List of Vudu Movies with Incorrect Aspect Ratio

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

about a week and a half ago I submitted a service ticket for Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon. They escalated it, but no response at all yet beyond that.

Flixster streams Frankenstein correctly, streams Creature at 1.33 without stretching it, but still at 1.33 not 1.85

Flixster streams Blazing Saddles correctly at 2.40, but Batman Begins is incorrect there too. Cinema Now streams Batman Begins correctly at 2.40

I heard back recently from Vudu (note, months later). The person sending me the message in pseudo-English sort of explained that they had heard nothing from their tech team, sorry, here's $10 credit (that they inserted in my account)

[maperez1987]

I'm new to VUDU recently. I noticed the aspect ratio of Batman Begins is full screen, zoomed in look, no black bars in HDX. I can watch the movie in HDX, HD, and SD. In SD it says 480p wide screen mode. When I view the movie in 480p it doesn't fix the aspect or make the movie look less zoomed in. Do people complain to VUDU about the OAR situation. Can it be fixed by an update or something? Also I used my Ultraviolet code to redeem and stream Cowboys and Aliens on blu ray. I've noticed something odd when watching this movie if anyone else has noticed or if it's just me. When the movie starts and it shows the Universal logo appearing on your screen during Universal promo it plays the music for DreamWorks and when the Dreamworks logo promo appears on your screen it plays the Universal music, weird right? I'm also planning on doing the disc to digital at Wal-Mart. I've never done it before. I have a question about this. The discs you bring is that the quality that you get when it is able to stream or is it what is available from Vudu? Also if I were to bring a DVD in that is in SD like Selena and I want it in HDX, is it just upcoverted from SD like blu ray players do to DVD's? Or is it the quality that is available on VUDU? Will Region B blu rays work? If anyone can help and has the information I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

[hanshotfirst1138]

Well, here's a bizarre one: The Desolation of Smaug streams correctly in the Flixster app on my iPhone, but when I cast it to my Chromecast, it's cropped. Unbelievable.

Originally Posted by crackedknee

Yes, Vudu will get the TV cropped masters and just not notice. We're probably lucky that the list is limited to just those items. Vudu sometimes has different ID versions of the same movies (e.g. Oklahoma is Cinemascope on Flixster and Todd-AO version on Vudu, both are different prints). But other examples, where there are not 2 different prints of the same movie, have the same problem.

I'd imagine that it's of very little interest to them. The effort to get a proper master is probably time and money they'd rather not spend when 0.01% of their purchasers care about it.

Originally Posted by crackedknee

I heard back recently from Vudu (note, months later). The person sending me the message in pseudo-English sort of explained that they had heard nothing from their tech team, sorry, here's $10 credit (that they inserted in my account)

I think the loose answer is that a credit is at very best what we're going to be getting. There's probably a long chain of command to go through to even contact who needs to fix those things, and I doubt it's prioritized.

Originally Posted by maperez1987

I'm new to VUDU recently. I noticed the aspect ratio of Batman Begins is full screen, zoomed in look, no black bars in HDX. I can watch the movie in HDX, HD, and SD. In SD it says 480p wide screen mode. When I view the movie in 480p it doesn't fix the aspect or make the movie look less zoomed in. Do people complain to VUDU about the OAR situation. Can it be fixed by an update or something? Also I used my Ultraviolet code to redeem and stream Cowboys and Aliens on blu ray. I've noticed something odd when watching this movie if anyone else has noticed or if it's just me. When the movie starts and it shows the Universal logo appearing on your screen during Universal promo it plays the music for DreamWorks and when the Dreamworks logo promo appears on your screen it plays the Universal music, weird right? I'm also planning on doing the disc to digital at Wal-Mart. I've never done it before. I have a question about this. The discs you bring is that the quality that you get when it is able to stream or is it what is available from Vudu? Also if I were to bring a DVD in that is in SD like Selena and I want it in HDX, is it just upcoverted from SD like blu ray players do to DVD's? Or is it the quality that is available on VUDU? Will Region B blu rays work? If anyone can help and has the information I'd really appreciate it.



