed, but the fullscreen copies are stopping me.

A lot of their live-action stuff is unfortunately been pan-and-scanned. Also, why did they decide not to anamorphically enhance alot of their DVDs that have been released in their OAR?

Welcome to the forum SuperSonicX!

the link Escapay posted will answer some of your questions.
You know why DIsney releases FOOLSCREEN?
Because people (who don't know that WIDESCREEN gets the whole picture) think FULLSCREEN is better because "there aren't any black lines."

Rather than EDUCATE people and tell them that W i D E S C R E E N is better, Disney just makes two versions. Obviously, they'd get more money...

But some Disney movies are originally FULLSCREEN..

[Luke]

Welcome to the forum, SuperSonicX! As a big fan of live action Disney films, I certainly share your perplexment and disappointment. A lot of times, it seems that it's cheaper/easier for Disney to make a DVD transfer from an existing fullscreen master. But then in other regions (this is the '80s and '90s films, anyway), they'll get 16x9 widescreen, which is frustrating for us, but good for all-region players.

Then you think Disney is getting better at doing the catalogue releases right. Last September, I believe they got all 12 of the catalogue titles in the right ratio (which was widescreen for most). Now from April and May's releases, information is out on all but <i>Summer Magic</i> and all are slated to be fullscreen, which is doubtfully any of the original aspect ratios except for the telemovie <i>Heidi</i>. Grrr!

[Just Myself]

I think we should all get a petition and call Disney until we get widescreen in Region One!!!

[Poppins#1]

I've been frustrated by Disney's home video antics for years. They are so inconsistent! They will release a few catalogue titles in widescreen and then go right back to releasing some in fullscreen. The only sense I can possibly make of it is there is a limited budget for remastering their catalogue titles, and they are randomly (so it would seem) choosing which ones they want to spend the money on to remaster.

[zack626]

im mad at the fact that The Incredibles is sold in widescreen and fullscreen. b/c i watch widescreen on my big tv, but the tv in my room in small and i prefer watchign full screen, but i ended upo with widescreen anyway...
thats wat i liked about finding nemo & a bug's life , it had both

[rogue588]

Rather than EDUCATE people and tell them that W i D E S C R E E N is better, Disney just makes two versions.

As much as I might HATE FS and Disney for choosing to release movies in this "Family Friendly" format, I will say that when you call Buena Vista Home Entertainment [800-723-4763], one of their phone options is "..To hear the difference between Fullscreen and Widescreen"...so it's not as if they're TOTALLY ignoring the education of Joe Sixpack.

[RJKD23]

Rather than EDUCATE people and tell them that W i D E S C R E E N is better, Disney just makes two versions.

As much as I might HATE FS and Disney for choosing to release movies in this "Family Friendly" format, I will say that when you call Buena Vista Home Entertainment [800-723-4763], one of their phone options is "..To hear the difference between Fullscreen and Widescreen"...so it's not as if they're TOTALLY ignoring the education of Joe Sixpack.

Yea, I've already memorized that number...
but do you think the people (who don't go know about this site) actually call that number just to hear about Widescreen vs. Fullscreen?

maybe..if they here it from a Disney DVD fan, but most likely: no.

i'll reword what i meant then..

"Disney should just give people the DVD in its original aspect ratio instead of making two versions to confuse people."

[rogue588]

but do you think the people (who don't go know about this site) actually call that number just to hear about Widescreen vs. Fullscreen?

Nope! They're just people like us calling to complain about FS!

[DreamerQ18]

Welcome to the Forum SuperSonicX You are going to love it here , I look forward to seeing you around the forum and posting besure to share your Disney Story with us all . And again Weclome.

[Lightyear]

I agree for some people it's just educating them on the difference of WS vs FS, but I also know quite a few people who just don't like the black bars and are well aware of the loss of film.. They just rather have the whole screen filled up instead of the WS scenario... And Disney must be making a good penny on FS version sales for them to continue to offer them for the newer movies.

I still think that every movie should have a WS version available to it.. But I can understand why they do FS

[Walt Forever]

Personally I hate Disney for releasing those pan&scan dvds.

But I´ve to admit that before I don´t see a movie on dvd (then in the right format) again for years, I buy the p&s version. I guess that a lot of other people think that way too. But of course that is the problem, cause Disney then makes money with those versions and continues to release their dvds that way.

But I think it would be best if Disney releases their movies in both formats on one set. And they did it in the past e.g. with the "mulan"-dvd. So why don´t they do that again to please every customer?

[melliekins]

They can't be making that much....

We got both version of the film for sale at work...I believe we started with approximately the same amount of each FS and WS...there are only 6 WS copies left for sale...and like 40 FS left...granted our staff gets everyone we can to get WS...lol..

and a lot of the time it just takes telling them the difference....but honestly unless you see it it's harder to believe. I try to show pictures as much as I can....

