I have seen many critics compare Disney Movies Anywhere to Ultraviolet, with some of them concluding that Disney Movies Anywhere is how UltraViolet should have been done, simply because it connects to iTunes and Amazon. Well, here is a feature comparison that is more in depth.

UltraViolet	Disney Movies Anywhere
Connects to Vudu, FandangoNow, & CinemaNow	Connects to Amazon, Vudu, iTunes, & Google Play
Can convert/upgrade DVD’s and Blu-ray’s to Digital	No Disc to Digital Feature available
Able to delete titles	Not able to delete titles once added
Can share library with 5 people	Cannot share library
7 Movie Studios make content available	Only Walt Disney titles are available. No content from Touchstone & Hollywood Pictures
Over 21,000 titles are available	Less than 500 titles are available
TV shows from several studios are available	No Disney TV shows or movies are available
Available in 13 countries	Only available in the U.S.

Many of the articles reviewing the UltraViolet system found on the web are based on the problems that users faced during UltraViolet’s initial public rollout. Since then, many aspects of the system have been greatly improved. With that in mind, maybe it’s time to revisit the topic. The focus of this article will be on the overall consumer experience using UltraViolet today. But first, I want to tell you why I became excited about UltraViolet.
Before the UltraViolet digital copy was introduced, I had never really gotten into buying, or redeeming digital copies. I had been a collector of DVDs for a long time, almost since the introduction of the format. Around 2007, I stopped buying new DVDs for various reasons, but the most important was portability. After joining the Navy, I wanted a way to watch movies on the go, and I didn’t want to lug around a case of DVDs, and risk them getting lost, stolen, or damaged. At that point in time there wasn’t an easy way to purchase movies for download, so I did what most other sailors did, which meant downloading movies using a torrent program. Most of the movies I downloaded I already owned on DVD, so I didn’t feel too guilty. Several years later, I discovered an easier, but more expensive way to collect digital moves after I bought my first iPhone. Naturally, I began using iTunes, and I ended up buying a couple movies and TV shows, but I wasn’t that impressed with the service. Apple’s Walled Garden meant that I could only watch the movies on my laptop or iPhone, and I thought it was crazy to have to pay their high prices for movies I had already purchased on DVD.
Then came Vudu, and the Disc to Digital service. Just as soon as I heard about it, I began to take my existing DVDs to Wal-Mart, and them to my vudu collection for just $2, and I could also upgrade them to HD for only $5. I was ecstatic. Within a few months I had added my entire DVD collection to my vudu account. But I didn’t stop there! I was soon able to find a lot of cheap used DVDs, and I added those too. Two years later, I had collected more than 500 digital movies in my UtraViolet account. All the shelf space I saved from not having to store the physical media is wonderful. And it didn’t cost me that much with the recent 50% off promotion. I think the average price I paid per movie was less than $5 total.
So I really like the UltraViolet system. It allows me to watch all my digital movies on any device I own, including my iPhone, iPad, laptop, PC, and my HDTV using my Roku box. I can also watch them at a friend’s house or hotel when I’m traveling using my extra Roku. And for the buyer, it’s great because you can price shop amongst several UV services, and still have all your movies in one place. One more thing, there are no previews or forced ads that you can’t skip on UV movies! That’s a stark contrast to Apple’s walled garden. Vudu and UtraViolet is a movie lover’s dream.
But there are a few kinks with the UltraViolet system that haven’t been worked out yet. I have read many discussions concerning UltraViolet on Amazon forums, Apple support forums, Home Theater forums, and Tech blogs. Below I have gathered some of the most common criticisms, and some possible solutions to improve the UltraViolet system, increase its user base, and satisfaction rate among consumers.
The most common complaint is that the top digital media vendors, which make up the majority of sales, do not yet support UltraViolet content. Vendors like Amazon Instant, Comcast, and Google Play will have to start supporting UV if it is going to be successful. iTunes will probably never support UV until the competition forces it to, which could take a long time.

Another complaint from first time UltraViolet users is that the redemption sheets bundled with physical media direct them to studio operated sites that require registration, and often confuse them. New users don’t know that they can also redeem most titles directly at the streaming provider of their choice, for instance Vudu or Target Ticket. There should be an easy to use, common redemption website for all UltraViolet titles. (Such a feature is currently being designed by the DECE consortium)

Another drawback is that people aren’t yet able download their UltraViolet content and save it to external hard drives, or copy it to other devices such as smartphones, tablets, and other computers. (DECE is working on launching a Common File Format that will allow copying files between devices, and playback on any UltraViolet compatible device. The files will offer SD and HD (1080p) quality presentations, and should be much better than what the streaming providers currently offer).

The lack of UV support from Studios such as Walt Disney and MGM mean that consumers are unable to collect all their favorite movies in one digital library.

Apps for IOS and Android tablets and smartphones should be able to play movies in HD, and they should add additional features like parental controls and sorting capabilities.

If these things are addressed, I believe most of the complaints will go away. This will in turn cause good reviews, and millions of new customers for UltraViolet

If you have been with Widescreen Advocate since we launched in 2002, you remember the dark days. You remember digging through a bin of fifty "Full Screen" copies of a new release at your local store, desperately hoping to find the one single Widescreen copy hidden in the back. You remember the endless arguments with family members about "those annoying black bars."

We fought back. We educated consumers, we wrote letters to the studios, and we voted with our wallets.

And I am incredibly proud to say that we have won.

If you look at the home video market today, the Pan & Scan DVD is officially a relic of the past. New theatrical releases are hitting store shelves with a single, glorious specification: Original Theatrical Aspect Ratio.

What finally killed the Full Screen DVD? It was the ultimate combination of technological progress and sweet, sweet irony.

Following the 2009 digital television (DTV) transition, millions of holdouts finally ditched their heavy, boxy CRT televisions. According to recent reports, the majority of U.S. homes now have a 16x9 high-definition display in their living room.

Suddenly, the script flipped entirely. Consumers who had unwittingly bought "Full Screen" DVDs over the years popped them into their brand new widescreen televisions, only to be horrified by black bars appearing on the left and right sides of the image. The studios' primary excuse for chopping up movies evaporated overnight. People finally wanted films that filled their wide screens, and that meant giving them the Original Aspect Ratio.

We will keep the OAR Watchdog database archived here for historical purposes, to remind us of the hundreds of titles that were mistreated during the early days of the format. But as far as the industry is concerned, the debate is over. Pan & Scan is just television. OAR is theater.

To everyone who signed a petition, boycotted a modified release, or took the time to patiently explain letterboxing to a confused friend—thank you. We saved the picture.

If you have walked down the movie aisle at Best Buy or Wal-Mart recently, you have probably noticed a major physical change taking place. The shelves are being rearranged, and it could mean big things for the Widescreen Advocate community.

Earlier this year, Blu-ray officially won the high-definition format war. As a result, retailers are rapidly clearing out shelf space to make room for a massive influx of Blu-ray discs. Because Blu-ray is a natively high-definition, 16x9 format, the movies are presented exclusively in widescreen.

But retail shelf space is strictly limited. Store managers do not want to carry a Widescreen DVD, a Full Screen DVD, and a Blu-ray for every single new release. It takes up too much room and creates an inventory nightmare. Forced to make a choice, retailers are telling the studios to simplify.

As a result, we are seeing the very first cracks in the "Pan & Scan" wall.

Over the last few months, a handful of new theatrical releases from studios like Fox and Warner Bros. have hit store shelves without a "Full Screen Edition" counterpart. To save money on manufacturing and appease the big-box retailers, the studios are quietly testing the waters of releasing a single, Widescreen-only DVD alongside the Blu-ray.

On top of that, the hardware is finally catching up to us. LCD and Plasma flat-panel televisions are dropping in price, and more Americans than ever are putting 16x9 displays in their living rooms. When someone with a brand-new widescreen TV buys a "Full Screen" DVD, they are suddenly the ones complaining about black bars—this time on the left and right sides of their screen!