Thanks!

If the title is available for disc-to-digital (and that hasn't been updated in forever, and Vudu clearly don't care about it anymore), you can convert an SD disc to an HDX version for $5, or $2 for a SD version. Letting them know about the aspect ratio issues is all very well, but as has been established, they aren't likely to get fixed. There's a section on Vudu's forums where the titles with incorrect aspect ratios are discussed, but not much more.

[crackedknee]

Did some checking of items I have in my account versus the list on the first page of this thread (of items still incorrect), a couple seem to have been corrected:
The Birds, 1.85 (both Vudu and Flixster)
the Legend of Zorro 2.40 in Vudu

[richardvialet]

Frozen (2010) - Original aspect ratio is 2.40:1 while the VUDU ratio is 1.78:1

[xbs2034]

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Fox 2.4 titles are OAR on VUDU but use 16x9 framing on Cinemanow? X-Men: Apocalypse, X2, The Martian, and Kingsman come right to mind, but there are others.

[crackedknee]

I didn't know about the Fox titles on CineamNow (nor was I aware about Frozen), but between the services:
Vudu
Flixster (soon to be Warner something or other)
FandangoNow (once known by the catchy name M-Go)
CinemaNow
there can be differences in correct or incorrect aspect ratio. I've started a list, but for example, there are some Dirty Harry movies (later one) that are incorrect on both Flixster AND Vudu, but play correctly (2.40/2.35 whatever they are) in CinemaNow and/or FandangoNow

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by richardvialet

Frozen (2010) - Original aspect ratio is 2.40:1 while the VUDU ratio is 1.78:1

I checked this on my Vudu account, for me Frozen is correct at 2.40

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Fox 2.4 titles are OAR on VUDU but use 16x9 framing on Cinemanow? X-Men: Apocalypse, X2, The Martian, and Kingsman come right to mind, but there are others.

I checked these on CinemaNow, they are correct for me on CinemaNow as well. (it's correct in both CN and Vudu)

Not sure why you two are getting the wrong ratios, but mine are right (using Samsung Smart device for my apps)

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

I checked this on my Vudu account, for me Frozen is correct at 2.40




I checked these on CinemaNow, they are correct for me on CinemaNow as well. (it's correct in both CN and Vudu)

Not sure why you two are getting the wrong ratios, but mine are right (using Samsung Smart device for my apps)

Using both the IOS App and directly on the website through my computer (just checked Apocalypse again with the Quicksilver scene on computer, while had the Blu on TV for comparison and it's definitely cropped on CN rather than open matte). I suppose it's possible for Samsung Smart or other devices to get a different encode/aspect ratio.

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Using both the IOS App and directly on the website through my computer (just checked Apocalypse again with the Quicksilver scene on computer, while had the Blu on TV for comparison and it's definitely cropped on CN rather than open matte). I suppose it's possible for Samsung Smart or other devices to get a different encode/aspect ratio.

Samsung Smart apps work great for the paid (owned) services Vudu/CN et al, at least as far as aspect ratio goes with the exceptions being, naturally, listed in this thread.

What's annoying is that Samsung apps (all companies, or especially AdRise apps like Tubi and Shout Factory) crop and zoom ALL 2.40 films to 1.78 (and it looks awful). Most 1.39 get the same, but a few are not that way. I presume they are trying to cater to a cell phone only streaming, so they mangle the film. You can't watch any film with sub-titles, the text gets cut-off when zoomed/cropped.

[hanshotfirst1138]

My Samsung Smart TV can't handle VUDU's compression. The processor in it must be weak or something because I can barely get one bar on HDX. Even when I try plugging the Ethernet cable into the DVR like AT&T said not to do, it strains.

