Well, I think most of us would like to just go to any store that sells DVDs and pick up a title without checking to see if it's the right version because widescreen would be all that was available. It would also be nice if the stores that are cheap and close (Wal-Mart, KMart) would carry both versions (which is increasingly not the case). There's a grocery store near me that has cheap rentals (99 cents), but I'm renting less and less from them because if a full-frame version is available that's all they'll carry.

These things do annoy me, but I don't think the sky is falling yet. The reduced prices and larger numbers of titles available are worth it. It wasn't a big deal to make the trek to Best Buy to pick up Sunset Boulevard last year because the Wal-Mart near me didn't bother to carry it. After all, they needed to make room for a large display showcasing the latest Olsen Twins opus.

I think I found a pic of Duality....
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You know, Laserdisks are still available. And while there obviously aren't new releases, there are many excellent releases. Also, it's totally a hobbyist market. So if that's really what you are after, why not go there.

I'm very happy the market is expanding. I like many recent films, but what I really like is when a catalog title I've been really wanting finally comes out (August is the greatest DVD month for me ever because of this). I believe that as more and more people get interested in DVD, there will actually be more of a market for nitch titles (in spite of the fact that the majority may not buy them) so I am all for it.

Also, because of the way things started out with DVD (primarily widescreen), I don't believe Full Screen only releases will be the norm--if anything, they seem to be becoming relatively less frequent.

So you are worrying about nothing.

On the other hand, while one studio that I know off has cut out inserts Miramax), the quality of releases has gone way up. Transfers are better and almost guaranteed anamorphic, extras are plentiful, and sound is good with more DTS than ever. Plus prices have fallen, you can get quality discs for $15 and under in retail stores like Best Buy, and one more thing, the SELECTION is much better.

So in the end, if all I have to give up is a few inserts, and what I gain is what I listed above, I guess it's a fair trade off. Mainstreaming DVD has its bonuses too.

And I'd also note, has any DVD released in both widescreen and full screen, had the full screen significantly outsell the widescreen? I often see the widescreen selling more, though it can vary from title to title.

We are entering a new phase of DVD mass marketing...the golden age is in decline. Soon the studios will be pandering to the LoComDenom ethos.

Cheap discs, bad transfers, fullscreen...and no extras. How can this be a good thing?

Bring back good old fashioned elitism.

Studios will always release Dvd's in the OAR with extras if they can make a profit off that release. They know that if they release a dvd in full screen only that some will not buy the dvd unless full screen is the OAR.

They look at market data and decide if sales would be higher on that title in full screen or widescreen and go where the money is.

It is not a few men in a room plotting about converting everyone to full screen. The studios could care less about it. They just want the money to flow into the studio.


As more and more Tv's become 16x9 I think we will slowly see a new category of buyers. Those who only want dvd's in 16x9 because they want their Tv set filled up.

So OAR 4:3 movies will begin to be altered into 16x9 presentations

was a nice format, but it was too impractical in so many ways. The size of the discs alone was prohibitive! The size of the community was too small. I believe ten or fifteen million homes owning players, rather than the tiny two million who had jumped on by the dawn DVD, would have been the ideal number.

As for DVD prices being lower - I've checked B*st Buy lately. The Three Stooges are an excellent example of the pricing trend. When CTS initially offered these sets they were $14.99 to $19.99. I can't find them anywhere under $20.00 today. Some places, B*rders, have them priced near $25.00 after tax!

Um...I have been a member of this forum for a very long time, and I will tell you that it has always been this "base". Your comments hearken back to those people who always refer to "the good old days", never really taking the time to think about the fact that the good old days were never really as good as you remember. DVD talk is not very different from when you joined Duality, we still have the same elitist rhetoric we had before, only now "joe 6 pack's" buying power has given you the benefit of a wider range of DVDs for you to be disgusted by.