***DVD is on the brink of destruction, it's happening---the invasion of pan & scan. Do your part to stop it!

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81
Every early adopter of DVD has feared the day when studios would start releasing PAN & SCAN ONLY releases with not even an option for widescreen and now it's starting to happen. DVD has gone mainstream and the uneducated masses are complaining about "those damn black bars" without even understanding their purpose. First MGM & Warner started to release P&S titles, then came Fox and soon after that Columbia and Disney. And now I hear that Paramount is also considering it.

They are letting Jane and Joe Six-pack, the ones who buy the $49.99 DVD Players at Wal-mart to decide the future of DVD! :|

20-50% of the original picture is lost with pan & scan... "this film has been modified to fit your TV"...

So how can you help?

1. REFUSE to buy Pan & Scan only product.
2. Do NOT rent your DVDs at rental chains that don't carry widescreen releases.
3. Sign this and this
4. CALL Disney customer service and tell them you want all of their releases to be in Widescreen, or at least have the option of Pan & Scan or Widescreen. Disney claims that "hundreds" of customers have called in complaining about black bars, and that is why they are making these changes. If enough people call wanting widescreen, it might make the reconsider this butchery of film: 1-800-72-DISNEY
5. Educate your friends/family about widescreen. Many people hate black bars and think they are actually losing picture when actually they are gaining more.
6. If you are uneducated about widescreen or anyone else you know is, go to/send them to these sites:
Widescreen.org Visual Examples
more visual examples
Learn about widescreen
Anamorphic Widescreen for Dummies
7. If you go to a store that only carries Pan & Scan of a particular movie, tell them that you will only buy widescreen.
8. Frequently come over to HTF and find out new ways to support widescreen. Everyone there is 100% Pro-Widescreen.

One of the main benefits of DVD is starting to be eliminated. How long before your favorite movie or the latest blockbuster is released in Pan & Scan only? Sooner than you think if people don't start doing something about it.

BTW I'm just a messenger and spreading the word to this forum. The guys at HTF have far bigger plans to stop this and hopefully some of them come to fruition.
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Ignorance in Hollywood knows no bounds. I flat out refuse to buy any DVD that is not in the original aspect ratio.
 

yakko

Lifer
Apr 18, 2000
25,455
2
0


<< I flat out refuse to buy any DVD that is not in the original aspect ratio. >>

Same here.
 

yakko

Lifer
Apr 18, 2000
25,455
2
0


<< Ignorance in Hollywood knows no bounds. >>

It is not Hollywood's ignorance but the buying publics. They just want to stop the whining they have to listen to.
 

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81
If you guys are willing to sign it, please take 5mins and make the call too. Even if you aren't going to buy any Disney movies, studios ALWAYS follow trends so they don't look like they bad guy. If I find numbers for Columbia, Fox, Warner, etc. I'll post them.
 

Aves

Lifer
Feb 7, 2001
12,232
29
101
You know every DVD player out there has the ability to provide on the fly pan & scan, why don't the studios just use that and make everyone happy?

That way when everyone has a widescreen TV in a few years the same people who bitched about black bars won't be bitching about grey bars.
 

Beau

Lifer
Jun 25, 2001
17,731
0
76
www.beauscott.com


<<

<< I flat out refuse to buy any DVD that is not in the original aspect ratio. >>

Same here.
>>



Ditto.


Signed and passed on to everyone in my mailing list.
 

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81


<< You know every DVD player out there has the ability to provide on the fly pan & scan, why don't the studios just use that and make everyone happy?

That way when everyone has a widescreen TV in a few years the same people who bitched about black bars won't be bitching about grey bars.
>>



Because apparently it's too much work for Joe Six-pack!
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136


<< You know every DVD player out there has the ability to provide on the fly pan & scan, why don't the studios just use that and make everyone happy?

That way when everyone has a widescreen TV in a few years the same people who bitched about black bars won't be bitching about grey bars.
>>



Because people are stupid, & they have no idea.

I can understand the reasoning of the studios, but goddamn they'll destroy DVD if they push that.

Viper GTS
 

Stiler

Banned
Nov 21, 2001
1,557
0
0
I was once one of those "average joe schmoes" who didn't like those black bars that made the picture look smaller. Then i got educated by atot a long time ago and found out what it was, now i wish all dvd's would just stick with widescreen and if they can have a pan and scan option, i have seen some dvd's do this, have like 2 sides, one widescreen other p and s. Whenever i can afford a HDTV i hope all the dvd's have widescreen.
 

Linux23

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
11,303
671
126
trust me, the studios are not that stupid to completely elimate widescreen from the DVD format.

what releases are Pan n Scan only?
 

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81


<< trust me, the studios are not that stupid to completely elimate widescreen from the DVD format.

what releases are Pan n Scan only?
>>


The ones listed in the petition, as well as several from disney. I don't know the other ones off hand. Right now it isn't any "major" releases, but this is just the start of it. The studios just recently changed their policies.
 

Aves

Lifer
Feb 7, 2001
12,232
29
101


<< trust me, the studios are not that stupid to completely elimate widescreen from the DVD format.

what releases are Pan n Scan only?
>>


They have tried it.

Willy Wonka: SE was set to P&S only but luckily enough people complained and a widescreen version was made.

Blockbuster has been stocking some movies in P&S only. American Pie 2, Jurassic Park 3 and The Mummy Returns to name a few.
 

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81
Also, don't underestimate the power of this stuff. Online communities of people are the ones who stopped the original Divx (not the stuff you download, the stuff back in DVD's infancy), and a bit ago Warner released a classic - Willy Wonka - in Pan & Scan only and the complaints from people online is what made them turn around and also release a widescreen version.

It's not that bad yet, but it will continue to grow!


 

kami

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
17,627
5
81
Here's another petition, this one about some specific titles slated to be P&S only. Muppet Christmas Carol was actually one i liked when I was young :eek: :D
 

gopunk

Lifer
Jul 7, 2001
29,239
2
0
can somebody tell me what pan and scan is? i know what the black bars are for... but wtf is pan and scan.