[JeffUSA]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

Samsung Smart apps work great for the paid (owned) services Vudu/CN et al, at least as far as aspect ratio goes with the exceptions being, naturally, listed in this thread.

What's annoying is that Samsung apps (all companies, or especially AdRise apps like Tubi and Shout Factory) crop and zoom ALL 2.40 films to 1.78 (and it looks awful). Most 1.39 get the same, but a few are not that way. I presume they are trying to cater to a cell phone only streaming, so they mangle the film. You can't watch any film with sub-titles, the text gets cut-off when zoomed/cropped.

I've owned a Samsung Smart TV for a few years and Samsung Apps annoy me. I don't like how Samsung will install/uninstall apps without my permission. I will never buy another Samsung Smart device for this reason.

[JeffUSA]

So with Incorrect Aspect Ratio issues should VUDU be avoided or do all streaming services have this issue with certain movies?

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by JeffUSA

So with Incorrect Aspect Ratio issues should VUDU be avoided or do all streaming services have this issue with certain movies?

Depends on the distributor/studio, Amelie is 1.78 across all providers while Demolition Man and Crazy, Stupid, Love are only 1.78 on Vudu & correct everywhere else.

[meremortal]

Originally Posted by JeffUSA

So with Incorrect Aspect Ratio issues should VUDU be avoided or do all streaming services have this issue with certain movies?

That's a good question. I know Tin Cup is cropped from scope to 16x9 on Vudu but I'm not sure if it is on other providers. I've been wanting that movie for a while with a good transfer and in proper AR.

[crackedknee]

Originally Posted by JeffUSA

I've owned a Samsung Smart TV for a few years and Samsung Apps annoy me. I don't like how Samsung will install/uninstall apps without my permission. I will never buy another Samsung Smart device for this reason.

Samsung just recently stopped supporting my model of BD player/streamer, and so suddenly from one day to the next, it has ceased working with Flixtser AND Netflix. I asked Flister support, and they could care less, but finally explained that the problem was a technical one on Samsung's side. It went from a dozen of their devices supported to a single device. So yes, I am equally unimpressed with Samsung apps at this point, though at first I was satisfied, happier with Samsung than with Sony's system. I might opt for a Roku now.

Originally Posted by JeffUSA

So with Incorrect Aspect Ratio issues should VUDU be avoided or do all streaming services have this issue with certain movies?

As detailed above, depends on the service, the examples above are good ones. If CinemaNow folds, it will be unfortunate, as CN has a few movies that are the correct aspect ratio there and there alone.

[JeffUSA]

Originally Posted by crackedknee

Samsung just recently stopped supporting my model of BD player/streamer, and so suddenly from one day to the next, it has ceased working with Flixtser AND Netflix. I asked Flister support, and they could care less, but finally explained that the problem was a technical one on Samsung's side. It went from a dozen of their devices supported to a single device. So yes, I am equally unimpressed with Samsung apps at this point, though at first I was satisfied, happier with Samsung than with Sony's system. I might opt for a Roku now.

As detailed above, depends on the service, the examples above are good ones. If CinemaNow folds, it will be unfortunate, as CN has a few movies that are the correct aspect ratio there and there alone.

I know Sony switched over to Android TV with their newest sets. I wonder how that is.

[Bob Schlapowitz]

Indiana Jones movies in the wrong aspect ratio is pretty damn inexcusable.

[xbs2034]

I got an instawatch copy of the original Underworld, and that seems to be incorrect as 1.78 (according to this site and IMDB its a scope picture like the other films in the series, haven't seen the film and don't know if it's open matte or cropped). It may just be the theatrical cut though, as that's what I got despite the disc being the extended cut.

[prkprkprk]

For anyone still following the thread, I have finally gotten around to updating it. More titles added to incorrect OAR and a few titles moved over to the Corrected section. Apologies for the long delay in getting this up-to-date.