Blockbuster Sucks!

[Chris Blount]

As most of us know, Blockbuster seems to think that their marketing research is correct by saying that most customers don't like widescreen DVD's. Well, that's all fine and good but they seem to be cutting out widescreen fans altogether.

I was in Blockbuster today and I wanted to rent the new Austin Powers movie. All of the 100 and something copies they had were full screen. Not one single widescreen version could be found. I promptly asked the manager if they had any widescreen copies. She said no and gave her brilliant opinion that widescreen DVD's "suck" since the top and bottom are cut off.

Well, I didn't want to waste my energy preaching to her but I did tell her that I have a widescreen TV and that it would be nice if they stocked at least a few copies. She told me that it probably won't happen.

This is a very bad marketing move by Blockbuster. They are completely alienating the ever increasing user base of 16X9 TV's. It's really quite sad and it looks like they have lost a customer at least for a little while.

Thanks goodness for http://www.netflix.com

[gcutler]

at least for me, Blockbuster was last to get DVDs in compared to the other rental store in the area. They are definately not a leader, and only follow. You figure they could stock 10% widescreen just to cover their as*es. But I guess that would mean that after the 90% of their customers go for the regular, the rest of the customers will be forced to go for the Widescreen and probably complain.

[angiodan]

I had spoken to my Blockbuster manager about this, and he did state, even though he doesn't agree with it, that Blockbuster will stock fewer and fewer WS DVD's. Thanks to the dolts who don't want a black bar on their tv.

And Chris, you know that there will still be some idiots who have a widescreen tv, and will still bitch that their 2.35:1 transfer DVD has black bars on top and bottom.

[Augie #70]

BB is evil!  Support your local independent video retailer!

The reason why they don't stock WS DVD's is becuase the majority of consumers want pan-n-scan. I'm in the I have a wide screen and want to see the whole movie camp.  When DVD's were first introduced, the majority of my customers (i am a former video store owner) wanted WS, as the popularity of DVD's increased, mainstream customers clamored for pan-n-scan.  It's all about percentages. 

[Jasonbp]

I don't even go to Blockbuster anymore. There DVD collection stinks. They never have anything in that you want. The main reason I left was because I went to rent an Xbox and GameCube game, Blockbuster has more new games for sale then they do to rent in the Xbox and GameCube sections here. Who goes to a rental place to buy new DVD's, VHS tapes, and video games?

You guys will hate me. Here in Kalamazoo we have the "largest video store in Michigan". Three floor's of goodness. All new release popular movies they get in are half DVD and half VHS. EVERY DVD they get is in Widescreen (unless the movie doesn't come in Widescreen).

Plus they have a GREAT collection of old release DVD movies, and old movies that are just coming out on DVD. All together on old release DVD section they have alteast 250 different movies to rent. Which DVD's are either $0.89 for five day's, or 5 Movies for 5 Day's for $5. Same with old VHS tapes (price wise), though with VHS tape's they have atleast 3,000 different movies to rent.

[gcutler]

I'm lucky, "Hollywood Video" opened a "Hollywood DVD" store near where I am, so they have DVD only (unless a popular movie is released only on VHS at the time). And they always have plenty of Widescreen DVD titles, but they will have both options available to make everyone happy. And the regular "Hollywood Video" seem to have a nice share of DVD, I believe that they have a mixture of WS and regular.

[JBKing]

I have a Blockbuster less than a mile from my house, but I drive 5 miles or so, and fight the main thoroughfare traffic to get to Hollywood.

[RandyAB]

I have not been to a rental store in a long time, so I have a probably stupid question. The service I uses sends multiple disc sets like for example Buffy Season 1 individually. When you rent from a Blockbuster or Hollywood, will they do the same thing, or do you rent the season of a show together?

[Jasonbp]

Originally posted by RandyAB
I have not been to a rental store in a long time, so I have a probably stupid question. The service I uses sends multiple disc sets like for example Buffy Season 1 individually. When you rent from a Blockbuster or Hollywood, will they do the same thing, or do you rent the season of a show together?

I think at Blockbuster you have to rent the hole season. Though I am not sure. I never rented a season from Blockbuster. The only thing they had was Sex In The City Season 1 and Season 2.

[MikeW]

I'm in the same boat as JBKing. I pass two BBs to get to Hollywood Video. Hollywood always has copies of new releases available, WS is not a problem and, they sell used DVDs at 2 for $25. So if I liked what I saw, I can buy it much cheaper than WalMart. They also have a policy that guarantees the DVD for life. Simply bring in the DVD, with receipt, and they will replace it! I keep the receipt in the box just in case. BB, meanwhile, is usually sold out on the movies I'd like to rent-and I only see about 10 or 15 empty boxes-indicating they simply don't have enough stock.

[Richard King]

Blockbuster is just trying to protect themselves from all the class action lawsuits that would be brought by those burning the bars into their screens. :) The trouble is, there is probably some truth to the above made up comment. Doctors are quitting their practices, now Blockbuster is refusing to carry widescreen flix just because of lawyers. :D

[invaliduser88]

Hollywood Video opened a new stored ~1 mile from my house last month. Bye bye Blockbuster!:wave:

[gcutler]

Is that new Hollywood a "Video" or "DVD". That "Hollywood DVD" is soooo great. Now there are some console game rentals, but everything else is DVD. Don't even have to see a VHS tape :D

[LadyTalia]

oooh... you are *so* lucky. I live in the middle of nowhere and only have Blockbuster. my fiance & I are rewards gold, so at least we get lots of free movies. Also- we have it set up on our account that if they even RENT us a pan and scan without telling us, we get it free :) yay! we have fought it so much and they have lost enough money that they ALWAYS keep widescreen in stock. *Grin* hehe... you wouldn't believe how many times I hear from people "how could you want to see that? they cut off too much of the movie?" I want to respond "I may be 'missing' my movie but at least I'm not missing a few brain cells" pet peeve of mine... I hate pan & scan... letterbox gives me room for my captioning/subtitles. I also love dvds for the "english for the hearing impaired" subtitles. being severely hard of hearing SUCKS when it comes to VHS

[Bogy]

Last summer at a neighborhood BBQ, I was sitting at a table with a bunch of the wives. (often WAY more interesting than the rest of the husbands.) The subject of P&S and WS came up somehow, with the question of why WS had those black bars. I patiently explained which option was really cutting out pieces of the movie, and how they did it. They were pleased that they now understood the difference, and appreciated that I had explained it in a way that they could understand. I did protect the other husbands with the explanation that I was practiced at trying to explain difficult subjects due to my line of work, instead of telling them that the reason their husbands couldn't explain it to them was that they didn't know the difference themselves. :D

[gcutler]

I was lucky in college they allowed "Art of the Motion Picture" as an Art Elective. So I took that. And the first day's discussion included Pan and Scan vs WS for TV and Video Tape. I guess the professor felt very strongly about it. He said that any movie made after 195? if you write your paper on it, it has to be the WS version because chances are you are seeing the Pan and Scan which is not what the director and Cinematographer wanted you to see. :D

[invaliduser88]

Originally posted by gcutler
Is that new Hollywood a "Video" or "DVD". That "Hollywood DVD" is soooo great. Now there are some console game rentals, but everything else is DVD. Don't even have to see a VHS tape :D

Just Hollywood Video, but fully 50% of the floor space is dedicated to DVD, 30% to VHS and the rest to games.

[TopCat99]

Last time I inquired about WS DVDs at my closest video rental place, I received a reply of, "Huh??"

They're no longer in business, btw...

[DarrellP]

I wonder if the local BB's are managed independently? My BB has 95% widescreen copies of everything. Weird.