Page 1 of studios consider scrapping widescreen DVD`s

okay some potentially bad news. Over at hometheatreforum, they report that at some studio event, the major studios said that retailers such as wal-mart, a big american retailer, bit like Tesco`s, are getting numerous complaints about `the black bars` on DVDs, and are threatening not to stock widescreen DVDs, only pan-and-scan.
So it seems that the studios are stuck between pleasing the home cinema fans and the evergrowing, and more numerous, average viewer.
At this stage it seems as though the Disney titles are most likely to be affected, but even so this does not bode well.

why not give us the choice and stick a different format on either side of the disc!

RealPaulH

That would only really be acceptable if they used double-sided *double-layer* DVD18`s, otherwise it would be a major compromise on storage space, and therefore picture/sound quality.

Perhaps having two releases would be the way around this - one P&S and one ANAMORPHIC ;-) widescreen.

Don`t forget bluelou_boyle that HTF is very US-centric, and they have a far lower market penetration of widescreen TV`s than we do over here in the UK and Europe. It`s far less likely that such a move would be taken over here (although not impossible)

DanB

The US market is big enough that the studios could produce different versions for different audiences - P&S versions to be sold in Wal-Mart and the like, and OAR (original aspect ratio) versions to be sold in video and record shops.

I`d say, though, that the outlook for the UK and other smaller countries is far less certain. As more and more people buy into DVD, the demand for "full screen" versions will increase, and the studios may not think it worthwhile to release two versions over here. Contrary to what Dan says, I don`t think that widescreen TVs are a factor in this at all - it could just mean that in the future we get 16:9 P&S versions of 2.35:1 films, as Joe Public expects the picture to fill the screen. We could even see old 4:3 material being cropped to fit a 16:9 frame.

Of course, we can always import stuff from the US, no matter what happens to the UK market.

Mike

"We could even see old 4:3 material being cropped to fit a 16:9 frame"
Unfortunately this is already happening, the UK release of Evil Dead, Romero`s Day of the Dead (various regions) and the R1 release of The Wicker Man. I have the last 2 of these films, I`m sure there are many more, and it is truly awful, worse than Pan & Scanning 16/9 to full frame..

It`s highly unlikely that UK DVDs will cease being widescreen - it`s the accepted format now - if you walk into any electronics retailer they only have widescreen sets when you get about 15" - therefore anyone now replacing their TV buys widescreen

The studios will be aware that it is the home cinema enthusiasts who are buying bucketloads of DVDs, rather than the occasional purchase of the average buyer.

I agree with Chris. While I`m still a 4:3 man due to the fact my Sony 29" fits perfectly into an alcove, if you look at all the major manufacturers product lines, they really only make one or two 25 & 29 size 4:3 TV`s each these days, but make literally dozens of widescreen ones.

The black bars don`t bother me, as on a 29" screen a 1:85 still fills a large bit of the screen, and on a 2.35 : 1 film I often use the first zoom level on my Toshiba deck to give me a bit more to look at. Sure its not perfect, but I`m not a home Cinema fanatic, so it`ll do for now.

Also remember my 29" Sony only cost £450, so when they`re making 32" widescreens for the same, maybe I`ll be interested!

"Also remember my 29" Sony only cost £450, so when they`re making 32" widescreens for the same, maybe I`ll be interested!"

Vince - I have a 29" Sony, and was thinking of getting a 32" Widescreen - but they look pretty similar in size. Now waiting for the 36" Sony or Panasonic flat screen to come down from that crazy prize of £2,500 - way too much money !!