Pleasnt suprise from Disney's consumer relations department

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Jake Lipson
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Pleasnt suprise from Disney's consumer relations department

Post by Jake Lipson »

This afternoon I called Disney's customer service ofice (1-800-723-4763) to lodge my complaints about the new WS/FS policy and I noticed they had updated their phone menu system and were more specific. "If you would like updates about our new releases," press 1, etc. Anyway, this continued through "For any other general inquiries, press 6," and having nothing else fitting my call, I pressed 6.

Next message was again automated. It said, (and I'm paraphrasing here), "If you are calling to request that we release a title on video or DVD, please press 1. <b>If you would like to learn the difference between "widescreen" and "full screen," please press 2.</b>"

I wasn't sure if I heard right and had them play the recording over again. But they did say it. So, suprised and intrigued, I pressed 2 just to see what they'd say, even though I of course didn't need the lesson.

An automated recording explained about different aspect ratios and then talked about how in a widescreen form you see all of the theatrical image, the way it is reccomended you see it, but in a fullscreen version the picture fills the screen but it causes you to loose up to 50% of the theatrical picture because they have to cut off the sides to make the image fit the entire screen. At the end of this, the recording said, "If you would like to see an example, please see disc two of Sleeping Beauty."

My guess is they put it up there as a response of sorts to the people who called complaining about not being able to buy Pirates of the Caribbean in fullscreen (which I'm sure there were a lot of), but whatever the reason I'm very very suprised and glad they did it (although they'll probably have to tweak it in a week or so when Sleeping Beauty goes out of print because they really can't refer people to it if it's out of print.) I kneeled there at the phone for a minute or so after hearing this message and thought, "Oh my God, WOW, is this the same studio I'm calling to complain about removing the widescreen option on dual releases?"

Unfortunately it was, and I took care of that.

I then pressed 0 and talked to a nice represenative, and camly and politely stated my position on the policy change. I explained my knowlege of the policy and said kindly that I thought it was wrong to deprive customers of a choice because they were buying the product late after the release date, and I added that they would loose my sale if my preferred format was not available at the time when I intended to purcasee any given title. She asked me what format I preferred, and I said, "Widescreen, always. I think movies should be seen as they are properly framed." She said that as far as she knew if a title was released in multiple formats it stays that way, but I told her that it had come to my attention from a website that I trust very much that the policy had changed and she took my name, address, phone number and comments and said she would forward my message to the marketing department. She thanked me for the call and hung up.

So there's the pleasnt suprise of the day. For once recently, Walt Disney Home Entertainment did something we DVD fans should not only approve of but applaud them for! WOW. Bravo, Disney, and keep up the good work! :)
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abbatazappa
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Post by abbatazappa »

I took the email route in voicing my support for widescreen releases. After a few days, I got an automated reply:

"Thank you for sharing your preference for a widescreen format with us. We appreciate hearing the opinions of our viewers, and we will forward your comments to our Marketing Department."

They also took the time to tell me how to join the Disney Movie Club. I did not take kindly to Disney using this opportunity to sell me something, when I was pointing out all of the full screen only releases I was NOT buying. It seems they really missed the whole point of my email.
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Post by Disney Guru »

:wave: Widescreen Full Screen Definition :wave:

It is about time that Disney does this. I know to many people out there who don't know the difference between Widescreen and Full Screen. As far as I am concerned Disney deserevs a reward for posting this information on their website.
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Post by Jack »

Kind of hypocritical to recommend Widescreen and then take it off the market after the innetial release date of the DVD. Anyway, its good to here they have an explanation of the two for those that call up confused about it, and its also nice to see that you called and complained. I plan on doing so tomorrow.
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Re: DVD TReat

Post by 2099net »

Disney Guru wrote::wave: Widescreen Full Screen Definition :wave:

It is about time that Disney does this. I know to many people out there who don't know the difference between Widescreen and Full Screen. As far as I am concerned Disney deserevs a reward for posting this information on their website.
You know, it doesn't take a genius to realise you can't fit a long rectangle into a narrow rectangle without either making it smaller or cutting off the sides. It's only a variation of the "shapes through slots" games that people give 2-3 year olds to do.

"You can't fit a square into a circle and you can't fit a rectangle into a square".