I need a really big poster showing the difference....lol..

usually we use examples...common examples:

Aladdin PE...I know this movie like the back of my hand...I can recite the entire film....and when I bought the PE and watched the widescreen version....I saw characters I'd never seen in my life!!! int he marketplace there is a man in white robes shopping....he just came outta nowhere!!!

Grease..not Disney..but a good example....basically similar to my Aladdin example....I know this movie very well...and when I got the WS dvd I saw people I've never seen before....and the main characters react to them...so in FS you don't know who they're looking at.

Face Off...again not Disney......there's a scene with John and Nick back to back through a door or a wall...and in FS it pans back and forth as they talk to each other through the door....in WS it shows the real effect it was supposed to have...with them just there together talking through a door.

Those are the 3 main ones.....if anyone has any others I'd be interested to hear them.....

either way...I sent them an email...so I put in my 2 cents....let's see what happens.

[Ciaobelli]

Because its a "family friendly" aspect ratio

[deathie mouse]

Why? as Poppins#1 (nice to see you posting again, how's the Big Apple? ) says, sometimes it's budget logistics, all movies have a readymade 4:3 version MASTER for the different broadcast markets since TV has been 1.33 wide for 60 years! And since the mayority of TV's in homes re still 1.33 wide . So it's easier to just port that to DVD

Also the many of widescreen movies made are in some kind of open matte state on their existing 4:3 transfers (the big exception are 70mm and Cinemascope SHOT films) and tho it would be a simple matter to make widescreen versions of the rest open matte video versions just by adding black bars (offering the correct composed area) the uneducated crowds woulds see that on their 4:3 tvs and say: "See!: theyre chopping off image!" (don't matter if it's NON SUPPOSED TO BE SEEN image ) (This happened a lot with the widescren LD version of Back to the Future after years of people seeing the (open matte) 4:3 version on TV (only the SFX are in pan scan on the 4:3 version) ) And in a weird antilogic way theres no practical advantage to make a letterbozed black barred version of an open matte movie in a 4:3 disc (You can add black tape on your 4:3 TV or use your variable zoom function on your 16:9 TV and get a aproximate widescreen version from a open matte version but you can't get an 4:3 version whitout pan scanning from a letterboxed disc). Otherwise they have to create a new transfer (enhanced for 16:9 displays NTSC or straight HDTV) which not only would look sharper and have more resolution but be correct widescreen, but then, the 4:3 display crowd would need a separate open matted or pan scanned version always.

I'm telling you, when 16:9 displays and HDTVs are common these same people will complain why The Incredibles (a 21:9 movie) STILL has black bars on their 16:9 tv and they'll want a 16:9 FULLSCREEN version. And it may exist somewhere already.
(of course the solution would be make me TV Pope and i do a dethie decree that from now on all Displays will be at least 21:9 wide till the end of time )

(mmm they could even make 21:9 Tv's with micro motorized "curtain"-like side panels that open and close to hide those damn side pilar bars when watching Academy and Standart Widescreen movies in them! like tvs had, to cover the glass CRT on tv sets of old! )

melliekins: well 2 examples that came to mind are The Magnificent Seven than on pan/scan just become The Magnificent Four and that shot at the end of Ghostbusters where instead of 4 Ghostbusters firing at once at the demon you only get two


Just keep buying widescreen versions and telling companies your preference and educating other people. One day we will only have to do the reverse and explain to people why Academy films shouldn't be Fullscreen on 16:9 displays

[Cordy_Biddle]

There's no way I'll be buying most of the new catalogue DVD's being released in the next month or so. DVD's were invented so films could be presented in their OAR, so Disney's stubborn choice to continually release their films in full-screen is getting beyond a joke.

The only movies I'll be buying will be "Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" (because I don't have it on any format and p&s will have to do), and "Summer Magic" (because my VHS will wear out soon).

The rest I either have already or don't want (why buy the same movie in fullscreen DVD when you already have it on fullscreen VHS?).

[DreamerQ18]

Speaking from experience working at Blockbuster the truth is that the majority of people hate wide screen with a passion a few are obssessed with getting thier wide screen and then the opther bunch flat out donset , dosen't even bother looking at the book to see which version they are carrying all they care about is the tittle. I work at Blockbuster and all we carry for rentals are WS DVDs its not our choice its what corroprate orders for us. In one 8 hour shift I must get close 65 complaints on why we dont carry FS. I msyelf also dont like WS I know its suppose to be better you get more of the image blah blah thats all I hear becasue when I sit down to watch my movie I hate the black bars in the middle of the TV and all I want is for the whole TV screen to be taken. I think there are alot of people like me who just complain about it so much that Disney relases a lot of thier movies that way or "Family friendly aspect ratio".

I am not against wide screen but I think that if it is possible the DVDs should have both versions let the person buying the movie decided how they want to view it. So these are just my thoughts and opinions .

[Cordy_Biddle]

Or do what MGM sometimes does and have a fullscreen version on the flipside of the disc.