We haven't won the war just yet. The studios are still releasing plenty of chopped-up family films and comedies, and our OAR Watchdog list continues to grow. But for the first time since we started this fight in 2002, the economics are finally shifting in our favor.

This is a critical transition period. If a studio drops the dual-format release, we have to make sure they know Widescreen is the only acceptable survivor. Keep voting with your wallets. Keep explaining letterboxing to your friends upgrading to flat screens. The tide is turning, but we have to keep pushing!

As we head into the holiday shopping season and Black Friday approaches, there is a massive shift happening in the electronics aisles—and it might just be the beginning of the end for Pan & Scan.

According to recent industry reports, a historic milestone was just reached: for the very first time, flat-panel LCD televisions have outsold traditional, bulky CRT televisions worldwide. Prices on 720p and 1080p HDTVs have finally dropped into the realm of affordability for the average consumer, and families are upgrading their living rooms in droves.

Why is this huge news for the Widescreen Advocate community? Because flat-panel HDTVs are natively 16x9.

For the last five years, the studios' number one excuse for butchering films into "Full Screen" editions has been that the average consumer owns a 4:3 square television and hates "the black bars." Well, that excuse is rapidly expiring. As more consumers bring home 16x9 displays, the tables are going to turn. When you play a chopped-up Pan & Scan DVD on a brand-new widescreen TV, you end up with black bars on the left and right sides of the image!

We are also seeing another massive ally emerge: High-Definition media. Whether you are backing Blu-ray or HD DVD in the current format war, both sides agree on one thing: high definition is a 16x9 standard. Neither format is supporting Pan & Scan. If you buy a movie on Blu-ray or HD DVD, you are getting it in its Original Aspect Ratio. Period.

We still have a long fight ahead of us on the standard-definition DVD front. A quick look at the OAR Watchdog proves the studios are still releasing plenty of family films and comedies exclusively in Full Screen. But for the first time, the hardware is finally on our side.

If you are upgrading your TV this Black Friday, or if you have friends and family making the jump to high definition, make sure they understand what it means for their movie collection. Warn them to avoid the "Full Screen" bins, or their new TV won't be used to its full potential. The end of Pan & Scan is finally on the horizon!

For the last five years, the studios have fed us the exact same excuse for chopping up our favorite movies: "The average consumer has a square 4:3 television, and they hate the black bars."

We've fought back with petitions, letter campaigns, and the OAR Watchdog, but the studios have stubbornly clung to the Pan & Scan DVD to appease the lowest common denominator. But if you've been to a Best Buy or Circuit City recently, you've probably noticed something that is going to make the studios' favorite excuse completely obsolete.

The high-definition revolution is finally going mainstream.

For years, flat-panel HDTVs were luxury items that cost thousands of dollars. But this spring, prices have absolutely plummeted. We are finally seeing 40-inch LCD and Plasma televisions drop below the $1,000 mark. Families aren't just dreaming about HDTVs anymore—they are actually putting them in their living rooms.

Why does this matter to the Widescreen Advocate? Because every single one of these new HDTVs is a widescreen 16x9 display.

We are about to see a massive shift in how the general public views aspect ratios. For the first time, Joe Six-Pack is going to take his "Full Screen" copy of Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, put it on his brand new widescreen TV, and realize the picture doesn't fit! Instead of letterbox bars on the top and bottom, he's going to have pillarbox bars on the left and right. The studios are going to have a very hard time justifying "Full Screen" releases when the screens themselves are no longer square.

Add in the fact that the next-generation format war is heating up. Whether you are buying the new Blu-ray or HD DVD players, both formats are strictly built around 16x9 high-definition. Pan & Scan does not exist in the HD era.

We aren't out of the woods yet. Standard DVD is still the dominant format, and the OAR Watchdog list is still too long. But for the very first time, the hardware sitting in the average American living room is on our side.

If you have a friend who is upgrading to an HDTV this year, do them a favor: explain aspect ratios to them. Show them why they need to buy the Widescreen Edition to truly show off their new TV. The tide is finally starting to turn!

The Digital Bits informs us that the Muppet DVD’s coming from Disney on 11/19 will contain both fullscreen and anamorphic widescreen transfers. This is indeed great news. In case you haven’t heard, the four titlts are: The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island. The latter two have never been available in widescreen, so we can finally purchase them.

This little bit of exciting news comes to us from Ultimate Disney.
A sneak peek on the new catalogue discs reveals some other quite exciting news. Believe it or not, Kermit the Frog is turning 50 this year; his debut television appearance was on Jim Henson’s black-and-white program “Sam and Friends” in 1955. In celebration of this golden anniversary, Disney will be rereleasing four of the Muppets’ most popular films to Special Edition DVD: The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and Muppet Treasure Island. The promo provides no new release date nor information on bonus features, but ensures the films are “completely restored and remastered.” One assumes from the widescreen clips previewed that each will be presented in their original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratios, which was not the case when Disney first released Carol and Island to DVD in 2002. We’ll have more details for you as soon as they come in!

I have spent the last few days adding some enhancements to the OAR Watchdog. If you click on any title in the database, your will go to the IMDB listing for that title. Hopefully this will clear up some confusion as to which title is in the database, because some titles have multiple releases. If you guys find any that point to the wrong page, please let me know.

Sony Pictures sent the following e-mail to select DVD retailers. Of the 91 titles listed, 75 are being stripped of the Widescreen option, but only 16 are being stripped of the Full Screen option. It’s truly maddening.
April 8, 2005
Dear Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Customer:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is currently in the process of reworking the Aspect Ratios on select DVDs. These particular DVDs, which in the past have included both Widescreen and Full screen presentations on a single disc, are now being reworked to include only one presentation, Wide OR Full screen. A number of these have been completed and repackaged to reflect this change, and are listed in the table below.
Catalog numbers and UPC Codes remain the same. Please update your systems as necessary to reflect these changes.
We will continue to update you regularly as more DVDs are converted. Please contact your Sales Representative or Client Operations Associate with any questions.
Sincerely,
Client Operations
Title - New Aspect Ratio
3 Ninjas Knuckle Up - Full Screen
About Last Night - Full Screen
Adventures of Milo and Otis, The - Full Screen
Air Force One - Full Screen
All About My Mother - Widescreen
And Justice For All - Full Screen
As Good As It Gets - Widescreen
Assignment, The - Widescreen
Bear, The - Full Screen
Beast, The - Full Screen
Big Daddy - Widescreen
Bite the Bullet - Full Screen
Black Dragon - Widescreen
Body Double - Full Screen
Body, The - Full Screen
Breed, The - Widescreen
Buddy - Full Screen
Buddy Holly Story, The - Full Screen
Chances Are - Full Screen
Cheap Detective, The - Full Screen
Cruel Intentions 2 - Full Screen
Dance With Me - Full Screen
Deep End of the Ocean - Full Screen
Desert Heat - Full Screen
Desperate Measures - Full Screen
Dick - Widescreen
Excess Baggage - Full Screen
Eye of the Beholder - Full Screen
Fan, The - Full Screen
Forsaken, The - Widescreen
Futuresport - Full Screen
Gattaca - Full Screen
Geronimo: An American Legend - Full Screen
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner - Restored - Full Screen
Hard Times - Full Screen
Hero - Full Screen
Hideaway - Full Screen
High School High - Full Screen
Hollywood Knights - Widescreen
Homegrown - Widescreen
Hush - Full Screen
I Dreamed of Africa - Full Screen
Idle Hands - Full Screen
Iron Eagle - Full Screen
It Could Happen To You - Widescreen
Jackie Chan’s Who Am I? - Full Screen
Jawbreaker - Full Screen
Juror, The - Full Screen
Knock Off - Full Screen
Last Action Hero, The - Full Screen
Last Dragon, The - Widescreen
Lords of Flatbush -Widescreen
MacKenna’s Gold - Full Screen
Madeline - Full Screen
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein - Full Screen
Mercy - Full Screen
Mirror Has Two Faces, The - Full Screen
Mixed Nuts - Full Screen
Mortal Thoughts - Full Screen
Moscow on the Hudson - Full Screen
Mrs. Winterbourne - Full Screen
My Life - Full Screen
My Stepmother Is An Alien - Full Screen
No Mercy - Full Screen
No Way Back - Full Screen
Nowhere to Run - Full Screen
Odessa File, The - Full Screen
Order, The - Full Screen
Peggy Sue Got Married - Full Screen
Revenge - Full Screen
River Runs Through It, A - Widescreen
Roxanne - Full Screen
Rudyard Kipling’s The Second Jungle Book - Full Screen
School Daze - Full Screen
Screamers - Full Screen
Sheena - Full Screen
Silent Rage - Full Screen
Sniper - Widescreen
So I Married An Axe Murderer - Widescreen
Spice World - Full Screen
Starman - Full Screen
Stepmom - Full Screen
Suspect - Full Screen
Sweet and Lowdown - Full Screen
Thirteenth Floor, The (Special Edition) -Full Screen
Toy, The - Full Screen
Two Moon Junction - Full Screen
Universal Soldier: The Return - Full Screen
Whatever It Takes - Full Screen
Whipped - Full Screen
Wild Things (Rated) - Full Screen

