May 28, 2004

My Brother and Aspect Ratios

This article, about how widescreen DVDs are now preferred over full screen by Blockbuster, reminds me of the halcyon days when my brother used to work there. Remember that, James? Those days sure were halcyon, huh?

Anyway, if I recall James's story correctly, it goes something...like this.

CUSTOMER (inexplicably British) What does this -- this, "pan and scan" mean, old fellow?

JAMES
Ah, well, you see, it all has to do with aspect ratios and maintaining the original vision of the artist and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...

CUSTOMER
Poppycock!

Well, I'm just relating the story as it was told to me about ten years ago. My version might not be completely accurate, but it's probably way more interesting than the way James tells it anyway.

Andrew - 4:20 PM
Comments

Image if you had to explain to that British guy why all the people on your TV appear 20 pounds fatter than normal. . .

Kurt - May 28, 2004 - 4:39 PM

I don't know how you've convinced yourself of that, but you're just completely wrong. My TV stretches out the image on the periphery, and in TV people generally don't stand off to the side so you barely notice.

I recommend widescreen TVs. They are awesome. So says I!

Andrew F - May 28, 2004 - 5:22 PM

Yes, I'M the one who's deluding myself. How you "barely notice" is beyond me.

But DVDs look rpetty damned awesome.

Kurt - May 28, 2004 - 5:35 PM

Right, tons of British chaps came into the Jacksonville Blockbusters. More like,

INBRED HICK: I can't decide. Which one would you rather see: "Dumb and Dumber" or "Happy Gilmore?"

JAMES: [dies]

James F - May 29, 2004 - 12:54 AM

The local (i'm in FLA now; I can say it) BlockBuster has always been something of an anomaly. The manger or owner (or however they run their system) was a local video store owner who saw the future early and decided it was better to live in the dark side than starve in the light.

They had a distinctly community vibe. Every person who worked there had an opinion about movies. In fact they were all required to give a rating to the new releases and update their selections in the "employes' favorites section each month" There was a disregard for the BBV organizational system with sections devoted to Japanimation, foreign, and (finally on topic) widescreen.

Every movie that they could order in Widescreen was and they set them off in a corner-store. Just for us. It was like a microcosm. Only the people who knew what they were doing went over there and you could have decent discussions and recommendations.

Sadly recent visits show that the store is now back in step. The people I knew were all gone, and so was any sign of distinctiveness. I would be more upset if I still had any use for BBV. Even before NetFlix I was in there maybe every other month and that is just for video games. Now with the availability of Gamefly I wonder if I will go in at all.

RM - May 29, 2004 - 1:05 AM