I'm constantly amazed by just how dumb the general public is, and even more amazed by how everybody has to either "dumb-down" or scramble to appease them. There is not need to put this information anywhere (apart from perhaps nursary schools and playgroups)

Sorry. Rant over.
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Post by MickeyMouseboy »

What surprises me is older people 50+ that have grown up with the Widescreen format when it first debuted in theaters. It was a big thing in the 50s- Cinemascope was introduced, Technirama 70, Panorama, Flat 1.85:1. This people have grown with this terms but still don't know the difference from Foolscreen. same with the people that were born in the 60's and 70's. I think the only people that appreciate the benefits of Widescreen are people that were born in mid 70's to date and some older people that actually took the time to know why WS is better or actually were paying attention in their youth :lol: also when they go to the theater don't they know they are watching a rectagular screen? omg what idiots! :evil:
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Post by Maerj »

Just a lil point of information here...

Widescreen laserdisc were available in the 80's up until their demise in the late 90's, so we folks who weren't born in the 80's know what widescreen is too!

:lol: :wink:
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Post by Mushu2083 »

I'm a convert. I used to like fullscreen DVDs until a friend showed me the error of my ways. She told me about how with widescreen you see the whole picture and that with fullscreen, up to 50% of the picture is cut off. I work at Blockbuster and we only carry widescreen DVDs and you won't believe how many people complain that they can't get a certain movie in the fullscreen version. They think that fullscreen is better! I'd like to see Disney put BOTH widescreen and fullscreen versions of the movie on one DVD so that way people don't complain (like with POTC).
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Udvarnoky
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Post by Udvarnoky »

Mushu2083 wrote:I'd like to see Disney put BOTH widescreen and fullscreen versions of the movie on one DVD
That could raise some serious problems. They'd either have to shove two movies on a one sided DVD which would make the movie look horrible (even on a dual-layered disc, depending on the runtime and bitrate), or they'd have to put it on a doube sided disc. The problem with this is that each side would only be one layer so you'd have half as much space as usual (most DVDs today are dual-layered) and therefore a lower bitrate. Studios don't use double-sided dual-layered discs, either.

The way I would handle it is only release the film in its intended aspect ratio. If a movie was filmed widescreen and intended to be shown widescreen, only widescreen should be available, and vice-versa for the fullscreen. The only instances where I can see making both available is if the movie was soft-matted widescreen. 99% of the time though they are matted intentionally and therefore filmed with the widescreen framing in mind, so it should be only widescreen anyway. However there are certain exceptions where I could see both versions being sold, especially since in many cases we have no idea what was intended (some directors film fullscreen just so it will look good on TV and VHS, when they really want it to be widescreen). Of course, this isn't the way it works with Disney and every other studio, so we sometimes end up stuck with ratios that the movie was never intended in. We get pan-and-scammed.
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MickeyMouseboy
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Post by MickeyMouseboy »

Maerj wrote:Just a lil point of information here...

Widescreen laserdisc were available in the 80's up until their demise in the late 90's, so we folks who weren't born in the 80's know what widescreen is too!

:lol: :wink:
how many people had a laserdisk player? ............yeah, that's why is gone!! :lol:
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Post by Maerj »

MickeyMouseboy wrote:
Maerj wrote:Just a lil point of information here...

Widescreen laserdisc were available in the 80's up until their demise in the late 90's, so we folks who weren't born in the 80's know what widescreen is too!

:lol: :wink:
how many people had a laserdisk player? ............yeah, that's why is gone!! :lol:
I think there was 1.2 million homes equipped with laserdisc players. Most the owners of these players were the first ones to upgrade to DVD players.

You could pay as much as $1000 for a good LD player and discs could cost anywhere between $25 -$40 for regular discs and $100 and up for a Special Edition Box Set. That is why only the real hardcore movie buffs were buying them.

Laserdisc is gone because we got a better invention, the DVD. They are smaller, hold more information and do more than their counterparts. They are also much cheaper. Take the Snow White Platinum Edition DVD. How much did you pay for that? $15? $20 at the most? On laserdisc, it was $100.

Laserdisc also provided fans with Widescreen versions of films, which of course carried over to DVD. The widescreen DVDs weren't made to satisfy the VHS crowd, they are there for hardcore movie fans, many who previously had LD and wouldn't upgrade unless they could get their movies in OAR. So, in a way you could actually thank those movie fans who came before you for getting widescreen DVDs.
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Post by MickeyMouseboy »

you forgot the special edition WS VHS! :) anyways thanks Terry and LIzard dude
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