Last year, Sony’s DVD division took a huge step backwards, and began to discontinue many titles that had been previously available as wide/full flipper discs. They silently re-issued the DVDs as fullscreen only bargain basement editions. To make matters worse, the new stripped-down versions had no indication on the packaging that the product you were about to buy had been compromised. The packaging stated that both widescreen and fullscreen transfers were included. I sincerely believe that is consumer fraud. I’m just waiting for someone to sue the studio over this terrible practice.
The morons running Sony’s DVD department have apparently made this practice a new policy. Eventually, the studio plans to release a majority of its catalog in stripped-down editions. I think what they are trying to do is make DVD as unattractive as VHS, so they can force people to switch to the new Hi-Def format in a few years. I really don’t think that will work out in their favor. Instead of making me want to switch to a new Hi-Def format so I can get these movies in their original aspect ratio, it just makes me want to avoid buying any Sony products, including DVDs and hardware.
There is a discussion going on at Home Theater Forum about this, that includes the following list of titles that will soon be re-released in this compromising manner.
Adventures Of Milo And Otis
Air Force One
The Best
Bite The Bullet
The Body
The Buddy Holly Story
Chances Are
The Cheap Detective
Deep End Of The Ocean
Desert Heat
Futuresport
Gattaca
Geronimo: An American Legend
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
Hard Times
I Dreamed Of Africa
Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?
The Juror
Knock Off
MacKenna’s Gold
Madeline
Mercy
No Way Back
Nowhere To Run
The Odessa File
The Order
Roxanne
Rudyard Kipling’s The Second Jungle Book
Screamers
Silent Rage
Starman
Stepmom
Suspect
Sweet and Lowdown
The Thirteenth Floor
Two Moon Junction

Someone at the Home Theater asked an interesting question concerning widescreen earlier today. A member named Jeff wants to know which movies to use if he wants to demonstrate the benefits of widescreen vs. fullscreen to a guest. Be sure to check it out for ideas.

In yesterday’s live chat with Warner Home Video, a question was asked very similar to the one that I intended to ask. I thought you all might be interested in the answer.

[georgekaplan] You’ve been doing a great job releasing catalog titles (hopefully Up in Arms and Top Hat will be coming soon), but are you going to be revisiting some older dvds, which are tragically only available in p&s, such as Grumpy Old Men? Also, any chance of Coal Black showing up on a Looney Tunes collection?
[WarnerHomeVideo] We don’t own UP IN ARMS. It’s a GOLDWYN title. We are revisiting older titles for remastering on a constant basis, but nothing happening for GRUMPY OLD MEN.

Columbia Tristar has issued a new date for the much delayed Matilda Special Edition. It is slated for release on June 7th, but it’s still being released in a modified aspect ratio, according to Sony’s web site. This is indeed a travesty, as this film makes fine use of the widescreen frame. This is a slap in the face to the films many fans, and to those who complained about this release when it was first announced in late 2003. Knowing the history of this DVD, I’ve almost given up on ever owning this title on Region 1 DVD. I imported the proper widescreen R2 DVD months ago, and I have enjoyed it immensely.

As of this week, Video Business has apparently stopped treating widescreen and fullscreen DVDs as separate releases on its sales chart. I’m not sure if this just a new policy, or a mistake. Regardless of what it is, I certainly don’t like it. How are the studios going to know which version sells more copies? This change could possibly affect the future of widescreen releases. If a studio conducts its own surveys, instead of relying on industry sales stats, the results could be skewed in favor of pan & scan.
In light of this, I will begin looking for a new source for my sales tracker. Billboard magazine still differentiates between widescreen and full screen, but it charges a $20 per month subscription fee for the full list, which tracks the Top 50 releases. You can get the Top 10 releases for free on its web site, but that’s not very valuable, as it usually includes only one or two dual releases. I’m going to try to work it out so that I can get the complete list, but we’ll just have to see what I can do.
In the meantime, I have included first week sales data for many of last year’s blockbusters on my sales stats page, sort of a history of the year’s biggest releases. The history chart will stay on the page, regardless of any other source I decide to add to the page.

Richard Sliwa has incorporated the fullscreen screenshots that I sent him from the Prisoner of Azkaban into his Widescreen vs. Fullscreen comparison page. I must say that the results are truly amazing. Never before have I seen a fullscreen transfer that is a bigger travesty to the original film than this one is. The news here, is that after examining both transfers, it is apparent that the Prisoner of Azkaban was not shot in Super35, but anamorphic, meaning that the film is truly pan & scan. There is never any additional information on the top or the bottom in any of the shots we examined. There is always at least 45% of the picture information missing from the sides as well. This is clearly one of the greatest examples I have seen that demonstrate the benefits of widescreen vs. pan & scan. If you are still reading this, go check it out!
I’d like to thank Richard for his hard work. I’d like to think that his page will help some fence-sitters out there see the light.

We all thought that the Disney DVD division had turned over a new leaf last year, because they released almost all of their classic films in widescreen, with many being widescreen only releases. This year may turn out to be a huge disappointment. It appears that all of Disney’s classic titles will be released fullscreen only this year.
Disney plans to release Lt. Robin Crusoe, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, The Barefoot Executive and Million Dollar Duck on April 12th - all in fullscreen!
Then on May 3rd, Disney will release 3 Haley Mills classics: In Search of the Castaways, That Darn Cat and Summer Magic. Strangely, Disney has not released the aspect ratio information for Summer Magic.
Disney also plans to release Johnny Tremain, Toby Tyler, The Boatniks and The Worlds Greatest Athlete on August 2nd, but Disney has yet to release the specs for these films.
Disney - why can’t your classic releases have some consistency? Release them in their original ratios, or No Sale!

Richard Sliwa was kind enough to e-mail me to let me know that his Harry Potter widescreen vs. fullscreen comparison pages are back online. This time, he has added an additional page for The Prisoner of Azkaban. A link has also been added to my What is Widescreen? page. Many thanks, Richard!

The Fox Movie Channel web site recently posted a short video (11 MB) that compares pan & scan to letterbox. Right-click the link and select save target as to download the film to your hard drive. The short film should be playing on the Fox Movie Channel periodically. I would like to thank 20th Century Fox for making this video available. Why not include this on some of your DVDs too?

A few weeks ago, I upgraded Wordpress, my news application, to version 1.5. Along with this upgrade, came several enhancements to the admin interface, which will make it easier for me to update the site. It will also allow me to add enhancements to the news portion of the site. The upgrade did cause one problem though. It broke the archive links. So if you attempted to reach a certain post last week, you may have gotten a 404 error. After tweaking the software, I have finally been able to fix all the links. I have made one additional change along with the upgrade. In the interest of saving space on the newsbar, I have only included the last 12 months worth of archives. You can still access the other posts by using the search engine.
I also recently noticed that the Why Widescreen page has not been loading. I’m not sure how long it has been a problem, but it has now been fixed.

