What to do about movies marked anamorphic that aren't?
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
What to do about movies marked anamorphic that aren't?
I just bought 2010 (Warner Brothers) from Best Buy in their bargain rack for $5.99. It's a movie I've wanted to get for a long time, but it's one of those I knew would always be there, so there was no hurry. At this price, I went ahead and picked it up. On the back, it said "Enhanced for widescreen TV's", which I knew, based on all my other DVD purchases, always means anamorphic. It's not. It's a flipper disc with standard on one side and widescreen on the other, but the widescreen is simply letterboxed, but not anamorphic.
I have several movies, although not that many, that are non-anamorphic, simply because they weren't available any other way. This is my first purchase that was erroneous in its claim of being anamorphic. Should I take it back or just suck it up and enjoy it for what it is?
Are there any other movies that say anamorphic or enhanced that aren't?
I have several movies, although not that many, that are non-anamorphic, simply because they weren't available any other way. This is my first purchase that was erroneous in its claim of being anamorphic. Should I take it back or just suck it up and enjoy it for what it is?
Are there any other movies that say anamorphic or enhanced that aren't?
#2
DVD Talk Legend
I've had the same thing come up with Outland and Judge Dredd. I suppose you could write to the studio and complain, but until anamorphic versions are released the non-anamorphic versions are worth hanging on to.
#3
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Studios have been amazingly lazy and sloppy with misinformation about anamorphic DVDs/widescreens on certain movies. For myself, I will not purchase any movie that is non-anamorphic, as it just looks like sh*t on my display. I am hoping they will re-release about 5 or 6 movies I have that are non-anamorphic widescreen (Armageddon stands out in mind).
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by DavidH
For myself, I will not purchase any movie that is non-anamorphic, as it just looks like sh*t on my display.
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
I'm bumping my own thread since I got screwed again on this same thing.
I just joined CH again, and I would swear that on their website it said The Villain was anamorphic. I haven't seen the movie in a long time, and I liked finding it was anamorphic, so I ordered it. I received it today with my other movies, I popped it in, and the damn thing is fullscreen! I looked at the back of the package, where it reads, "Digitally mastered audio and anamorphic video". I'm thinking ok, so what's the problem? Then I read further down the line, "Full screen presentation". D'OH! And sure enough, it even repeats it at the bottom of the sleeve, "Presented in a FULL SCREEN VERSION which has been reformatted to fit your TV".
I check back on CH's website, and sure enough, there's no mention now of it being widescreen at all, let alone anamorphic. I know it stated it when I ordered it, otherwise why would I have been looking forward to seeing it as an anamorphic feature?!?
Do the studios do this on purpose...make you think you're buying something you're not, just to push discs that they feel might not be selling well? If so, it's a pretty rotten trick.
Oh well. I'm just ranting. I'm going to bed now.
I just joined CH again, and I would swear that on their website it said The Villain was anamorphic. I haven't seen the movie in a long time, and I liked finding it was anamorphic, so I ordered it. I received it today with my other movies, I popped it in, and the damn thing is fullscreen! I looked at the back of the package, where it reads, "Digitally mastered audio and anamorphic video". I'm thinking ok, so what's the problem? Then I read further down the line, "Full screen presentation". D'OH! And sure enough, it even repeats it at the bottom of the sleeve, "Presented in a FULL SCREEN VERSION which has been reformatted to fit your TV".
I check back on CH's website, and sure enough, there's no mention now of it being widescreen at all, let alone anamorphic. I know it stated it when I ordered it, otherwise why would I have been looking forward to seeing it as an anamorphic feature?!?
Do the studios do this on purpose...make you think you're buying something you're not, just to push discs that they feel might not be selling well? If so, it's a pretty rotten trick.
Oh well. I'm just ranting. I'm going to bed now.
#6
DVD Talk Legend
Oh, it's just another Columbia title that dropped the widescreen side. There's an official list of those titles somewhere on the forum but I can't find it.
The problem with these titles is that they don't change the UPC codes. The info on the websites about a disc is tied to the UPC code, so naturally it doesn't change when a downgrade is released with the same code.
I could be wrong, but I also think that they don't issue press releases for these, so we have to rely on anecdotal evidence of their existence. The list that was put out (it's in a thread somewhere, I know) was done after the titles were downgraded, and for some of them, the WS/FS versions had become quite hard to find.
The problem with these titles is that they don't change the UPC codes. The info on the websites about a disc is tied to the UPC code, so naturally it doesn't change when a downgrade is released with the same code.
I could be wrong, but I also think that they don't issue press releases for these, so we have to rely on anecdotal evidence of their existence. The list that was put out (it's in a thread somewhere, I know) was done after the titles were downgraded, and for some of them, the WS/FS versions had become quite hard to find.
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Drexl
Oh, it's just another Columbia title that dropped the widescreen side. There's an official list of those titles somewhere on the forum but I can't find it.
The problem with these titles is that they don't change the UPC codes. The info on the websites about a disc is tied to the UPC code, so naturally it doesn't change when a downgrade is released with the same code.
I could be wrong, but I also think that they don't issue press releases for these, so we have to rely on anecdotal evidence of their existence. The list that was put out (it's in a thread somewhere, I know) was done after the titles were downgraded, and for some of them, the WS/FS versions had become quite hard to find.
The problem with these titles is that they don't change the UPC codes. The info on the websites about a disc is tied to the UPC code, so naturally it doesn't change when a downgrade is released with the same code.
I could be wrong, but I also think that they don't issue press releases for these, so we have to rely on anecdotal evidence of their existence. The list that was put out (it's in a thread somewhere, I know) was done after the titles were downgraded, and for some of them, the WS/FS versions had become quite hard to find.
Last edited by The_Infidel; 08-02-06 at 11:27 AM.
#9
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Yes, sony/columbia has been "re-releasing" some of their flipper discs as single-sided only. Most of those were anamorphic widescreen on one side and FS on the other, but now most of them are just FS. Like he said, sony does not change the UPC and sometimes they keep the same packaging that still says WS/FS.
IMO, Sony really deserves a class action lawsuit for these practices, it's outright fraud to knowingly use packaging that says FS/WS for FS-only discs and even when the packaging has been corrected, continuing to use the same UPC for what is essentially a different product is highly deceptive.
IMO, Sony really deserves a class action lawsuit for these practices, it's outright fraud to knowingly use packaging that says FS/WS for FS-only discs and even when the packaging has been corrected, continuing to use the same UPC for what is essentially a different product is highly deceptive.
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Don Juan Demarco was re-issued in a keepcase but erroneously printed as being anamorphic. I went thru hell returning it at Best Buy, with one of the managers trying to give me the "anamorphic vs matted" filming process bullshit. (Incidentally, the same BS so many Lucas defenders tried to use on the Star Wars issue. I hope that release prompts a huge wave of returns when people figure out the theatrical versions aren't 16x9) Best Buy eventually refunded my money probably just to get me out of their hair.
I have 2010 from when I didn't have a 16x9 display, and I'll gladly double dip for a new transfer.
I have 2010 from when I didn't have a 16x9 display, and I'll gladly double dip for a new transfer.