Calhoun07
09-06-2001, 11:49 AM
After getting innundated with 11,500 signatures as of August 21st from the Home Theater Forum ALONE, you'd think Warner would learn their lesson, wouldn't you? It certainly caught the attention of Ewa Martinoff, vp of family entertainment marketing for WB, who commented on the whole Willy Wonka uproar by saying, "Since this incredible response, we are going to be releasing a widescreen edition [of Willy Wonka] as well. The title has proven that it is more than a family title. We fully intend to be responsible to the consumer."
However, when asked about Cats and Dogs, Martinoff said they are "evaluating the situation."
According to their "research," families perfer pan and scan ratios. I guess their research doesn't include talking to the kids who watch these videos, who say they don't care. Time and time again, I find the parents at the video store I work at complaining about widescreen movies while their kids are standing by saying they don't care or at times actually trying to convince their parents to get the widescreen edition. And their decision to put Willy Wonka out on widescreen DVD is that they now see that it is "more than a family title." That tells me they are still going to neglect titles they view as family titles.
"Joe Six Pack" is a common term used in DVD circles to describe people who prefer pan and scan, mainstream audiences who either don't care or actually complain about the "black bars" on their TV and it seems DVD is starting to cater to the Joe Six Pack crowd, which is a real slap in the face to those of us who embraced DVD early on and supported the format and promoted it and made it what it is today. Without the support of those of us who prefer widescreen, DVD would still be a novelty item sold only here and there and not in such large quantities. I feel like when they stop putting movies out on widescreen format on DVD, they are turning against those of us who helped build DVD up to what it is today.
However, when asked about Cats and Dogs, Martinoff said they are "evaluating the situation."
According to their "research," families perfer pan and scan ratios. I guess their research doesn't include talking to the kids who watch these videos, who say they don't care. Time and time again, I find the parents at the video store I work at complaining about widescreen movies while their kids are standing by saying they don't care or at times actually trying to convince their parents to get the widescreen edition. And their decision to put Willy Wonka out on widescreen DVD is that they now see that it is "more than a family title." That tells me they are still going to neglect titles they view as family titles.
"Joe Six Pack" is a common term used in DVD circles to describe people who prefer pan and scan, mainstream audiences who either don't care or actually complain about the "black bars" on their TV and it seems DVD is starting to cater to the Joe Six Pack crowd, which is a real slap in the face to those of us who embraced DVD early on and supported the format and promoted it and made it what it is today. Without the support of those of us who prefer widescreen, DVD would still be a novelty item sold only here and there and not in such large quantities. I feel like when they stop putting movies out on widescreen format on DVD, they are turning against those of us who helped build DVD up to what it is today.