Over at the Home Theater Forum, Brent Avery has received an early copy of Charly, and he has confirmed that the disc is a flipper disc with a fullscreen transfer on one side, and an anamorphic widescreen transfer on the other side. I would like to thank Christopher Bligh one more time for his efforts to get this film released in its OAR.
I have also added an entry to the victories page.

Due to popular demand, Fox Movie Channel has put up a page of Letterbox Films on its website, which lists letterbox films that will be shown on its movie channel. It’s updated every month, and lists the date and time along with each film. I think this is something that HBO and other movie channels should do.

Columbia Tri-Star released a new Blue Lagoon Double-Feature last week. The problem is, the second disc in the set, Return to the Blue Lagoon, is not in its OAR. Sony is quickly becoming one of the worst studios in the industry. Show the Studio that it is not a wise decision to release a MAR DVD by boycotting this release.

After Sony Pictures released the Karate Kid boxset in its OAR last week, I had hope that they would show the same respect for the Look Who’s Talking boxset. They are all family films after all. Well that hope has now come crashing to the ground! All three films in the boxset are unfortunately Full Screen - only. For crying out loud - Sony, the first two films in the series already had a widescreen release. Now you have the audacity to re-release these gems in a chopped up format! It’s ludicrous! You are dumbing down DVD in a major way. Most of the buying public want widescreen, and these sales stats prove it. Why don’t you listen to what the consumers want? Your sales WILL improve if you do. I know that many DVD fans are boycotting all of your DVDs because of your stupid policy. In fact, I know many who are boycotting your home electronics as well! You better quickly change this policy if you want to ever achieve a top selling DVD again. And I definitely will not be switching to Blu-Ray if you cannot treat your standard DVD product right!

It’s official folks! We can finally cross Karate Kid off the Fullscreen Only DVD List. Karate Kid, along with the three sequels, are being released in a boxset. The set has an in-depth review at Dvdtalk.com, which confirms that all four films are being released in anamorphic widescreen. The set is available today.
Thanks Columbia for finally doing this one right. How about giving the same treatment to some of your other family films?

I recently discovered that several of the links on our what is widescreen page no longer work. I have replaced the dead links with some new resources. Added are Hong Kong Fanatics Intro to Widescreen, Why Widescreen? @ DVDAnswers.com and the Widescreen Information Page at twowiresthin.com
The pages removed include the Atombrain Guide to Letterboxing, and Richard Sliwa’s Harry Potter DVD comparison pages.

John Berger, of Widescreen.org, makes some excellent points in this article entitled The Attack on Widescreen - Real or Imagined? about the MGM widescreen lawsuit. Be sure to read the entire thing - it’s quite illuminating.

I have updated this list of full screen only re-issues of DVDs that Columbia/Tri-Star has previously released in both widescreen and full screen formats. More of these titles continue to be released, and as I find out about them, I will post them. This list will also be linked to from the OAR Watchdog from now on.

In light of all the full screen films that are being announced for release this year, I have updated the Studio & Retailer Watchdog. E-mail links and phone numbers have been updated for several of the studios. Please use this resource to send requests for widescreen titles to the studios.

Malcom Campbell has graciously decided to support Widescreen Advocate at his site, DVD Answers. This is a good source of information and DVD announcements and reviews. If you are looking for a site that updates regularly, this is the one. Please check them out!

It appears that MGM did not learn its lesson that even family films should be presented properly on DVD with the feedback they received about Charly. DVD Times tells us that MGM plans to release four family films in fullscreen only on April 12th. If you have any desire to see C.H.O.M.P.S., Mac and Me, Namu: My Best Friend, or The Golden Seal in their original widescreen aspect ratios, please use the Studio Watchdog to let MGM know that you want these films in widescreen on DVD.

Several months ago, Universal issued a press release that stated that several titles would be released in fullscreen only on DVD. Two of those titles, already up for sale on Amazon.com, are listed as being available in Widescreen only. Those titles are Once Around, and A Kiss Before Dying.

I am proud to announce something totally new for the site. I have created a PHP script to handle our list of Pan & Scan DVDs. I can edit this list much faster than the thread I had going at the HTF. The list is also sortable by title, studio, and year of theatrical release. I plan to eventually add the original aspect ratio of each title, once I can get that information compiled. But I wanted to go ahead and get the list up. Please help me keep this list up-to-date. I want it to be as accurate and complete as possible. Please look over the list, and let me know about any missing titles. You can send any additions or changes to joshua@whywidescreen.com

I am now convinced that Charly was delayed so that MGM could prepare a widescreen transfer. DVD Planet and Best Buy both confirm that Charly will be released in Anamorphic Widescreen on March 8th, 2005. Count this as another victory for OAR fans. I would like to thank Christopher Bligh for bringing this matter to the attention to the people who made this happen.

I was just alerted that Universal Home Video released Colossus: The Forbidden Project in Fullscreen only just last month! With their upcoming release of Iceman this Tuesday, also in Fullscreen only, it seems that Universal is forsaking quality and ignoring a large segment of the market. Do they really think that people shopping at Wal-Mart looking for Fullscreen DVDs will pick up a film like Colossus or Iceman? If this trend continues, then I would say that Universal will soon become just as bad as Columbia.

I was just notified that Universal Home Video is releasing Iceman on December 28th. Amazon claims it is to be released in Full Screen only. This is just a mere week away, so it’s doubtful that any studio feedback would be effective in getting a re-release. However, I would still encourage those who favor OAR vote with their wallet to send the studio a message that hopefully will be applied to other films. NO OAR = NO SALE!

I’ve just learned from Sony’s Upcoming DVD site that they are re-releasing the 3 Look Who’s Talking films as a boxset on February 1st. The first two films are already available on DVD in Widescreen, but the third film was released in Pan & Scan. Hopefully, this release will not just be a repackaging, but new editions with a widescreen transfer for the final film. Sony has not released any details yet. I will post an update when more information is known.

You may have gotten some internal server errors, or timeouts when trying to access certain pages on the site earlier this week. I recently upgraded my personal site, and I had to change some server settings to make parts of it work. Well some of these changes caused some unforeseen errors with Widescreen Advocate. I have now been able to correct all of the errors. I am sorry for any inconvenience caused.
My sales tracker script has been reporting a lot of errors lately, but every time I load the page, it displays correctly. I cannot check the page every time the script runs, so if you come across any errors on the page, please send me an e-mail so I can diagnose it. Thank you.

When Warner re-releases a film, they do it right. I’ve just gotten information that Warner will be re-releasing two DVD’s as Special Editions with new 16×9 widescreen transfers. Both The Bodyguard, and Chariots of Fire will be released on February 1st as two-disc Special Editions.

The story of how Castle Keep was re-released as a widescreen DVD has been added to the widescreen victories page.
If you are aware of any other widescreen victories that should be added to the victories page, please send me an e-mail.

The newly renamed studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment, has once again decided that family films don’t deserve to be released in their original aspect ratio, which shows disrespect to both the filmmakers, and the viewers. They will be releasing Magic in the Water, but only in the notorious Pan and Scan format. I would really like to own this film, but not in Pan & Scan. It’s coming Jan 4th. I urge everyone interested in this title to contact Sony Pictures Entertainment and voice their concerns.
I wonder if they are going to do the same thing to the upcoming Karate Kid SE Triple Pack!

I noticed that the sales tracker has been encountering errors over the last few days. Upon investigation, I learned that Amazon.com had changed its source code for its DVD product info pages. I have thus made the appropriate changes to the sales tracker so that it works. I am sorry if this caused any confusion.

It is now apparent that Charly has definitely been delayed. It was originally scheduled to be released on October 19th, (that’s tomorrow) in a Full Screen only version, but the online retailers have changed its release date. Most of the online DVD retailers are saying that Charly will be released on March 15th, 2005. But Amazon says the release date has yet to be announced, so the new date can not yet be confirmed.
The real reason for the delay is unknown at this point. My source has told me that people involved in the production of the film were notified that it was going to be pan & scan, and that they weren’t happy about it. Hopefully their involvement with the film is important enough to get the Studio heads at MGM to come to their senses and release the film in its proper aspect ratio. I will keep you posted if any official information comes out.

I am happy to announce that Widescreen Advocate is expanding its content. Jeffrey Forner, a friend of mine, has generously created an Advanced Widescreen/OAR Primer for the site. His primer not only covers letterboxing, but it also covers aspect ratios, open matte/Super 35, and even 16×9 televisions. Please take a few minutes to read our new Advanced Widescreen/OAR Primer. I would also like to thank Jeff for his efforts.

The Digital Bits has reported on the sales numbers of the Star Wars DVDs, and had this to say.
On an interesting side note, DVD producer Van Ling was also on hand, and let us know that early numbers indicate that some 80% of the first day sales of the DVDs at Wal-Mart stores are the widescreen versions. Wal-Mart DVD sales, as you may know, are usually skewed heavily towards full frame. Hey… maybe people are FINALLY starting to figure out that movies like these should ALWAYS be seen in their original aspect ratio.
This is really great news!

Universal will soon join the likes of Columbia Tri-Star and MGM to release a slew of catalog titles in Full Screen only. The Studio has announced the following Full Screen only titles, but have not provided release dates: Charley Varrick, Iceman, A Kiss Before Dying, Once Around, Raggedy Man and Tank.

Apparently Columbia Tri-Star is coming to their senses. According to Hollywood Elsewhere, they are releasing Castle Keep in an anamorphic widescreen version on November 2nd.

A week after I posted that MGM was planning to release Charly in a Pan & Scan only edition, it appears that the studio may have delayed the title. Several online retailers, such as Laser’s Edge, DVD Planet, DVD Empire and Digital Eyes have removed the title from their databases. Amazon has not removed the title outright, but they have removed the aspect ratio information that was previously posted as being Full Screen. Also, DVD Empire sent e-mail notices to those who had pre-ordered the title that it is Cancelled until further notice. We are not yet sure why it has been delayed, but we are hoping it might be because they are going to change their minds and release a Widescreen version after all. If you haven’t already signed the petition to get Charly released in Widescreen, please do so now.

It seems that the last few weeks have seen an increase of stores that stock only the fullscreen version of some dual releases. My local Wal-Mart only stocked the fullscreen version of both New York Minute and Taking Lives! And yes, I looked at every copy. I sure hope that this is a very short lived trend! They have never not carried at least some copies of the widescreen version of any new release. They have done this with catalog releases though. Have any of you noticed any similar trends at your local retailers?
Also, it has been reported that some stores, including some Best Buy stores, are not carrying both versions of the new Predator 2 CE. There are two versions available, and it is not clearly marked on the front of the package which is which. You should look for the aspect ratio on the back cover to make sure you get the correct one. Frankly, I am ashamed that Fox would even release a Collector’s Edition in fullscreen! It’s even worse that they didn’t clearly label the package.

According to retailers, MGM will release Charly in Pan & Scan only on October 19th. This film’s OAR is 2.35:1, so I’m sure it will look horrible in Full Screen. Christopher Bligh has started a petition to get Charly released in widescreen. Please support this petition, and get your friends to do the same.

This just in: Disney has done the right thing, by releasing Darby O’Gill and the Little People in its OAR. It was released yesterday, in fullscreen, but the DVD insert mentions that this movie was filmed in 1.33:1, and that it was cropped for theaters. The quote below is from the DVD insert.
Darby O’Gill and the Little People is presented as it was originally shot, in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. When released to theaters in 1959, the studio recommended projecting the image at 1.75:1, to satisfy the public’s growing appetite for widescreen movies. To give the illusion of this wider image, theaters often needed to crop films at that time, and some of the picture was not seen. The following presentation has not been cropped, and none of the original image has been lost.
Also, I would like to mention that two more widescreen only blockbuster films have been released in the last few weeks. These are Hellboy, and 13 Going On 30.

I just spoke to a representative from Disney, and she confirmed that Darby O’Gill and the Little People is indeed being released only in Full Screen, even though some retailers have it listed as 16×9. IMDB says Darby O’Gill’s OAR is 1.75:1. Buyer Beware!

Columbia Tri-Star is catering to the lowest common denominator once again folks. Castle Keep is being released tomorrow as a pan & scan only edition, according to a this DVDSavant review! Columbia is shaping up to be the Worst Studio of the Year!

I am pleased to announce that Widescreen Advocate is teaming up with E-critics.com. E-critics is a brand new DVD/Movie review site that has a growing collection of reviews. E-critics is now our official review site. The site covers a few genres that other popular DVD review sites miss. In the few weeks they have been open, they have added quite a few DVD and movie reviews. The site does plan to review a lot of non-mainstream films. I expect a lot more reviews to be added in the coming weeks and months. So give them a read.

Over the last several weeks and months, we have been blessed with quite a few widescreen only major releases, which in the past have been less frequent. Bad Santa, Barber Shop 2, Blazing Saddles, The English Patient, The Godfather, and Monster all come to mind as recent widescreen only releases. This is a good trend, and we hope it keeps up. But there are still studios that are not providing widescreen for all releases, namely Columbia Tri-Star and Disney. So keep up the pressure on these studios.
The site had some downtime over the last few days, thanks to a hard drive failure on our server. The hard drive was replaced quickly, but it took a while to move the data over, hence the extended downtime. The site is now back to normal, and there was no data loss. I apologize to those of you who missed the site.

I think it’s time to address something that Columbia Tri-Star has been doing for quite some time now. Apparently, the studio has discontinued many DVD’s that have been previously available as wide/full flipper discs. They silently re-issue the DVD’s as fullscreen only discs. They are doing so without changing the UPC, so retailers aren’t being made aware of the change. These discs have shown up in Wal-Mart bargain bins over the course of the last year, and they will eventually be replacing stock at other retailers as well. We have a partial list of titles that have shown up to date, and we will be adding more to the list as we are notified of omissions. Please beware of this when buying Columbia Tri-Star DVD’s from Wal-Mart and other retailers.
I consider this practice consumer fraud. It would be one thing if they were just re-issuing new fullscreen only DVD’s, but they are not changing the UPC, nor are they notifying the retailers of the change, and that constitutes consumer deception. I find that to be deplorable! I urge you to use our Studio & Retailer Watchdog to contact Columbia Tri-Star and tell them what you think of this new policy.
Partial list of fullscreen only re-issues:
And Justice For All
3 Ninjas Kick Back
3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
About Last Night
Annie (previously released with both formats on a dual-layer disc, replaced by a “special edition” with ONLY fullscreen)
The Bear
The Beast
Bite The Bullet
Blankman
Blue Thunder
Body Double
Chances Are
Cruel Intentions 2
Dance With Me
The Deep
Desperate Measures
Excess Baggage
The Eye of the Beholder
The Fan
Frankenstein
Hero
High School High
Hush
Idle Hands
Iron Eagle
Johnny Mnemonic (Superbit edition available separately)
Josie and the Pussycats
Last Action Hero
The Mirror Has Two Faces
Mixed Nuts
Mortal Thoughts
Moscow On The Hudson
My Life
My Stepmother Is An Alien
No Mercy
Peggy Sue Got Married
The Principal
School Daze (new special edition available 2/1)
Sheena
Spice World
Still Crazy
Stuart Little (previously released as separate widescreen and fullscreen editions, replaced by a fullscreen only special edition)
Suspect
The Toy
Universal Soldier: The Return
Whatever It Takes
Wild Things- Theatrical Version (Unrated version is available separately in widescreen)

Laser’s Edge now has the widescreen version of Ella Enchanted up for presale, and the cover art includes the widescreen banner, so this confirms that there will be a widescreen version of Ella Enchanted!

It is getting harder and harder to know for sure whether a DVD will be presented in its original aspect ratio before its release day. This is the case with Gidget, which will be released by Columbia Tri-Star on August 3. The theatrical feature, as well as the two television sequels will be released as a collection on a two-disc set. Although the press release and the back cover art state, that the collection will be released in full screen only, Columbia Tri-Star’s own web site states that Gidget has been remastered in high definition. This suggests that the theatrical film may be released in widescreen, and that the television sequels will be released in full screen. Hopefully this will be the case. When an early review of the DVD is posted online, we’ll let you know.

Disney’s Movie Finder has been updated to include the DVD release information for Ella Enchanted. It says that the movie will be released in anamorphic widescreen! This seems to confirm the rumor that the original press release information was incorrect.
To further confirm this, DVD Empire has both versions up for pre-order.

File this in the unconfirmed news department: DVDFile says that Darby O’Gill and the Little People will be released with a remastered anamorphic widescreen video transfer. DVDFile has been pretty accurate lately, and press releases have been known to be wrong, so it seems there is still some hope for this title. But since it’s unconfirmed, don’t get your hopes up too high.

With Disney, you never know if a given DVD is going to be done right or not. It seems like the popularity of a title has nothing to do with the quality of the release. Case in point: Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Disney has just issued a press release for the DVD, which will be released on August 3rd, and guess what? It will be released only in full frame. Now I know that this movie is much more popular than some of the other classic films that have gotten the widescreen treatment this summer! What gives? The aspect ratio for this film is 1.75:1, and our best information is that this will be an open matte transfer. While it’s not pan and scan, we believe that any ratio other than the original theatrical aspect ratio is wrong. For those of you that have created your own mattes, you can make your choice, but remember, not everyone has their own mattes. You are also sending Disney a message with your purchase: it is okay to release titles in a modified aspect ratio.

Disney continues to pander to the lowest common denominator by releasing several classic films in pan & scan only. According to Ultimate Disney, May 4th will mark the release of Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and Herbie Goes Bananas in full screen only editions. Let’s send a message to Disney that we are tired of all the full screen only DVD’s. Call 1-800-72-Disney and let them know what you think.
Let’s hope they don’t continue this practice with other classic titles that are to be released this summer.

This summer we will be able to mark another pan & scan only disc off the dreaded non-OAR list. Disney is re-releasing Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro on August 31. The disc will be available in 16x9 widescreen, just like Disney’s other Studio Ghibli releases. Also coming in the second wave of Studio Ghibli DVD’s, are Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Porco Rosso. All three will be available on August 31.

I found this bit of info regarding the aspect ratio of An American Tail. This is from spielbergfilms.com.

A note on the technical specs of the films: when the titles were first announced, I grumbled about the fact that Universal was releasing the title in 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio only. Since then, I have learned from a very reliable source that Don Bluth originally intended for the animation to be composed for the full frame (for the original film) and the film was soft-matted for theatrical exhibition. I’m not sure if the same applies for the sequel, but if this is true, you should be getting a decent (read: non-pan & scanned) image. It would still be nice if the discs would include the theatrical aspect ratios of the films as well, but such is life.

I would venture to guess that this means the other Don Bluth films, The Land Before Time, and The Secret of Nimh are also OAR on DVD.

DVDFile is reporting that many Classic Disney titles are going to be released on DVD this summer. They mentioned that all of the titles are going to be released in their OAR. I have looked through Disney’s official press materials personally, and OAR information for these DVD’s is nowhere to be found, except for Freaky Friday, which will indeed be released in 16x9 widescreen. I don’t know where DVDFile got their information, but I have sent them an e-mail about this issue. When I hear back from them, I will let you guys know. I truly hope this information is true, because I REALLY want Flight of the Navigator on DVD in widescreen. Just a few of the releases mentioned include:

A Far Off Place
Flight of the Navigator
The Happiest Millionaire (Roadshow Edition)
1976 Freaky Friday
The Black Hole
Oliver Twist
Unidentified Flying Oddball
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Shaggy DA
Darby O’Gill And The Little People

I would like to apologize for the lack of updates lately. I have been very busy with school this semester. But I have also been busy behind the scenes here at the Advocate. Let me bring you up to speed on some important changes here at the site.
I have been working hard on getting a brand-new php-based version of the OAR Watchdog up and running. The script is now in beta stage, so improvements will be made in the coming weeks. New features will be added as needed. Please check it out, and be sure to send me any feedback you might have on this new feature. I would like to thank Gaheris for helping me put this together.
I have also implemented an improved news engine. This new version is more robust, and it has more capabilities. You can now search the entire news archives. I had to delete all the previous comments, because people were spamming the comments system with links to inappropriate sites. The new script has comment moderation, so that shouldn’t be a problem anymore.
I have also been busy fixing quite a few display errors the site had with some browsers, such as Firefox, Opera & Safari. The site should now look better in all browsers. If you find any errors that I missed, please e-mail me and let me know what they are, so I can fix them.
I have also been busy updating content and fixing links throughout the site. Every page on the site has some updated content, so be sure to look for any changes.

Columbia Tristar has announced that a SE of Matilda will be released on January 13th. No word on features, but since it’s a Special Edition, it better be Anamorphic Widescreen, and I am assuming it will be.
UPDATE: Matilda has been pulled from the release schedule. We will let you know when it is re-announced.

I’ve got a couple of items today. They are not really news items, but commentary on the widescreen situation.
The other day I happened to be in Wal-Mart browsing the DVD selection, and I met a woman working for Anderson. It has been reported on Home Theater Forum that Anderson reps stock Wal-Mart’s DVDs. I asked her why Wal-Mart stores usually stock more full screen DVDs than widescreen for most titles. She informed me that Anderson does *NOT* decide how many full screen or widescreen copies of a DVD a store will get. Wal-Mart orders the DVDs, and Anderson will purchase the DVDs, and deliver them to the stores. They also return unsold copies to the studios for Wal-Mart. So don’t blame Anderson if your Wal-Mart stocks more full screen copies on certain titles. Continue to pressure Wal-Mart to stock widescreen. (The woman offered me a job when the store becomes a Super Center, because she could tell that I know a lot about video. She also informed me that Anderson makes Liquid Audio.
Secondly, I have added another source to the DVD sales tracker. I have added stats from Video Business, which will be updated weekly. The reason, is because Amazon is not representative of total DVD sales. Video Business measures sales from a variety of major retailers, including Best Buy, Blockbuster, and Wal-Mart. This page will show that widescreen sales continue to dominate the charts.
I have noticed a lot more sites linking to Widescreen Advocate. I’d like to thank you. Don’t forget to use our banners or buttons if you are linking.

I'm sorry for the lack of updates folks, but I haven't found many newsworthy items to post lately. I would just like to take this opportunity to point out that there have been very few announcements of Full Screen only titles. Almost all titles have been put out in both Full Screen and Widescreen editions, and some continue to be released exclusively in widescreen. There is one exception. Columbia Pictures is releasing Where the Day Takes You in Full Screen Only, so make sure to make your voice heard if you want that title.

This isn't really in the news category, but I thought I would mention it. Most Wal-Marts continue to stock in favor of Pan & Scan over Widescreen, even though most Blockbuster stores have gone almost exclusively Widescreen. Widescreen is winning out at most Wal-Mart stores anyways, according to reports.

Great News: The DVD Sales Tracker has been fixed!

I think the summer of 2003 will go down in DVD history as the season of widescreen re-release announcements. MGM will release Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a (16x9) 2-Disc SE on November 25th. This is the DVD that I and many others have been waiting for since the debut of the format, but we refused to purchase the butchered version. Now we can finally add it to our collections!

Warner will also release a 2-Disc SE of A Christmas Story on October 7th. The set will include both 16x9 widescreen and full screen transfers.

Also, I forgot to mention that Warner has announced they will re-release National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, and Vegas Vacation with 16x9 transfers on October 7th.

That makes 7 re-release announcements this month! It seems that the studios are finally listening to us. I am dancing with joy over these announcements! Can’t wait to hear of more pan & scan DVD’s being re-released in widescreen.

Great news! According to my sources, Warner is finally going release a 2-Disc, Special Edition of Space Jam! The full specs have not been announced yet, but we do know that it will be 16x9 Widescreen! Thanks Warner.

I would like to congratulate Warner Bros, Disney, and Universal for re-releasing several DVD’s in their proper OAR that had previously only been available in a modified aspect ratio. Hopefully the sales of these new editions will really take off, and the sales will prompt the studios to release more films in their proper OAR!

According to my sources, Universal will finally release a Special Edition of Babe. Previously released only in pan & scan, this will be available in separate widescreen and full screen editions on September 23rd. Also, the long awaited Casper will finally make its arrival on DVD, in separate full screen and widescreen versions as well.

Randy A. Salas, a member of the Home Theater Forum, and Staff Writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has written an excellent piece designed to educate the mainstream consumer about the benefits of widescreen. Widescreen 101, is a 6 part series. Other topics to be included in the coming weeks are Open Matte, Anamorphic Widescreen, and HDTV.

Eventually, I would like to get some flyer-size pdf’s on the site so that you will be able to download, print, and distribute these. The pdf’s I have are newspaper-size, and most of you would not be able to print them out on your printers at home.

Scripps Howard News Service is carrying the package, so you may see this in your local paper.

I have added Randy A. Salas and the Star Tribune to the contributors page.

I apologize that the images on the site failed to load correctly yesterday. One of my settings files was mis-configured. The file was supposed to block other sites from hot-linking to my images, but it also blocked my own site from loading the images. It has now been fixed. If you have a site and would like to use one of my images, please upload the image to your own server.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have fixed several errors with the site. This includes margins, font sizes, and other display errors. The site is designed to work well with IE and other standards compliant browsers. There are a few display issues with Mozilla and Opera right now, but hopefully in due time I will be able to fix those. If you notice any display errors, please e-mail me, so I can add them to the list.

I have added some recent titles to the sales tracker.

I am pleased to announce that Widescreen Advocate has been totally updated and revamped. You may not notice a major difference, as the design is much the same. I have rebuilt the site from the ground up, which means that the site will be much easier to update. Some sections of the site have already been updated, and there have been improvements to every page.

There will be more updates in the coming weeks. The first section that will get a major update will be the OAR watchdog. As soon as I am finished compiling the info I have collected, the watchdog will be updated. There are a lot of new titles to be added. I also plan to update the screen shots used on the flyers soon.

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted here. I want to let everyone know that I haven’t abandoned this project. I haven’t been able to post any news in quite some time, because I’ve had a few other projects that have been keeping me extremely busy. I am at the point now, where I can take a break from these other projects for the time being.

When Widescreen Advocate was first created, I was a novice when it came to creating page layouts, so Eric was in charge of that aspect of the site. He used frames and tables to create the layout, so it was hard for me to maintain and update. I have since learned how to create effective layouts, using CSS (stylesheets). With my newfound skills, I have been working for the last several weeks to re-code Widescreen Advocate using CSS and valid xhtml. When a site is built with CSS and xhtml, it becomes so much easier to update and maintain. I am very close to completion of the layout, but it still needs some minor tweaking. I hope to have the re-coded site online by Monday or Tuesday. You will not notice any major changes to the site, since the design is essentially the same, but there will be some enhancements and additions to the site. In the next few weeks there will be some more noticeable changes. As always, if anyone has anything that they can offer to the cause, please let me know, and you will be accommodated. I would also like to thank all of those who have added Widescreen Advocate to your list of affiliates.

In the last few months, there has been confirmation from a few of the Studios that several DVD’s that are only available in Full Screen, may soon be available in OAR. Two that come to mind are Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and A Christmas Story. I think that this is very good news. I will be keeping you posted on any official announcements concerning these, and other titles.

File this in the Rumor Department:

According to my sources, Disney will release a widescreen version of The Absent-Minded Professor on September 2nd. It will also contain the original black and white image. This is great news for us, because it means that we are getting through to the marketing department at Disney. Many people, myself included, had held out buying this title due to it being only available in pan & scan. If this rumor is true, they should see a surge in purchases of this title when the widescreen version is released. Also, this may be a test, to see if widescreen sales do really surge when they release a widescreen version of a title that is already out there on the market. Let’s make sure that we get out and buy it when it does come out!

The Absent-Minded Professor is now up for preorder at Amazon.

With Ron’s review of The Country Bears, a film that will only be released in pan & scan, I started to wonder just how many recent DVD’s Disney has released that are not in their proper OAR. I counted seven Disney titles that I would have purchased, many of which I have been wanting since the debut of DVD. Those titles include Blackbeard’s Ghost, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Honey I Blew Up the Kid, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island. Other’s that have not had a widescreen release include The Country Bears, The Moon Spinners, and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.

Since Disney refuses to listen to their customers demands and release all movies in their proper OAR, I am going to patronize Warner Bros., a studio which is supporting OAR by releasing many of its family films in their OAR. I will be purchasing Free Willy, Free Willy 2, Free Willy 3, Dennis the Menace, and Dennis the Menace: Strikes Again, all to be released in Anamorphic Widescreen by Warner next spring.

Be sure to call & e-mail Disney and let them know that you refuse to purchase any family film that is not presented in its OAR, and that you will purchase films from studios who release family films in OAR, such as Warner Bros.

Call (800) 72-Disney
disneyinfo@disneyhelp.com

For those of you that missed the Chat with Peter Staddon, Senior Vice President of marketing @ Fox Studios, the other night, and have yet to read the transcript, I’d like to reprint his responses to several questions. First the question: then Mr. Staddon’s response.

[michaelsliger] Any chance of a status update for the “Millennium: Season 1″ box set? Is the rumored “late 2003″ release date realistic? Has any work been started to prep the episodes yet (hopefully 16x9 widescreen if that season was shot in that manner)?

[peterstaddon] That is another tv series I would love to see on DVD. The first two seasons were outstanding. I think you will see season 1 in 2003 and depending on how that sells we will release subsequent seasons. If it was filmed in 16x9 it will be released in 16x9!

[ParkerClack] My question for the night—How are OAR titles selling in comparison to P & S titles for Fox in general?

[peterstaddon] It varies by title and genre. Something like Ep II will obviously sell more widescreen, a lot of other movies are more 50:50. More and more we will try to get both versions on one release as we did on Ice Age

[JoshuaClinard] Hi. Thanks for coming. I really think that many people are buying Full Screen only because they do not know what they are missing by not having widescreen. All the people I [have] talk[ed] to really do not know what the difference is, and once educated, almost all of them seem to think that widescreen is the obvious choice. But I can’t talk to everyone! I think if the studios would educate the consumers, then there would be less returns at Wal-Mart and other retailers.

[peterstaddon] This is something I hear all the time, and the sad fact is that most people do not care about OAR. It is not an education issue - they have a square 27 inch or smaller TV screen and they want to fill it up! You can describe the benefits of widescreen until you are blue in the face to a number of people and they still will not care. That doesn’t mean to say that we should give up the issue. We are including OAR and P &S releases on a number of titles on the same disc. We are looking to see if there is a way, using the disc that they have just bought that we can demonstrate the difference to them. but the sad fact is that the average DVD buyer at a Wal-Mart simply does not care about OAR.

So there you have it! He seems to be saying that FOX will always support OAR, even on TV product if the show was shot that way. He also says they may provide a modified version as well. Note: My question was cut short on the transcript.

A few days ago I decided to contact Eric again, having not heard from him in over a month. This time he responded, and he has updated the two domain names so they now point to the new web server.

Eric has been busy training for a new career, so he will no longer be able to work with me on Widescreen Advocate. We’re sorry to see him go. If you would like to help out with the site in his absence, please send me an e-mail.

I have fixed several other internal links that were not working.

I have corrected some factual errors on the Why Widescreen page.

Added Mike Shea to the contributor’s page.

I have installed a better news script, with more features to come as soon as I fix the templates. There is already a comments system that you can use.

I have finally fixed the sales tracker, so that it works with amazon.com's new page layout. I have also added several new titles to the tracker, with a link to a separate tracker with some older titles.

I have updated all the e-mail links around the site, since the whywidescreen.com domain is no longer in service.

I have added a new flyer to the member created resources section.

I have made various other corrections to the site that have been pointed out.

I will be updating the OAR Watchdog with new titles, as well as Studio and OAR information as soon as I have enough information compiled. If you would like to contribute to the OAR Watchdog, there are instructions for how to do so on that page.

Several months ago I moved the site to a new webhost because the server we were on became unavailable. Eric, who owns the domains widescreenadvocate.com and whywidescreen.com did not respond to my correspondence to update the I.P. addresses, so the site had some downtime until I was able to purchase a new domain name. We have been back for a month now, at widescreenadvocate.org, and so far we have had no downtime on this new server. Several scripts on the server were not working when I first moved the site to this new server, so I was unable to update the news for some time.

I have now gotten all the scripts fixed. The old domains still point to the old I.P. address, even though the files had to be removed, so the site is not available via those addresses. Since Eric has not responded to my correspondence, I am looking for a new partner to help with the site. Main responsibilities will be graphic design, and and creating flyers and resources. If you would like to help, please send me an e-mail.

A little scoop from Ron Epstein at Home Theater Forum.

“Warner released Ocean’s 11 in both widescreen and full screen. The numbers are phenomenal, with the widescreen version outselling full screen two-to-one. That is, without looking at what it did at Wal-Mart.

Warner doesn’t release two versions of their titles very often (think “Willy Wonka,” but very few others), but I would think their success with Ocean’s 11 might inspire them to continue with more two-version releases.”

Let’s hope so…

On another note I just realized that it’s been almost a month to the day since I’ve updated the news section. Yikes! WA is run completely on voluntary time so when I get busy nothing new happens here. I hope to keep things more up to date in the future as well as to add to our resources for educating the masses. So please don’t forget about us if the lack of fresh info fails to bring you back daily…

If there is anyone out there who would like to join our “staff” as a news correspondent or even an editorial author please send Joshua an e-mail. The pay is lousy but the respect from your friends and family is priceless.

Go sign this petition: Muppets In OAR. Help bend the studio's mind about getting Muppets Treasure Island and Muppets Christmas Carol released in their original aspect ratio! To the Studio, just because it is "Family Fare" doesn't mean that it deserves any less treatment on DVD. Families love OAR too!

Home Theater Forum's very own Ron Epstein has addressed the studios about the growing non-OAR threat that is plaguing the DVD format. Although we may not completely agree with everything he says, we suggest you read the excellent article entitled Is DVD Giving Way to Mass-Market Demands?.

After a week of being down we're back and on a new server. Thanks for your patience and keep a look out for new Why Widescreen? materials, as well as a new more inclusive OAR Watchdog list.

Video Store Magazine has reported that Columbia Pictures is aware of the petition, and that the studio is looking into the matter of the titles in question. This is good news! Read the full text here.

Thanks Rain!

Disney has notified me that Max Keeble's Big Movie, and Snow Dogs are set to be released in pan & scan only. We cannot let this happen! Please let Disney know that we want all films to be released in their OAR!

350 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
(818) 560-1000
(800) 72-Disney
http://www.disney.com/Mail/DisneyPictures/

To those of you that have already signed the petition, but would like to take more action, you are encouraged to call, write, or send an e-mail to Columbia Pictures.

Sony Pictures Corp., Columbia, Tri-Star
10202 West Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232

sonyonline@sonyusa.com

Let them know in a polite way that you would like all future films to be presented OAR!

Once again, Columbia is going back to the well for another pan & scan only disc. This time with A Midnight Clear. A Midnight Clear is a 1991 film about World War II France in 1944.

Columbia seems to be going for the record for most pan & scan only announcements in a month. Interestingly, I never used to pay much attention to Columbia press releases because I knew I could always count on a great disc with an excellent transfer. Now they seem to be competing for worst DVD studio of the year.

I'm happy to report that not all studios are walking older film titles to the chopping block. DVDFile reports that Warner will be releasing the following catalog titles in anamorphic widescreen video on 7/9! Innerspace, The Champ, Oh, God!, My Favorite Year and Big Wednesday will all see a proper video presentation when they bow on DVD. Here's a big thumbs up for Warner who brings some good news to the OAR cause! Now if we can just get them to reconsider that Non-OAR, R4 Harry Potter release!

Widescreen Advocate is pleased to announce that Home Theater Forum has become our official discussion forum. A very fitting thing considering the Advocate's who created and run this this site met at the . So thanks go out to Ron & Parker (who own HTF) for providing a place for enthusiasts to share their passion.
We'd also like to say thanks to Mike Knapp for adding us as an ally to our other favorite forum Home Theater Talk.
Thanks again to all. We appreciate your support!

Does this sound familiar? Columbia has announced two more full frame only releases. So cross off Look Who's Talking Now? (the third film in the Look Who's Talking series), and the Charlton Heston adventurer Mountain Men from your "DVD's to buy" list! Then go sign the Columbia petition. Release information courtesy DVDFile.

On the heels of the absurd news about the upcoming Stuart Little Deluxe Edition being fullframe DVDFile reports that Columbia is at it again. You can add 84 Charing Cross Road, 2001: A Space Travesty, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, Mo' Money, Sweet Hearts Dance and (a personal favorite of mine) The Villain to the pan & scan chopping block list. All I can say is who the @#&$ is in charge over there? I don't understand the idea of completely undercutting your very faithful early DVD adopters who insist on OAR presentation 100% of the time. What ever happened to dual version discs? I really don't care if the studios release pan & scan as long as there is always an OAR version available too. Anyway if this irks you as much as it does me, go sign this petition NOW. I'm #58.

Back in 1999 this fun kiddie flick was a dual DVD release (separate widescreen and pan & scan discs). Apparently two discs of the film aren't enough for Columbia. According to DVDFile a brand new SL: Deluxe Edition will be available on 5/21. The catch? Well, I guess I gave that away in the headline. Yup this spanking new Deluxe Edition is FULL FRAME! Come On! When are the studios gonna wake up and realize that just because it's a kiddie flick doesn't mean it doesn't deserve OAR. Kid's deserve widescreen too! Sorry, but a fullframe "SE" tarnishes the idea of what an "SE" should be. I would expect OAR to be a standard on all "SE's". On the not so bright side, maybe we'll get OAR when the Super Duper Deluxe Edition is released in tandem with Stuart Little 2 DVD next year.

So you live in Australia and would like to watch Harry Potter in widescreen when the DVD is released? Too bad. Warner Brothers has decided not to release Harry in widescreen for region 4.

The R1 release is dual format (separate widescreen and pan & scan discs) why wouldn't R4 also be? Good question. Somebody at the studio really blew this one.

So please, even if you're not a region 4 buyer, go sign the petition to get Harry Potter on WS in R4 and support our mates' who are getting the shaft with this one.

It's being reported around the net that yes indeed Blockbuster seems to be shelving the widescreen version of the Steven Spielberg flick A.I..

Is this due to the dissatisfaction many enthusiasts have heaped upon the "big blue" in recent months for only stocking pan & scan versions of dual release DVD's? Well that remains to be seen, but I'd bet is has something to do with it.

Regardless, it is a small step in the right direction for widescreen releases to flourish in the rapidly expanding DVD rental market. So props to BB for taking that step.

So go rent it and make sure the folks behind the counter know that you're happy to have it in widescreen. Which is something I'm sure they don't hear a lot.